Buildings with a clear sense of purpose. Anyone can build an expensive house or an impressive winery, but that alone doesn’t make it meaningful. We always try to understand the why behind a project: why it needs to exist, how it should support the people who will use it, and what it can contribute over time. When those questions are answered well, the architecture has a reason for being.

I also believe strongly in creating buildings that belong to their site. At Walker Warner, we don’t think of a building as an isolated object. It’s one part of a larger environment shaped by landscape, climate, culture, and the people who inhabit it. We try to understand all of those forces and let them inform the architecture. The best buildings feel specific to where they are, and difficult to imagine anywhere else. That kind of work is always worth creating.

Mike McCabe, Architect
Walker Warner, United States

This reflection is part of UNFINISHED, an ongoing BIG SEE conversation about what still deserves our time, attention and creative energy – and what is worth bringing into the world next.

Share your own reflection. Your contribution will be published in BIG SEE Magazine, shared across BIG SEE channels throughout the year, and presented in the UNFINISHED exhibition at the BIG SEE Festival 2027 in Portorož. As a contributor, you become an exhibiting participant and receive a complimentary Festival Pass.