SHA champions an architecture of ideas, where design is a form of thinking made tangible. Architecture operates on the level of thought and can engage with philosophy, art, and science – not merely solve technical problems. Early in his education, Holl was struck by the relevance of Cartesian philosophy to architecture, and ever since he has maintained the notion that “there are dimensions of architecture that raise the problem of architecture to the level of thought and philosophy.” This ethos permeates SHA’s work. Each project is treated as a research inquiry: What does it mean to dwell in light? How can space shape social interaction? What is the architectural equivalent of a poem or a piece of music? Such questions drive the design process. In doing so, it elevates the built environment from mere background to an active cultural discourse – buildings that make us think and inspire thought.