Our name, our mission
We're Arocordis Design, and we've been helping our clients and communities thrive through our bespoke residential architectural design services since 2010. Our name comes from two Latin words we combined, Aro, and Cordis, which means "cultivating the heart, soul, and meaning in our design, place, and space-making." It is our North Star that guides our modern-inspired design of custom homes, additions, and major renovations for clients in Vermont and beyond.
Our principal architect, Stephen M. Frey, a licensed architect in Vermont, has over a quarter century of experience serving clients with a discerning taste for sophisticated green living. We collaborate as needed with other design professionals, trade partners, and engineers to ensure consistent enduring quality on a project-by-project basis.
We prioritize integrating indoor and outdoor spaces and natural elements in our elegant and modern-inspired residential designs while staying authentic to our New England roots. Our services range from early planning and coaching to detailed architectural design, builder sets, interior and exterior design, builder selection, and more.
Multi-generational Modern-Farmhouse - Calais, side view of the addition
About our firm
Arocordis Design provides a wide range of residential architectural design and planning services. Serving clients in Vermont since 2010, we provide personalized creative, and inspiring services in the work we do for our families and clients.
When you hire Arocordis Design you receive the full attention of Stephen Frey, a registered architect in Vermont and his team. He also leads the design and management of each project. He grew up in Vermont and attended the University of Vermont where he received a design in Studio Art. He headed west to Denver where he graduated with a professional master’s of architecture degree from the University of Colorado at Denver College of Architecture and Planning.
“What started as a renovation discussion led to a creative rethinking of the New England ranch house design appropriate for the lifestyle choices we are making, creating a simple home that is easy to care for and delightful to live in. ”
Spending his early professional years in Colorado at large commercial and institutional-focused firms, he moved back to Vermont in 2001. He practiced high-performance award-winning green architecture and planning as design director with Maclay Architects out of Waitsfield, now Maclay Studio of VT Integrated Architecture. Formed in 2010, Arocordis Design supplied customized sustainably minded commercial and institutional-focused architectural services at first.
In 2018, we changed our practice focus to exclusively residential architectural design and planning services with a high-performance sustainable modern green design mindset. Since then we have steadily designed custom homes, major renovations, and additions for our Vermont and beyond clients.
We also have created prototype designs for purchase and or adaptation to your site. They cover a range of Net-zero ready, or Net-zero climate-positive small to medium-sized pre-fab or modular-friendly prototype homes. Our designs are suitable for rural or country settings, as well as village or city locations, and hobby barns, accessory dwelling units, or ADU’s, with or without integrated garages.
Great room interior - River House
What we care about:
At Arocordis Design, we believe in bringing nature into our designs, both indoor and outdoor, to create a space that truly reflects your vision. Our design work is always collaborative and we strive to add our signature modern style to each project. Our goal is to create a space that will be cherished for generations to come.
We pride ourselves on making sustainable choices and providing energy-efficient design and planning services that fit your budget and priorities. Our focus is on creating healthy and recyclable materials, low-energy building enclosures, and advanced wood framing designs to keep costs low and energy efficiency high. We offer a wide range of residential design services, including home master planning, floor plans, elevations, and interior design.
“Steve was great to work with. He really listened to what we wanted and put that on paper. He worked with us in person and also virtually using 3D walkthroughs and images to help make modifications and changes in real-time.”
Our expert team is dedicated to turning your vision into reality, combining innovation and sustainability to create homes that will stand the test of time. At Arocordis Design, we specialize in prioritizing elegant sustainable design architecture, eco-friendly practices, and energy-efficient solutions all with a modern-inspired contemporary vision. Our commitment to sustainable home design services ensures that each project not only meets your aesthetic preferences but also minimizes its environmental impact.
From using healthy wellness-focused or recycled materials to optimizing energy consumption, we strive to create homes that live in harmony with the environment. Our goal is to provide you with a home and living space that not only reflects your style and functional needs but also contributes to the greater community and the health of Vermont and beyond.
Contact us today to begin the journey toward a residential project that is as durable as it is beautiful and inspiring and is a model for artful living.
Houzz is an American website, online community and software for architecture; interior design and decorating; landscape design and home improvement. It was founded in 2009 and is based in Palo Alto, California. Arocordis Design regularly gets selected by the website for service quality, beginning in 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and 2025 more recently. (Logo not available yet).