studioB-E is a creative design firm catering to individuals, small businesses and institutions with custom services where art and craft are merged, by virtue of a rigorous & thoughtful design process, with social and environmental responsibility.
Thomas & Freda Battcock-Emerson started the firm in order to focus their experience, the many productive relationships they have created and their passion for architecture on the task of making the building process as timely, cost efficient and as enjoyable as possible so that the resultant built work exceeds the client’s expectations without exceeding their budget.
Tom studied Architecture and City & Regional Planning at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. and has twenty-five years of experience working for architectural firms in Maryland, Washington D.C., North Carolina and New Hampshire.
After receiving her degree in English at The Catholic University of America, Freda began a creative design career at Vogue Magazine and has worked in the fitness, hospitality and restaurant industries.
studioB-E concentrates on the design of single family residential projects, commercial office space and sacred architecture. A member of the Congress of Residential Architecture, Tom is committed to improving people’s lives by improving the homes in which they live. His wealth of experience in workplace design allows him to assist business owners in maximizing the return on their investment in office space. Tom's experience as a member of his own congregation's building committee gives him a unique insight into the process of creating meaningful places of worship.
Tom & Freda have utilized their strong sense of community and his historical expertise to help clients secure approvals from historic commissions in several states along the eastern seaboard. They have undertaken active participation in local voluntary planning and development activities such as membership on the Kittery Board of Zoning Appeals, the Mitchell & Shapleigh Schools Building Committee, the St. Raphael’s Church Building Committee and the DuPont Circle Neighborhood Committee.
Both Tom & Freda strongly believe that education, of both the consumer of design as well as the design professional, is key to producing built environments of a quality that resonates for generations. They have represented the profession at school career days, given lectures to science & art classes, been a part of Barnes & Noble's Homeschooling lecture series, Pecha Kucha Night and are currently developing an adult education class to assist the general public in understanding architecture's role in the cultural life of communities. Tom has also acted as a design studio critic and guest juror for the architecture programs at The Catholic University, the University of Maryland and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Freda has served on the Kittery School Department Staff Selection Committee and given lectures on parenting a child with Autism.
studioB-E offers enthusiasm, expertise and individual attention to the task of creating beautiful, livable, cost effective physical environments.