Mark Clipsham has a vision that the future of home design can be more affordable and sustainable than it is today.

Clipsham, from Architecture By Synthesis, hosted a a lecture Wednesday night to discuss green and affordable housing options for Ames and Story County.

Architecture By Synthesis is a local design service company that specializes in residential and commercial design, restaurants, landscapes, kitchens, furniture, renovation, design build and lighting.

Architecture by Synthesis also follows a unique philosophy as part of the company’s structure, including a realization that because a project is not just a physical thing but an embodiment of the clients needs and personalities, it will need to be able to grow and change.

One of the projects Clipsham is involved with is working to design and change the way apartments are being built in Ames so they are more fit for communities.

“You look at all the apartment buildings that are being built in Ames today are blocks, no public spaces and no eyes on the street,” Clipsham said. “People want courtyards and places like that where you feel comfortable and defensive.”

Clipsham said he has a dream to design affordable housing using a simple cylinder design that has potential to become the future of what people are looking for when buying a house. He also said that he wants to base his design so that anyone can build a similar home anywhere at anytime.

“Small homes are really hot right now, people want these,” Clipsham said. “Instead, the builders want to build box homes with large lots and tons of infrastructure because it makes lots of money.”

Clipsham said these homes are perfect for people who really don’t desire a lot of space and want a simple form of living for the lowest cost. He also said how young couples or people straight out of college would be the most pleased with both the design and cost of these homes.

Prototypes for these particular cylinder structures have been created by Clipsham himself looking for new, innovative ways to design and build homes for anyone to afford. He mentioned how some of his inspiration came from the designs of the hobbit homes from the Lord of the Rings.

“We are going to do the coolest thing imaginable in the name of affordability,” Clipsham said. “On top of that, the form is that of the highest end architecture you can get.”

Clipsham said he wants to be able to branch out and get these homes built around the world, and have his vision noticed globally.