Welcome!

to Every gesture tells a story.

So, who is Scott Smith?

I’m an architect and writer based in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

I’ve been noticing buildings since I was 10, walking around half-built homes with my mom in Atlanta, day-dreaming about their future lives. I run my own design studio now, which you can learn about here.

What’s Every gesture tells a story. all about?

Every week, I share reflections that explore how buildings speak to us, through simple stuff like a door, a window, or a gently sloping hillside. I’m writing this newsletter for people like me that enjoy slowing down, noticing things, and looking for meaning in everyday places. If you're like me, curious about design, culture, and the way architecture shapes our day to day, I think you’ll enjoy it here.

What sort of things do you like?

I love buildings and space, of course, listening to music, traveling, wandering around in the woods. I am continually inspired by Robert Irwin, and Vilhelm Hammershoi. I like books on anthropology, art, psychology, linguistics, and stuff like that. I guess I like a lot of different things, whatever my curiosity sniffs out.

Why should I read what you write?

Well, I couldn’t answer that for you, but I do spend a lot of time on each post, so if effort is any indicator, the writing should be good, or at least the ideas behind the writing.

Are you planning to do other stuff too?

Yea, for sure. I’d like to make some short videos that follow along as I work out a design, a little behind the scenes look at the messy process of architecture. I would also like to send out some neat artifacts at the change of the seasons, a zine maybe, or a limited edition hand drawing, something like that.

Sounds nice, could I get in on that?

Yea? Of course! Just click the little buttons below to subscribe and share, and we’ll start having lots of fun together, seriously. Thanks for reading!