Here at Gusto! we look for the spark. The one thing each project has that makes it unique and different from all other projects. Sometimes it's a subtle detail, sometimes it's a bold change, but in every project there is a spark.
We believe that the practice of architecture is a craft. Just as with handmade objects, each of our projects is inherently different and bears the imprint of those involved in its creation. While a similar vocabulary may be used - steel, concrete and wood - each design is a specific response to a site and to our client's needs.
We use hand drawings, sketches and models to explore ideas with our clients and we continue to do this, along with computer drawings, until the project's completion. We believe that drawing by hand helps us stay connected to the human elements of architecture - scale, proportion and detail - that make our designs resonate.
At Gusto! we work closely with the homeowners, contractors and craftspeople to create the best possible finished product. Our hope is that everyone takes pride in the end result because they have all played an important role in the process of creating a space that meets the homeowner's needs and lifts their spirits.
GUSTO!
noun \ gus-toe \ : enjoyment or vigor in doing something; zest.
Geno Salimena
FOUNDER OF GUSTO, LEAD DESIGNER
When not living, breathing and dreaming all things Gusto, Geno enjoys designing and building tree houses, sketching urban landscapes, painting large canvases, riding his bike and swimming. Geno started his path designing sets for his high school theater department, he worked as a designer-builder for many years after graduation (U of O B. Arch, class of ’96) and is now happily designing homes for Gusto’s amazingly awesome clientele. We often joke how lucky we were that Geno quit his day job and founded Gusto! rather than opening a pizza joint 9 years ago (which was second on the list). He’s currently mastering the art of the crispy crust with his portable pizza oven and thinking about making it his retirement plan, but that is a long way off.
Fun Fact: Geno is 50% Swiss and 50% Italian. He won a city wide drawing contest when he was in grade school (his drawings skills are deeply rooted)
Erin Salimena, NCIDQ
INTERIOR DESIGNER
When not working diligently with Gusto, Erin enjoys spending time outside, skiing, running, playing old-lady soccer or walking her two crazy dingos, often with a bob-tailed cat in tow. Erin and Geno have two amazing teenagers that keep them on their toes and laughing (or crying, or both). Erin enjoys all things sweet and most things savory and is learning to appreciate vegetables more and more with each passing year. Erin has been working as an interior designer, both commercially and residentially since the dawn of time (1992) and yes, she started when she was 10, thank you!
Fun Fact: Erin is a twin (fraternal) and she does not drink coffee.
Greer Goodmonson
PROJECT ARCHITECT
Greer is a licensed Architect and has been working with Gusto for the past eight years. Prior to that she worked in other local design firms and design firms in Boston. When not at work, Greer spends her time racing after her brilliant and active twin boys, she is a huge fan of karaoke, she enjoys investigating true crime stories and mysterious medical conditions on the web, and she’s solely in charge of the office playlist. Greer likes smoked fish, raw fish, broiled fish, or vegetables with pizzazz (and butter), like artichokes or popcorn.
Fun Fact: As a toddler, Greer fell into the curing concrete of her grandparents' basement right after it was poured, and she's been interested in building, design, & construction ever since.