I’ve had the privilege of interviewing hundreds of remarkable architects over the years. But every once in a while, I connect with someone whose experience, values, and work deeply align with the mission of EntreArchitect. Jane Frederick, FAIA, is one of those people.
In episode 619 of the EntreArchitect Podcast, I sat down with Jane to talk about her journey as a small firm architect, her leadership at the AIA, and the release of her new book, Contemporary Southern Vernacular: Creating Sustainable Houses for Hot, Humid Climates. We talked about building science, climate-responsive design, family, leadership, and the power of writing a book to establish your expertise.
Here are some of the key lessons I took away from our conversation.
Start Where You Are and Grow With Purpose
Jane’s story is rooted in intentionality. She and her husband Michael founded Frederick + Frederick Architects in Beaufort, South Carolina back in 1989. It wasn’t part of a master plan—they visited the coastal town on vacation and fell in love. Three months later, they’d sold their house and moved with two young children in tow.
Like many small firm architects, they started out by saying “yes” to every project that came through the door. But by the early 2000s, they made the decision to specialize. They chose to focus on custom residential architecture—not because it was the biggest opportunity, but because it brought them joy. And because Beaufort, like so many small towns in the South, was full of retirees and transplants looking to build their forever homes.
That clarity of purpose set them on a trajectory of meaningful work.
Sometimes Mold and Termites Are a Blessing in Disguise
Around the same time they narrowed their focus, Jane and Michael took on two beach house renovation projects. Both homes, built in the 1980s, looked perfectly fine on the surface. But when they started pulling off cladding, they discovered rot, mold, mildew, and termites—structural failures less than 20 years into their life.
That discovery led Jane down a path of deep building science research. She found her way to Joe Lstiburek and the Building America guides, realizing that most codes at the time were written by “cold-weather chauvinists,” as Joe put it. The solutions being mandated in her region—vented attics and crawlspaces, for example—were fundamentally wrong for the climate.
Rather than shrug and keep going, Jane became an advocate. She educated local officials, challenged old assumptions, and pushed for envelope assemblies that made sense for the South. Her firm began doing the right thing long before the codes caught up.
That mindset shift—from “this is how we’ve always done it” to “let’s do it right for where we are”—transformed her firm’s identity.
Design for Place, Not Just Performance
As they dug deeper, Jane and Michael found inspiration in the wisdom of historic vernacular architecture. Before air conditioning, people had figured out how to stay cool in the Southern heat. One-room-wide floor plans. High ceilings. Wide porches. Homes lifted off the ground. Buildings oriented to catch prevailing breezes and avoid harsh solar gain.
These weren’t style choices—they were survival strategies.
Their new book, Contemporary Southern Vernacular, isn’t just a collection of pretty pictures or technical diagrams. It’s a tool for educating homeowners and future clients on why climate-responsive design matters. It’s written in plain language, with clear explanations and illustrations, to help people understand what makes a good house in a hot, humid place.
Jane put it best: “If you start with those vernacular principles, you already get a head start on sustainability.”
Net Zero Starts With Smart Design
Jane and her team have been part of the AIA 2030 Commitment for over a decade. Their firm of five has hit 80–90% reductions in operational carbon on many projects, and they’ve designed a few homes that are completely net zero. And yes, solar helps. But that’s not where it begins.
It begins with how you detail the building, how you orient it on the site, how you protect it from heat and humidity, and how you right-size the mechanical systems.
At Frederick + Frederick, they don’t outsource HVAC design. They do it all in-house, coordinated in Revit, so the systems are integrated with the architecture from the start. They design their ductwork in 3D, model the building performance, and make sure nothing’s oversized or misaligned. That level of coordination reduces energy use, increases comfort, and makes their projects resilient and durable.
In the South, as Jane says, “It’s not just about keeping heat in. It’s about keeping humidity out.”
Aging in Place, Resiliency, and Designing for Real Life
Most of Jane’s clients are approaching retirement. These are forever homes. So the book and her design philosophy also focus on resilience—both in the face of natural disasters like hurricanes, and in the life stages of the people living there.
They talk about battery backup, natural ventilation strategies, flood risk, and building to withstand the next storm. But they also talk about zero-threshold entries, one-floor living, and planning for aging in place. It’s about being ready—for whatever life throws at you.
Write the Book (Even If It Takes Two Years)
This book didn’t appear overnight. Jane and Michael had been talking about it for 10–15 years. When they finally committed, they worked with a consulting group to help organize the process. They wrote the manuscript themselves, coded all the image captions and permissions, and partnered with Schiffer Publishing, a traditional family-owned press, to bring it to market.
Why go through all that work? In Jane’s words: “We wanted to be recognized as experts in hot, humid climates.” And now, with the book in hand, they can confidently say, “We wrote the book on it.”
For other architects considering writing a book, Jane offers this advice: make sure it’s useful. Write for the client you want to work with. Educate. Empower. Give them the language and confidence to hire you. Because a well-crafted book can be your most powerful marketing tool.
Build the Business That Fits Your Life
Finally, Jane shared how she and Michael built a business that worked for their family. Their office is on the same property as their home. When their daughters were young, Jane worked school hours. As they grew, she and Michael made time for coaching soccer, Girl Scouts, and being present parents. That intentionality didn’t slow their professional growth—it accelerated it.
Jane rose through the ranks at AIA, eventually becoming the 2020 national president. She’s served on local zoning boards, strategic councils, and national accreditation teams. And through it all, she remained rooted in her small firm.
Because, as she reminded us, small firm architects can have a big impact. On clients. On community. And on the profession itself.
If you’re working in the South—or designing for hot, humid climates—you need to listen to this episode. Jane Frederick is the real deal. A leader. A practitioner. A voice worth following.
🎧 Listen now at https://entrearchitect.com/619
📘 And grab a copy of her book: Contemporary Southern Vernacular: Creating Sustainable Houses for Hot, Humid Climates
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