“How do you create such beautiful projects?!” Our secret to being in business for 25 years is simple: all comes down to maintaining focus on our values and purpose.

Silent Rivers lives by a strong system of values aimed at doing more than simply sustaining our design+build company. Knowing we can fulfill a higher purpose through our work, we aim higher. Throughout our entire team, we live, design and build by these values that help Silent Rivers make a positive influence on our team, clients, vendors, community and planet.

The mission behind The Silent Rivers Way

As the foundation to our values, our mission is about more than making pretty spaces. We seek to inspire people through our work because we believe that art and beauty, when part of our daily lives, help people to understand themselves and their higher purpose. In the words of our team, our mission is…

We connect people to their home, themselves and their family through considerate aesthetics, exceptional craft and a caring experience with our team of makers.

A vision with a higher purpose

Our mission is our foundation and our values are our framework. Together, they are the pathway to the Silent Rivers vision that drives us to create such inspiration through our work.

Silent Rivers art is about more than designing and constructing beautiful, functional spaces. Art has the power to transform and inspire people to connect. Connect to themselves, their community and their environment. Connect to their home and to their families. And ultimately, connect to their higher purpose. When one feels connected, there is a knowing that we are all part of the same world and we can do more than just inhabit it. We can evolve it to an even better world.

This is why Silent Rivers applies our art to both homes and our community. As defined by our team, the Silent Rivers vision is…

The Silent Rivers Vision: “Through the creation of personal spaces that inspire, we will shift the paradigm of design and construction to help evolve humanity’s understanding of its highest self.”

How we define our values

To name our values is one thing; to deeply define what each one means is empowering. Our team came together to define each of the Silent Rivers values. We live, design and build by these values. This is how we create spaces that inspire! Here are the values we constantly talk about in our project meetings and proudly display as large posters in our office…

A core value at Silent Rivers is Artistry. We define it as “Setting the standard for a seamless process and an unprecedented product through craft, science and aesthetics.” We weave artistry into every aspect of designing and building our projects. It shows in the beauty, craftsmanship, durability and functionality we create. And it is evident in the connections we make in our community.

Collaboration is a key ingredient to our success. At Silent Rivers, it means “Valuing all opinions by leading with open minded solutions thereby enhancing our relationships through teamwork and understanding of each other’s needs.” Our team forms a partnership with our clients to define goals and determine what’s possible within your budget. And there is a strong partnership amongst our designers, artisans, estimators and project managers who work together to ensure accurate budgets, timelines and renowned Silent Rivers artistry. All of this is supported by the many collaborative partnerships with our vendors and our community.

Integrity is a critical element in The Silent Rivers Way. To us, integrity is “Taking ownership, providing reliability and doing the unremarkable with remarkable detail in everything we do.” As a salute to our 25 years of integrity and reliability, we were honored with the Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Ethics »

Silent Rivers values Encouragement. We define this as “Supporting individual growth and the pioneering of our craft by nurturing continuous learning through an authentic and diverse creative experience.” Our team is constantly encouraging each other to think outside the box and push the envelope. And we encourage connectivity in our community.

Consideration is a value that stands for how deeply we care. Our definition of consideration is “Nurturing a caring experience by making thoughtful decisions rooted in trust and respect for one another.” We listen to each other and we listen to our clients. We thoughtfully create experiences meant to produce the best outcome for those involved, our community and our planet.

Enjoyment is an important aspect of The Silent Rivers Way. When you enjoy what you do, it’s easier to understand your purpose. Our definition of enjoyment is “Ensuring the care and satisfaction of our work, and each other, by taking pleasure in what we do.”

Silent Rivers values Sustainability. It is a word that can be defined in many ways. We define sustainability as “Stewarding pathways to vibrant communities, healthier homes and a regenerative planet through a focus on longevity in our approach to business and shelter.”  Sure, we create projects that are beautiful. More importantly, we create projects that are durable. When you produce projects that stand the test of time, you have a company that stands the test of time. We are educated in sustainable building methods and business practices, and have been honored for our efforts to promote sustainability in our community.

Our purpose, summed up in an inspiring Ikigai

As we mentioned earlier, Silent Rivers aims to do more than just inhabit our world. We strive to make it an even better world. Our purpose is about much more than taking up space. We feel there is great purpose in creating beautiful spaces that inspire! Each of our team members has a print of this ikigai, which we happily share with you…

Ikigai is a Japanese concept meaning “a reason for being” or “a reason to wake up each day”. The pursuit of one’s ikigai brings joy and meaning to life.

25 years of Silent Rivers!

As an example of our values in action, check out the coverage below of our inclusive 25th Anniversary party held October 29, 2018 at the 6th Avenue Corridor Project. We hosted a remarkable dsm Magazine Unveiling Party celebrating 25 years of Silent Rivers connecting people to people, home, beauty, community and planet. In Silent Rivers style, the event featured art, poetry, culture, ethnically-diverse food and drinks in a raw setting like no other. Hundreds joined us to celebrate the power of inspiration and connection!

If you like what Silent Rivers stands for and you’re ready to connect on your project, let’s talk! Contact us »