Michael Moritz discovered his path quite early, at the intersection of childhood memories and curiosity. His nursery school teacher could see where he was headed as he loved to build things. When asked what childhood memories shaped the person he is today, he replied, “Safest at my grandmother’s house; it felt like home.” The big front porch, the backyard, food prepared with love on the dining table where young and old built memories together. At his core is creating visually beautiful homes and spaces with a well-trained architect’s eye, a historian’s vision to leave something beautiful behind and a love of home and family.
Insatiable curiosity or unconventional may be descriptors used to share how Michael explores each geographic area’s building and design style. Recalling a trip to Kiawah Island, South Carolina last summer with his son, he wandered onto ten job sites inquiring if he could have a tour. With his refreshing, affable demeanor and genuine interest, most were happy to invite him in for a look around. Caring deeply about what we leave behind, he is not interested in the disposable; it is the evocation he strives for.
Michael Moritz isn’t one to boast, care about titles, use fancy words or follow the mainstream; he is a true artist, blending his well-honed building and design skills. From a young age, his grandfather taught him to work with his hands, guiding him toward the trades. A connection to the material, sanding floors and running electrical were all practiced before entering architecture and design school, learning about mechanical systems, light use, color theory and more. His early vision was to blend the architect and general contractor because of his experiences working in the field as a young boy, constantly feeling more at home on the job site. There was something about cutting curves, nailing the boards, framing and melding together the pieces into a tangible form.
The experiences that shaped Michael Moritz and his company, Stonewater Architecture, are those early years when his grandparents took him to visit numerous historical sites like Williamsburg, Virginia, instilling home at a sensory level with no detail forgotten; making cookies a few days before Christmas and hand-made gifts where everyone played a part, versus another item on a long shopping list, and creating something from nothing, each memory weaving together a lifetime that ripple into his role as a businessman, community contributor and father.
Founding Stonewater Architecture in 2008, Michael Moritz set out to create custom homes inspired by clients’ lives, with a fusion of historic design and contemporary living. The practical foundation of measurable timelines and budgets is adhered to where no home or space is ordinary—currently offering the residents of New York, New Jersey and Palm Beach a complete suite of services that include architectural design, new construction, renovations, kitchen and bath design, full project management, along with custom millwork and specialty elements.
These elements allow Moritz and his design team at Stonewater Architecture to connect with your vision, collaborate with skilled workers and create a living space to deliver something you genuinely love. Noting that in many cases, this doesn’t happen and often impacts the ability to take a client’s inspiration, a drawing, and bring it to life. It is about quality, not rushing the process, connecting with clients, the space, and the community and going from a possibility to reality.
Moritz knows that every house tells a story, “and the story is shaped by history, place, and the individuals who live within it.” Whether you are looking to update your home, or build a second or vacation home, this American Institute of Architects Gold, Silver, and Merit Award winner welcomes the opportunity to sit down for a glass of wine or a bite to listen to what you imagine.
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