How does Roberth Jordan approach custom home design differently from others?

Roberth Jordan begins with the largest vision possible, exploring what a lot and home could achieve, then refines down to retain the best ideas, resulting in homes that inspire and surprise.

Why does Ceci Bates choose a vision-first design approach?

Ceci Bates believes that starting with expansive ideas allows a project to reach its full potential, ending with a home that reflects true client desires and not merely constraints.

What happens after the initial expansive design in Roberth Jordan's process?

The initial ambitious design undergoes a refining process where ideas are tested, decisions are made, and what truly matters to the client emerges, leading to a cohesive and inspiring final design.

Notes From Our Journey

From twenty-six years of building custom homes on Lake Texoma, here we share about our process and what we've learned about design, materials, engineering, and the decisions that shape a home built to last for generations — the questions clients ask us most often, and the answers we give around the table in our design center.

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Roberth Jordan’s Design Philosophy: Starting with Vision

Roberth Jordan’s Design Philosophy: Starting with Vision

Ceci Bates

July 1, 2026

In the world of custom home design, it’s common to begin with a list of limitations. Budgets are predetermined, lots are measured down to the last foot, and requirements are drawn up as though a home were a puzzle to be assembled. Architects are then tasked with fitting their creativity into an already defined space, often resulting in homes that fulfill every listed criterion but rarely surprise or inspire.

Roberth Jordan, the architect on the Ceci Bates team, approaches design from a different angle. His philosophy begins with envisioning the broadest possible picture and gradually refining from there. He has remarked on the importance of “thinking big and bringing it down,” rather than staying within constraints from the onset. To him, designing with fear of overreaching leads to homes that can never realize their potential.

His early sketches are intentionally ambitious, exploring what the lot might become, what the home might feel like, and what spaces could take shape if given expansive thought and imagination. From this initial grandeur, the process of refinement begins. Ideas are tested and adjusted. Choices are made with care, allowing what truly resonates with the clients to emerge and stay. What this approach leaves behind is not merely a series of decisions or compromises but a home elevated by the best of what was initially imagined. It results in spaces that are as functional as they are inspired, reflecting both the client’s needs and dreams.

A custom home worth building is one that starts with a vision of possibility and ends with considered discipline. To explore how Ceci Bates approaches the design of homes that embrace this philosophy, we invite you to learn more at cecibates.com.

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