About Us
Merritt Architecture & Design is a multi-disciplinary studio working at the intersection of rigorous performance and quiet luxury. Based in Carbondale, Colorado, and active throughout Aspen and the broader Mountain West, the firm offers architecture, interior design, fabrication, and consulting under one roof — an integrated approach that allows every detail, from structural systems to the texture of a doorknob, to be considered as part of a single, cohesive vision.
The studio's work is guided by three core principles: Craft, Innovation, and Wellness. These are not abstractions but design disciplines — evident in the precision of a Passive House envelope as much as in the warmth of a sunlit great room. MA&D's technical command of ultra-sustainable building standards is matched by an equally exacting design sensibility, resulting in homes and spaces that perform as beautifully as they live. This is architecture where engineering meets emotion — where performance meets heart and soul.
Spanning residential, retail, and hospitality typologies, MA&D's portfolio reflects a belief that true luxury is timeless, not trend-driven. Each project is bespoke by necessity, shaped around the specific rhythms of how its inhabitants want to live, gather, and retreat.
Ethan ‘EJ’ Merritt, RA
Principal Architect and Founder
At the helm is Principal Architect and Founder Ethan "EJ" Merritt, whose career has carried him through major commissions in New York City, Los Angeles, and Aspen. That coastal-to-mountain trajectory, paired with extensive travel abroad, has sharpened his eye for vernacular form and regional tradition. EJ designs with a dual fluency — equally attuned to the polish of cosmopolitan design culture and the unpretentious logic of mountain architecture — and it is this balance, between worlds and between disciplines, that defines the Merritt sensibility: structured, sustainable, and unmistakably soulful.
Ethan earned his Master of Architecture degree from Kansas State University. He is licensed in New York and Colorado.
TESTIMONY
“Ethan puts his heart and soul into the project and brought life into every detail.”
- The Pearl Residence
“They thought of everything, even the pacing of the project made it fun and easy. I can’t imagine what his running race pace actually is like.”
- The Beckman Residence
“MA&D were so thorough and thoughtful about every detail and made every decision clear. The residence is so clean, so precise, yet it feels as if it grew from the site itself.”
-SA
“Ethan made every decision so clear, we knew we were in the right hands, our renovation and seismic upgrades where a feat, and he remained steady through it all”. - Ilona & Ben
Contact
Reach out with questions, a site, or an idea you’re still shaping.
Email: Admin@ethanmerritt.com
Office Phone: (970) 279-1026
1101 Village Road, UL-3B,
Carbondale, CO 81623