Who We Are
Moser Design Group, Inc. is a residential design and new urbanist planning firm located in Beaufort, South Carolina, with a principle mission for design, the re-introduction of traditional settlement patterns, architecture, and building methodologies within the context of walkable mixed-use communities.
Beginning in 1992 with the pilot infill project of Newpoint in Beaufort, MDG embraced the principles of new urbanism and retooled to concentrate on providing affordable, context driven, traditional architecture for pedestrian-friendly communities. Along with introducing new designs, MDG continues to research and test new building and delivery methods. Specifically, the tectonics that replace the consumptive nature of throwaway buildings with more sustainable and durable building methods that are beautiful and withstand the test of time.
ERIC MOSER
President
Founder and President Eric Moser hails from a rural Indiana farm family. He spent his early education years learning from generations of farmer-scientists, philosophers, and innovators who instilled a deep respect for the Agrarian way of life. Inspired, traditional vernacular quickly became Eric’s passion and discovered architecture to be his calling. After studying architecture at The University of Florida, Eric established Moser Design Group in 1986, catering to a custom residential design clientele in a resort setting. Although rewarding, Eric soon came to the belief that a complete re-thinking of community development and the metrics with which buildings themselves are measured and valued was paramount to creating meaningful and sustainable places.
Eric has designed many notable homes in new urbanist neighborhoods, including several Idea Homes for Southern Living, Coastal Living, and Cottage Living. He has served as Town Urbanist at Habersham since the project’s beginning and serves at other new urbanist neighborhoods as well. Eric is a frequent consultant across the United States, the Caribbean, and beyond, where he is involved with the planning and design for new and old towns, infill projects, hamlets, and neighborhoods. Eric has been a senior member of the New Urban Guild for over a decade and has collaborated with the most notable New Urbanists in many design charrettes over the years. He is also a co-owner and board member of Studio Sky.
ERIK PETERSEN
Architectural Associate
Erik Petersen comes to us from New Jersey. At a young age, Erik grew up in a developing town as old farmlands began to be transformed into homes and neighborhoods. It was at this time that he cultivated an early interest in architecture while he watched new structures grow from the ground into homes. This interest was further developed in high school thanks to architectural drafting and design courses that cemented his passion and enthusiasm for architecture.
Erik joined Moser Design Group in 2018 as an architectural designer with a Bachelors & Masters degree in Architecture with an emphasis in new urbanism and traditional/classical vernacular building typologies. His previous work experience includes custom private residential, commercial, and civic architecture, as well as some custom furniture and light fixture design. Erik, being a native of New Jersey, had spent much of his recent years there rebuilding the Jersey Shore by designing and lifting homes due to the damage and aftermath of Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Prior to moving to his new home in Beaufort, one of his most notable projects on the Jersey Shore was featured in an eight-part documentary created by the long-running home improvement series, “This Old House.”
Erik is eager to continue evolving his fondness of architecture in seeking out modern methods of revitalizing the craft of architecture. He is currently working towards attaining his professional licensure.
LAUREN KELLY
Project Architect
Lauren Kelly, originally from Maryland, has spent her entire career, since 2005, directly involved in the design, regulation, and implementation of great places, both old and new. She has a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Miami, and has worked for several of architects and town planners who were founders of, and are integrally embedded into, the tradition of New Urbanism and traditional placemaking. Her current focus at MDG is on designing locally calibrated and contextually sensitive architecture and infill projects throughout the country.
Her career began in architecture and town planning at Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company where she worked on many charrettes and planning initiatives, including post-Katrina New Orleans rebuilding, Learning Cottages, and form-based code calibrations, and where she co-authored The Light Imprint: integrating Sustainability and Community Design.
After relocating to Beaufort, SC and working with Brown Design Studio for several years, she she transitioned to the public sector, first as a consultant and then on staff for the City of Beaufort. She learned to sit at the other side of the proverbial and literal table, administering the development standards, serving as the City Architect, designing civic buildings, and helping to write the form-based code for the city.
After 8 years with the city, she returned to the private sector to focus on architecture, and town and neighborhood building with Moser Design Group. She holds professional license in South Carolina. In her free time, she enjoys running, hiking, and spending time with her husband and three children.
LAUREN SOMMERVILLE
Architectural Associate
Lauren Sommerville was born and raised in Florida. After completing a Bachelor of Science in Sustainability and the Built Environment from the University of Florida, Lauren went on to study traditional architecture and planning. She attended the University of Notre Dame and received a Masters of Architecture. She is currently working towards attaining her professional licensure.
Passionate about the ideas behind the New Urbanism philosophy, Lauren has been attending Congress for the New Urbanism conferences since 2016. Lauren has been mentored by world-renowned architects and urban planners, including Andres Duany and Dhiru Thadani. She has attended several planning charrettes, most notably with Thadani Architects + Urbanists to design the CNU Charter Award winning Westside Atlanta Project in 2016.
Spending her free time gardening, painting, and baking, Lauren loves to bring in baked treats to the office- if she has any leftover after taste-testing.