Notch Design
We are a full service architecture and design firm based in the Triangle area of North Carolina. We design new construction and renovations of residential and commercial buildings at a variety of scales for a diverse range of clients.

Our Name:
Notch comes from log construction used to build houses in the coastal plain of North Carolina in the late seventeenth century. These houses were built of saddle-notched logs, a technique in which felled trees are notched at the ends to lock together where two walls meet. (More info: “North Carolina Architecture” by Catherine W. Bishir.) We think of this technique as a beautiful metaphor for our design process: The humble notch transforms raw materials to building components. We are inspired by this elegant solution to a complex problem, and strive for such simple and effective solutions in our design work at a wide range of scales, from objects and furniture to the planning of our rapidly growing human community.

Our Team:

Mike Dickson-Mills is passionate about design as a means to positively impact the lives of all people within our shared built environment. He is a licensed architect in North Carolina, earned an MArch from the Yale School of Architecture (2013), an MFA in painting from Parsons School of Design (2000), and a BA in English from Wesleyan University. He is experienced in multiple building types, including single family homes, university buildings, and mixed use developments. Prior to Notch, Mike worked at Szostak Design and Lord, Aeck & Sargent Architects. He worked as a visual artist, graphic designer, and commercial photographer in New York City prior to devoting himself to architecture.
Mike lives in Chapel Hill with his wife Jennie, in a house designed by Dail Dixon, one of Mike’s architectural heroes. He enjoys playing outdoors, especially sports involving saltwater or frisbees.

Jose R. Noya was born in Santiago de Compostela (Spain) and moved from Granada to the US in 2012. Jose earned an MArch from the Universidade da Coruña and an MS in Preservation from the Universidad de Granada, both in Spain, where he is a Licensed Architect. His masters thesis on historic wood structures was graded with Honors. He worked for Abalo Alonso Arquitectos and Pedro Salmeron Arquitecto in Spain, Szostak Design in Chapel Hill, and Blackline Studio in Indianapolis. He has participated in projects recognized with state and national awards in Europe and the US. He is experienced in a wide range of project types, with an emphasis on single and multi-family residential, university projects and architecture competitions. Jose has a particular interest in how architecture connects with human emotions, and the tangencies between architecture and other arts like cinema or sculpture.
Jose lives in Carrboro with his wife Tam and his two fluffy dogs Mia and Poi. He likes hiking, learning about local musicians, watching films, series and soccer, and spending time with friends.