Sustainable Design Group

Our project was to remodel a drafty 1950s 1200 square foot house into a comfortable, efficient, all-electric, solar powered home. John and his crew delivered in spades. Our only wish would be to have found him sooner. Unlike the other two contractors we hired, John was honest, trustworthy, and knowledgeable about building to the high standard of net zero. He has been doing these types of eco-friendly homes for decades and it shows. John stayed on budget, gave us high-end products at affordable prices, and completed our home on time. His subcontractors were impressive, highly skilled in their specialties, and very friendly. Customer service was a focus and we felt our needs were always a high priority. John was never too busy to answer our questions, provide input on a decision, or provide a personal touch like when he gave us a tour of a woodyard he prefers or custom fit our automatic window openers in his workshop. We recommend John and the Sustainable Design Group without hesitation.

Our project was to remodel our 1200 sq ft. 50's house. We chose this firm because of their commitment to building energy-efficient homes with eco-friendly materials. We had a very specific budget and John was able to come up with a beautiful design within those parameters. The plan included everything short of tearing the house down - it was taken down to the studs and cement floor. They also added a fireplace insert as well as a powder room. The suggestions John made were perfect for our lifestyle (empty nesters). We were especially appreciative of John's ideas about the outside of the house which included a drainage remediation plan. The finished house is gorgeous! We were just thrilled during the final walk through. It turned out better than we could have imagined. Now that we've been back in the house for about a month, we are even more appreciative of John's thoughtful design. There is plenty of closet space. The attic is super insulated and there's a whole-house circulation system as well. We decided to go all-electric and buy windpower, so there is a heat pump in the attic. One of the things I noticed is how quiet the house is. The house is super-insulated and we chose Hardi-Board siding as well. Our first electric bill since we moved in has been very reasonable. Per John's suggestion we bought an induction stove and we love it! He also chose the kitchen backsplash, island counter and lights and hit a home run! Its gorgeous! Royal blue tile and lights and a live-edge walnut countertop for the island. For the main part of the house, John designed a great-room option with a raised ceiling. Its amazing! We love the open floor plan! He also put side-by side patio doors to the back yard, which gives the room even more light and spacious feeling. The contractors that John works with seem very professional and friendly. We got to meet them every once in a while when we would go over the house to see the progress. John's creativity is amazing. He also has good taste - little touches he included like a pretty front door are simple and elegant. Throughout the project, he would make suggestions or comments about things for us to consider. He is a genius at creating a balance between the beautiful and practical. He stands by his work as well. At one point, there turned out to be a problem with the flooring and John had the contractors come out right away and take care of it. He is very patient and able to explain things well. Overall, we are incredibly happy with the way this project turned out!

Mr. Spears is a world class architect, but his fees are also world class. Our expectations for a simple and affordable green addition to our modest 50 year old rancher were naive. When it became clear to us that our budget limit was impossible for Mr. Spears to stay under, we had to move on, well before a final design was completed, and not before Mr. Spears was paid more than his 6% design cap. If you contract with Mr. Spears and his firm, bring lots of dough, hope that you will like his initial effort, and be forewarned about requesting adjustments to his design to meet your true requirements (including your overall budget). In hindsight, our mistake was believing he'd be able to focus on our requirements and execute on our little project in the midst of several of his larger projects all clamoring for him to keep all of his clients' requirements in mind.

John and his group designed an addition for our small farmhouse that added two bedrooms, two baths and doubled the kitchen space. He was able to come up with a plan that allowed our home to visually bring the beautiful outdoors inside. John suggested a number of green features like spray foam insulation and solar lighting tubes, which were easily included in our plan. The plans were functional, efficient and not cookie cutter, all while taking our budget and resources into account. The work was completed at budget and in the timeframe predicted. John was a regular visitor to the worksite and very responsive throughout each stage of the project.

I have been waiting for over a year for John and his crew to come to my house and finish the job they started. So far they have not responded to any of my phone call and e-mails about the warrentee work they promise me.

Sustainable Design provided the architectural plans, cost proposals, county permitting and all subcontractors for the design and construction of a sunroom that met all of Montgomery County's outrageous requirements for an addition to an existing residence. A new roof, solar panels and walkway were also installed at this time. John Spears' experience and commitment to alternative energy design and construction was apparent throughout the project. His choice of Hyer Expectations construction to bring the project to completion was inspired -- the family owned and staffed company was professional and always pleasant (no surly workers on this site). When one of the subcontractors made a mess of the steps and landing, the work was redone without any drama. I would not hesitate to recommend this group for any project you might be considering..

John Spears and the Sustainable Design Group came in and did a remodel of our office space. Mr. Spears was completely knowledgable about the energy savings we were looking for in the lighting aspect of our office and he created an open, workable design that is very pleasant for our employees. We had been using temporary cubicle structures and he was able to provide permanent 3/4 wall structures with uplighting so we do not have to use our overhead lights. Since we are a professional association related to the mapping industry, Mr. Spears was able to design some wall areas where we could display extremely large satellite images of the work we do. This allowed us to create a visually interesting entryway as visitors arrive in our office. The design was brought in on time and on budget, taking into account that we would be continuing to work in the space during the remodel process. There is no question that I would hire Mr. Spears and the Sustainable Design Group again in the future.

Sustainable Design was very knowlegdable and helpful with both the architectural design and construction process. All involved were very accomodating and responsive. John is particularly creative and has tremendous expertise with all facets of energy efficient design. He understands what is practical and what is not. When presented with a design challenge he immediately begins analyzing the options and quickly comes up with a solution.

Sustainable Design did a beautiful job from beginning to end on our addition. This work involved integrating with former Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired renovation. This included engineering a highly-insulated structure that would allow true corner windows, matching masonry, adding high efficiency HVAC, and beautiful natural wood and tile finishes. The design and project management staff were very creative and responsive to our needs. We would certainly use them again and recommend them to others.

We are very pleased with the design of the renovation. By removing some interior walls and ceilings the house was transformed and the energy saving features that were suggested by the designer have made our home comfortable and energy efficient in all seasons.

Project was de novo design and construction of a >$1M home that included solar, wind, and geothermal energy sources together with engineering designs that utilized/conserved passive energy. The home included other unusual features such as an indoor greenhouse with swimming pool. The architectural plans integrated these features in a creative and seamless fashion. Construction was of high standard. The builders were able to deal efficiently with unforeseen issues, such as running into a rock ledge. No regrets about choosing this designer/builder and no reservations about recommending to others.

We interviewed 4-5 architects and building firms to remodel and expand our little 1951 rambler. We were immediately impressed with sustainable design. John, the president of the firm, was respectful and responsive to our concerns and ideas. He answered questions and gave us houses to visit to see their work. We also liked the idea that green, energy efficient materials were incorporated in the design and building costs. Working with the architects was easy. They saw our vision and took our inspiration pictures to create a beautiful space. For example, our dining room was created exactly like our inspiration picture. Construction was made easier with a responsive team. We always had someone on site. John remained engaged throughout the project. Sean, Vice President and head of construction, was responsive to concerns and had regular meetings with us. Venders we were referred to were curtious, helpful and helped us stay on budget. When issues arose, Sean was quick to engage us so we could resolve the problem as quickly as possible. For example, in our older home, the electricity was very out of date and we were given several options to resolve the issue. We were never pushed into ideas, finishings or designs we didn't like. Now we have a beautiful home that matches our vision and our style where we can raise our family.