Architetti a Beach City

“Simply put, M Architecture is the only firm we use! I can confidently say that Megan is exceptionally meticulous, wonderfully creative and extremely knowledgeable!”

“The short version of my review is: Sam is FANTASTIC, and I highly recommend him to everyone I know! The long version is.... I currently live in an old 2 bed / 2 bath 1920 Heights cottage. While preparing for the birth of our first baby, we realized that we would need more space before we had a second (at least one modern-sized closet would be nice!). Alas, our new home search began. I wanted to stay in the Heights, and after actively looking for >1 year, I realized that there was nothing on the market that would fit our growing family's needs - in our price range, that is. I eventually found a 1920 bungalow on Harvard Street in need of some serious TLC. I interviewed a few designers and decided to go with Creole. Sam (the owner) came and walked the space with us and had some great ideas already (this was all before we chose him as our designer or paid him one cent). I also liked that he lives in an old 1915 Woodland Heights home and has been in the Heights since the 1970's. He used to do combo design/build, but now focuses on just designing. He has done hundreds, if not thousands?, of home designs - both rehabilitation/additions and new construction. Over the years, I have seen his signs all over the neighborhood, and I always liked the look of his properties and his attention to historic detail vs other neighborhood designers. I also liked that he charges based on a fixed fee (per framed foot), when other designers charge by the hour. With all of the unknown costs associated with a 1920 rehabilitation, having as many costs certain vs unknown was very important to me!! Also, because Sam has been on both the design and construction side of things with these old houses for so long, he is very aware of how much building things actually costs. Therefore, it was very comforting to me that while going through the design process, if I wanted to add something, he could tell me if that was something expensive or not a big deal. As someone who's never done this before, at least I knew with eyes-wide-open what I was designing! How the process works: You do all of the design sessions with Sam - in his cool, old house, interactively sketching by-hand on see-through tissue paper, on top of an autocad drawing of the existing house (to me, this was: "practical free-handing"). This was FUN, and a very effective way to do it b/c you can easily make changes and/or start over as you discuss through making your needs/wants possible. Then he hands off the sketches to one of his 5 or 6 employees that work on autocad (they all sit in the garage apartment of the house, 15 ft away). You have one of them specifically assigned to you, which works more efficiently than not having a specific individual (another designer we interviewed said we'd have access to everyone, which sounds good in theory, but likely wouldn't have worked as well when I changed my mind back and forth more than I ever thought possible). Throughout the process, Sam was very proactive in communication and setting up design sessions with us. He always reinforced how important it was to get the designs as-right-as-possible on paper and didn't make me feel bad when I went back and forth, changing things big or small several times - "it's much easier/cheaper to change it on paper NOW than when you are under construction." He listens very well and was the perfect balance of providing suggestions and listening to our needs/wants - which resulted in something better than I ever could have ever come up with. Also, he met with us after our workday ended, which was very important when you have a small baby and both parents work! So LONG STORY LONG, I couldn't be happier with the plans of my "new" 1920 dream home! We are currently in the City permitting process and will start construction when that is done soon. I am so excited to see my dreams become a reality and have been recommending Sam to friends left and right!”

“We just completed a major remodel on our home with Jay Baker Architects. We couldn't have asked for a better experience! The entire team was extremely professional, diligent and hard working-not to mention really nice people. They stayed true to the historical significance of the house while also making it more modern and livable. We are so pleased with the final outcome and highly recommend these amazing architects.”

“Rick has done a tremendous job for me over the last eight years. His architectural work has ranged from a modern barn, pool house/outdoor kitchen,trophy/game room, an expansion, remodel and new construction of a two story home and a one and a half story home. The Fonseca Group was easy to work with and always found time to fit me into their schedule. He did a great job working as a team player with the engineers and general contractors and always met his deadlines on the design and revisions which kept our numerous projects on track and within my budget. If you choose to use The Fonseca Group, you will get the experience and the professional's that every project needs. ”

“We worked with Kennedy Architecture to build our home. From day 1, Troy was always available to answer questions, make changes, help with design and decor decisions, basically everything I needed. He would help me with ideas, color choices, etc. He created 3D renderings so that we could better understand what he was creating. He is a top notch professional and I highly recommend him for your home design! Thanks so much Troy for everything! Andrea”

“We were extremely pleased with the work Camilo and his operation did for us. The price quoted was very exact and the work came in on budget and once the permits were secured the time frame was very close to that quoted given unavoidable delays due to weather etc.”

“I have worked with Lance DeGeorge on several projects over the last eight years, he is very professional and creative. His firm delivers on time, and more than what you are expecting with architectural plans and elevations. I continue to recommend Lance for work, and also have teamed with his firm for projects several times and he works well with a team as well.”

“I hired Charles to design a single-family residence and couldn't be happier. He was very thoughtful, responsive, and innovative. He's a superb listener and really took the time to figure out exactly what I wanted and how to make that happen. This was a real collaboration and Charles made me a partner in achieving the design I wanted. He's wonderfully attentive and personable and has been such a joy to work with. He's also a wealth of knowledge and very tactfully pointed me back in the right direction every time I made a suggestion that wasn't so practical or affordable.”

“We have worked with Arco 3D in many projects, they all were successful and unique. They are detailed oriented and organized and good in what they do.”

“I'm a professional electrical drafter, but architecture isn't my area. I bought a set of house plans that was similar to what I was looking for and at the recommendation of my GC, hired NewHaven for the changes. She did an outstanding job incorporating what I was looking for and had great ideas for the upstairs. Holly provided me with sketches of 3 possible options. Once I'd made my decision, her drawings were amazing. I saved thousands of dollars on my new home design by hiring NewHaven and a structural engineer, rather than an architect. It saved me a lot of time and money, in that I knew roughly what I was looking for in the floor plan. I lived in my home for more than 10 years before selling. It was a very livable and open space, that showed extremely well. It was also an ASID show house in fall 2001. I've recommended NewHaven to family and friends ever since.”