Architetti a Central Islip

“My husband and I, after perusing about 500 house plans this winter, finally decided on one to build. We contacted Joel Davis, and we purchased the plan. Because we intended to make several changes, he forwarded the PDF file to the company which provides modification services for them. I asked Joel whether the house had ever been built, and he researched and found the information for me. The nearest family who had built the house that we had chosen was located only a 6-hour drive from us. I contacted them, spoke with the wife at length, and she invited us to come down and actually see "our house". This was really a great opportunity, as you can imagine. They were kind enough to host us for 4 hours; we got the opportunity to look at every cubby and closet, to ask them endless questions - and we got a slide show of the construction process as their home was being built. Well, a long story shortened... we knew this house was not for us! It was immensely larger than we had envisioned. We had simply liked the floor plan, but had really not had an accurate vision for how large the rooms would be. I contacted Joel and explained our dilemma. He really went to bat for us, contacting the architect and explaining the whole thing. Because we had never actually received anything - no plans or PDF files, he was able to refund our purchase. We were really pleased that he also sold our "second choice" plan - another architect's work. He really cared that we were happy with our choice and that we were building a house we would be thrilled to move into. I can't say enough good things about this company! I would guess that most businessmen in Joel Davis' position would simply tell us, "tough luck!" and be more concerned about keeping their architects happy. I would highly recommend using their service when choosing your house plan.”

“LEAP designed our modern and green home addition. They handled much of the creative work on the project, as well as detailed renderings, bid consultations, and construction supervision. LEAP's work was very creative and responded directly to our needs. They found ways to get energy efficiency and modern design details into a "buildable" and cost-conscious project. They are humble, hardworking, and consistent. I would choose to work with LEAP Architecture again without hesitation.”

“My home is one of the exhibits listed here. This architect was easy to work with and gave appropriate and timely advice when needed. She is currently working another project for me, a renovation of a Frank Lloyd Wright's apprentice work in the Berkshires.”

“Lanny Lerner is an outstanding architect who listens carefully and observes astutely to produce design that is beautiful and functional. He recently worked with us on our Manhattan apartment--we are delighted. I highly recommend Lanny Lerner.”

“My husband and I are absolutely thrilled with the work performed by John Patrick. He went above and beyond to ensure that our vision and goals were captured in the final design. We know that when we finally move into our renovated home, we will enjoy it that much more because we worked with John. We bought a1930s colonial - our first home - and while we knew that something needed to be done to it, we couldn't figure out exactly what. John Patrick is a highly trained and skilled designer, who helped us realize ideas about our space that we didn't see before. Not only did he come up with beautiful and practical solutions to the problems we saw in the home, he willingly worked within the existing constraints of the space, i.e., the location of plumbing, load-bearing walls, etc. We held frequent check-points during our design phase. During each one, John Patrick was thoughtful and professional. We never felt embarrassed or uncomfortable bringing our ideas to the table. He was always very tactful in explaining which ideas made sense and which could be reconsidered in order to maximize space and functionality. We wanted to work with an architect who would share his professional expertise, and not simply sketch whatever we asked him to. John is definitely that architect. And yet, when there were personal elements that my husband and I were unwilling to bend on - no matter how impractical - John found a way to make them work. After each check-point, John created great drawings that helped us visualize the space. These were invaluable for two business professionals trying to make design choices with no design experience. Once our designs were final, John even produced renderings that helped us select fixtures and furniture to fit in our space. These renderings alone have received glowing compliments from all our friends and colleagues. The renderings were also very impressive to our contractor, who is overseeing the construction of our home, as were the construction documents that John produced. The construction documents helped us during the bid phase, when we were trying to select a contractor, and have served as the “source of truth” during the construction phase. We absolutely recommend working with John Patrick Cunningham. You will be happy you did!”

“We had a complete renovation done of our bedroom wing with 3 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms and a hallway under Heike's guidance. This was the 2nd project we have done with her, and we are once more thrilled with the result! What we like about Heike is that, she is a nice person to work with, she listens well, does extra research, has a lot of knowledge of materials and where to get them, and last but not least the fact that she comes from Europe and understands our modern European taste well. She introduced a number of nice touches in the overall design and paid attention to the overall energy efficiency of the renovation. She also worked with our contractor and the building department of our town. We can full-heartedly recommend her.”

“Dave is a highly skilled architect with a deep knowledge of the style and structure of the building(s) he is asked to design and draft. Dave is easy to work with and has a keen sensitivity for his clients' tastes. He spends considerable time listening and understanding the "wants" of his clients and balancing the practicality and realistic options for construction. I would enthusiastically recommend him to anyone interested in designing and building a "house of one's dreams". You will not regret the time and effort he contributes to your project.”

“I can count on several fingers the times I have found a local business partner that I'd describe as a rockstar, and Brian Hopkins is on that short list. On Christmas Eve, my wife and I were out doing errands. We got a call from our teenage son, telling us that water was raining down from the upstairs bathroom, through our microwave and stove, into the basement, onto the furnace and water heater. There was some once-in-a-century rapid drop in temperature, we had some poorly insulated pipes, and one of those pipes ruptured in the floor of that second floor bathroom resulting in that disaster. Total nightmare. Thankfully, one of the other rockstars on our short list of local business partners is our general contractor. We already had a plan on the shelf to renovate that bathroom, our contractor was available, we were able to get all our tile and bathroom fixtures picked out and procured in record time, and shortly after New Year's our GC started the repairs and creating the bathroom of our dreams. Salvation! Everything was going awesome, until the building department showed up. In a rush, we neglected to get a building permit. We weren't being shady or playing games. We were just hasty and ignorant and didn't do the things we needed to do. We got an immediate stop-work order. And the only way to get back on track was to find an architect to do proper code-compliant architectal drawings for our already-in-progress bathroom renovation. I quickly learned that there are not a lot of residential architects hurting for business, certainly not at that time of year. I literally called at least 15 different places. Either people were too busy, or weren't interested in the project. I finally found one who couldn't take the job, but said "hey, we know this other guy in the area who is super good, that we refer people to when we're busy. His name is Brian Hopkins." Somebody directing business to a competitor?? I now understand why they referred me. Brian is only the second architect I've ever worked with, but as far as I can tell, he's as good as it gets. I was able to get in touch with him immediately, and he agreed to take on the work. He was incredibly transparent and clear about what he was going to do, when he was going to do it, and what it would cost. Throughout the process he was super responsive, empathetic, organized, patient, professional, and enjoyable to work with. He didn't nickel and dime us or play games; he was clearly focused on good customer service and outcomes. And from what I can tell, both the building department and my GC were very happy with the quality of his work. The entire ordeal we went through, particularly involving the building department and fines and delays was horrible. Had we not found Brian, had he not been so excellent, the situation might have been unbearable. He literally was our savior. It's absurd not to want to work with someone like this.”

“Esther Sperber was the consummate professional. Agreeing to prioritize light, space, and storage space, with a modern design and staying within budget, Esther brought creative and smart ideas and design schemes to every phase of our 3 bdrm 2bath home combination and renovation. VIsitors to our home always comment on the seamless layout, abundant closets and clean, unique lines. Esther put her special touches on our kitchen, finding Italian lacquered cabinets; on our built in living room media wall and built in AC/heater cabinets; and on solid wood closet doors with a double line piping, consistent throughout our home. Esther ably managed the contractor and his team as well, checking in regularly and amazingly enough, keeping them on schedule and budget too. While much of the home buying/renovating process can be stressful, Esther was a constant beacon of calm. My husband and I looked forward to each of our meetings with Esther and every time felt that we had accomplished the next step toward building our dream home with the excitement of having "found" that perfect backsplash, flooring, etc. We have recommended Studio ST to many friends already and are happy to do so through houzz.”

“TJ of Grace Space is professional, dedicated and committed to his projects. He aims to satisfy his clients and works diligently to provide excellent service. He is passionate about his projects and spends a great deal of time explaining his process. He goes above and beyond during the construction phase of the project to make sure that details are executed to his design intention. Finally, his integrity is consistent, he does not miss a deadline!”