Heritage Building Conservation Services in Washington D.C., DC

“We hired RLA to design our custom house which was recently completed in March 2015. We couldn't be happier with the results and would recommend them to any prospective home builder. From the beginning, we knew we did not want the standard cookie cutter two story colonial that is everywhere in our area, we wanted a custom house with a modern esthetic, not an existing builder plan with a few modifications. Builders will typically tell you that you do not need an architect, and that may be true from a construction perspective, but by forgoing an architect, you lose the opportunity to build a really special house, customized exactly to your needs. It does not add that much extra to the cost. From the beginning, RLA listened to our ideas, paid attention to our budget and designed our home to our exact specifications. While there are many illustrations of how this benefited us, here are three examples: Orientation - we wanted a house that would take the best advantage of natural light and available views. RLA worked hard to orient our house properly on the site and we now have great light, great views and privacy where we want it. The room layout also makes maximum usage of available light and each room has a great view. A builder will just plop your house on the site facing the street, regardless of the orientation of sunlight or privacy. Details - RLA incorporated details in our house that give it that custom, personalized look. Our deep soffitt details, rock stair wall and porch are really unique. Proportions - This is a hard one to describe, but RLA did a great job with sizing details, the proportions including room sizes, trim details, etc. Everything in the house flows beautifully and feels balanced and gracious. Architects understand how big rooms should be! Not to big or too small. My advice to prospective home builders is to forgo more square footage for better advice, materials and design. An architect will ensure you have a really unique home that fits your lifestyle”

“I have been working with Donald Lococo Architects for the past two years on a large residential project in Alexandria, Virginia. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Donald and his staff. The house is a fabulous hybrid: traditional front facade contrasted with a thoroughly modern section in the back. The house is nearing completion...seeing this space come together - full of glass, light and dramatic open spaces - has been wonderful to watch. Five star design...five star firm!”

“I write very few reviews but the service I received from Cunningham | Quill Architects was so extraordinary that I feel compelled to share my experience. Ralph and his team worked with my family for almost two years to create our dream home. Through dozens and dozens of meetings, every member of the Cunningham | Quill team guided, listen and applied their remarkable talents to crafting our rough concepts into the most extraordinary residence. Every detail we ever imagined and many many more that we could not have dreamt of were flawlessly crafted by this team into a place that we hope to call home for the rest of our lives. Ralph oversaw the entire project from beginning to end and added his unique creativity throughout the process of creating the plans and then, on a weekly basis, through the 14 month construction. Cunningham | Quill were on site, every week, working in lock step with the GC to make sure that what we'd seen on paper was exactly what was built. The job was extensive, lengthy and complicated and Ralph delivered every step of the way with professionalism and innovation. When there were questions about billings, he was reasonable and always cared most about pleasing us, his clients. I recommend Cunningham | Quill unequivocally.”

“Catarina is a tremendous architect and is a real pleasure to work with. I really felt like we worked as a team, instead of her just shoving a design at me. The whole process was very synergistic, and I am tremendously happy with the final product.”

“Karen at Transforming Architecture was reccoemnded by my real estate agent as she had done work on his home. At our first meeting she gave us an idea of the scope of the projects she has accomplished and the fee structure. She really listened to our ideas and concerns for our kitchen renovation. Karen presented 3 visions for our renovation, one with exactly what we asked for and then two other options. The third design presented involved moving our kitchen and creating an open floor plan. This was beyond anything we could have imagined o our own and made the best use of the space and our renovation dollars. We are currently under construction but Karen is readily available to answer questions and make edits to the design. It is a pleasure to work with her and I can't wait to see her vision come to fruition.”

“Seth is an amazing architect. We have worked with him on 3 major projects and this last one was a complete gut down and addition. My wife and I highly recommend Seth and his team. He is creative and listens to his customers. He is always pushing to do more with his designs.”

“WLCdesign was a tremendous help to us as we redesigned our two bathrooms and kitchen. They patiently worked with us in designing a new layout for all rooms and gave great insights and fresh design ideas for the new look we were after! They went above and beyond our expectations and delivered us a new kitchen that we absolutely love and bathrooms that are reconfigured and designed beautifully. They were so easy to work with and we could tell that it was extremely important to them that we were happy with the design and the process as we moved toward project completion. We highly recommend Russell, Dave and the team!”

“Where to begin with my comments about Cathleen Curtin, the positive side, or the negative… well, that’s easy! There is no negative, so here are the positives!! Having scaled down a good bit from a larger home, and now residing in my interesting apartment in Old Town, Alexandria, I needed to make improvements and changes that would make this small place my haven. It began with getting bids on a bathroom renovation. Having contacted other architectural services and builders in the area that I knew, I found that the recommendations (and the pricing) were all over the place, and I really couldn’t tell what they were going to do. I also felt that they were not listening to me regarding the need to connect the bedroom space and my master bathroom. From the minute I ran this idea by Cathleen, she “got me” and she listened to me and she responded quickly. Within a couple days of our first meeting, she was back to me with a clear and concise overview and pricing. I was impressed with her level of detail, as well as her efficiency. And, this impression never changed thru out what became a much bigger project. Where the others all were going to expand my bathroom and take away space from my bedroom, Cathleen Curtin was able to give me all that I wanted, AND MORE, in the same footprint – saving money, time and probably a lot of unknown issues in this old building. Her creative use of space and layout resulted in a bathroom that I absolutely love, and others marvel at. Once deciding to work with Ms. Curtin, I realized that I felt safe and comfortable to do more of what really needed to be done to my living space. She gave me that comfort. Having had some experience with such projects in the past, it was knowing that she was not only the Architect, but also the Project Manager, that gave me the confidence to take this on. Always available for questions, and always quick to find solutions to issues as they came along, she drove this project hard and fast, and with a fabulous outcome. The project included not only the master bathroom, but a new laundry room, leveling the floors in my bedroom, insulation where there was none, built in cabinetry that eliminated the need for furniture in the bedroom, re-doing of floors, adding hardwood floors where they did not exist, brilliant storage cabinets, new lighting thru out, a life changing gas fireplace, creative kitchen solutions that make me love cooking again, a very special powder room, and so much more. I am thrilled in my new space – and enjoy it more than I ever dreamed possible. Cathleen was a joy to work with, a consummate professional, a willing ear, a great production manager, and attended to each and every detail of the project. On site every day, often several times, staying ahead of all contractors with selections and materials, and kept me informed with clear and consistent communication. Running a busy enterprise, I needed this style of professional oversight, and feel that not only did she give me a wonderful new home to enjoy, she gave me great service and great value in a time that we often do not get what we expect. With Cathleen, I got more than I ever expected!”

“Everyone at FitzHarris Design is great to work with and Heidi especially brings her own very special perspective to the process. Her attention to the details and making sure her plans are complete is what sets her above her competition. We highly recommend this firm and look forward to working with them on many future projects.”

“Kaila is wonderful! She listens to your ideas and concerns. She provides multiple choices for every item and then develops concept boards so you can see how everything comes together. She never rushes you into making a decision. She’s also careful to provide choices within the budget you’ve established. It is definitely a real pleasure working with Kaila. I can’t recommend her high enough.”