Sustainable Design Services in Winchester, VA

“James was the third architect we interviewed when we made a decision to build our dream home. After meeting him we cancelled all the rest. I am a real estate professional and I have come across some great works of art in the form of houses and have met their creators. What impressed me about James McDonald was his ability to listen carefully and understand our needs, It's like we told him our dream and he put it on paper even better than we had dreamt it. Throughout the building process he was available and willing to make any changes big or small, if practically possible. We trusted him completely and he never let us down. He has the highest work ethics and a stellar team to help him through extremely busy periods too. We would highly recommend him to anyone thinking of building a custom home or even remodeling an existing one.”

“This team did an excellent job with our renovation plans. The finished space exceeds our expectations and adds value to our home!”

“Designing a house with John and Marilyn was a pleasure. They really worked to understand our needs and our taste. We get lots of compliments on the overall look of the house as well as the beautiful details like the coffered ceiling in our kitchen, the custom backsplash, built-in living room cabinets, windows in the great room, window seat on the stairway...and on and on. It has been a joy to live in the house they designed because it's just what we wanted. New Leaf Collaborative didn't miss a thing. After moving in, we also worked with Marilyn to buy furniture, rugs and window treatments. She already knew our style and what would fit well in the house.”

“Working with Will was an absolute pleasure. Will is a true professional who knows how to balance the technical / permitting / construction aspects with the needs of the client. We were very happy with Will's work and would recommend him to anyone wholeheartedly. Our project came out beautifully, on budget and the complements keep coming. Thank you so much, we could not be happier.”

“This company is building our custom home. It is now in the process of being built. So far they are doing a great job.”

“There are many architects and builders but few who have the skill, experience, and vision to design and build a green house. Looking for a modern architect in the area, we found Patrick's website and we got to know him before we hired him. We liked him immediately and never "interviewed' anyone else. We never regretted it. He shared our desire to build lightly, letting the surroundings influence the design and materials. He artfully brokered the inevitable differences of opinion between husband and wife, and we enjoyed the consultative process of working out the design together as a small team. After the design was complete, we were happy to have him build the house, too, which has worked out beautifully. On complicated custom houses, there are many situations where unforeseen circumstances or questions arise, and things move more quickly and smoothly when the person responsible for constructing the house is the same person as the person who envisioned it. The house is not yet complete, but we are currently on budget (more or less) and the product is a work of art. I have suffered through many residential and commercial building projects over a lifetime, and this is the first one I've enjoyed. If you're looking for a person with the sophistication and experience to design and/or build a complicated "dream house," Patrick is your man. And if you're not sure, ask him to take you to our house and show you what he is capable of creating. I think you'll come away a believer!”

“It was an absolute pleasure to work with Stone Bow Studios on the design of our new Passive Solar Home. We hope to start construction in the spring! Rob has been fantastic and went above and beyond our expectations. We will continue to work with Rob as our supervisor on the project. Mark & Linda Mason”

“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!”

“Very innovative and original design ideas Great personality and a pleasure to work with Always available to discuss project details and execution Professional and dedicated in every phase of the job”

“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.”