Specialties
Commonwealth is a residential design/build firm with over 25 years experience transforming ordinary homes in Northern Virginia into exquisite homes. The firm is not only owned by a registered architect with over 30 years experience, it also employs architectural staff as project managers.
Services Provided
* Architectural Design
* Structural Engineering
* Permitting and Zoning Compliance
* Large and Mid-Scale Remodeling Projects (adding second stories, whole house remodels, additions, interior reconfigurations)
* New Home Design
*Most projects include kitchen and bath remodels
Areas Served
Northern Virginia, including VIenna, McLean, Oakton, Great Falls, Falls Church, Arlington, and the surrounding areas, and Bethesda, and Chevy Chase in Maryland.
History
Established in 1986.
Owned and operated by husband/wife team Kelvin and Susan Pierce, Commonwealth Home Design has sustained and grown for 30 years, nearly 8x longer than half the small businesses in the US.
Upon graduating from Virginia Polytechnic Institute with a degree in Architecture & Urban Studies and an internship at a DC firm, Susan Caughey approached her fiancé, Kelvin Pierce, an Aerospace Engineer, with a dream of starting her own construction business. The Pierce's co-founded Commonwealth Home Design and married in 1986.
Since then, Commonwealth has remodeled, redesigned and built hundreds of houses across Northern Virginia. The firm has won numerous awards, including Top Remodeler by Washingtonian Magazine, Contractor of the Year from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, and the Chrysalis Award presented to remodelers reflecting professional excellence in the residential remodeling industry.
Meet the Business Owner: Susan P.
Susan is a LEED certified Registered Architect with nearly 30 years experience. Her responsibilities include: understanding client needs and desires, designing, business planning, reviewing construction documents, writing specifications, and coordinating specialty products used in construction.
Prior to forming Commonwealth Home Design in 1986, Susan was with the award-winning architecture firm of Sutton Sullenberger Associates Architecture in Vienna, VA. Prior to that, she interned in the Washington, DC office of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, one of the leading architecture firms in the world.
As a lifelong resident of Virginia, Susan is very active in various community projects. She's served as a judge for several national design awards programs and also served on several construction industry boards.
Susan is a graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute's College of Architecture and Urban Studies.