I can't speak for every member of this architectural firm, but I have had the pleasure of working…read morewith Teresa Telander and she is awesome! Always attentive, extremely knowledgeable and simply a pleasure to work with in all ways. They offer some extremely innovative designs with a strong emphasis around sustainable building practices.

From the owner: RR|A, a full-service architectural firm with offices in Portland, Maine and Sherborn,…read moreMassachusetts, is a richly varied practice creating inspired places for living, working, and learning. From academic centers to laboratories, intricate museum spaces to private residences, the firm has demonstrated its ability to analyze unique problems and to develop expressive, practical, and lasting design solutions. Environmentally responsible design is a cornerstone of our practice, and for over a decade we have expanded and refined the process of designing effective "green" buildings. In addition to architectural design, our services include programming, feasibility studies, site selection and analysis, project budgeting, scheduling, permitting, and fund-raising support.

If you are in the market, the staff is so friendly. They seem to understand the market and local…read morerules.

I can't stress enough what an absolutely terrific experience I had with Tiny Houses of Maine, who…read morebuilt the shell of my tiny house for me. They were polite, helpful, flexible, did great work and were finished in a solid month. Honestly, there was nothing negative about my experience whatsoever. Allow me to describe my situation in hopes that someone in a similar circumstance might benefit; Like a lot of tiny house enthusiasts, I began the journey three years ago with every intention of building it myself. As time progressed, however, I had various setbacks stemming from finances, a personal injury, and trouble finding a location where I could build long-term. On top of all this, there was always the challenging Maine winter to contend with (leaving one with a limited window within which to build). Furthermore, while I was disappointed at the prospect of not building it myself, I also had a lot of concerns about the house's structural soundness and safety if I were to attempt the build on my own. I finally reached out to THOM with an unusual proposal; could they build a tiny house according to MY OWN plans (which had been already professionally drafted), build JUST the subfloor, walls and roof, and do so on a tiny house trailer which I had also purchased previously? Somewhat astonishingly, Ted said he'd consider it. After looking over the plans and advising a revision which would allow for an egress window, he was all in. They even constructed a beautifully modern roof which wasn't in the plans at all! They were very precise with the invoice, adjusted it promptly when I reversed my initial desire for a rear "bump out" as well as when I really wanted a more expensive flat seam metal roof than I originally planned. They assisted me with arranging transport for the trailer to their location as well as back home, they sent pictures with their progress, worked quickly, did a sensational job and were available for follow-up questions after completion! I shudder to think both how close I came to giving up on my tiny house dream as well as how easily I could've contacted any number of other inferior builders instead of Ted, Lucas, and the crew at THOM!! (Also the politest guys you're ever gonna meet.) Call them!!!

So many problems with the house they designed and built for us in Maine. Overall, the house feels…read morelike a quality house, but there have been ongoing problems for years that they've never fixed that were under warranty including but not limited to: Major stonework mistake that could've been prevented had their subcontractor known how to work with the stone that was used. Their solution was to cover it with a faux finish which we refused. Ridiculous mistake in a bathroom that resulted in a destroyed slab of marble & an incorrectly installed tub. Truly awful lighting design that they failed to install properly. Mismatched cabinetry finishes. We had doors taken down to fix them, and they came back worse. Ridiculously poor communication in general happened. They assigned the wrong wood to cabinetry and then offered to do a faux finish to cover it. A faux finish. Dangerous falling snow and ice hazard on the roof near a doorway where they forgot to put snow hooks. Poorly designed landscape lighting plan so we've got an enormous electrical box right in our front lawn because they didn't wire it into the basement. No radon mitigation system installed, which meant our kids were poisoned the first year we lived there. Unbearable problems with heating and cooling. For the first two years we had no heating/cooling in our guest bedroom suite. And no heat in a child's bedroom. No one wants to help with that problem. There should have been more heating zones, we later found out. There may be a problem with how a radiant floor was installed (no heat coming out). All the doorknobs in the house had to be repaired multiple times. That's *every single* doorknob in the house. Finally they were replaced, after a year and a half chasing the subcontractor. We hired Knickerbocker, that is, we paid them extra, to be our project manager, but they have forced me to handle the things like this that had to be redone. The doorknobs are starting to fall apart again. Some of the replacements were not the same level of quality as what we originally paid for. Trim has been falling off since we moved in, in the kitchen and garage. Every few days we have to reattach it. Lights were installed incorrectly and we have to hire people to reinstall them. You won't see our house on their website. I suppose they're not proud of the work they did there. We aren't sure what happened when they were building for us, exactly, but I suspect it was a matter of problems in the organization with communication. When I would visit the construction site, I'd raise concerns about things I saw going on, and my concerns would be dismissed. This was the first house I ever built, so I know better now. Do not hire them to design without getting a commitment that you won't be dumped from one designer to the next. And do not hire them to project manage! They will not keep your costs on track at all! When I had to have my windows washed the first time after moving in, I got estimates from a handful of places nearby. The estimates ranged from about 450$ to 900$, with one at about 1800$. The 1800$ estimate crew said they'd done the windows on the house before, when Knickerbocker hired them to do a construction clean out. I don't know what was more shocking, learning that Knickerbocker hired the literally *most expensive possible window washers*, or that they had had the windows cleaned at all. Our house seemed clean but was actually filthy when we moved in. Every cabinet had sawdust in it, and all the filters in the HVAC system were thick with drywall. But they did windows. We did not deserve to end up with an over budget house that is full of mistakes for which nobody will take responsibility. I have not seen anything stunning about my home's design that makes me feel the sky-high cost was worth it. It's a pretty house, but it's a cold house, literally. It's a house where the doorknobs rattle loudly when you open a door, and things fall apart and have to be propped up again since we are not handy. If I could do it again it would've been with another company entirely.

I can't say enough wonderful things about Guiding Builders! I have hired them to do a kitchen…read morerenovation that will start next month, but I also had them tear out carpet in two bedrooms and replace it with luxury vinyl this week. I am so impressed with the work! Firstly, Ellen and John are great to communicate with and get back quickly as far as plan and scheduling. And Shaw and his team did a fantastic job! They showed up on time, worked efficiently, and communicated throughout. I'm now looking even more forward to the kitchen reno knowing I have this skilled company at the helm!

From the owner: Transform your house into the home of your dreams with our custom remodeling services. From…read morekitchens and bathrooms to full-home renovations, we specialize in designing spaces tailored to your vision, lifestyle, and needs. With unmatched craftsmanship and a focus on quality, we bring your ideas to life with precision and care. Contact us today for a Free Consultation.