Shawn Buehler did a phenomenal job designing our new home. We found him to be such a great listener…read morethat the initial proposed design pretty much hit it out of the park. The result is truly a beautiful home that meets our every need (and wish!) while working brilliantly with our unusual lot shape. We get so many compliments.

Larry Frank, one of their architects, is an advisor to the Clarksburg Architectural Review…read moreCommittee. He appears to be quite adept at using arbitrary minutia culled from the HOA CCRs to be as obfuscatory as possible, preventing people from making minor changes to their property resulting in creating a lot of unnecessary stress and anxiety. He is not a nice or fair guy. I would advise staying as far away from this company as possible and never use their services.

This guy presents himself as a guru of green architecture, but his main talent is writing invoices…read more To design a top-to-bottom remodel of my four-story house, he visited it once. He flew in a young architect from Colorado (!) to document the house, but they were both distracted by a disaster on another job (frantically redesigning at the last minute) and the drawings of my house were a mess - a door where there wasn't one, pipes and radiators missing, measurements wrong. They brought in a 'structural engineer' who jumped up and down on one part of the concrete floor like a toddler on a trampoline, pronounced it sound, and added, grinning, "I went to school for 10 years to learn how to do this." Maybe he should have studied longer, since it turned out that the floor was cracked through, and only one inch thick in parts (and underneath it was a sewer pipe that could have passed for a colander). Helicon also gave wrong information about the DC code and regulations. As for Helicon's proposed drawings for the renovation, just for one example, we would have had to walk around a bed to get out the back door. When I began to raise questions about the work, he simply refused to answer my emails and refused to go to mediation - although that's what his contract calls for in case of a dispute. When we finally parted ways, he kept all of his hefty fees and retainer, and didn't even return the books and magazines I had lent him as examples. Now, I'm glad to say, I've got a sound, beautiful renovation underway, and a great architect - who just can't believe the drawings from Helicon.

Helicon Works provided me with truly global guidance during a major whole-house renovation,…read morebringing expert attention to the practical/technical details of design and construction as well as the spiritual aspects of making a home. The result is a home that is beautiful, functional, and energy-efficient. I did not hesitate to call on them again when undertaking a second major project.

Broadhurst Architects are the most creative, patient, good-natured team of professionals I have…read moreever worked with. We interviewed three other architects before choosing Broadhurst Architects to design a new 750 sq. foot addition replacing a smaller, inefficient addition for our 1925 built home. The project also included the remodeling of the existing kitchen, a new back porch and interior door and molding upgrades to the original house. I am sure we weren't the easiest customers to work with. Jeff Broadhurst and his team had a huge challenge. I had dreams of large, dedicated spaces built within a tiny footprint. After listening to our quirky idiosyncrasies and complicated list of must haves, Jeff presented many creative options at different price points. Once we reached design Eureka, we sent it out to bid. We chose a contractor Broadhurst had never worked with that I had brought to the table. The contractor seemed agreeable and capable but after construction began it became obvious he had made only a cursory review of the scope of work prior to submitting the winning bid. Jeff and Hisao's professionalism extended to managing a difficult construction process with our disengaged contractor and his lackadaisical crew. We would never have made it through the process without their guidance and their many interventions. Now that construction is over, the end results far exceed our expectations. We have beautiful spaces that are much larger than I could ever have imagined. The attention to detail Broadhurst put into the molding and finishing choices shine through. We couldn't be happier and love sitting in our new spaces admiring the design and function. Everyone who enters our home immediately experience the "Wow Factor". We would use Broadhurst Architects again in a heartbeat and would be happy to recommend him to anyone in need of a patient, proficient, kind and extremely talented architectural team.

We needed to add a first floor primary suite to our home in order to age in place. Transforming…read moreArchitecture was recommended to us by friends and we were very pleased with the experience of working with Karen Mosel and her talented staff including our project manager Taina and designer Glendy on our project. They discussed all our wishes and concerns and offered a number of options and designs, including accessibility solutions. They have helped us through the process, even dealing with the county health department and selection of design element and choosing a contractor. We highly recommend their services.

Transforming Architecture is a rare gem in the Montgomery county home design market. The owner,…read moreKaren, is responsive, creative, and was by far the best listener. She understood better than any other firm what I was looking for in my home renovation. She designed space that works for my family structure today and will also transform as my children grow up and our home situation changes. Karen provided excellent practical advice on many topics including ADA compliant designs. She and her staff patiently went through many iterations with different configurations of all parts of my home to find the best options within my budget. They had existing relationships with several contractors as well as the company that installed my solar panels. In addition to Karen's architectural design repertoire, this firm has the best business process. The contract is straightforward and provides more value than any other I have seen. The staff at Transforming Architecture are always professional, competent, and friendly.

We have worked with Chris Tucker on several projects over the last ten years. The most recent…read moreproject was a rear screen porch and patio. After listened to our desires to reclaim our back yard from the mosquitos, Chris designed a slightly modern outdoor entertaining space off the back of our traditional 1920s American Foursquare. The results were the blend of the traditional screen porch (beadboard ceiling, ipe flooring) with modern features (recessed LED lighting, ceiling fans, all-weather speakers) creating a perfect bug-free entertaining space. Completing the project is a small patio containing a couple of chairs and our grill. We could't be happier with the way the project turned out! While the project went slightly longer than expected (don't they all!), the quality of the design and construction were worth the extra few weeks. Chris was very good at keeping us appraised of the progress during all phases of the project (design, permitting, change orders, inspections, etc.), answering our questions and concerns about building process, and incorporating our changes during construction. We will certainly use Mode 4 Architecture and Chris Tucker for any future projects at our house!

Called with a quick architecture related question and was impressed with the professionalism and…read moresupport. I will definitely consider using this firm with my next project.

Vitullo Architecture does not have an active presence on Yelp, but it does on other well known…read morereview websites. So we decided to change that after we hired Vitullo Architecture. They helped us conceptualize a tricky kitchen renovation in our 70 year old home. He was full of great ideas, and took the time to sit down with us and hash out all of the details--without speaking too much "architect-nese" and scrambling our brains. In addition to knowing which walls we could safely demolish, he also had a keen eye for identifying creative ways to enhance the aesthetics of the vision. Everything he recommended was clear, logical and catered to our budget. They're very accustomed to working with older homes like ours and is familiar with the nuances that plague them, but his scope goes well beyond this. We received great value for the cost of his services. The contractor we eventually hired (https://www.yelp.com/biz/bbc-construction-remodeling-silver-spring-2) even took note to how professional and clear the designs and drawings were...and they certainly are--so much that I can place it in a frame and hang them on a wall; because he provides the finished technical drawings on large oversize engineering print. Another plus is that they were also very communicative and remained available to any questions the general contractor may have had before and during a project and he was able to provide us county permits in break-neck speed. This was a wonderful experience and we are very pleased with the level of accuracy and professionalism represented at Vitullo Architecture. Definitely a number I will keep saved in my phonebook.

We've worked with Rick and Vitullo Architectural Services for many years and we continue to do so…read moreto this day. His insight and his ability to develop efficient, useful space, is exceptional. Rick's ability to work effectively with both the contractor and homeowner is one of his greatest traits, he is very adept at guiding the project through to completion. Lastly, Rick's in-depth knowledge of the regional building codes, permitting and permit acquisition process is immensely helpful, making the process so much easier for everyone involved.

NB: Should be a 4.5, but that's not an option here…read more Our renovation project involved putting in an all-new kitchen and powder room, plus refinishing floors, replacing lighting, and repainting living room/dining room/family room/hall on the same (relatively open plan) level and some relatively minor exterior work. Project included electrical and drywall work but no structural changes. Mold removal wasn't originally part of the project, but, when a problem was discovered, it was handled thoroughly and expeditiously. The good: Overall, the finished project looks great and all the changes we made to our kitchen/main floor work well. Coordination between the design and the construction teams was good and we ended up working with great people on each side. Colleen, who helped us with kitchen design, was very good at laying out/generating alternatives and flagging pros and cons. She was focussed on our objectives and kept working until they were met. Fabricio held down the fort on the construction side. In addition to being a skilled craftsman with high standards, he is someone who is always looking for ways to make things better. He thinks ahead and has a problem-solving mindset. We always felt that he was treating our home the way he would his own. What fell short of perfection: probably worth bearing in mind that this was our first renovation project so it's not a comparative assessment. We've heard other peoples' horror stories and our issues were minor/mostly resolved in real time. That said, two pieces of advice: (1) Make sure the designer you are working with is a good match. If not, ask for someone else. Landis has multiple designers on staff. (2) If you are moving out for renovations, give yourself a cushion (more than a month on each end) wrt alternative arrangements for housing.

Landis transformed our kitchen to make it look stylish and modern. The design and layout of the…read morekitchen completely changed, and it looks absolutely amazing! The value of our house has significantly increased. Dana Kaminsky, the team leader, was a pleasure to work with. She has a great personality, cares about her clients, and brings a tremendous amount of value to her projects. Maurice Brown, the project manager, was very responsive and ensured the quality of the work met Landis standards. I felt that all the employees that worked on the project were professional, respectful and dedicated to doing quality work.

Megan and Nadia at Aidan Design are responsible for the beautiful renovation of our suburban Howard…read moreCounty kitchen. Our busy family of 5 is now loving the improved flow, additional storage, increased functionality, and gorgeous aesthetic of our new space. We really cook and our new space allows our 3 teenagers to peacefully coexist there while doing their homework or just enjoying some family time while we cook. Our girls especially love the banquet sitting created by Megan and Nadia. I've even caught the Varsity soccer team nestled comfortably around the table, catching a snack and some down time before the game. It truly is a warm and inviting space for all. After admiring Megan and Nadia's work on Houzz, I was overjoyed to know they were local to the Baltimore/DC area. Megan and Nadia were incredibly patient with us throughout the process and they respected our budget. We appreciated the options we were given to ensure we could stay within our budget while still achieving the desired final result. With a kitchen renovation, it's all about the million little details. At the home visit to survey our space, Megan and Nadia keenly noted suggested improvements to symmetry, sight lines, functionality, and flow. We knew immediately that we had picked the right team. The Aidan Design team and all of their affiliated professional associates helped us to navigate through the million details with ease. Even when the inevitable challenges arose, Megan and Nadia handled each one swiftly and with the confidence of seasoned designers. We confidently and wholeheartedly recommend Megan and Nadia for your kitchen, bath, or built-in project. You will not be disappointed!

Aidan re-designed our kitchen, powder room, and entryway and it was beyond our hopes and…read moreexpectations. They brilliantly balanced listening and incorporating our goals and ideas with their own based on their experience and expertise. For example, I thought I wanted the sink right in the middle of the counter, but they pointed at that with how much we cook and bake, it makes sense to put the sink at the end so we have a bigger stretch of counter space. They truly made our dreams of how we'd like to use our kitchen come true by turning what was a barely functioning kitchen closet into an open, useable, and comfortable space.