BC&J Architecture

We worked with BC&J architecture over a couple of years to customize the Tamarack plan from their Perfect Little House portfolio of small home designs. We worked with BC&J architects to double the size of the Tamarack plan from 700 to 1400 SF by adding a bedroom wing, a new entry and carport. We particularly enjoyed working with Stella Carosso on the interiors. She immediately understood our simple Scandinavian modern design goals and specified many of the interior fixtures and finishes from lighting to tile and faucets. We are very pleased with the final results and have received many complements. Stella is one of very few architects that also has serious interior design cred and her hand sketched elevations are by themselves a work of art. Thank you for helping us create such a beautiful home!

If we could give extra credit stars, we'd give five more because we are incredibly pleased with Peter and Stella's innovative design skills. Our project entailed a complete remodel of our Everett home as we sought to capture the beautiful view of the Puget Sound, open up the kitchen to the living area, add new space for our grand piano, and add a master bathroom, all while keeping the home's original footprint (to alleviate permitting issues). Despite our distance of more than 2,000 miles during the remodel project, Peter and Stella frequently kept in touch, involving us with their plans and adapting them as needed to suit our preferences and budget. And on top of that, they were a pleasure to work with.

If you are looking for thoughtful, capable, creative, responsive architects, Peter Brachvogel and Stella Carosso, BC&J Architecture, are the dream team. They enabled us to realize our vision of a perfect home, and they are great fun to work with!

BC and J has designed two houses for me over the span of twenty years. The houses are completely different in terms of style, location and purpose, but they both have worked beautifully for our family in our different stages. Peter and Stella both have a wonderful visual sense and have creative ideas, but know that the home is the owner's and must fit the owner's needs rather than be a showcase for the architect's vision.

Our project entailed designing a custom waterfront home for summers entertaining and eventual retirement. We put out ten questionnaires to firms around the South Sound and then interviewed three. We chose Peter and Stella because their prior waterfront work was inspiring, professionalism during the screening process could best be described as a Five Star Hotel and collaboration between them hinted that we were going to get a rich experience base to draw from. During the conceptual design process, it became very clear that we were in good hands. The exercise of us telling them what we wanted began a bit shaky, but they quickly figured out ways to extract the information. In just a few meetings, Peter and Stella had taken dozens of our fragmented ideas and Houzz photos and shaped them into a single conceptual design that we were very excited about. In fact, our finished beach house is not far off that original conceptual design. I believe you will hear from most GC's that architects spend lots of time designing homes from behind a desk and very little time actually understanding the hammer and nails side of the business. I can tell you that Peter has expertise in both - and his construction documents speak for themselves. I remember the GC's very experienced framer saying to me "this is the most thorough set of plans he has every worked off." One of the most important parts of this project was to somehow incorporate our personalities into the design - this is where Stella shines. She has a keen talent of capturing flow and harmony into the physical design elements. Similar to an accomplished interior decorator, Stella distilled from our close relationship some subtle curves and cubbies to permanently emboss our personalities on the design. The construction process was never as fast as you would like but we completed it in less than a year. Peter kept a very constructive and supportive relationship with the GC and was very responsive to the few issue that did come up. We love our beach house and are thankful to BC&J and our GC for making it a personally rewarding experience.

We hired BC&J to design a 2200 sqft workshop which would sit comfortably on a narrow lot and blend in with the other buildings on the site. Peter listened carefully to the design objectives for the outside of the building and since the interior was a bit out of their wheelhouse, a woodworking shop, the team took careful notes for my exact specifications. The project turned out beautifully and we were able to speed through a rather demanding permitting process. We would hire them again and recommend.

I have had the privileged opportunity to partner with BC&J on number of occasions for design consultation. Their approach is personalized to not only you as the client, but to each individual project. Their years of experience are coupled with professionalism and uncompromising quality. The owners are creative, consultative and work effortlessly to make your dreams come true.

We engaged BC&J to create Conceptual Real Estate Office design and presentation to design review board This project did not go forward as we determined it was not feasible due to City Hall restrictions. BC&J were well informed very precise and creative in their design and demonstrated a good rapport with City Officials. We would not hesitate to recommend BC&J for community planning and design and Architectural services.

We converted one of the Perfect Little House plans to a difficult site plan with challenging permitting issues. The project consisted of a 700 square foot Accessory Dwelling Unit in Bainbridge Island. Peter was helpful in the permitting process, retaining a structural engineer, and proposing creative solutions in small spaces. The program was modified to provide the ADU, studio, storage and boat storage on the lot which we are able to achieve in a very small area, while saving most of the existing green space. We rent our loft apartment on VBRO and have received nothing but 5 star reviews, and it is almost booked full time with minimal advertising. Stella was very efficient on finishes. If I had another project, I would use them again.

BC&J is comprised of an extremely innovative team excelling in both contemporary and traditional design. We have had the pleasure of working with them for years and are constantly impressed how they work with light and space. Homeowners looking to place their trust in a highly talented and EASY to work with firm, will do well to turn to Peter and his firm.

Extension of new wing on existing home with complete renovation of existing home. A project of approximately two years. The firm performed all architectural work, on site review, invoice review of contractor invoices. All work was turned around in a timely manner. The lead architect was always available for consultations, advice and general problem solving. I always appreciated the honest opinion presented in meetings and discussions. Recommend the firm.

We purchased a 1930's era beach home that had been enlarged and remodeled several times over the years. It was chopped up into awkward rooms and wasted space and was a bit neglected. We knew we were in for an extensive remodel. Stella, Peter and their staff were attentive to our goals and budget and developed an extremely comfortable design that made the best use of every square foot of space. They moved the stairs to the second level to make them safe and more accessible and designed a wonderful master suite and kitchen. The signature element was to install a ridgetop skylight in the living room/dining room, bringing light into the room throughout the day, even in cloudy and rainy weather. We love our new home, having lived here for one year. We highly recommend BC&J.