Academy Design and Construction LLC

We used Academy Design and Construction to design and build an addition to our master bedroom. Ben designed several terrific options for us to chose from. Construction was efficient and professional. Ben kept us well informed as the project progressed and addressed concerns immediately. We are delighted with the result. We now have a beautiful master with a new en-suite bath, walk in closet and washer/dryer closet. I would definitely recommend Academy Design and Construction.

Before jumping into the details, a summary of the work performed by Academy Design and Construction LLC was FABULOUS. Ben really listened to us and delivered options that were creative and well documented. The communication was timely and accurate, and the finished product exceeded our expectations. We really appreciated that along the way he presented us with a variety of options along with pricing. We hired Academy to do both the design and construction. Clearly, Ben loves what he does and is filled with knowledge about all things design and build. He came to the work site every day and we always had a “while you are here could you look at this” type of problem. He spent time with us on these things and introduced us to reputable tradesmen. Regarding the specifics, we hired Ben Pilchard of Academy Design in late summer 2020 to remove and rebuild a second-floor exterior deck at our home in Newtown, CT. It had been giving us trouble for years. We had miscellaneous repairs performed on it by others, but inevitably it would leak through to the family room below. Ben was the only person who could articulate to us the root cause of the problem. He blew us away with three optional solutions that were out of the box, creative and appropriate for our older home. For example, it had never occurred to us that we could enclose the space and add a sitting room to the master bedroom. Ultimately though, we went with the least costly option of demolish and rebuild. From the start, I appreciated the detailed estimate including a timeline and fair warning of the potential problems that could be uncovered along the way. Fortunately, the worst-case scenario of extensive rot did not come to fruition, but at least I was prepared for the worst. Finally, the job was complete when he said it would be complete. One year later we are still thrilled with the results. The true test was torrential rainstorms in the fall and heavy snowfall this winter. It is such a relief that we can go away for a weekend and not worry about a potential leek. For jobs in Fairfield County, Connecticut we highly recommend Academy Design and would absolutely use them in the future.

We actually have used Academy on two projects and would certainly use them again. They turned our 1970's ranch into a house that consistently gets high praise about the transformation, even from people we do not know. In addition, they built a raised blue stone patio with full roof structure that people want to utilize for events. They took a simple idea and turned it into an absolutely beautiful design. Ben is a professional with great design vision. They were extremely professional, courteous, reliable and were on time, and on budget. We would highly recommend them.

I had the privilege of working Academy a few years back on a project that added about 1/3 more space to our home. We worked extensively together during the design phase, for which they were originally hired. After bidding the construction, we ultimately chose to stay with Academy for this service as well. Ben Pilchard, Academy's owner, is a supremely talented architect who always listened first to what we wanted, rarely interjecting opinion on style and never advocating a particular aesthetic. Once we settled on a general design, Ben and his team were always helpful in guiding us toward the practical, making sure that we did not veer toward a design that could not be built at the budget we'd established. As Ben used to tell me, "if it looks good on paper, it will look good when it's built". Very true indeed. As for construction, it was finished on-time and on-budget. Countless folks have commented that you cannot tell where the "old" house ended and "new" house begins. During construction, Ben's team was always sensitive to fact that we were still living in the house, with two very young children at the time. The site was cleaned up daily and our routine was impacted as little as reasonably possible. All in all, a very good experience. I know that I'm a high-maintenance client, always wanting updates and always pushing to stay on budget and Ben accommodated me at every turn. In fact, I'm thinking about our next home and want to engage Academy in beginning the design process, although construction could be years away. I had a great experience with Academy and highly recommend them for both design and construction services

Ben and Ted have 2 two big jobs for me in the past 6 years. My experience in both cases was excellent. High quality work, accurate quotes, frequent updates based on changes or progress and follow ups to make sure the project was finished and to my satisfaction. Great guys! I've spend well into 7 figures and worth every penny.