Brennan + Company Architects

We worked with both Rob Brennan and his colleague Lili Mundroff on a fairly big project involving both the interior and exterior of our almost 100 year old home. Both of them are consistently responsive, clear, willing to explain even the finest detail, and willing to explore options. They return calls and emails promptly. They are exceptional problem solvers! An old house inevitably presents unexpected problems. Given their broad experience with old and historic homes, Rob and Lili know that this will happen, and are endlessly calm and confident when it does. They evaluate and explain the possible solutions and make their recommendation. Rob and Lili were instrumental in helping us choose a contractor, and their advice was spot on. Importantly, Rob and Lili handled problems well not only with us but also with our contractor. They respect the contractor’s expertise and work, and the contractor clearly respects them greatly. Unfortunately, COVID arrived right in the middle of our project. Even during COVID, Rob, Lili, and our contractor went to astounding lengths to continue work on our project while maintaining strict and careful COVID precautions. Their flexibility and adaptability in such unprecedented circumstances were amazing! We did a whole house renovation with Rob almost 30 years ago. We still get compliments on his designs, and we have been thoroughly delighted actually living inside of his designs. When we decided to embark on another project in 2019, Rob was the first architect we called. We talked to several others, but none of them beat Rob and Lili as to creativity, skill and congeniality. It is remarkably pleasant and easy to work with Rob and Lili. They are genuinely good people, never lose their cool or their tempers, have endless patience, and a wicked sense of humor. These personal qualities make working with Rob and Lili easy, productive, and enjoyable. To sum up, we recommend Rob and Lili enthusiastically and without reservation!!

We have been very pleased working with Rob Brennan and Lili for the remodeling of our kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. We were especially pleased that the Brennan team required contractors and subcontractors to follow the CDC guidelines for COVID precautions during construction. Rob and Lili worked seamlessly with the contractors to meet the project’s goals. Lili and Rob checked-in with us regularly on the progress of the renovation and for any issues. The team provided innovative ideas during the construction that allowed for a more satisfying result. In addition, Rob and Lili verified the quality of the work periodically to correct or recommend changes that enhanced the final product. Professionalism, competence, and caring define the Brennan team.

We were looking to renovate a bathroom, mudroom, and adjacent spaces in a historic, pre-Civil-War house. Rob and Lili at brennan+company were the perfect architects for the job, given their expertise in historic places. Their suggestions were innovative, they took into account what we wanted, and they had useful contacts who could point to alternatives when one approach or product was not ideal for the house. Rob and Lili had great attention to detail, pointed out all sorts of potential issues that we wouldn't have noticed, and were always professional, responsive, and transparent in communications and decisions. They were as involved in the construction phase as we wanted them to be, from helpful tips on bathroom fixtures to structural stability ideas when supports were exposed. We enjoyed working with them and learned a lot throughout the process.

I am restoring a pre WWII home in northern Harford County, Maryland, built in 1932 and designed by Baltimore architect Bernard Evander. It was purchased by my parents in 1966 and I intern purchased it from my siblings in the spring of 2020. Especially important for me was to find an architectural firm that would take the time and care needed to help put my signature on my family home. I asked Brennan & Company to design a kitchen renovation and an attached deck that would be in synergy with the existing architecture. Their designs were outstanding, pulling original details from the existing structure into the new design. They are meticulous with every detail and guided me through their process. Resources they provided for updating and enhancing the overall comfort and look of my home were especially helpful. This is an on going project with construction expected to begin in early 2022. The "roadmap" they have provided for this restoration journey ensures me that the finished product will meet and exceed all of my expectations!

Rob and Lili are excellent designers, paying attention to both the smallest detail and the budget. They designed a beautiful pavilion for us that exceeded all of our design expectations, while performing their work expeditiously and on budget. They have a wide pallet of materials and design ideas that they draw from and aren't siloed into one style or image. We were incredibly happy with their thoughtful design and execution. I would highly recommend them.

Rob and Lili worked on the design of renovations to an old farmhouse with some demanding time and budget constraints. They were very easy to work with, listened especially well and coordinated well with our mechanical and structural engineers. Everything was complicated by COVID; time, budget, meetings, site visits, and availability of materials- but Rob and Lili were unflappable. I had some previous commercial development experience in my business life as well as some familiarity working with architects in my personal life so I had a basis for comparison and they were the right choice for this project.

The outside of our house was in rough shape when Rob and Lili of brennan+company architects took this job on, but they could see the beauty underneath. Our house now gets regular compliments from folks walking by. It really is a joy. They are skilled designers who love old houses, historic design, and performing restorations in a manner that reuses old and original materials to enhance the appearance of a house. They worked with us on selection of all materials, were sensitive to our desire to avoid any harmful chemicals, and provided clear guidance and input on how to best redesign many elements of our house that had been twisted away from their original appearance and operation by many owners and years of neglect. They were more than willing to collaborate on designs with us and as often as not, we worked our way through several choices of ours only to end up back with options they had selected. They knew better but were patient with us, allowing us to test out our ideas. We also hired the firm to help manage and prepare documents for filing with the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) for its tax credit process. The project ran from 2017-2019 and the final approval from MHT came late in 2020. Rob and Lili were there with us throughout the process, acting as our advocates and representatives with MHT and doing the detailed submittal work required for the tax credit. I cannot say enough good things about Rob and Lili. Please consider them strongly for your project.

We could not be any happier with the work from Brennan+Company on the comprehensive renovation of our historic stone farmhouse. Rob and Lili were present and engaged from initial conception all the way through final delivery from our general contractor, and were a key element in the success of the project. Their contributions included: Helping take a high-level vision into the property and turn it into a cohesive and coherent design that embraces and preserves the historic elements of the house with modern elements to make a home that is both comfortable to live in but in close contact with it's roots. Many things we thought would be impossible in a two-hundred year stone home they managed to incorporate in amazing ways. Helping navigate the Landmarks process in Baltimore County, saving us a considerable amount of time and money. Working collaboratively to select a general contractor that we could trust to deliver on the vision within scope and budget. Helping to project manage the construction process to ensure that designs were accurately reflected in construction, that decisions-in-the-field were aligned with design intent, and being quickly responsive to issues that arose. Being engaged through closing and the final walkthroughs to ensure our complete satisfaction. Additionally, Rob and Lili are fantastic people and were great to interact with over our process. They spent the time to get to know us so that they could advocate for designs that fit specifically to us. They were always on our side and were trusted advisors and advocates throughout the process. We would enthusiastically recommend them to anyone looking to build their dream house or to achieve the seemingly impossible.

I was fortunate to have worked with Rob Brennan and Carri Beer of Brennan + Company on the build of a NARI CotY award-winning whole home remodel in Bethesda, MD -- a fantastic experience with this uniquely talented firm. The Brennan design aesthetic is thoughtful, sustainablity-minded, and innovative, while also hitting the targets on client vision and budget considerations. The project was successful in great part because of Brennan's ability to carry the initial creativity all the way through the construction process to completion. Highest possible recommendation from ecobeco, LLC, to all homeowners, home builders, and our fellow regional HOUZZ Pros!

Rob Brennan with Brennan + Company is wonderful to work with. He approaches his designs in a manner that is green-friendly and efficient. We have nothing but positive things to say about this company. If you'd like to hire them we'd support the decision, that's why we are giving them a 5-star review.

We're so glad we selected Brennan + Company Architects for our home remodel and addition. They created the perfect design and helped us with selection of a builder, budget considerations, assistance with an unexpected zoning issue, obtaining building permits, and now oversight of the construction. It's an extensive renovation and I don't know how we could have done it without their assistance through all the steps. Their continuing oversight during the actual construction is proving invaluable. Rob Brennan and Carri Beer are great to work with. Their knowledge of sustainable building practices, green solutions, natural products, and quality design is very much appreciated. We wanted to make our two story home more livable with a better design, updated kitchen and bathrooms and better energy efficiency while at the same time incorporating universal design and accessibility features on the first floor for future aging in place. This resulted in a first floor expansion with a new kitchen, a bedroom with accessible bathroom, a family room with a fireplace, and wider hallways and entries. Carri, who is our lead architect, has a great eye for color and has been so helpful in suggesting materials and colors for the various rooms. The builders appreciate her detailed drawings and specifications. The construction has progressed far enough now that we can see what a wonderful house this will be when the renovation is complete.

Brennan + Company deserves high marks for respectfulness, thoroughness and pure professionalism. The firm is currently working on our home and we are constantly impressed with the insight and thoughtfulness to detail on our projects.

With a single interaction I recognized Brennan & Company as highly skilled at their art and definitive in their taste and style. It is rare to find architects who are not simply operators or who are not so wrapped in their vision as to be impossible to satisfy. Brennan & Company is the perfect mix of vision, ability to present, ability to tweak on the fly and pleasure to work with. In all cases, easy and satisfying for a client or vendor alike.

I have worked with Brennan + Company on three very different houses over the past 20+ years. The first project was a major remodel of a typical Northern Virginia colonial, including an expanded kitchen, extensive deck, converting the garage to a family room, and more. Next, we bought a 1906 Sears kit house and had Rob design an addition and renovation that doubled its size and left virtually no wall in the existing house untouched. Currently, I am working with Rob on turning my 1973 faux-colonial split-foyer into a contemporary gem--new kitchen, new master bath, new deck, etc. In all three cases, Rob gave us beautiful, functional spaces that not only blended seamlessly with the existing houses, but also elevated their overall design quotient. Working with Rob is a rare pleasure. He listens carefully, interprets correctly, and then delivers a design that goes far beyond expectations. I always feel that the design process is about me and what I want. Plus, I have come to trust his judgment unreservedly. On our first project, he recommended a new portico for the front door that we had not asked for and were very doubtful about. It turned out to be our favorite part of the entire project. My three different contractors have also enjoyed working with Rob. He understands what they need, values their expertise, and respects their opinions. These are skills that not all architects possess, and they make the construction phase of the project a pleasure. I don't anticipate remodeling another house, but if I do, it will only be with Rob at the design helm.

We worked with Rob and his team on a major renovation, adding an addition that included a kitchen and new master suite. They were very professional and responsive. The team created a beautiful plan and interfaced with our contractors through the project (which took about 8 months to complete). I highly recommend Brennan and Co.!

We've been working with Rob Brennan and Carri Beer from Brennan + Co. for about a year on a major renovation/remodel for our brownstone in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore. They have been outstanding at listening to our vision for mixing contemporary with historic. We were excited when Carri brought us the first drawings, and we could see that she had actually heard us! Carri has also been great about lining up reputable contractors to meet with us and provide estimates for the project (although none of the contractors wanted to provide detailed pricing until we promised that we were going with them for the actual work--kind of a catch 22). I'll hold my judgement on Brennan + Co's project management skills until more hammers start slinging. Our first project with Architectural Preservation Services (APS) was a bit of a disappointment, as APS needed constant prodding to finish the last 5% of each element of the project. I found myself doing more of that prodding than I had hoped. In general, Carri and Rob are super nice, knowledgeable and responsive, so I'm looking forward to working with them for the rest of the project.

Rob and his team worked with myself and all of my team members to bring a home renovation project in Granite, Maryland to a very positive outcome for us and the clients. The clients were extremely satisfied with the renovation and Brennan & Company played a huge role in It was a great pleasure working with Rob. I am looking forward to many more projects in the future.

we have worked with rob brennan and his associates on three different projects and have been extemely satisfied with rob's creativity and responsiveness. he helped us create an attractive and comfortable home theater and an outdoor swimming pool and patio area. as with all our projects, rob oversaw the construction, interfacing with the general contractor on a regular basis. we were so pleased with the result of our first project that when we considered a second project renovating our master bedroom and building a new master bath, and closet/dressing area, we only contacted rob. that project also included a complete redesign of the driveway, parking, and approach to our home. the bedroom project actually evolved over a period of time, and while we wrestled with what we wanted to accomplish, rob was easy to work with, and let us work through several iterations of ideas over more than a year. finally we just completed a small third project replacing a large french door in our family room leading to a deck with a sliding door. the design also involved integrating the details on the door wall with the rest of the room. we would recommend brennan and associates to anyone thinking of renovating or putting an addition on their home. he helped us identify the two general contractors with whom we worked, and worked well as an interface with them. he is easy going and really listens. we found working with him easier and produced a better result than working with a design build company, which we did on our first home renovation project (family room and kitchen).

We were so lucky to have Carri Beer design our screened-in porch for our rabbit, Sir Arthur Durham Bun Bun. Arthur enjoys hopping around the 421 sq ft. space during the day, and at night when company visits. Nobody gets bitten by mosquitoes, and we minimized new impervious area by replacing an existing slab. Brennan and Company carefully marked the drawings up with specific notes for our general contractor to make sure the entire process was as green as possible - from crushing and recycling existing concrete to providing recommended Eco-friendly and non toxic sealers. We learned a lot about different kinds of wood and discovered a lot of value in the Western Red clear variety. We love the style she recommended so much (cedar, broken stone, old-style gutters, metal roof), that we're now in the process of extending the style of the porch around the side and front of the house. We will be posting pictures after a little more gardening. Brennan and Company is a pleasure to work with, on time, on budget, highly competitive, and I recommend them to anyone.

We have worked with Brennan and Company Architects for many years and I am pleased to be able to recommend them to our clients. They are sensitive to their clients' needs, clever about design solutions and thorough when working with craftspeople in the field. On top of that, the firm is just plain nice to work with; friendly, funny and kind. It's always a joy to get drawings sent over from their office, because I know something great will come if it.

Architecture was important to achieving a finished job that integrated what we needed into our home. Rob Brennan achieved that and more when completing the renovation of our masterbath and living space. They listened to what we wanted and the outcome was exactly as we had imagined!