Johann Grobler Architects

Johann was wonderful to work with. I would like to hire him again but cannot locate him. Please contact me if you read this Johann. You did our gut renovation on Dean St!

Johann was an excellent collaborator on my 1910 home in Brooklyn. He preserved the character of the house while modernizing and updating it to my needs and specifications. The work was excellent, and while nothing can ever be 100% perfect, it came very close. I love my home and people are impressed with it when they visit.

I retained Johann Grobler's firm for the complete renovation of a brownstone in Park Slope, Brooklyn. His company undertook the initial drawings for, managed the contractor bidding process and oversaw the construction. I was actually in the UK for the majority of the project, so entrusted all day-to-day oversight to Johann Grobler Architects. The project was relatively complex since the house is located within the Park Slope Historic District, so exterior work required coordination with the Landmark Preservation Commission. Johann's firm balanced my wish to create a convenient modern family house, and to retain as many original elements of the brownstone as possible. Their plans were creative in completely re-imagining the layout of the building, but also moving and re-installing original features. Johann is very detail orientated. He will make clear his own opinions and views but listened to my wishes. He is a perfectionist, but also a realist and generated ideas and counter-proposals to ensure that the project stayed within a reasonable budget. I appreciated Johann's care and attention to detail and willingness to advocate on my behalf in his interactions with the contractor. It was a pleasure to work with Johann's firm and strongly recommend him to others undertaking large projects particularly on historical houses. Dr. Philip J. Jacob

Note: If you would like to see photos of my house, see Prospect Lefferts Gardens Townhouse project under Johann Grobler's portfolio, photographed by Amanda Kilpatrick. Johann stood out to me among the dozen or so architects that I spoke with/interviewed, and now that our house is done I know I made the right choice. Johann is genuinely passionate about what he does and meticulous (perfectionist, even) in execution. I really felt like he saw our house as one of his own pieces of art--it was his house as much as it was ours. At the same time, he really incorporated all our ideas and listened to what we wanted while also being honest about his opinions and explaining to us what made sense in his eyes in terms of beauty, function, and value. Johann has a great aesthetic, and in the end we ended up listening to him on most things. I think what is also important about Johann is that he works with good people. In terms of contractors, we did do our own research and interviewed other people, but we ended up choosing the one that Johann recommended in the end. Johann has built up relationships with both vendors and contractors that he knows and trusts, so the process is smooth and Johann knows he can have these third parties deliver both in quality and efficiency. Also because he has such great relationships with these parties, there is a lot less time and money wasted in Johann having to micromanage work that is not up to par or aligned to the plans. We have been in our house for 6 months now, and every day, we are grateful to him. We could not be happier with the result.

I have known Johann since we worked at Ferguson Shamanian in 1999. Johann's command of all the intricacies of the process of designing and building great architecture is admirable. He keeps an eye on every detail without losing sight of the overarching goal and complete aesthetic. I firmly recommend Johann Grobler Architects for any townhouse, apartment, or house project or any buildings which require a thorough command of traditional or more contemporary design.

Johann Grobler was a wonderful guide, collaborator, advocate and friend during the renovation of our Prospect Heights townhouse. When we were considering different architects, we evaluated them against the following criteria: 1. Technical Expertise. Johann is highly skilled and experienced as an architect and guide in the renovation process, particularly with respect to 19th century townhouses. 2. Excellent Design Sense Johann is a gifted architect with a great sense of proportion and the ability to transform a space to fit a client’s needs. His mantra is to make a home fit a family like a glove fits a hand. In this regard, he listens attentively to what his client thinks he or she needs, but having been through this process so many times, encourages the client to consider alternatives. We have found that our home is perfectly designed to meet our daily needs for space, light, storage, work space, and relaxation. We are living harmoniously in the space that Johann designed for us. Johann combines pragmatism with a wonderful, clean, modern aesthetic. 3. Easy to Work With We enjoyed working with Johann, and we learned a lot about the whole design, demolition, renovation and permitting process. Johann always took care of problems. Our renovation was as easy as such a process could be because of Johann, and we now consider Johann a trusted friend. 4. Ability to Navigate the Whole Process. Because Johann has a lot of experience, he is able to efficiently navigate through the whole process, from the DOB approval process to Landmarks. 5. Working with the Contractor and Vendors Johann guided us through the bidding process, helped negotiate with the contractor and oversaw the construction process. Because of his constant communication with the contractor, we were able to avoid issues. He also has excellent relationships with various vendors (e.g., for appliances, plumbing fixtures and fittings, etc.). 6. Budget Johann helped us understand how much different options cost, and ultimately, he helped us stay within our budget. When we first met with Johann, he gave us the names of two other families who had worked with him on their townhouse renovations. The fact that these families graciously and generously gave us tours of their homes to show us and discuss Johann's work made us have even more confidence in Johann. After we finished our renovation with Johann, we also do the same thing and take the time to speak with potential clients. The time we spend talking to potential clients is our way of thanking Johann for all of his hard work and the excellent job he did for us. We highly recommend Johann, and if we ever had another renovation project in NYC, we would seek him out to collaborate again.

Johann and I have been photographing his work since 2008. We have shot 19 projects together in that time. He's not just a great architect. He is also great to work with. He's precise, professional and pays his invoices faster than the majority of my clients. Johann is not just my client. He is my friend as well

We have been working with Johann on several projects, Johann Grobler as the architect and Flosgardens as landscapers. We love working with Johann, we appreciate the communication, exchange and understanding between Johann and our company. Johann,s professionalism is exemplary and as a fellow contractor, it is a wonderful trade quality that helps projects move smoothly and clients happy. Johann,s designs are just gorgeous clean lines combined with no no nonsense practicality, associating some beautiful details and refinery in the mix.

We hired Johann Grobler Architects in connection with the gut renovation of a two family brownstone in Brooklyn and we couldn't be more pleased with his work. His design was creative and made excellent use of the space. Johann carefully considered our needs and worked to stay withint our budget (which was relatively limited for the job at hand). He also guided us, as first time home renovators, through the process. We wholeheartedly recommend Johann Grobler Architects!

Johann is a great architect. He designed, helped us pick a contractor and supervised our full renovation on a townhouse. He is very detail oriented, has great taste and is a perfectionist, he will ask that every part of the job is done right up to his very high standards. He is always available, always looks for his clients' best interest but always respecting his clients' wishes. Johann is very dedicated, takes great pride of his work and is a very honest and professional person. We were very happy working with Johann, have recommended him to friends and will definitely work with him again.

Johann did a gut apartment renovation/combination for us in 2010. He led the entire project from start to finish, including contractor selection. Johann's style is distinctive (I can almost always spot a "Grobler kitchen"), and he has strong views, yet he was a great collaborator in accomplishing what my wife and I wanted to accomplish. The client/contractor/architect relationship was smooth and productive. The project was completed more-or-less on time, in spite of a few unavoidable surprises once the work started. I would work with Johann again without hesitation, and recommend him.

Johann Grobler was my architect for my Brooklyn Townhouse. It was a gut renovation which included an extension on 3 levels. We worked together in figuring out how to include & incorporate all aspects of our lifestyle into our home. His intelligence & extreme focus on detail created a home truly beautiful & for us, extremely functional. We wanted many things to happen within the space we had and while tough, Johann was instrumental in seeing it through. Always figuring ways to adjust and reconfigure, the outcome is tremendous! He is a true professional and a gentlemen. I recommend him 100% for his tenacity & his vision!