Arch Design, Inc

Our Master Bathroom got a total remodel! From our first meeting with Lora we knew we were in capable hands. She outlined the process in which we were all active participants. Once we decided on the design Lora arrived with two notebooks one for her and one for us that would take us through to the end of the project. Plans, change orders, allowances, design scope etc. were constantly being updated as the project progressed. Our initial start date was March 2022 but due to some delays with other projects we moved to the beginning of September. The team were amazing in protecting our hardwood floors and furniture left in the bedroom was enclosed in plastic as well as the doorway into our computer room and the rest of the house to minimize dust. From demolition to completion we were apprised each step of the way. Thank you to the Lora for turning our idea for an updated bathroom that we can use no matter our mobility – if we ever need the use of a walker/wheelchair. Her truly amazing team, George and Holiday, who do it all and the remarkable trades folks she uses for electrical, plumbing, cabinetry, tile/flooring. Five thumbs up on our recommendation!

Arch Design has done two bathroom resurrections for me. One bathroom was a 95% do over. The other one, we had to find a way to do a good bath surround while keeping the existing floor tile. They were both quirky projects. I have a very hard time envisioning things and Lora was a lifesaver in helping me choose products and colors. I appreciate that she worked with me and didn't just send me to go look at things on my own. The budget was clear and all changes were documented. The quality of the prep and the tile work is excellent. Arch has a team of specialists who work well together. The company also goes out of their way when something unexpected comes up - whether it's hand mounting tiny tiles or making a threshold from scratch, if it has to be done, they do it! The two projects were about a year apart and my experience was consistent. They've been really good with the work and with reassuring me every step of the way.

Lora and her team of highly skilled partners have done three projects for us in the last 18 months, a bathroom remodel, kitchen remodel back to the studs, and window replacement. In all three projects she has shown great attention to detail, a strong motivation to work with us to come up with the design that will both fit within our budget and exhibit a personal touch, and execute the project on time and within budget. All of these are the things that keep us coming back to Arch Design for additional work (including a floor replacement project next year). We highly recommend Arch Design and their team.

The solid and reliable professionalism, ability to complete a project on schedule, partnership and decision-making hand holding along the way were just a few features of our experience working with Lora and her amazing 'ace' team during our kitchen / dining area addition and remodel. We cannot say enough about Foreman George who was on the scene the entire time and has never met a tool or challenging construction task or assignment he is not a pro at. Mind-blowing. Lora Vassar expertly guided us through design choices, color options, appliance and flooring and detailed shopping episodes, with care and creativity. And Arch Design was finished with our project 'On-Tme' prior to the deadline. We love our project results, and we can enthusiastically recommend Lora and Arch Design.

We contacted Lora and were quite impressed with her knowledge, skill, professionalism, courteousness and willingness to try new and creative designs. She provided detailed info on our ideas and came back to us with multiple drafts as well as bids from her team. She even researched a new process and product which may turn out to be a benefit for her company and many clients. We did shelve the work for now due to timing, budget, etc but plan to come back to her when it comes together better.

After having the pleasure of working with Lora Vassar and Arch Design and Remodeling for the past 10 years on several projects I highly recommend her and her team. I have seen the quality, the care and craftsmanship she brings to every single job. Lora is definitely hands when it comes to each job no matter the size. Lora is definitely someone I would use on my home remodeling projects.

I have provided construction drawings for several projects that Lora has designed for the last 3 years. She and her team are very thorough, detail oriented and most importantly, passionate about their projects and doing things right. I would not hesitate to recommend Arch Design if you're considering a home improvement project.

As a commercial photographer, I’ve shot “befores” and “afters” for numerous builders, but Arch Design’s remodels are consistently the most fun and interesting. Quality, and attention to detail are just the beginning. Beyond that, I’m amazed at Lora’s creative solutions, especially in difficult older homes. Plus, it’s the sheer visual delight of her designs, choice of materials, and always fresh tile art.

When we first met Lora (owner of Arch Design) we were immediately impressed with her knowledge of all things "home." She knew about rebates that we could get for our 1932 house remodel. She knew about the different zoning requirements and the City approval process for the Old Town Historic District Buffer Zone. She had worked both at the City level and the State level on various pieces of legislation. And she was impressively swift with estimating the various costs of what we were looking to accomplish. Once we started to work with her more, we realized that was just the tip of the iceberg of her awesomeness. She works hard. Like, really hard. But not because she is driven by money, but instead because she is driven by passion. This means that for you, as her client, she isn't working to squeeze every penny she can out of you but instead she is working to make sure that you are 100% happy with the end result. She actually listened to what we said we wanted to do with our remodel and then she worked to make that dream a reality. In addition, she helped us strike that perfect balance of our dreams and her experience and practicality. If we came up against an obstacle, she would look at the problem from various angles to find the best solution. Knowing us, I think it is safe to assume that we were some of her pickiest, most opinionated clients, but she never once lost her cool. She always responded with an attitude of 'let's see how we can make this work' instead of frustration at what we were asking her to do, change or reconsider. She was always wonderfully positive and pleasant. Also, just because she is that amazing, she actually made a "real life" 3-D model of our addition. With this model, we were able to play with it, remove the top, and see the relative sizes of everything much better than a virtual rendering or multiple elevation set of drawings. This really helped us when we were trying to visualize how everything would work in such a small space, or how the windows would look from the street view.... oh the windows... :) Remember that this is a design-build firm. One of the best perks is that Lora is the only person you'll need to get from your idea to planning and permitting, to picking out tile, to pouring concrete, to the ultimate finished product and every other imaginable thing in-between. The people that she hires and sub-contracts with are tried and tested and she only keeps the "best of the best" as a part of her team. All of that to say, we would recommend Lora and Arch Design with the highest possible recommendation, glowing, and with a cherry on top! In this one firm you are getting your best advocate, your best ideas, your detail-oriented person, and a dose of sanity and friendship to go with it all. You will not regret trusting Lora with your home, whatever the project may be.

Arch Design's creative genius Lora Vassar designed my kitchen from the ground up. We purchased a fixer upper home, and her vision for my new kitchen was brilliant. She recommended knocking out a wall and removing a low ceiling, both idea's expanded my kitchen space tremendously. I love having the space for a kitchen island and her suggestions allowed us space for a large pantry. All my "wants" were met with a variety of features I could never have envisioned!

Arch Design has been a member of the Home Builders Association for 5 years. In those 5 years Lora Vassar has been a major impact in the Albuquerque home industry. She is currently our Associate Vice President and her leadership has helped the Home Builders Association improve the building environment in Albuquerque. Her work is always professional and her attitude is always positive. We are grateful for all her hard work and determination to improve the Albuquerque home market. Thank you Lora and Arch Design.

Arch Design, Lora Vasser, was our designer for a whole house remodel due to a flood. Lora set up weekly meetings with us as we progressed through the remodel so that we could review options, select materials and, if necessary, set up meetings at vendor locations. She always kept careful records of expenses and set up an accounting system that synced up estimates with expenses in such a way as to help us manage the budgeting process. This system of allowances allowed us to stay within budget, or if not, to approve in advance additional expenses associated with our choices. She was consistently patient, precise and timely. Lora is very creative and produced some great designs that were implemented by her team. Specifically the new island and cupboard arrangement in our kitchen utilized the space much more efficiently and is beautiful as well. Lora made a scale model island out of cardboard to illustrate how the space would work with the shelving so that we could make choices about drawers, etc. Lora is very professional and also very easy to work with. She bent over backward to ensure our satisfaction and made many great suggestions that we really appreciated. I highly recommend Lora and her team for their professional expertise and creativity.