Marcus DiPietro, Architect

As our family grows, we planned to expand our home using the original plans designed by Marcus in 2012. Unfortunately, obtaining copies of those plans proved difficult. While I appreciate liability concerns, the lack of access created significant challenges. After facing obstacles myself, my architect, and even our contractor, we were disappointed that Marcus's policy prevented even the option of purchasing copies of the plans at a reasonable cost. This delay and inconvenience impacted our project timeline and budget, adding stress to an already exciting but demanding time for our expanding family. While I respect Marcus's professional policies, I believe greater flexibility in providing access to past projects would benefit families like ours seeking to adapt their homes for new stages of life.

We renovated a home for our family with Marcus over about two years. We added a basement under the existing structure, added a bedroom in an existing 2 story entry way area, reworked the pitch of the ceiling in the kitchen and added new steel windows; so we were dealing with some complex circumstances and design challenges to say the least. From the beginning Marcus was reliable, very patient, flexible and open to our ideas and wishes. I loved the level of detail we went into and enjoyed the design process as Marcus is so easy to work with. Throughout the construction stage he remained involved and an ally and fought to bring the plans to fruition even when we faced challenges with engineering, weather, delayed materials and so on. We are so happy with our beautiful home and grateful to Marcus for his tireless work on this huge project.

Marcus is one of those Architects that you feel fortunate to have worked with and look forward to it again. I was found by the client after they were 90% done with the conceptual design and he was gracious enough to allow me to present ideas on the pool space the brought the project to the next level. Marcus dialed in all of the details and kept the project moving right along. Details Details Details! I truly look forward to the next one!!

The best thing we ever did was meet Marcus DiPietro. He is a phenomenal architect with an eye for subtle exquisite detail that is amazing. Through his collaborative process he is able to decipher critical information about you, how you want to live in your home, what is most important...then he brings you a design that blows you away. After a few meetings with us he showed us our forever home that exceeded any of our dreams or expectations. He stayed on to manage the building of our home which was absolutely necessary for it to come to completion. He is invested in the integrity of the build, serves as a resource to the builder and subs, trouble shoots and identifies issues before they become problems. Marcus’ investment in every project he designs is much more than what is on paper. He designs a home he wants you to love,. Through our working relationship it became very evident to us that he puts a part of himself in every design - it’s the personal touches that are so unique to each home. His passion is what makes him dedicated, his architectural ability brings beautiful homes but, Marcus as a person is the real secret behind the amazing work he does. He gave us our forever home - we are still in awe of it 2 1/2 years later.

The recently completed project was the second that I have worked with Marcus on. As the GC, I have found Marcus's work to be thorough, well thought out, and spectacular in design. When inevitable issues arise, Marcus is thoughtful and cooperative in working toward a solution. I am currently on my third project with him and hope that we can work together for years into the future. I was unable to share photos with the review. His work can be found at... www.marcusarchitect.com

Marcus designed and project managed our new home project from start to finish. The house was designed to fit our new home setting, lifestyle and tastes. Marcus was very involved and helped work through issues with the contractor so that we were able to complete the project as intended with on the ground considerations taken into account. I would recommend Marcus to anyone who wants a full on custom home with strict attention to detail.

Can't put into words how grateful we are to have found Marcus. He instantly created an impression that is his hallmark calling card...perfection. I've built three homes before this one. I don't think I've ever met anyone who is so thorough in his attention to detail and with such remarkable design instincts. He's an artist and it comes through in the views he's surrounded us with and the harmony in the design. Aside from the fact that we love this house beyond what we imagined, I would eagerly do this again with him if the opportunity presented itself in the future. So much fun to work with.

Marcus… Know that Anne and I constantly thank you in our minds for creating a home we love more and more the longer we are here.

We love the home Marcus DiPietro designed for us. We wanted a small, well-crafted, home with a truly thoughtful design rather than an unnecessarily large home made of a hodgepodge of expensive, "bolt-on" components. We also wanted a home that really allowed us to enjoy our land. Having seen Marcus’s work cited in a popular book called The Not So Big House by Sara Susanka, we thought he’d be a good fit for our build. Marcus has a remarkable gift for translating the principles and elements of design into a reality. He helped us create a durable home that connects us to the outside and is exceptionally livable as well. One example of his vision includes the placement and scale of the windows. There is a glass corner window in the stairwell that provides a striking view of our old oak grove. It is exceptionally beautiful on an early mauve dawn as we descend the stairs to start a new day. When we go to bed, we can see not only stars, but whole constellations, from the floor to ceiling window in the master bedroom. I'm starting to learn the time of night just by the moon's phase and position. Marcus is as much an advocate as architect. Building the home was stressful at times, but he was with us every step of the way. He was always there to defend the integrity of the design and to help push for high quality craftsmanship down to the minutest of details. Without Marcus there for us during the construction, I’m afraid the execution would have fallen short and the home would not be what it is today. Now, I can’t imagine living anywhere else. If I ever need another architect, I will without a doubt engage Marcus.

We met Marcus Dipietro in the fall of 2014 after reviewing several local residential architects. Marcus was very thorough in identifying our lifestyle and understanding our needs. This programming process entails lots of conversation concerning design preferences, functionality, style, quality, and cost. Marcus' originality made our house unique. We demolished our existing home with the exception of the pool. The collaboration between Marcus and our builder was essential to the success of this project. Important traits Marcus possesses are his technical knowledge of building systems, including HVAC, energy efficiency, and lighting. He is very resourceful in identifying products, in particular, tile and wood finishes as well. As owners, we were very involved in the building process, and Marcus organized and listened to our ideas. In a few words, most importantly, we would do it all over again. We love our new home.

We are not satisfied with Marcus's work and greatly regret engaging his services. Marcus did not provide the services we contracted for and that we requested on numerous occasions. He then proceeded to overcharge us. Our project is not going forward, and now he is suing us for further payment. Do not hire this architect!

I could write pages of examples of why Marcus is a superior architect; the common thread in every example would be trust. We trusted Marcus to understand our goals in adding on to a 130-year-old small house, transforming a neglected 1000-square foot space into our vision of a hip urban cottage that comfortably accommodates a family of four. Marcus delivered on all fronts. Marcus listened. He took time to understand our tastes and priorities while respecting our budget before starting on the design. The finished product reflected all we prioritized and also included creative insights we hadn’t considered. Exactly what one wants in an architect— a professional who offers features we had not thought of while understanding what really works for us based on who we are. We have lived in our finished home for about two months now, and the more time we are here, the more we really appreciate how well the house functions for us, and how elegant the space feels. Marcus was our sounding board, our frustration manager, our advocate, our expert. We are so happy in our home because of his respect for us and our trust in him. Thanks Marcus.