New Rochelleの建築家

“I can count on several fingers the times I have found a local business partner that I'd describe as a rockstar, and Brian Hopkins is on that short list. On Christmas Eve, my wife and I were out doing errands. We got a call from our teenage son, telling us that water was raining down from the upstairs bathroom, through our microwave and stove, into the basement, onto the furnace and water heater. There was some once-in-a-century rapid drop in temperature, we had some poorly insulated pipes, and one of those pipes ruptured in the floor of that second floor bathroom resulting in that disaster. Total nightmare. Thankfully, one of the other rockstars on our short list of local business partners is our general contractor. We already had a plan on the shelf to renovate that bathroom, our contractor was available, we were able to get all our tile and bathroom fixtures picked out and procured in record time, and shortly after New Year's our GC started the repairs and creating the bathroom of our dreams. Salvation! Everything was going awesome, until the building department showed up. In a rush, we neglected to get a building permit. We weren't being shady or playing games. We were just hasty and ignorant and didn't do the things we needed to do. We got an immediate stop-work order. And the only way to get back on track was to find an architect to do proper code-compliant architectal drawings for our already-in-progress bathroom renovation. I quickly learned that there are not a lot of residential architects hurting for business, certainly not at that time of year. I literally called at least 15 different places. Either people were too busy, or weren't interested in the project. I finally found one who couldn't take the job, but said "hey, we know this other guy in the area who is super good, that we refer people to when we're busy. His name is Brian Hopkins." Somebody directing business to a competitor?? I now understand why they referred me. Brian is only the second architect I've ever worked with, but as far as I can tell, he's as good as it gets. I was able to get in touch with him immediately, and he agreed to take on the work. He was incredibly transparent and clear about what he was going to do, when he was going to do it, and what it would cost. Throughout the process he was super responsive, empathetic, organized, patient, professional, and enjoyable to work with. He didn't nickel and dime us or play games; he was clearly focused on good customer service and outcomes. And from what I can tell, both the building department and my GC were very happy with the quality of his work. The entire ordeal we went through, particularly involving the building department and fines and delays was horrible. Had we not found Brian, had he not been so excellent, the situation might have been unbearable. He literally was our savior. It's absurd not to want to work with someone like this.”

“LEAP designed our modern and green home addition. They handled much of the creative work on the project, as well as detailed renderings, bid consultations, and construction supervision. LEAP's work was very creative and responded directly to our needs. They found ways to get energy efficiency and modern design details into a "buildable" and cost-conscious project. They are humble, hardworking, and consistent. I would choose to work with LEAP Architecture again without hesitation.”

“I thought that finding an honest contractor who follows through with what they promise would be impossible but decided to take the chance with Essential and finally do my first renovation. I was very nervous at first but the contractor Peter was extremely patient and was with me every step of the way. His team which included a talented designer put together a picture perfect kitchen, powder bathroom and master bedroom bathroom. I was blown away by the attention to detail and if you’re looking for a wonderful experience limiting your stress level for such a major project then Peter and his team are a great fit.”

“Lanny Lerner is an outstanding architect who listens carefully and observes astutely to produce design that is beautiful and functional. He recently worked with us on our Manhattan apartment--we are delighted. I highly recommend Lanny Lerner.”

“We hired Brad to design a spec house for us in Rye, NY. As an Architect myself, I was extremely happy with the quality of work produced and the communication between us. It was a pleasure to work with Brad, and his understanding of our needs and requirements was second to none. Brad listened well to our needs and was able to efficiently express them in graphic form, & he always worked in an organized & professional manner. He was always easily available by phone & email, always returning my calls & emails promptly. The construction drawings were done to be within our construction budget, & when changes were made he was gracious & fair with regard to fees for extra services. He also helped us in selecting materials, & we were happy with those selections & the variety as well. While we haven't started construction yet, on past projects he was always accessible and able to clarify field conditions and changes by clients. We would definitely hire him again, and we would (and have) recommended him to our other clients who were also very happy with his service.”

“My home is one of the exhibits listed here. This architect was easy to work with and gave appropriate and timely advice when needed. She is currently working another project for me, a renovation of a Frank Lloyd Wright's apprentice work in the Berkshires.”

“Kimoy Studios is professional, creative and talented. The collaboration was easy as they were very responsive and respectful. The work was beautiful and enhanced our apartment in so many ways.”

“My husband and I are absolutely thrilled with the work performed by John Patrick. He went above and beyond to ensure that our vision and goals were captured in the final design. We know that when we finally move into our renovated home, we will enjoy it that much more because we worked with John. We bought a1930s colonial - our first home - and while we knew that something needed to be done to it, we couldn't figure out exactly what. John Patrick is a highly trained and skilled designer, who helped us realize ideas about our space that we didn't see before. Not only did he come up with beautiful and practical solutions to the problems we saw in the home, he willingly worked within the existing constraints of the space, i.e., the location of plumbing, load-bearing walls, etc. We held frequent check-points during our design phase. During each one, John Patrick was thoughtful and professional. We never felt embarrassed or uncomfortable bringing our ideas to the table. He was always very tactful in explaining which ideas made sense and which could be reconsidered in order to maximize space and functionality. We wanted to work with an architect who would share his professional expertise, and not simply sketch whatever we asked him to. John is definitely that architect. And yet, when there were personal elements that my husband and I were unwilling to bend on - no matter how impractical - John found a way to make them work. After each check-point, John created great drawings that helped us visualize the space. These were invaluable for two business professionals trying to make design choices with no design experience. Once our designs were final, John even produced renderings that helped us select fixtures and furniture to fit in our space. These renderings alone have received glowing compliments from all our friends and colleagues. The renderings were also very impressive to our contractor, who is overseeing the construction of our home, as were the construction documents that John produced. The construction documents helped us during the bid phase, when we were trying to select a contractor, and have served as the “source of truth” during the construction phase. We absolutely recommend working with John Patrick Cunningham. You will be happy you did!”

“We have worked with Karen at Brinkman for countless projects; baths, kitchens, whole-house remodels; light commercial spaces, and additions. She is a true professional and has some great ideas for the spaces we are hired to remodel. She is willing to stop by on a moment's notice for questions and advice, which is important for the remodeling that we are involved in. We plan to continue working with her for all of our remodels in the future.”

“Boaz Golani, principal of BMG Design/Build designed and project managed an extensive renovation of our 1920s Tudor-revival house, focussing on kitchen and bathroom. The work required fully demolishing the spaces, to the studs, replacing wiring and plumbing, and executing a redesign which was true to the period details of the house, but kicked the whole place up a couple of levels in convenience and elegance. Golani was brilliant in his aesthetic and practical creative problem solving. He sourced and managed fine craftsmen, and was onsite everyday, keeping the job on time and budget. Few clients are as fortunate as we were in achieving all and more than we expected without any pains except the inevitable one of writing checks.”