Working with Jason of Emotive Architecture, renewed my faith in housing professionals. I had been…read moreburned by housing professionals over the years and was very cautious about who I worked with this time around. Luckily, Jason came into the picture early on. He immediately took ownership of the project and was truly invested in making my project a huge success. He was so meticulous and thorough with the permit drawings, that I was able to get a building permit through DCRA in one week, which is unheard of. While the care he took with the drawings was outstanding, I think the most important aspect of working with Jason was that he made me feel extremely comfortable with the process and gave me no doubt that I was in good hands. I am a single woman handling this project on my own. Jason went out of his way to vet the contractors and review their bids. He even visited one contractor's work site. He also provided input on the million and one Houzz photos I sent him. I inherently trust Jason's opinion, work ethic, and professionalism. He's not only a great architect, but he's a great person who is fun to work with. With the transparent design contract, submitting deliverables ahead of time and being extremely responsive and accessible, I highly recommend Jason for anyone's remodeling project.

I hope there isn't a character limit here, because I don't think I will ever be able to fully sing…read moreJason's praise. In December 2012, I purchased my first home - a row house that was in need of a complete gut renovation. Jason was recommended to me by a friend, and I am eternally grateful for her sage recommendation! Skill and Workmanship: When the professionals at DCRA (including former architects) are asking for your architect's card because of how spot on his work is, you know you're working with a top-notch architect. When a zoning reviewer's call is overturned based on your architect's interpretation of a code section, you know you're working with an architectural genius. Jason = architectural genius. That is all. Customer Service: As you may imagine, being a first-time homeowner is stressful in and of itself. Buying your first home and stripping it down to the studs (think Extreme Makeover: Home Edition) is pretty insane. Thankfully, I had Jason to guide me through the entire process. From summer 2012, when I hired him, through present day, Jason has treated this project as if it were his own. There was not one renovation decision that I made without consulting Jason (and with a gut renovation that spanned a year and 3 months from design to completion, there were LOADS of decisions made). He was ALWAYS available and made me feel like I was his only client, even though I knew I wasn't. Jason is more than my architect; he has truly become a family member (the kind you don' t mind when they stop by unannounced). If you're looking for just a "good" architect, Jason is out of your league. I recommend him for homeowners who, like me, wanted near perfection. I certainly found that and more in Jason, and he was worth every single penny I paid for his services. Any and every renovation I do will always begin with Jason.

Don't think you need an architect for an upcoming renovation or new construction project? You do…read more Don't let the builder trick you into owning the construction AND design! How will you know if anything is done right? Don't think you can afford an architect? You can. Not all architects work on an hourly retainer. Frank helped us successfully navigate the Arlington County Use-Permit (aka variance) process. We got everything we wanted! He did all of the legwork, making it as simple as possible for us. Frank directed us through the design, always warning us when he thought we might have had some bad ideas, but was always willing to incorporate them into the design. His reasons behind the bad design was always substantiated with facts, and he always let us make the final call. Frank always made us feel like we were his only client, even though I later found out that was certainly not the case! Frank did all the footwork for the permitting process as well. His calm disposition makes for friendly interactions at the County, which is beneficial when looking for "unofficial" answers to permitting and zoning questions. That has lead to a savings for us in both time and money. Frank priced out our design lump sum, for each of the different projects we needed. We were able to select which pieces we wanted and although the scope did creep and expand, we were not ever hit with additional fees for those services. I would not hesitate to recommend Frank Durkin for any design project. His past experience shows that he can capably and creatively handle large new construction projects and small complicated renovations. You can afford an architect and your renovation/construction project will be exponentially better for it!

I enjoyed reviewing their portfolio and I was surprised to see how many projects Harrison Design…read moreAssociates completed in the DC are. I expect to see many more great projects to come. Their attention to detail inside and outside goes beyond any other firm I have seen so far in the greater DC area. They designed Springhill Farm Residences which I could not find online. But, here is a link I found that had even more images of their wonderful work. http://www.deringhall.com/harrison-design-associates Thank you for brining charm to the area!

From the owner: Harrison Design specializes in high-end residential architecture, interior design and landscape…read morearchitecture for clients throughout the U.S. and abroad. From traditional to modern, our body of work represents the full spectrum of scale and style. In addition to ground-up residential design and renovations, several studios specialize in ecclesiastical and non-residential projects.

Not sure if Clarke Simpson is still around, but if you have the prospect of renting from or working…read morewith him: DON'T. Years ago I lived in a lovely old apartment building in Lyon Park. I lived there for years and some residents were there for decades! It was a charming place with wonderful neighbors and the previous owner, Diane Fletcher, was an amazing person and landlord. Then, the building was bought by Clarke Simpson. I could go on and on and on about how awful this person is as a human being and "businessman." But for now I will simply provide factual examples. Aside from his chauvinistic, misogynistic attitude toward me, then a 20-something young woman, he was on a total power trip. He drastically raised rent on a disabled woman who had been in her place for 30 years, leaving her panicked and stuck. IThen one day, I was mugged while walking home from the Metro and my keys were stolen. He refused to let me in to my apartment--unless I gave him $2,000 ON THE SPOT to replace my lock and key, plus the front door and new keys for every resident. We stood in the entry way while I argued with him that what he was trying to do to me was unfair and illegal (not to mention unethical). He became quite nasty and condescending, and tried to impose his tall stature on little 4'11" me to intimidate . Finally, I called the police and only then did he back off. He knew what he was doing was wrong and unnecessary. He just wanted to see if he could get away with extorting a young woman whom he thought was an idiot. He was seriosuly mistaken! It should be noted that he was well aware I was battling serious illness at the time and spent many months in and out of the hospital. A few months later, still in the throws of illness, he refused to offer me a new lease. The place was pristine and in far better condition than when I moved in. But because he wanted new paint and to make other aesthetic adjustments, having nothing to do with me, I lost my entire desposit. I would have taken him to court and fought him hard iover all of his shenanigans if Ihadn't been so sick and frequently hospitalized. I think he knew I didn't have much fight in me so he took advantage wherever and whenever I could. Moral of story: do not rent from Clarke oSimpson. Don't just take my word for it. Take a look at the other glistening reviews (NOT) they've received over the years. Merry Christmas Clarke! P.s. sorry.for the typos, this text box is mmalfunctioning!

Best builder! Best quality! I completed three projects with Mickey Simpson Builders in the past…read moreseven years. I highly recommend them.

WHA did a great job of renovating my Old Town Alexandria townhouse and garden in a open…read morecontemporary style. They designed a wonderful modern kitchen where they tore down bearing walls and opened up the space and relocated the washer and dryer to the bedroom level. The garden always flooded when it rained and they fixed this and added a fountain and beautiful modern paving and landscaping.

Sun Design delivers exactly what they promise…read more We live in a wonderful neighborhood, but our family room was only 11 feet wide. It felt claustrophobic and left little room for family activities or entertaining. A few of our neighbors had hired two other builders to remodel their homes. We interviewed the companies and listened to what the neighbors revealed in their post remodeling conversations. Knowing well that construction was going to be disruptive to our daily lives, we weren't sold on hiring the other companies. I had seen Sun Design ads for years, but they had never remodeled in our neighborhood. When I researched them,I found very few complaints and very satisfied homeowners. Our addition went relatively smooth considering the 2020 lockdowns and related supply chain issues. All of Sun Design's employees and subcontractors were very professional and delivered a quality product. Our entire family is thrilled with our addition, and two years later we have no regrets.

Called this company for a garage project. Very responsive. Had a Zoom call then an in person visit…read more Went very well. Follow up email two weeks later with a question. Then, nothing. I haven't heard back from them; it's been three weeks since the last email. I no longer chase contractors. I won't be calling them and I'm assuming they don't want my job either.

Aidan re-designed our kitchen, powder room, and entryway and it was beyond our hopes and…read moreexpectations. They brilliantly balanced listening and incorporating our goals and ideas with their own based on their experience and expertise. For example, I thought I wanted the sink right in the middle of the counter, but they pointed at that with how much we cook and bake, it makes sense to put the sink at the end so we have a bigger stretch of counter space. They truly made our dreams of how we'd like to use our kitchen come true by turning what was a barely functioning kitchen closet into an open, useable, and comfortable space.

Working with Aidan was a dream. I felt very supported throughout the process and loved the advice…read moreand recommendations. The detailed timeline for ordering and reasonable pace made the project run very smoothly. I love my new kitchen!