We used Greg at Barnstar to design a new en suite bathroom. He was great. Very punctual and very…read moreprofessional. He was able to suggest various contractors also, and helped oversee construction while we were on vacation. I strongly recommend.

We worked with Greg of Barnstar Architects during a complete remodel of the second story of our…read moreCapitol Hill townhouse. Greg was very responsive and creative, and he helped us out on to paper the vague ideas we had about redoing our second floor. He is very familiar with all the quirks of Hill homes, and also helped us through the incredibly complex process of getting all the necessary permits. He regularly visited the job site as the project progressed at no extra charge, and gave us many mid-project tips and ideas. We were very pleased with Greg's work and can't recommend him highly enough.

Barker Design Group did an exceptional job with our historic whole house renovation. Alex not only…read moretranslated out ideas into reality, but also suggested features and details that elevated the finished project without breaking our budget. Alex was thoughtful, thorough, prompt and accessible. And his enthusiasm for the renovation process was contagious. We could not be happier with our experience.

Alex had a great vision for what our house could become. We used him from day 1 for strategy…read morethrough the final day of execution. His detail orientation and thoughtful organization made the process a joy. We are so happy with the results thanks to him!

We were so excited for the prospect of our kitchen remodel project with Four Brothers after being a…read morefan of their design aesthetic from a distance. Starting the project was a bit shaky, some communication difficulties with our project manager, Sondra, and the site manager (which changed midway through our project). But the real issues arose with the final execution of the project. Our refrigerator & the panels were improperly installed as confirmed by GE, so every time we close or open the freezer drawer it damages the surrounding cabinets. The drawer handle itself has fallen off numerous times as well. Our brand-new dishwasher that they installed broke down and may be due to contractor install issues, Bosch is still assessing the issue. Our garage was used as a staging spot as well as a woodworking studio, but there was no attempt to ensure our gym equipment which is housed in the garage was protected, which led to damage of our expensive belongings. The wood floors that were installed have damage including large dents, gaps and wood splintering. The painted walls have cracks and bubbles, despite drawing attention to these issues early on. We now have to bring in our own contractors to fix the many issues that Four Brothers left us with. My husband and I both attempted to contact Kent and Sondra who had been our main contact people at Four Brothers with no response. We are extremely frustrated and disappointed with a very costly project that left us with unnecessary headaches and messes to clean up. We made sure our home was a welcoming place, leading with kindess for all the people coming in and out each day, with snacks, cold water & access to indoor bathrooms. We feel sad that they have not been kinder to us in return.

I used Four Brothers for a big home project back in 2019 and appreciated their work then but what I…read morewanted to highlight was their ongoing help. I recently reached out to Leroy to see if he had a recommendation for a small project I was doing that I knew would be too small for them. He responded immediately and helped me out and I'm so appreciative. It's really fantastic that they not only provide good service when doing a project but even years later. I'll definitely use them again next time I have a major project.

This guy presents himself as a guru of green architecture, but his main talent is writing invoices…read more To design a top-to-bottom remodel of my four-story house, he visited it once. He flew in a young architect from Colorado (!) to document the house, but they were both distracted by a disaster on another job (frantically redesigning at the last minute) and the drawings of my house were a mess - a door where there wasn't one, pipes and radiators missing, measurements wrong. They brought in a 'structural engineer' who jumped up and down on one part of the concrete floor like a toddler on a trampoline, pronounced it sound, and added, grinning, "I went to school for 10 years to learn how to do this." Maybe he should have studied longer, since it turned out that the floor was cracked through, and only one inch thick in parts (and underneath it was a sewer pipe that could have passed for a colander). Helicon also gave wrong information about the DC code and regulations. As for Helicon's proposed drawings for the renovation, just for one example, we would have had to walk around a bed to get out the back door. When I began to raise questions about the work, he simply refused to answer my emails and refused to go to mediation - although that's what his contract calls for in case of a dispute. When we finally parted ways, he kept all of his hefty fees and retainer, and didn't even return the books and magazines I had lent him as examples. Now, I'm glad to say, I've got a sound, beautiful renovation underway, and a great architect - who just can't believe the drawings from Helicon.

Helicon Works provided me with truly global guidance during a major whole-house renovation,…read morebringing expert attention to the practical/technical details of design and construction as well as the spiritual aspects of making a home. The result is a home that is beautiful, functional, and energy-efficient. I did not hesitate to call on them again when undertaking a second major project.

We used Arminco to install protective shields for the re-opening of our dental practice in…read moreAlexandria. Not only was Al professional and courteous on the phone, Sean did an amazing job installing the shields and he was on time. The shields looked so esthetically pleasing you barely noticed they were even there. It has certainly make things easier during this unprecedented time of having to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. I wish more companies could operate like Arminco out there. Thank you so much for helping us out during this stressful time! -Dr. Dan Cassidy

I had the opportunity to work with Arminco, Inc. recently during construction of a new dental…read moreoffice I was consulting at in Manassas, VA . They did a great job and the dental office turned out outstanding! Edwin was always there helping us out whenever we needed his service and the entire team at Arminco, Inc. were helpful. Highly recommend them and hope to work with them again in the future!

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!

After a terrible experience with another architect, I was a bit hesitant to move forward with my…read moreproject, but I am so glad I gave David a chance. He was referred by the contractor, and I have been very pleased with his professionalism and his wealth of ideas to provide me with the maximum use of the space I have for the project. He was also a wealth of recommendations about other resources to turn to throughout the project and has interfaced seamlessly with our contractor. I would absolutely recommend his services: dependable, creative, and professional!

David was terrific - technically very skilled but also experienced with many of the non-technical…read moreaspects of getting the job done. He invested a lot of time in the beginning to really understand the goals of the project. He then brought in zoning requirements where relevant and researched any open questions to make the design truly reflect what I had in mind, and then some. He offered his own aesthetic style but also respected my tastes and in the end we came up with a terrific design that I could never have done on my own.

Charlie Moore and the architects at Moore Architects were a pleasure to work with. After a couple…read moreof visits with us at their office and our house, they came up with great plans for our project that incorporated our needs and as many things on our wish list as we could afford. They were also invaluable keeping the contractor on schedule and honest. They saw things during their weekly site visits that only an experienced eye would pick out. Thanks to Moore Architects, we had a great experience expanding our house. Thanks, Charlie, Chris and everyone at Moore Architects.