Stuart Basseches Architect

My husband and I hired Stuart Basseches following a recommendation from another architect who we had known. We planned to complete a gut renovation of an apartment so it was hugely important to us to find someone that shared our attention to detail, design aesthetic and could execute within our timeline and budget. From the beginning, it was abundantly clear that Stuart far exceeded our expectations. Prior to closing on our coop, Stuart spent countless hours with us looking at potential options and weighing the pros and cons of various apartments. He was a big reason we chose to buy the one we did -- he had the vision. Once we started the design process, he was an absolute delight to work with. He came up with some very creative ways to maximize our living space and storage and also capture the natural light in the apartment. He has an amazing attention to detail which came through in every aspect of the design. He was patient with us, going through numerous design iterations until we were all satisfied. I should also mention that he does all the design drawings himself which makes the process highly efficient. Stuart consistently went above and beyond to make sure we were happy. One example, we were trying to get our building permit in the month of December (note to readers: do not try to get a building permit in December) and knowing that we were very focused on timeline, Stuart was willing to stand in line outside the building department in 10 degree weather to secure an earlier meeting. Thanks to his efforts, we got the permit and were able to get started. For the construction, Stuart had a great relationship with our contractor which kept everything running smoothly. Every construction project has some delays and although we had some as well, Stuart and our contractor, 360 General Contracting, were incredibly accommodating and focused on getting us to a point where we could move in as quickly as possible. We finished the project below budget and I can't wait to find another project to do with Stuart. He truly created our dream home and we feel incredibly fortunate to get to live there. He is incredibly talented and I have no hesitation in giving him my highest recommendation.

Stuart is wonderful to work with. Ours was a long-term project, done in stages for convenience and budgetary reasons. So we worked with Stuart for over a year, and it was a consistent pleasure. He has a strong aesthetic but is also wonderful at bringing out clients' preferences and taste. He was great also at helping us figure out which things we could economize on and which were worth spending money to get the quality or effect we wanted, and there were no surprises as to costs. We trust him completely and have not regretted any of the decisions we made with Stuart's help. He recommended a fantastic contractor and the collaboration between them was seamless. I have recommended him to friends who have been just as happy, and wouldn't consider working with anyone else.

I worked with Stuart on the renovation of my 3400 sq ft Manhattan loft, which included dividing the loft into 3 separate spaces: a living space, office space, and a pied a terre. Stuart is an inspired, insightful, and generous architect. I am lucky to both live and work in his light-filled, beautiful designs. In addition to being a pleasure to work with, we stayed on budget for the entire project. I have recommended Stuart to several friends, and continue to give him my highest praises.

Stuart was highly recommended to us and did not disappoint. He did full renovation of bathrooms, kitchen and also design work. His taste and architectural sense are impeccable. He came up with brilliant solutions at every corner. He kept within the budget and we even think that by hiring him we saved money because of his smart sense of space and of what was needed. He was always available, willing to talk and discuss and to accommodate our needs -for some time I was abroad while the work was being done- and it was seamless.

Stuart's firm was recommended to us and they did a gut renovation of our home. It was finished two weeks early, with no overages and no fighting/fussing/arguing. I know, sounds unbelievable. We are opinionated people, believe me, but Stuart is always pleasant, very smart, possessed of excellent artistic taste, and very accommodating. He's also endowed with the gift of advocating for his point of view in a respectful and passionate way that makes you want to listen. His estimates were unfailingly on-target, and he held our hand throughout the whole process, including the purchasing of all our tiles, major appliances, etc. I should also mention that the contractors he works with are prompt, efficient, kind, and precise. When we realized two years afterwards that one of our cable TV hookups was stuck behind a wall, he came the day we called, installed a nifty little access door, and refused to accept any compensation. He said: "Even now, this is still my job." What more can you ask for? I only wish I had another house for him to design and renovate! My highest recommendation.