Green Building in Salem.

“We worked with Foley Fiore Architects on a custom home in a suburb west of Boston. As the general contractor's site supervisor I worked very closely with them and can attest that their approach is collaborative, solutions oriented and client driven. Their staff is highly professional and pays tremendous attention to detail and client service. We look forward to working with them again.”

“I have hired Ernie DeMaio on numerous occasions over the last 20 years for both residential and commercial architectural services. To me it's very basic. He delivers a great product for a fair price. On time. Everytime. He can handle anything from large scale commercial projects to simple sun room additions. His designs incorporate all that I request and more, he gives me all the details & specifications I need to build it easily, and my clients are always happy at the end. I would gladly recommend Ernie to anybody.”

“Light House Design was the architecture firm I hired for a major house renovation involving knocking down interior walls, adding a four season porch, moving a bathroom, adding a deck and front entryway, as well as new windows, roof, exterior siding, and electrical system. They provided a thoughtful and attractive design in keeping with the style of the house. They listened to our goals and suggestions and often incorporated them in the drawings they created. When they disagreed, they explained why the suggestions were impossible or undesirable. Very attentive to detail, and cost conscious. They were also helpful in providing an objective viewpoint of the contractor's work”

““You can't turn a sow's ear into a silk purse” - Maybe not, but Doug Okun and Associates did succeed in turning what was once attic space in a Victorian house into a third floor modern suite. Indeed, by moving walls, and re-configuring space, he managed to create two bedrooms, a bathroom, a sizable closet and a gracefully curving staircase from the second floor. What had been dark, even claustrophobic, rooms became the bedroom level of a two story condo unit in a very desirable location in Somerville, Massachusetts. Doug worked closely with his contractor to see us through an at times arduous permitting process. In every respect he was indispensible.”

“ZeroEnergy Design (ZED) designed a new construction primary residence for our family beginning February 2012. We were interested in building a passive solar home within a very strict budget. Throughout the design phase, ZED was considerate of our ideas for the home and ultimately provided us with architectural plans that exceeded our expectations. The design was modern, minimalist, and environmentally friendly on every level. The plans included a mechanical design and a renewable energy plan. They were well thought out and extremely detailed, leaving nothing left to guessing by anyone reading them. This attention to detail has been recognized by everyone on the project, including the land use planner of our city, the building department members, our general contractor, the subcontractors, and the suppliers. We are now in the construction phase and ZED members have been an integral part in construction planning and overseeing the construction itself. They have also been a strong advocate for us. We, along with everyone on the project, have been completely impressed with ZED and in agreement that ZED members are extremely professional, knowledgeable, experienced and able to meet deadlines and budgets, and work well with others. ZED has proven to be a full service green architectural firm for us. The firm created a whole house system and has assisted us in making almost every decision in the process down to the final finishes for the house. ZED has not only been respectful of our budget, but also found a substantial energy rebate for us that will completely pay for our PV system - a system that we did not think would be in our budget at all. It is obvious to us that the members of ZED take great pride in their work. We are so glad we found them. We couldn't give them a higher recommendation.”

“I am delighted to give my strongest possible endorsement to the architectural work of Shelly Wood Ziegelman. We worked together on four projects in the past six years: my extensive house renovation and, at Harvard University, two office redesigns and space planning for a first floor public space. The results were all spectacular (see below). In all four projects Shelly maintained excellent working relationships with contractors, trades people and involved Harvard personnel. This is a remarkable testament to Shelly's warm respect for everyone she works with which, naturally, is repaid in kind. In summary: I live every aspect of my life in wonderful surroundings that have been created by Shelly Wood Ziegelman. I consider this a great blessing and I am delighted to recommend Shelly to anyone who wishes to be similarly blessed. My association with Shelly began with extensive renovations on my house: extension of internal dining room and bedroom areas to include space previously devoted to exterior porches; conversion of the attic into an entirely new space for office or guest accommodations; creation of a ground floor bathroom; and complete renovation of a second-floor bathroom. Shelly's designs were elegant and beautiful, enhancing and modernizing the spaces while remaining true to the 100-year-old style of the house. The newly created third floor space incorporated light, space and a spectacular view and is now the nicest space in the house. Shelly worked seamlessly with me, matching her suggestions to my taste while concomitantly minimizing cost. She is extremely knowledgeable. For example, she knew specific features to accommodated my elderly mother's physical limitations. Shelly always kept the issue of her time and the costs of her services in clear perspective, up front, so there were no surprises. I next asked Shelly to assist in three projects related to my professional circumstances as Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard University. (i) She did a total gut re-design of my office, creating a lovely, light, well-configured space accessorized with the perfect furniture and curtains that provided privacy without blocking light. (ii) When I moved, Shelly designed my new office, in a smaller space and an unforgiving location, again to spectacular effect. Everyone who enters, including my colleagues, says "what a wonderful office". Essential features were somehow included in a light, open space. (iii) My move also placed me on a wide, empty airport-like corridor. I asked Shelly to help create a friendly space, which she did. In all three projects, Shelly maintained an excellent working relationship with involved Harvard personnel (including architect John Hollister), exhibiting all of her unique professional skills in full force. Nancy Kleckner Herschel Smith Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology Harvard University”

“Holly, Lisa, and the team at Nashawtuc were incredible to work with (twice!). We have now built two homes with them and have been more then thrilled. Lisa's capacity for information knows no bounds. She is always motivated to find the best solution, she researches whatever it takes, she dives deep down on every single detail. Her creative and solid solutions for the complexity of our home were truly amazing. She worked with our builders incredibly well and she helped us achieve an incredible dream home!”

“I have worked with peter for over 20 years He has provided plans and design work for 90 percent of my projects over the past 20 years He has a great eye for what the house needs He provides great customer support”

“Sam is a thoughtful, creative, and driven architect. His passion and professionalism drive his designs and interactions. In my experience, I sometimes encounter individuals who care to see their vision come to life, however, one of Sam's greatest skills is actively listening. This trait allows me to share my preferences and ideas in a forum where they are thoughtfully considered, (improved-upon), and integrated.”

“Lee2Design was the perfect fit for our needs. Justin and Kathrin listed to our goals and needs, took the time to really understand what we wanted, and expertly helped shape a realistic plan that kept one eye on the budget and the other on helping us realize our design dreams. Their combination of architectural knowledge and experience was critical to solving several complicated challenges in our space - especially in dealing with the difficult triangular footprint of much of our house - solutions we never would have come up with on our own. And in terms of design, they managed to find products and suggest colors and textures that perfectly suited our taste, rather than merely replicating TV show taste, and at the same time provided expert advice on how to expand our design horizons without pressuring us into doing anything for their egos rather than our lifestyle. Justin and Kathrin were extremely easy to work with - we always looked forward to our meetings, and they made the entire process as painless as possible. We couldn't be happier with the results!”