Architects & Building Designers in Woodlawn.

“Where to begin with my comments about Cathleen Curtin, the positive side, or the negative… well, that’s easy! There is no negative, so here are the positives!! Having scaled down a good bit from a larger home, and now residing in my interesting apartment in Old Town, Alexandria, I needed to make improvements and changes that would make this small place my haven. It began with getting bids on a bathroom renovation. Having contacted other architectural services and builders in the area that I knew, I found that the recommendations (and the pricing) were all over the place, and I really couldn’t tell what they were going to do. I also felt that they were not listening to me regarding the need to connect the bedroom space and my master bathroom. From the minute I ran this idea by Cathleen, she “got me” and she listened to me and she responded quickly. Within a couple days of our first meeting, she was back to me with a clear and concise overview and pricing. I was impressed with her level of detail, as well as her efficiency. And, this impression never changed thru out what became a much bigger project. Where the others all were going to expand my bathroom and take away space from my bedroom, Cathleen Curtin was able to give me all that I wanted, AND MORE, in the same footprint – saving money, time and probably a lot of unknown issues in this old building. Her creative use of space and layout resulted in a bathroom that I absolutely love, and others marvel at. Once deciding to work with Ms. Curtin, I realized that I felt safe and comfortable to do more of what really needed to be done to my living space. She gave me that comfort. Having had some experience with such projects in the past, it was knowing that she was not only the Architect, but also the Project Manager, that gave me the confidence to take this on. Always available for questions, and always quick to find solutions to issues as they came along, she drove this project hard and fast, and with a fabulous outcome. The project included not only the master bathroom, but a new laundry room, leveling the floors in my bedroom, insulation where there was none, built in cabinetry that eliminated the need for furniture in the bedroom, re-doing of floors, adding hardwood floors where they did not exist, brilliant storage cabinets, new lighting thru out, a life changing gas fireplace, creative kitchen solutions that make me love cooking again, a very special powder room, and so much more. I am thrilled in my new space – and enjoy it more than I ever dreamed possible. Cathleen was a joy to work with, a consummate professional, a willing ear, a great production manager, and attended to each and every detail of the project. On site every day, often several times, staying ahead of all contractors with selections and materials, and kept me informed with clear and consistent communication. Running a busy enterprise, I needed this style of professional oversight, and feel that not only did she give me a wonderful new home to enjoy, she gave me great service and great value in a time that we often do not get what we expect. With Cathleen, I got more than I ever expected!”

“Mr. Manley provided initial sketches, more detailed builders' drawings, and then plenty of advice and direct work with contractors about diverse elements of the project, through the selection of contractors, the design and building process, and afterward as we added a few optional features post hoc. In all respects, Mr. Manley has been personable, warm, enthusiastic, professional, knowledgeable, and provided work that has been tasteful and beautiful, usable to builders, in accordance with county codes, and in every way reliable. We are very pleased with the residence, four years after moving in, and recommend Mr. Manley's services as designer/architect highly.”

“This company is building our custom home. It is now in the process of being built. So far they are doing a great job.”

“We highly recommend working with Melissa at Ink Works whenever an architect is needed for a project. She works closely with the client to really understand their dreams and visions, and has the ability to translate those ideas into their project. We have been the contractor for her and always appreciate how timely she is with communication and how thorough she is in her work-she makes our job easy! We look forward to future projects with Ink Works Studio.”

“As a high-end general contractor who focuses on architect-driven projects, I truly appreciate an architect whose plans are comprehensive, clear and precise. Additionally, I also appreciate an architect who has a hands-on approach, who communicates well and who is takes a tremendous amount of pride in what they do. All of these characteristics are evident at Randall Mars Architects. Randall's reputation and body of work has cemented him as being one of the best architects the Washington, D.C. area has to offer.”

“Thom Lewis helped us put our basic ideas for a house plan onto paper. He quickly understood our likes and dislikes and really brought our dream house to life. He was easy to work with and very receptive to our endless thoughts. The final plans presented to us by Thom were exactly what we were hoping for. We couldn't be more pleased with his design services. We highly recommend Thom Lewis.”

“James was the third architect we interviewed when we made a decision to build our dream home. After meeting him we cancelled all the rest. I am a real estate professional and I have come across some great works of art in the form of houses and have met their creators. What impressed me about James McDonald was his ability to listen carefully and understand our needs, It's like we told him our dream and he put it on paper even better than we had dreamt it. Throughout the building process he was available and willing to make any changes big or small, if practically possible. We trusted him completely and he never let us down. He has the highest work ethics and a stellar team to help him through extremely busy periods too. We would highly recommend him to anyone thinking of building a custom home or even remodeling an existing one.”

“Claudia has designed our house 20 years ago with great professionalism and knowing how to best manage our needs, Aldo respecting the budget we had given”

“Carnemark designed and implemented two major renovations for our home. We had used other contractors in the past, but they are the first ones we ever hired back for a second project. We are already thinking about our third with Carnemark! The first project was primarily outdoor work which was a combination of modernizing our look and fixing some water problems -- stuccoed the exterior, installed a metal roof, installed a glass and metal front door entrance and garage door, buried electric and cable wires, replaced cement driveway, installed slate and stainless steel rails at front entrance, installed new outdoor house and yard lighting and fixed a leaky basement wall. We were so pleased with this work, that we rehired them 2 years later for an interior overhaul -- new modern kitchen, reconfigured floor plan, updated bathroom, installed stainless steel railings and steps, new lighting, new air-conditioning duct work and radiators, and new large format tile flooring throughout.”

“Dan, owner of Dream Home Designs, is an exceptional asset to any designer or architect looking for drafting, modeling and construction document services. I have worked with Dan on multiple projects. He provides professional, efficient and cost effective services. I will be using him company for many years.”