David Whitney Architect

I have worked as a contractor on a number of projects with David. His designs are always well thought out and the plans are incredibly thorough with an impressive attention to detail. Having a solid, detailed set of plans that don’t require a lot of mid project changes or alterations helps to keep our projects on time and on budget for our clients. I also appreciate Davids process when it comes to his involvement in the project during construction. His participation in weekly onsite meetings with the client and contractor helps to address any questions or issues we might run into. Additionally he is easy to reach and available if there are any questions or concerns about the implementation of the design as we move through the building process. He is a very strong advocate for his clients throughout the construction phase of the project. He is good at sorting out issues on the fly and understands the construction process. Most importantly though, on the projects David has designed, they have always turned out beautiful and the clients have been very happy with the end results. Clint Keeney Northwoods Builders

David was truly dedicated to our project from start to finish. He started by listening to us - what we were hoping to gain from adding on to our house. He came up with a really creative solution that involved adding space and converting some existing space to create a sunroom and master suite. As the project progressed, David gave us advice, but also left it to us to design things how we wanted. He helped us choose high quality materials and suggested timeless design elements. He recommended reliable builders and worked with us every step of the way, ensuring the project was executed to expectations. We had weekly meetings with David and our builder, which ensured strong communication and kept us informed of progress. David had incredible attention to detail - he cared if a faceplate wasn't fully screwed into the wall! The end result is a beautiful addition that we love spending time in. It doesn't feel like an addition at all since it matches the style of the existing house so well. We highly recommend David for any project, big or small!

We worked with David on planning a renovation that could be executed in stages. We made the plan for everything, but have only executed the first part (ground floor). David is great at taking our description of what we want and making a design that reflects all of it - and more we didn't even know we wanted. However, what I appreciated most about working with him is how smoothly he guided us through the whole process. Many friends told stories of being told all of a sudden that they have to choose an appliance or a color in the next day - David laid out all of the decisions we would need to make in a stepwise manner, and helped us with everything. Nothing felt hectic or rushed, and we are thrilled with how everything turned out. Additionally, David met with us and the contractor weekly during the renovation, which was super helpful in understanding timelines and in figuring out the quirky things that come up in any renovation.

We worked with David on a home renovation and addition in Arlington in 2022. David was an absolute pleasure to partner with on this project and we’re extremely happy with the results of the project. Among many other strengths, we truly appreciated his meticulous organization, attention to detail, and excellent communication skills. David made a very complicated project (older home with many previous renovations) a painless experience for our family. David is an excellent architect and partner who I would strongly recommend to anyone looking to renovate or expand their home.

David was fantastic. From drawing up the plans for our house to managing the project to shopping with us for cabinets and counters, he provided his expertise without pushing us in any one direction. He worked to make our renovation fit seamlessly into our old house, while vastly improving the functionality of our space.

I was introduced to David by a friend with impeccable taste who had worked with him before; and I am so glad we made the connection. This project had two principal components: (a) converting an unused bedroom into an en-suite guest bathroom plus a proper laundry room, and (b) renovating a family room and adjacent bathroom. Our house is over 100 years old, and David came up with a design that achieved our objectives and modernized it beautifully, without sacrificing any of its original charm. David is a craftsman who takes great pride in his work. He is skillful in generating design possibilities, communicating with the client, and keeping the project on track. His design ideas were terrific. The changes we made greatly improved the aesthetics and useability of the space while at the same time looking as if they were part of the original house. David has a well-developed system for keeping the project on track. He was always very accessible, pro-actively checked in on outstanding issues, and set up weekly walk-through visits with the contractor (a strong choice, who David identified). Finally, David is very pleasant and easy to work with. He suggests, and sometimes lobbies for, certain design elements or changes. But he does so in a very positive and collaborative way that shows he is tuned in to, and respectful of, the homeowner’s goals and preferences. Needless to say, I recommend him very highly.

Complete renovation of 2nd and 3rd floor of 2-family home. Absolutely fantastic work by David, from design to working with contractors throughout. He has given us a space that is an absolute to joy to live in!

David was amazing to work with from start to finish! We began with an idea that we would add a bathroom and renovate a kitchen in place and ended up creating a home that we’re going to enjoy living in for decades. It was an interesting project for him because this is the home I grew up in but David showed us some ideas and ways we can use the space that really opened up the potential of this house. His design paid respect to the age and history of the home while giving it a contemporary feel. He guided us through the bidding process with several contractors with who he had good working relationships and then was our advocate with the contractor we chose until the very end of the project. We could not be happier with the way it turned out or the process of working with David. He comes very highly recommended!

David is fantastic. Our project was a teardown of an old ranch from the 1950s, and building 2 floors on top of the existing foundation. From the onset, David listened to our goals and vision for our new build and integrated our suggestions into the design. He pushed our thinking on multiple occasions to design the house differently than we had imagined and improved our design immensely. He was very flexible in humoring different suggestions and drawing alternate floor plans and designs for us to consider. David also knows structural engineering well and designed a really solid structure for our house, which was comforting to us as we built on top of an old foundation. David also helped us find reputable builders, helped us put our project to bid and select a builder. David also helped us manage the house build through its completion and he has a very smooth process for selecting all the different components step-by-step, from paint colors to backsplash with grout colors and light fixtures and a million other things in between. One of the greatest thing about David (and there are a lot) is that he helped manage the builder throughout the project to ensure the house was built correctly and to spec. This was a huge comfort for us as first-time homeowners as he spotted many inconsistencies from the builder and worked with the builder to redo certain aspects of the house without us having to bicker with the builder and subcontractors. Highly recommended!

We can’t recommend David Whitney highly enough. We hired him in 2018 to do a major renovation of our two-family Victorian house in Cambridge, located on a back lot with no street frontage. The house had been previously renovated in the 1970s, and we had lived here for decades before undertaking the renovation. We had many things we liked about the feel of the house and wanted to preserve. So the job was a tall order! David did a wonderful job of listening to our ideas, creating spaces that worked with our style, and mixing the old and new. We moved the kitchen, created a new bedroom with a dormer out of an old loft space, added a bathroom, moved the laundry, and took over a room from the downstairs apartment. He creatively solved some very tricky space problems, such as reorienting a staircase to make a beautiful entry to the loft bedroom while adding space to the dining room. One of the reasons we hired David was that he stays with the project throughout construction, meeting weekly with the contractor and us on site. He had worked with our excellent contractor, ACH Construction, many times before, and this proved to be invaluable. They knew each other well and worked together really well to build perfect beautiful custom cabinets and bookshelves, and in solving issues that arose during construction. David told us what we needed to think about and when, at different points in the process, and had great recommendations for tile, stone and kitchen and bath fixtures. He went along with us to the stores to help us pick out appropriate materials. He was cheerful throughout, even as we changed our minds several times. Finally, David charges a flat fee, so you don’t have to worry about a large new bill for architectural services during all this consultation.

David was very professional. His designs were thoughtful and thorough. His hands on approach to project management and regular availability made him easy to work with.

We had a very complex renovation and David was instrumental in designing us a beautiful new home and walking us through every step of the process. Our home is a two unit split-family and both families wanted to expand and renovate their space. It’s impossible to imagine how we would ever have accomplished this without David’s guidance, not only through the nuts and bolts of what a typical renovation requires, but also in harmony with our neighbors and friends downstairs. David was involved at every step, from the initial working out of the design of our new space, to helping us find a contractor ( Nick Aloise, of whom we also can’t say enough good things) to tile shopping and small details like kitchen hardware. His suggestions were always good, and when required he wasn’t afraid to temper our crazier impulses with sober advice. We’ve been living in our new space for a few months now and still marvel at how beautifully it turned out. The final result greatly exceeded our initial expectations, in large part because of what David brought to the project. Whether it’s the crown molding around the ceiling (perfectly matched to the original molding), or the kitchen island being just the right size and distance from the countertops, or the impromptu bookcase added as a last minute workaround to hide a staircase bulkhead, everything feels exactly right and seamlessly integrated. We would absolutely recommend him without reservation.