--- title: "Cultivation Design — Architects & Building Designers | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/cultivation-design-pfvwus-pf~1325472132 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~1325472132.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Cultivation Design" category: ["Architects"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/79e368680e6a35ed_5101-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "41 IDX Drive, Suite 255, South Burlington, Vermont 05403, United States" latitude: 44.4513 longitude: -73.1796 phone: "(802) 489-6780" website: http://www.cultivationdesign.com rating: 5 review_count: 12 best_of_houzz_awards: 14 followers: 179 last_updated: 2026-09-23 --- # Cultivation Design Original Houzz profile: [Cultivation Design](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/cultivation-design-pfvwus-pf~1325472132) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Architects - **Location:** South Burlington, VT - **Serves:** Burlington, Essex, South Burlington, Colchester, Milton, Essex Junction, Williston, Winooski, Shelburne, Jericho, Hinesburg, Richmond, Charlotte, Underhill, Ferrisburgh, Vergennes, Monkton, North Ferrisburgh, West Milton, Westford, Ferrisburg, Jonesville, North Ferrisburg, Willsboro - **Houzz rating:** 5.0 out of 5 (12 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 14 awards (2014–2026), for Design, Service. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Star Houzzer - Houzz Influencer - Recommended on Houzz - 25,000 Ideabook Saves - Best of Houzz winner - Award winning - High-end Cultivation Design is an interdisciplinary design studio where art, architecture, and construction are integrated in the pursuit of innovative design solutions. Our goal is to create enduring design; encouraging environmentally and socially responsible development while simultaneously encouraging a market for products and/or services that benefit humans and our environments. ### Services Provided - Architectural Design - Building Design - Architectural Drawings - Custom Homes - House Plans - Home Additions - Floor Plans - 3D Rendering - Space Planning - Multigenerational Homes - Project Management - Barn Design & Construction - Staircase Design - Landscape Plans - Art Selection - Construction Drawings - Custom Home - Furniture Selection - Interior Design ### Areas Served - Burlington - Essex - South Burlington - Colchester - Milton - Essex Junction - Williston - Winooski - Shelburne - Jericho - Hinesburg - Richmond - Charlotte - Underhill - Ferrisburgh - Vergennes - Monkton - North Ferrisburgh - West Milton - Westford - Ferrisburg - Jonesville - North Ferrisburg - Willsboro ### Typical Job Cost $1 million - 5 million ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Cultivation Design | | Address | 41 IDX Drive, Suite 255, South Burlington, Vermont 05403, United States | | Phone | (802) 489-6780 | | Website | http://www.cultivationdesign.com | | Followers on Houzz | 179 | **Social profiles:** - Blog — https://www.instagram.com/cultivationdesign/ ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Cultivation Design](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/cultivation-design-pfvwus-pf~1325472132) - **Website:** http://www.cultivationdesign.com - **Phone:** (802) 489-6780 ## Credentials **Certifications & Awards** - Best of Houzz 2014-23, AIA Assoc., M.S Pratt Institute - **Best of Houzz:** 14 awards (2014–2026), for Design, Service. **Affiliations** - [AIA Vermont](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/professionals/schools-and-organizations/aia-vermont-pfvwus-pf~1511418982) ## Reviews **Overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 — 12 reviews** *Aspect averages:* - Work Quality: 5.0 - Communication: 5.0 - Value: 4.6 ### All 12 reviews **★★★★★ — mrlandry6, Dec. 2023** > Kristen L'Esperance from Cultivation Design Studio designed and managed the construction of the remodel to my family summer home. It was a long process to be comfortable redesigning my family home since there was so much history and emotion tied to the house. Working with Kristen made the journey easier. She spent a time getting to know me and the property. She spent time on site and to learn about how it was used. She understood the long history and the strong ties a big family has to a family home. She worked to keep the same spirit of the house but built on the concept to create an improved, beautiful, comfortable modern family home. Kristen was easy to work with, made wonderful suggestions and listened to my needs and concerns. The end result was a fantastic. I could not be happier. I would and will use Kristen again. Kristen went above and beyond. I could not recommend her more highly. Kristen is profession, dedicated and talented. It has been a pleasure to work with her. **★★★★★ — HU-763136347, Nov. 2021** > While traveling in Vermont, we rented a magnificent vacation home that was designed by Kristen. This is not your typical vacation property. It was clear that every feature and design decision for this property was purposeful and well thought out. The home had a combination of simplicity and elegance that we didn’t know was possible. The two weeks we spent there inspired us to have Kristen design a home for us! Kristen’s approach during our design project was both collaborative and educational. She took the time to learn about us, our lifestyle, and how we will interact with our home and then created a design that suited us both aesthetically and functionally. Kristen has an amazing ability to visualize possibilities and then translate and explain those possibilities in a way that we easily understood. She is thorough, laser-focused on details, and is truly passionate about designs that maximize the functionality and beauty of the space and its natural surroundings. **★★★★★ — Elizabeth Hunt, Oct. 2021** > We recently re-hired Cultivation Design for phase 2 of our modern design building project. They had to manage pandemic era obstacles but delivered a great result! We have always enjoyed a positive working relationship with Adam and Kristen. And the carpentry looks great! **★★★★★ — Cheryl Frank, March 2021** > Our family worked with the Cultivation Design Build team on a full rebuild of a family property. Kristen is a great listener and was attentive to our design needs as we started from scratch. She was able to envision a architecturally gorgeous creation that served many different needs. This involved understanding and navigating differing viewpoints. Kristen did this with grace and creativity. Kristen is a true design thinker, who can see a three-dimensional idea in her head and has a natural sense of how a structure will fit on a site, how people will move within a structure, and how to furnish it. Kristen and Adam worked well together to give us clear estimates on costs. They also interacted well to address the issues that arise during construction. The timing of each stage was phased well. I am so pleased with the finished product and grateful for their knowledge, patience, creativity and attention to detail. **★★★★★ — Jesse Moore, Nov. 2019** > They are a great team to work with. Kristen has a terrific sense of modern design. Our goals were for a larger, brighter kitchen, and new bathrooms. She came up with an awesome plan that really re-imagined how we would live in our new space as well as addressing some needed structural issues. It's a bigger plan than we were expecting but she and Adam have been great about helping us figure out how to do it in stages over the next few years. Kristen and Adam work exceptionally well together and were great at listening to our input, being flexible, and problem solving. We lived in our home during the 5 month renovation and Adam, Caleb, and Reed were incredible. They are great guys who do top notch work. Our 3 young boys really miss seeing them at the end of the day! **★★★★★ — Annette Lewis at Neil Kelly Company, Sept. 2019** > As a kitchen and bath designer I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with Cultivation Design Build. Their vision is cutting edge, integrating modern design while maintaining a timeless appeal. Further, they have an incredibly talented group of craftsman that executed our design precisely. I highly recommend Cultivation Design Build. **★★★★★ — Bridget Shea, Dec. 2018** > Kristen and Adam are a great team - working together on the project from the earliest stages. Kristen took a lot of time to get to know and understand the vision we had for our home, our personal style and our lifestyle. She thinks about things that go into the design that we might not notice or even know to think about, but appreciate - like where the fridge should go so that it's accessible when bringing in groceries. In doing this she designed a house that is not only beautiful and visually pleasing, but functional and fit the needs of the entire family. Throughout the experience from design to build, I always felt that our project was important and unique. I felt that both Kristen and Adam listened to any concerns that came up and responded promptly and with attention to detail. I couldn't have asked for a better team! **★★★★★ — webbfrobert, Nov. 2017** > We hired Kristen to design / remodel a portion of our home. We couldn't be more pleased with her vision and creativity. Her communication skills and professionalism is something every business owner should strive for. **Comment from Cultivation Design:** > Great clients make great projects! Such a pleasure. Hearth and Home” is wonderful example of what’s possible when the owner, the designer, and the builder are all on the same team. **★★★★★ — 14billings, Dec. 2013** > CULTivation developed an interior layour to corrupt a faulty master bath conversation that had caused the kitchen ceiling below to collapse. The damage and repairs were extensive enough that it seemed more realistic to start from scratch. Kristen worked with the existing footprint on the master suite and provided a clean, modern design that checked every box. Kristen seems to really enjoy working with existing structures and the unique challenges that they present. In my case, it was a total remodel of the master bath, closet, and even gave me the ability to reposition my washer and dryer on the second floor. **★★★★★ — kimilliken, April 2013** > Having known and worked with Kristen for over 5 years, I feel comfortable recommending her as a designer/architect for any project, large or small, especially if they have particularly demanding and difficult parameters. Kristen has a keen eye for detail, exceptional problem solving skills, and is a joy to work with. You could literally see the gears turning in her head from the very beginning of the project right through to the bitter end. She embodies creativity. I thoroughly enjoy working with her and look forward to future projects together. **★★★★★ — sjlehto, March 2013** > Kristen L'Esperance has done an amazing job helping us transform our biathlon facility from a drab cinderblock building into an atmosphere that is state of the art, modern, beautiful and functional. Her ability to envision the potential for our space is remarkable. Kristen has spent countless hours with me, sharing her ideas and, just as importantly, listening to my thoughts and wishes and incorporating these into her plans. Before this project started, the thought of so many changes was quite overwhelming for me but Kristen's talent and patience has completely removed any intimidation factor and turned this into an enjoyable experience. > > Sarah Lehto, National Guard Biathlon Head Coach - Jericho, VT **★★★★★ — vermont\_gal, Feb. 2013** > Working with Kristen L'Esperance was a great pleasure. She helped me hone in on new ideas and concepts for our addition that I had never even considered. > > She's extremely professional, creative, and a real outside-the-box kind of thinker - just what I was looking for. I would recommend her to anyone who is looking for a great designer with a real eye and practical, simple solutions that fit your everyday life. Couldn't recommend her more! ## Selected projects - [The Neighbor's House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/the-neighbor-s-house-pj-vj~7288739) - Location: Charlotte, VT - Photos: 24 - [Islands Lake House, Vermont](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/islands-lake-house-vermont-pj-vj~6507551) - Location: Burlington, VT - Photos: 29 - Description: Multigenerational summer home in The Islands of Lake Champlain, Vermont - [The Projector House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/the-projector-house-pj-vj~149662) - Location: Thompson's Point, Charlotte, VT - Photos: 20 - Description: Modern lake house, lakeside elevation. - [Modern Farmhouse](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/modern-farmhouse-pj-vj~6707374) - Location: Essex Junction, VT - Photos: 16 - [Light and Shadow: Kitchen, Livingroom and Loft Renovation](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/light-and-shadow-kitchen-livingroom-and-loft-renovation-pj-vj~6266441) - Location: Charlotte, Vermont - Photos: 7 - [Home & Hearth](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/home-and-hearth-pj-vj~2452337) - Location: Essex, VT - Photos: 7 - Description: Our clients approached us with an unusable living space at the center of their home. The sunken living room sits two steps below the first floor level and at the center of the home’s main artery. It is adjacent to the dining area, the landing for the home’s main stairway, and is in front of the home's mudroom and primary entry. This living room’s challenging linear proportions and existing offset masonry fireplace made it impossible to organize an functional seating arrangement that would facili… [See all 6 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/cultivation-design-pfvwus-pf~1325472132) ## Community Q&A **Q: Beautiful! How is the roof insulated between the metal and wood?** *(in Photo Questions)* I am considering this roof style on a home expansion project and curious on how to insulate. A: Hi Tim, the insulation is rigid above the t&g ceiling. You should hire a designer who can access your building envelope requirements and advise you. **Q: Nice Bedframe! Where is it from?** *(in Photo Questions)* Maple frame? A: It’s upholstered in a thick mustard yellow tweed. **Q: Love the warm wood walls and desk** *(in Photo Questions)* Can you provide details for the wood on the walls and desk? A: The wood wall and ceiling is select pine custom milled shiplap. The desk is birch. **Q: Ceiling wood and sealant?** *(in Photo Questions)* What type of wood and sealant was used on the ceiling? Thank you A: Douglas fir ceiling, sealed with penofin **Q: what kind of windows are these?** *(in Photo Questions)* Do they open up? A: marvin integrity all-ultrex. horizontal windows at top of wall are operable awning windows **Q: what type of connectors are these? Who makes them?** *(in Photo Questions)* A: They are stainless steel, custom fabricated for project. --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-09-23.*