--- title: "Hamilton Snowber Architects — Architects & Building Designers | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/hamilton-snowber-architects-pfvwus-pf~276826555 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~276826555.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Hamilton Snowber Architects" category: ["Architects"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/ec6353e80f88b225_6471-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "1711 Connecticut Ave. NW Suite 203, Washington, D.C. 20009, United States" latitude: 38.9202 longitude: -77.0375 phone: "(202) 285-4984" website: http://www.hamiltonsnowber.com rating: 5 review_count: 9 best_of_houzz_awards: 12 followers: 289 last_updated: 2026-09-04 --- # Hamilton Snowber Architects Original Houzz profile: [Hamilton Snowber Architects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/hamilton-snowber-architects-pfvwus-pf~276826555) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Architects - **Location:** Washington, DC - **Serves:** Alexandria, Arlington, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, DC (Washington), North Bethesda, North Kensington, Potomac, Rockville, Silver Spring, Takoma Park - **Houzz rating:** 5.0 out of 5 (9 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 12 awards (2014–2025), for Design, Service. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Houzz Influencer - Recommended on Houzz - 50,000 Ideabook Saves At Hamilton Snowber Architects, we view the design and construction process as a creative collaboration between client, architect and builder to create homes to meet your physical, aesthetic and financial needs. From establishing your design program all the way to moving into your finished home, we provide personal and professional services that make the experience efficient and enjoyable. Cynthia Hamilton and Chris Snowber have worked with clients in the Washington metropolitan area, as well as other parts of the country (New England, Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Virginia, Midwest), to develop residential projects at a variety of scales and settings. With each project, we seek to develop solutions that respond to the specific needs of the client, site and surrounding context. To meet those needs, we employ the architectural language that is most appropriate, whether traditional, transitional, or more contemporary. We consider understanding the landscape - the yard, the street, the community, the region - an integral part of any design solution. Throughout the day, through the seasons, a house should interact with its setting in ways that inspire and delight. Environmentally responsible design leads us to seek solutions which limit a project’s impact through the use of green products and practices. In applying these principles, this means maximizing insulation and use of green materials, as well as seeking ways to employ alternative sources of energy, including geothermal, photovoltaic production of electricity and solar collectors for hot water. Potential Clients: To discuss your project and how we might help, please call Chris Snowber or Cynthia Hamilton. ### Services Provided - Architectural Design - Building Design - Architectural Drawings - House Plans - Kitchen Design - Energy-Efficient Homes - Floor Plans - 3D Rendering - Bathroom Design - Green Building ### Areas Served - Alexandria - Arlington - Bethesda - Chevy Chase - DC (Washington) - North Bethesda - North Kensington - Potomac - Rockville - Silver Spring - Takoma Park ### Typical Job Cost $200,000 - 3 million ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Hamilton Snowber Architects | | Address | 1711 Connecticut Ave. NW Suite 203, Washington, D.C. 20009, United States | | Phone | (202) 285-4984 | | Website | http://www.hamiltonsnowber.com | | Followers on Houzz | 289 | ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Hamilton Snowber Architects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/hamilton-snowber-architects-pfvwus-pf~276826555) - **Website:** http://www.hamiltonsnowber.com - **Phone:** (202) 285-4984 ## Credentials - **Best of Houzz:** 12 awards (2014–2025), for Design, Service. ## Reviews **Overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 — 9 reviews** ### All 9 reviews **★★★★★ — meena ahamed, April 2017** > I hired Hamilton Snowber on the recommendation of my builder. It was a leap in the dark as my long time architect was unavailable. I was very happy with their attention to detail, excellent quality and prices. They were upfront about cost, delivered on time, and supervised the job with great attentiveness and made the project stress free. > I highly recommended them. They are a totally professional team and displayed great integrity. **★★★★★ — Nancy Rubenstein, July 2016** > Chris and his associate designed and oversaw construction of a kitchen, mud room, and family room addition to our home. They understood our family's needs and style preferences, and they translated them into a beautiful, highly functional space that has profoundly improved our daily lives. They also designed modifications to the existing spaces that integrated and balanced the new construction with the existing house. Chris is thoughtful, responsive, and easy to work with. **★★★★★ — pmdilorenz, May 2016** > We just finished a home addition and renovation with Chris and Alex. They were a pleasure to work with from beginning to end - patient, professional, flexible, and supportive. We could not be happier with the end product. I recommend them without hesitation. **★★★★★ — hohar, Dec. 2015** > Chris Snowber, Alex Smith and team are professional, experienced, innovative, excellent listeners, fair, honest and fun to work with. We could not have chosen anyone better for the total renovation of the 1924 house we bought. **★★★★★ — Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath, Ltd., Aug. 2013** > I am a kitchen designer in the Washington D.C. area (www.gilmerkitchens.com) and am very honored to have worked with Hamilton Snowber Architects on many projects throughout the years. Their ability to create beautiful projects along with their attention to detail is absolutely amazing. I have to say that they are one of the best of all of the architecture firms that I've worked with over the last 30 years. I always look forward to working on projects with them because the results are inevitably something that we all (client included of course) are very proud of! **★★★★★ — macombers, Aug. 2013** > We are a busy family with three kids and the thought of undertaking a large scale renovation was daunting. Enter Hamilton Snowber. This firm was incredibly competent, creative, and skilled in listening to and understanding the needs of our family. We wanted to restore our old house so that its 1920s character was maintained yet update it enough to make it work for our current, every day needs. Hamilton Snowber had great ideas and was flexible when it came to scaling up or back certain aspects of the project. Additionally, we are in a neighborhood strictly guarded by historic preservation guidelines and this firm was able to negotiate the requirements without delay in our project. I would highly recommend this firm for big or small projects. We actually enjoyed the renovation process--thanks to the Hamilton Snowber's skill, ability to work within our budget and time frame, and sense of humor. These architects have great people skills. **★★★★★ — jenniferbertsch, Aug. 2013** > We hired Hamilton Snowber Architects to design a two-story addition for us. We loved the photos of other houses they had done, both in our city and in other parts of the country, and we felt their work was sophisticated and fresh, very attentive to detail, and also able to fit with a variety of decorating styles. The layout of our home is unusual--actually extremely difficult to work with in many ways--but Chris and Cynthia (and the team members we worked with) were creative and practical in their designs. They worked hand-in-hand with us and always applied exactly the right combination of "listening skills" with vision and leadership. They ultimately created new beautiful, livable spaces that merged seamlessly with our existing structure. We loved working with every single person we met at Hamilton Snowber and are so thankful we met and decided upon them We actually met the firm through a good friend who knows many great architects in the DC area and who said, without hesitation, he considers them the cream-of-the-crop--not only in terms of skill and experience but also in terms of character and personality. **★★★★★ — farfromthesun, July 2013** > Chris Snowber and his team did an outstanding job restoring our 1931 georgian colonial revival. They managed our renovation for three years. They did it beautifully and we are thrilled the results. They rebuilt and updated our home with a sense of style and modern features that fit seamlessly into the character of the house. We would highly recommend them to anyone. **★★★★★ — dhartleydc, July 2013** > Our 1920's Cleveland park home was substantially damaged in a fire, and we suddenly needed to rethink how to rebuild. Hamilton Snowber did a fabulous job (1) quickly helping us re-think the floor plan, (2) right-sizing an addition, and (3) detailing the whole-house renovation. The results are spectacular: a modern interior 'flow' with traditional detailing, lots of light and great views to the yard, all within the existing historic shell. I can point to many areas where, without their thoughtful guidance, we might have made poor decisions, had we been just working with a contractor. My husband and I couldn't be more pleased with the results. ## Selected projects - [Capitol Hill](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/capitol-hill-pj-vj~6308700) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 9 - [Music Room](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/music-room-pj-vj~6074369) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 13 - Description: Atop an old garage, a modern, sun-filled space for music creation and listening was developed for this Cleveland Park home. To the west, a mosaic window provides light and movement, overlooking the yard below. On the exterior, the stucco-clad addition complements the Southwest style of the 1930’s era cottage. A spiral stair links the ground level to the studio and a roof deck, providing space for entertaining with a view set in the treetops. - [Carriage House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/carriage-house-pj-vj~6084929) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 10 - [Arlington Heights](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/arlington-heights-pj-vj~6084933) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 10 - [Maine Coast](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/maine-coast-pj-vj~2006185) - Location: Rockport, ME - Photos: 46 - Description: On a site that slopes gently down to Penobscot Bay, a Washington couple with four grown children sought to develop a house that would serve as a summer home and vacation destination for the family. Drawing from the New England vernacular of simple forms and traditional materials, the house provides modern spaces for living with two parallel but offset two-story gabled wings linked by a bridge spanning an open Great Room. This soaring space, anchored at one end by a large granite-clad fireplace,… - [Bright House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/bright-house-pj-vj~2602308) - Location: Washington, DC - Photos: 23 - [Window Wall](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/window-wall-pj-vj~1755322) - Location: Washington D.C., DC - Photos: 14 - Description: In the Cleveland Park neighborhood of DC, there are many large foursquare homes from the early 1900’s, but several have not survived the years in very good shape. With this project, we brought back a badly renovated home (demolished front porch, aluminum siding) to new life, restoring a covered front porch and adding a significant and modern addition to the rear. A three-story glass wall, affording a spectacular view of the National Cathedral, gives the rooms at each level a strong connection to… - [Modern Mix](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/modern-mix-pj-vj~131440) - Location: Washington, DC - Photos: 13 - Description: This early 1910's stucco Cleveland Park house, located in the shadow of National Cathedral, has been transformed though a three-story addition and interior renovation with a modern touch. A sleek kitchen by Bulthaup, sheathed in oak, stainless steel, granite and glass sets the tone for the re-shaped Dining Room and new Family Room. This space spills out onto a screened porch and open deck. Upstairs, new and old come together in the Master Bedroom suite, which incorporates a wood, glass and stone… - [Climbing Wall](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/climbing-wall-pj-vj~1755400) - Location: Washington D.C., DC - Photos: 5 - Description: Motivated by the growing interest of their daughters in rock climbing, a family in Massachusetts Avenue Heights sought to develop an interior climbing wall somewhere in their house. The spot we settled on? The garage of a small Guest House in their back yard. Though not very tall, the sloping plywood walls and a grid of pre-drilled bolt holes offer a variety of ever-changing climbing routes of different levels of challenge, using colorful hand holds. - [Chevy Chase Village](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/chevy-chase-village-pj-vj~131279) - Location: Chevy Chase, MD - Photos: 12 - Description: The Village of Chevy Chase is an eclectic mix of early-20th century homes, set within a heavily-treed romantic landscape. The Zantzinger Residence reflects the spirit of the period: it is a center-hall dwelling, but not quite symmetrical, and is covered with large-scale siding and heavy roof overhangs. The delicately-columned front porch sports a Chippendale railing. The family needed to update the home to meet its needs: new gathering spaces, an enlarged kitchen, and a Master Bedroom suite. The… - [Lake House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/lake-house-pj-vj~131454) - Location: Vicksburg, MI - Photos: 6 - Description: This vacation home is located within a narrow lot which extends from the street to the lake shore. Taking advantage of the lot's depth, the design consists of a main house and an accesory building to answer the programmatic needs of a family of four. The modest, yet open and connected living spaces are oriented towards the water. Since the main house sits towards the water, a street entry sequence is created via a covered porch and pergola. A private yard is created between the buildings, shelte… - [Backyard Studio](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/backyard-studio-pj-vj~1023364) - Location: Washington, DC - Photos: 6 - Description: With a growing family of three young boys, this Cleveland Park family needed space to expand... and a getaway spot. A new Studio/Shed in at the rear of the yard provides a home office and private guitar practice space for the parents, with a play loft for the kids. With the addition of a new rear porch (see existing photos), the house and Studio have a conversation with each other across the yard. Inside the house, a new Kitchen, along with some new space for a Breakfast Room and small Family Ro… - [Victorian Updated](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/victorian-updated-pj-vj~131271) - Location: Washington, DC - Photos: 9 - Description: This 1894 house is the second-oldest in Cleveland Park, built at the same time as streetcars began running up Connecticut Avenue. As a significant home in the Cleveland Park Historic District, the project required approvals by the local ANC and DC Historic Preservation Review Board. The program called for a large but compatible extension to the home to accommodate a growing family of five, including a complete gutting of the interior, down to bare studs and joists. The new work extended and upda… - [Open Living](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/open-living-pj-vj~260871) - Location: Washington, DC - Photos: 12 - Description: Woodley Park is defined by a variety of housing types, from apartment buildings along Connecticut Avenue, to row houses on nearby streets, to detached, closely-spaced single family homes towards the National Cathedral. This home required the sensitive placement of a two-level addition on a very tight lot, creating an open multi-use space that easily connects with the rear yard. Extensive interior cabinetry and trim knit the spaces together on both walls and ceilings. Large areas of glass and a w… - [Rehoboth Beach](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/rehoboth-beach-pj-vj~260232) - Location: Rehoboth Beach, DE - Photos: 14 - Description: In the quiet town of Rehoboth Beach, away from the water, this new home sits in a friendly neighborhood of bungalows. The tight site required a design that fully occupied the buildable area while still not overwhelming the surrounding homes. The L-shaped design wraps around a plunge pool while providing an open plan of living spaces and a bedroom at the First Floor, a Master Suite with two other bedrooms on the Second Floor, and a Lower Level with Playroom and Bunk Room. Throughout the home, cle… - [Foursquare Reborn](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/foursquare-reborn-pj-vj~260604) - Location: Washington, DC - Photos: 13 - Description: The "four-square" is a common house type found in the DC area, characterized by an efficient but generous floor plan and minimal circulation. This home had already been renovated, but a new family with three children needed more space. By surrounding the existing rooms with a family room (to the side) and kitchen/breakfast room (to the rear), the space needs were met, while still maintaining logical movement through the house. A critical element of the work was the creation of a large Mudroom/Pa… - [Master Suite](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/master-suite-pj-vj~260847) - Location: Washington, DC - Photos: 8 - Description: The Master Suite is a most private area, and offers opportunities to explore styles and materials other than those found in the rest of the house. This renovation project in a post-war Woodley Park home explores the use of wood, stone, tile, glass, chrome and light in a modern vein. Custom wood vanities and paneling surround the thinnest of countertop sinks, illuminated by wall-mounted sconces. At the shower, there are multiple shower heads and pair of cedar benches to allow use of the steam sys… - [Hilltop Home](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/hilltop-home-pj-vj~130727) - Location: Washington, DC - Photos: 10 - Description: This home for a family of five overlooks the Potomac River in the Palisades area of Washington. The design unifies a modest bungalow with two additions to the front (1993) and the side and rear (2004). The lack of rear yard required the earlier addition to go forward and up, creating a deep covered porch with views to the river. A glazed Sunroom adjacent to the porch acts as a small study. Above, a Master Bedroom suite takes advantage of the gable roof to create a raised ceiling, fronted by a ba… - [Tudor Revived](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/tudor-revived-pj-vj~260923) - Location: Washington, DC - Photos: 9 - Description: The question here was: what do you do with the kids? This Tudor revival home appears small from the front, but contains some dramatic interior spaces. A new Kitchen/Dining/Family Room addition created lively and functional spaces at the first floor, but with a steeply sloping rear yard, the economical choice for new bedrooms was below the addition, at the level of the rear yard. In the end, there is a renovated Master Suite at the First Floor, two bedrooms at the Second Floor and two bedrooms at… - [Center Hall Expansion](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/center-hall-expansion-pj-vj~260932) - Location: Washington, DC - Photos: 8 - Description: Designing an addition to a mid-century brick center hall Colonial is a common challenge we face in the DC area. The goal of this addition was to blend materials, massing, and circulation in such a way that the existing home is improved by the addition and together they harmonize naturally with the landscape. The design solution was to extend the materials from the house at the foundation, but reduce the use of brick at the first floor to just corner piers, into which large areas of glass and woo… [See all 29 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/hamilton-snowber-architects-pfvwus-pf~276826555) ## Community Q&A **Q: Chandelier** *(in Photo Questions)* Wow! Love this chandelier. Can you tell me who makes it? A: Sorry, I don't know the sourcing on that, the homeowner found it. **Q: Hi - I am keen to know the size of this room.** *(in Photo Questions)* I am looking at a space of 2.1 x2.1 meters that I'd like to put a bed and office in as in your photo so the sizing of your space would be good to know if it's possible A: Right. The width of the room was sized to work with a standard mattress. The other dimension of the room was about 12'. **Q: floor plans** *(in Photo Questions)* where can I get the floorplans for this house? A: Thanks for your note. I think that any potential project is worth a conversation. Please feel free to give me a call at 202-285-4984. **Q: what is the size of the tub itself and the overall tub surround?** *(in Photo Questions)* Lovely bath. Simple. Elegant. A: I believe it is a 3'x6' tub, and the surround is 6" more at each end, 3" on one side and 6" on the other. So total space is 3'-9" x 7'-0". **Q: Love the exterior paint and trim. Can you share the colors?** *(in Photo Questions)* A: Thanks for your interest in our project. You can see my answer about the shingle finish in an earlier question that I responded to. The windows are black. The window casing and other trim is a Benjamin Moore black-green from their Historic Colors Collection. **Q: what are the shingles made of love them! And the color....** *(in Photo Questions)* would love the color of shingles and siding and metal roof. A: The shingles are white cedar with a Malbec bleaching oil/weathering stain mixture. The roof is by Galvalume. --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-09-04.*