Christopher P. Williams Architects, PLLC

Chris Williams deserves the reputation he has as the preeminent architect for lake side properties in NH. He and his team transformed our 80 year family cottage/camp into a beautiful home 9-10 month home. While updating the house to modern standards he kept the look and feel of the original property. He is a bit expensive but well worth it.

In 2015 we purchased a lakefront property with 3 cabins, the oldest of which was built in 1938. Our goal was to create a year round home that honored the traditional New Hampshire camp style, took full advantage of the spectacular views from every room, celebrated the natural, untouched setting of the property, and could accommodate our large extended family. Chris Williams and Matt Daughdrill had a profound understanding of our goals from the beginning, and brought great creativity and enthusiasm to our project. We appreciated, above all, how Chris’s stewardship of this style of architecture showed in every design and detail he and Matt created. Chris’s extensive connections to seasoned professionals in the area— from legal and surveying teams to builders and landscape designers— smoothed the way for us at every turn. His guidance led us to Tim Long of Meridian Construction, whose own team brought to life in December 2017 the beautiful design we had had on paper. While the final price and timeframe of the project where greater than we expected, our new lakeside home surpasses our original goals in every way and has already become the go-to destination for our entire extended family. One final note that reflects the level of care CWA took to honor the past— when the original owner visited our new home, she was deeply moved by the many touches that reminded her of her family’s happy years at their camp. Her compliments meant a lot to us, as they would to all who cherish these old camps and their history.

We used Christopher Williams Architects to extensively remodel our rustic camp on Squam Lake in New Hampshire. It was located in a shared family community with strict rules on external changes. Working within the guidelines of the community and the town, Chris and Matt were able to design a camp that both honored tradition and created a comfortable, modern family space. They paid exquisite attention to detail and identified a contractor (David Frost) and craftspeople who were amazing. Chris brought his considerable expertise and experience in camp architecture and Matt was patient and creative throughout the process. The project took slightly longer and was slightly more expensive than we'd originally hoped, but it was worth it, as the quality and outcome were beyond our expectations. We couldn't be happier with what is now a home we will enjoy for generations.

We hired Norman Larson of Christopher P. Williams Architects to transform our modest small camp into the retirement home we dreamed of. Norman listened to what we wanted and had the vision to deliver a design we loved and could afford. Norman helped us decide between local contractors and gave us valuable advice throughout the project. We picked the Christopher Williams firm because of their reputation for delivering high quality designs.

We hired Chris Williams and one of his architects, Penny Marvel, to build our dream house in NH. On their recommendation, and after interviewing three contractors, we then hired David Frost of White House Construction to build the house. The final result turned out even better than we could have imagined. The design of the house was fantastic. Very traditional NH on the outside and very contemporary and open on the inside. Exactly what we wanted but better than we dreamed of. The attention to detail by the architects and the builder was incredible. And they were very easy to work with. I can't recommend a better team.

Chris Williams assigned architect Liz Venus to our project and we are extremely pleased with our 4 season porch turned out. Liz was full of ideas that improved the project and was available for advice during and after construction. She knows her industry, contractors and NH environmental conditions very well. Fees were fair. We would use them again and would recommend them to anyone.

We have been privileged to work on the renovations of our home with Chris Williams and project architect Norman Larson. Likewise, the general cotractor they recommended, David Frost of White House Construction, has been a wonderful collaborator. After decades of visiting and renting on our NH lake, we were forutnate to find just the right home for us - a 1920s lake house with a number of out buildings. Chris and Norman spent countless hours helping us make a plan for a full scale high quality renovation that would completely respect the history and character of our home. David participated all along the way, helping us indentify the most practical ways to execute each goal. The project was done in phases, with earlier ones finished and the balance now in process. We cannot say enough about how talented and conscientious this team is, and we are particular happy that they have become our friends.

I am very pleased to write a recommendation for Christopher Williams Architects By 2007, our beloved 100+ year old home on Lake Winnipesaukee had deteriorated beyond repair. With sadness and hope we embarked on a search for just the right architects to build a healthy new house that had the same feel, look, and spirit as the old one. Additionally, we were aiming for a LEED certification of the highest level possible (we achieved Platinum), and five family members were involved in most of the decisions throughout the whole project. To further complicate things, the house stood between the lake and the road, and Federal, state and local environmental regulations had changed dramatically since the original purchase 30 years earlier. We interviewed several architects before meeting with Chris Williams of Christopher Williams Architects. We knew immediately that CWA was the right fit for us. From the moment we met Chris and his staff of architects, it was clear that they understood the family’s deep emotional commitment to the spirit of the old house. For the 3 ½ years the project was in process, they listened intently, made notes, took pictures, and presented drawing after drawing that incorporated all our needs and dreams. They asked just the right questions, offered creative suggestions, directed us to the appropriate companies and sources that they knew had the kind of light fixtures, faucets, whatever it was we were looking for. Over those years there were hundreds of communications via e-mails, telephone calls, meetings and site visits. Throughout the entire process they were amazingly patient with our slow decision-making. It was an absolute joy working with all of them, especially marvelous Penny Marvel, and including Donna Ulbricht, Marketing Manager.

In early 2008, we commenced a very challenging project with CPWA. We had a lakeside camp built in the 1970's with an octagonal great room and two attached wings. We wanted parts of the structure preserved, parts destroyed and new parts added. The project was a resounding success structurally, architecturally and designwise. We were most fortunate to work with Liz Steel Venus of CPWA. Liz was extremely versital in her ability to handle all three of those components. We have built six other homes over the years and, overall, our best experience was with Liz and CPWA.