Douglas R. Schotland Architect

Working with Doug is a pleasure. He combines deep historical knowledge and training with fresh ideas and resources. He is both precise/detail oriented and creative/flexible - a perfect combination. From concept to final drawings the process was smooth and collaborative, and the resulting space is stunning. Doug is a superb architect and we recommend him highly.

Doug Schotland doesn't just make things. He makes them better. I had an idea for a small shed and Doug patiently and professionally created some awesome drawings. He's creative, collaborative and thoughtful. His keen eye suggested improvements to some of my ham-handed ideas on window size, skylight size, siding proportions and door styles. He even took the time to provide additional 3-D illustrations to explain items I didn't understand from the drawings with my untrained eye. I look forward to building what Doug created and would definitely work with him again.

Simply put, Doug is the best! He listens and then puts his creative thinking, architectural expertise, finely tuned aesthetic, and attention to detail to work on your project. Doug designed a major renovation and expansion of our 1,900 square foot, 1930's colonial. Doug was patient with us and offered valuable input as we took our time refining our ideas about what would best suit our family as we grow and age. Then he developed a thoughtful, functional, beautiful design that allowed us to retain the cozy feeling of our original home while incorporating a seamless flow to more open and spacious rooms. While we increased our square footage by 50%, it feels like we doubled the size of our home because now we're using all of our space optimally. Additionally, the exterior of our home, which was entirely bland, is now beautiful! Our seasoned contractor and many of his subs commented that Doug's plans were the most detailed they had ever worked with, which made their jobs easier. I cannot say enough good things about Doug's commitment, professionalism, expertise, and vision!

When we moved to our new home, we needed to build an ADA Compliant in-law suite and we wanted to add a porch. Doug was extremely professional, thorough, kind, creative and he obviously knew what he was doing. He completed the complex plans quickly and he communicated his ideas and asked for input as needed. When I shared the plans with our builders, they were so impressed with the level of detail that they told me that they intend to use him as one of their primary architects going forward. The project is now complete and thanks to Doug, we have a phenomenal addition to our home!

Our project entailed taking down a wall in the center of our house between our living and family rooms to create one large family room. Sounds simple, but that wall was structural and had HVAC throughout it, so it was not so simple. We consulted Doug with regard to the structural beam that would be required to support the second floor. Doug was very straight-forward and detail-oriented. He made sure to lay out all our options along with his recommendations and reasoning, which lent itself to building our confidence in the decisions we ultimately made. We would recommend Doug to anyone looking to do a project and we will certainly use him again.

We hired Doug to assist us with a kitchen and family room renovation/addition. His vision in interpreting our ideas into the final plan for the renovation/addition has been outstanding. Doug is detail-oriented and thorough in his approach. He provided us with different options to consider and gave us helpful and unbiased guidance. We recommend him highly to anyone considering a home renovation/addition.

We are two thirds of the way through a large renovation/addition to our almost 100 yr old house, and we are so happy that we chose Doug Schotland as our architect. He put great care and consideration into our job and he is very easy to work with. He also collaborates extremely well with our contractor and our interior designer - when those relationships don't work it makes a job twice as hard!! Even though we are through the planning and design phase, he still stops by our job frequently to check on things. He's also very knowledgeable regarding zoning and building codes. Whether your house is young or old, he's a great choice for an architect.

I am presently working on a project with Doug, I find his design and plans to be complete, his attention to detail and working through questions for my subs has been great. I look forward to working with Doug on future projects and also suggesting him to my future clients for their project

Doug Schotland is exactly who you want on your side! He's creative, detail-oriented, and truly cares enough to produce top quality work. He works very hard to ensure that his clients are satisfied, and that could not be more apparent. We are currently working with him on a major redesign/ renovation of our kitchen and dining room. We could not be more pleased with the results. He was able take a small kitchen and dining room and open them up to become a more useable space for our modern family, while maintaining the details, warmth and charm that we love so much about or 1930s home. We highly recommend Doug Schotland, and would definitely use him as both an architect and general contractor again for future projects.

I am very pleased to recommend Doug Schotland and his firm, Schotland Architecture & Construction, to anyone in the Princeton area who is thinking about embarking on a major renovation or addition. I have known Doug and admired his work for many years, so there was no question whom to call when I found an older home that I was seriously considering buying, renovating and expanding. Doug, an architect and builder, offered to inspect the house with me to evaluate both its physical condition and its design potential. He pointed out a few minor flaws and potential issues but assured me that the house was basically sound and a good renovation candidate. I had never undertaken a project of this size; Doug’s knowledge, confidence and professionalism gave me the confidence to buy the house, knowing that I could achieve my design goals with it. I subsequently hired Doug to redesign the house and manage the construction, and I could not be happier with the result. Doug transformed a drab, early 1950s split-level into a beautiful, modern Greek Revival home. The house now has an efficient, open floor plan, superb detailing, abundant natural light, and it relates very nicely to the property. Doug also incorporated many energy-saving features, which keep the house comfortable—and the utility bills low—throughout the year. Doug was a pleasure to work with on this project. He’s an experienced, highly-skilled architect and builder who consistently delivered on his promises. As a person, he is intelligent, honest and personable. In short, I would recommend Doug and Schotland Architecture & Construction to others without hesitation.

Doug has done a number of projects over the last 20 years on my c.1780 stone farmhouse including kitchen and master bath renovations; creation of a new half bath and laundry room; front façade and front door pediment restorations; and structural improvements in the basement. A historic house renovation is never really done… What sets Doug apart from other architects is his in depth understanding of interior and exterior details of historic structures, traditional and modern construction methods, and costs from his years of actual construction experience. It’s amazing how few architects have actually built a project. Almost every project must have its trade offs due to budget, but Doug has the experience to help you stretch your dollars without meaningfully compromising quality. Most important to me was that Doug knows how to create spaces for modern living that seamlessly and tastefully blend old and new. I didn’t - and still don’t -want to live in a museum, and I really appreciate the well thought out, timeless details he designs. All of the above combined with his straightforward demeanor, integrity and desire for happy clients make Doug the perfect partner for your design/build project. I’m sure I’ll work with him again. Highly recommended.

Doug has provided architectural draws for an daycare facility addition. The drawing were superb. The modern design and the associated proportion were right on. The finished space generated a feeling of security and tranquility conducive to childhood development.. I would highly recommend Doug not only for his architectural eye but for his personality, as he is very easy to work with and accommodating .