Buckenmeyer Architecture

Durham Construction recently had the opportunity to collaborate with Marty Buckenmeyer on a new construction project. Marty was an exceptional partner throughout the process—always available and responsive whenever we needed support in the field. His plans were some of the most thorough and detailed we’ve ever worked with, which is of immense value to a builder. We think the quality of Marty’s architectural work speaks for itself. What we think sets him apart is his collaborative spirit. He is a patient, thoughtful, and kind professional; who is simply a pleasure to work with. We highly recommend Buckenmeyer Architecture for any project.

Marty was a pleasure to work with. We decided to make some major structural changes to our home which became a larger project than we anticipated. Marty not only designed a beautiful space but his expertise and his long standing relationship with our contractor made the process of design and building go very smoothly. Marty offered interesting designs which we had not considered and was always open to our ideas and suggestions. He is a calm presence in a process that can be very stressful. We highly recommend hiring Marty for any remodeling projects, we certainly will turn to him again for any future projects.

A friend of ours hired Marty to design a major addition to an older home. We were very impressed with how the design and details of the new portions 'fit' the style of the original structure, while incorporating modern elements for function and liveability. So, we asked Marty to design the remodel of our modest-sized kitchen space, also in an older home. Marty brought his considerable expertise to our project, and helped us in every way an architect can help. Marty met with us several times, to understand what we thought was important, to explain what was possible and to make helpful and important suggestions. Marty examined and measured every conceivable dimension to input into his CAD software, rendered a series of draft plans that included lighting and cabinetry, brought in a structural engineer, and came up with a final plan for permits/construction that moved or removed an interior flue, doors and walls, created more space and a more open space, improved the work spaces and 'traffic flow', brought more light into what had been a fairly dark northwest-facing room, and also changed a roof line and cleaned up a cluttered and clumsy rear exterior facade. The plans were so clear and complete our contractor and subcontractors literally found no problems with them during the construction process. We are very happy with the results. In short, I would hire Marty again in a heartbeat, and highly recommend Marty if you are planning on building or remodeling.

We worked with Marty for our kitchen remodel and planning of a basement remodel. He was great every step of the way. He worked with (and dramatically improved upon) the esthetic of our home and brought in design elements that were important to us. During design, he brought up several practical considerations that didn't occur to us. Our GC and subcontractors were all complimentary of the level of detail of his plans. We will be working with him on our future projects.

We greatly enjoyed working with Marty. He was able to really understand our goals and bring the vision to fruition. He took the little bits and pieces of things we identified as important and created the perfect living space for our family. Everything turned out more beautifully than we could have dreamed. Marty was able to make solid recommendations and helped keep us focused. We would love to work with him again and highly suggest his expertise to anyone we know!

I really enjoyed my experience with Marty. He created plans for a substantial remodel to my 1892 Dutch Colonial home. I had a lot of ideas that were non-traditional and Marty worked hard to understand my vision. He listened carefully, offered numerous options and met with me many times, redesigning sometimes in the moment so I could try out an idea and see how it would work. The result is a beautiful home that not only has great flow and excellent function but also feels super unique and special. I couldn't be happier with the results. I highly recommend Marty!

Fantastic experience working with Marty. While I had a vision, Marty provided the expert guidance and assistance to bring that vision to reality. I have a rather strong point of view and opinion on things, and Marty exhibited tremendous patience during the various iterations of the plans for the expansion and isolated remodeling of my home. He presented me with multiple options, all that would have been suitable solutions to address the objectives. He understood the importance of maintaining the integrity of a home built in 1926, ensuring that the addition and changes to the home were seamless. While I had ideas in my head, having a partner to bounce those off of made decisions that much clearer. I highly recommend Marty's services. Realistic, pragmatic, logical, thorough and honest, not to mention a pleasure to work with.

My wife and I worked with Marty on a small mudroom/covered porch addition to our home. This was the first project we've tackled in any home and Marty was extremely helpful guiding us through each part of the process and taking extra time to explain the "why" behind each step. His design was exactly what we were looking for - very functional and it matched seamlessly with the existing style of our home. Marty made himself available to our contractor once construction began and answered questions quickly. He also followed up multiple times to check on progress and stopped by at the end of the project to see the finished product. We would highly recommend Marty for any project.

I'm with a structural engineering firm that has worked with Marty on numerous jobs. He couldn't be a better architect to work with, from a structural engineer's point of view. His plans are very detailed and well thought out. He provides information that makes our work flow smoothly. Essentially, Marty and Buckenmeyer Architecture provide a set of plans that is going to be a dream for the contractor to work with - plans that will limit surprises as much as possible for remodels and additions, and allow for a very smooth building process for new construction. Those who hire Marty for their architectural design are lucky - you'll love the your new finished space, and you'll definitely have a happy contractor and subs working from Marty's plans.

My wife and I worked with Marty to completely renovate our 1910 Craftsman house. From fully reconfiguring the stairs, to optimizing the flow of the main level, to maximizing storage space in the master bathroom, Marty thought through every detail big and small. He was very patient with us through rounds of feedback, met with us at off-hours to accommodate our work schedules, and brought a ton of peace of mind to first-time-renovators. Marty referred us to multiple contractors, one of which we selected, and he worked closely with them throughout the project to ensure the complex job went smoothly. There were two cases during the project where we had to make changes to the plans, based on issues that were discovered during construction, and Marty was able to quickly solve these issues and deliver updated plans within a day or two. He was always a quick text away if we had any questions or concerns. Marty's thoughtfulness, professionalism, experience, and craft gave us tremendous confidence that the significant investment we were making would ultimately give us the house we dreamed of. In the end, that's exactly what happened. 6 months after demolition began, we moved back in and have been truly loving our home ever since. It's beyond what we thought it could be when we bought it, and we're very thankful to Marty for that. It doesn't just look great -- it feels and functions perfectly for us.

We worked with Marty on a major basement renovation project (gutting a partially finished basement space, adding a bathroom, bedroom, and sauna, waterproofing, seismic retrofitting, and replacing all plumbing/electrical/HVAC). In short, we had an amazing experience and would absolutely recommend him. His designs are sophisticated, thoughtful, and took all of our preferences and ideas into account. He referred us to a few construction companies for bids, and we could not have been happier with our entire team on this major project. Our contractor pointed out that Marty’s architectural plans are the most thorough and detailed of any architect they work with! The space turned out better than we ever could have imagined, and we are so happy. No matter what you have in mind for your build, Marty will give you several excellent options and will be there for you the entire time.

Marty was professional and knowledgable throughout our 18 month project. Our family did a massive remodel of our 1906 home in Forest Park. We needed help from an artitect to change the floor plan, move walls, add bathrooms, add creative closet space, etc. From our preliminary meeting until completion Marty was precise and prompt with communications and design. He worked closely with our contractor and made the process easy. I absolutely recommend him from projects small to very large. His work speaks for itself and I am proud of our home. I consider Marty a friend after our time working on our home.