Robert M. Cain, Architect

In 2014 we decided to move from Decatur, Georgia to Lake Hartwell, Georgia, for our permanent home. As an architect and mechanical engineer, we were very familiar with the phases of a design and construction project. We created a short list of four architects to interview for the design. Having seen projects in our neighborhood created by Robert M. Cain, Architect, he topped the list of candidates. We scheduled our initial interview at his office. We could tell from the ambience of the office and meeting the staff that we would receive very focused attention during the design process. That was very important to us for such a personalized project as our retirement home. After completing our short list of interviews, we had some soul searching conversations and decided to retain Robert M. Cain, Architect. At our first design meeting we presented a written brief of functional and aesthetic goals. Mr. Cain and Carmen Stan did a lot of listening and asked their own questions of us; we were impressed. They visited our home in Decatur and our existing cottage on Lake Hartwell, adjacent to the 10 acre site for the new home. After a few weeks, we were invited to the office to review the first pass at the design. Well, they nailed it! We were elated at how much they had listened and the design reflected our needs, and more importantly, our desires for this home. The design was simple, yet had an incredible presence and energy, which we never anticipated. Quite simply, it was a brilliant solution! The design process evolved and only small things were changed from the initial design presented. Mr. Cain and Ms. Stan prepared construction documents, which were reviewed with us and by the contractor we selected. Limited revisions were made, and we moved into the construction phase in January, 2016. Ms. Stan was very responsive to questions from the contractor and from us, during this phase. Productive site visits were made at critical stages of the work, followed up by concise site visit reports. Submittals were reviewed in a timely fashion. We moved into the house September 1, 2019, after doing much of the finish work inside and out ourselves. Living in the house has been like visiting a spa or retreat....but on a permanent basis. The house exceeds our initial expectations in many aspects. It is quiet and filled with light. It flows into the surrounding trees, such that we liken it to living in a treehouse with views all around. There are very few things we would change. In the beginning, little did we know, or even dream, the built home would surpass our expectations. This has been a dream project from beginning to completion. And we owe that to the efforts of Bob, Carmen and Molly. We are all now friends! And Bob and Molly, and Carmen and her family have enjoyed visiting the home on long weekends. Robert E. Meaders and Douglas M. Moore

We built our contemporary Morningside home in 1994. We love our home and our ‘hood and knew we wanted to stay, but after 21 years our home was in serious need of renovation. We wanted to honor it’s original character and good bones, but improve and modernize design and usability, especially in the kitchen. We also wanted to showcase our art collection with improved lighting, but 28 foot ceilings in the barrel vaulted, lofted living area, and a generally open floor plan provided difficult challenges. As a sculptor and jewelry designer/maker I wanted our home to reflect my personal style and unique spirit. My husband, John, wanted our home to feel warm and comfortable and we both wanted a practical and useable design. It was important to find an architect who would be willing to collaborate and work closely with both of us. In our case we had already decided to hire Tom Blalock of Blalock Construction, who is a trusted childhood friend of John’s and a well respected and talented builder. Tom recommended Robert M Cain & Associates because he knew they would be easy to work with and he felt their design sense would fit our taste and needs. We saw numerous examples of RMCA’s completed projects that reflected the esthetic we were looking for, but it was Bob’s warm demeanor and sense of humor that made us feel confident that we could work together. Bob and his associate, Carmen Stan created a design for both the main and top floors of our 3 story, 5 bedroom, 3 1/2 bath home that is not only stunning, but also practical, livable and warm. Because Bob and Carmen were willing to collaborate with us on several design details, we also feel a sense of personal accomplishment. From design to completion the process took about a year. The end result is a masterful success far beyond anything we could have imagined. We would enthusiastically recommend RMCA!

We met Bob Cain in 2011 after we decided to thoroughly rebuild a 1951 brick ranch into a somewhat larger and updated home suitable for our retirement. Our home sits at the edge of a hidden pocket of old-growth beech forest surrounded by urban development, just over the Atlanta city line in DeKalb County. (Its large, heat-reflective metal roof is obvious in the Google Earth photo.) When we saw Bob's extensive use of wood and glass in the projects on his website, we thought he was probably the man to help us redevelop our home to take maximum advantage of our location. After meeting him, we were so impressed we never even considered another architect. He worked closely with us over the course of a year, repeatedly redesigning and refining his plans until we had what we thought was the best possible structure for our property and our lifestyle. Because virtually every element of the renovation had to be custom made, demolition and construction took more than 15 months, but we have now lived in the new house since June, 2014. Although we have been extremely happy with the house since the day we moved in, we did not fully appreciate until we had lived in it for six months or so how truly livable, practical, and efficient the design is. And beautiful. (There are numerous photos on this site under the heading Ranch Style Redux.) We, of course, were primarily interested in having a house that was comfortable and functional, but we also got a house that by universal acclaim is beautiful. We have literally had people drive or walk by the house, stop, and come up to the front door to say, "I just wanted to tell you that you have a beautiful house." We have gotten the same comment from Jehovah's Witness ladies, deliverymen, and canvassers. Everyone tells us, "You have a beautiful house." If there were a People's Choice award for architecture, Bob Cain probably would win. He not only has tremendous technical expertise and a wonderful staff working with him, but he also has a superb sense of design and proportion. I don't believe we could have found a better partner for our project.

It’s been five years since the completion of our renovation (the Mid-Century Remix), and because of the pandemic, we’ve spent a lot more time in our house over the last eight months than we ever expected. It’s really given us an opportunity reflect on your great work. The gym has morphed into an adult home office and a social room for the kids to get a break from their parents in the evenings. The basement turf field now hosts pickle ball, gymnastics, basketball and just about any other sport you can imagine. The kitchen island now serves as a school desk during the day and hosts cooking classes in the evening. And the front window has become the perfect perch for our new dog. Every space easily adapting to these new uses. We can’t imagine enduring the pandemic in a more beautiful and functional space than the home you designed. Thank you.

This is a character reference for Robert (Bob) Cain, Architect. My husband and I have known Bob Cain for 20+ years. The projects we have personally toured, from the Cherokee Museum in North Carolina, to the Folk Pottery Museum in Georgia, and other local architectural projects, are representative of the award-winning talent he possesses. He is honest, insightful and has the interests of his clients forefront. Bob's reputation among his peers is flawless. Given the opportunity I would hire him with no hesitation.

I've witnessed some incredible designs by RMCA first hand during tours of several homes in the Atlanta area and am planning to have our pending remodel quoted. It's impressive the way they can turn a rather pedestrian and outdated house into a modern home to be desired. The attention to detail is what's most important to us and where they seem to excel.

I am a Structural Engineer who had the chance to work with them on several projects. I loved their dedication and passion they put in everything that they designed and built. Very friendly and professional staff!

Our relationship with Robert Cain spans several decades, beginning with his historical restoration of the Early Branch Farmhouse project. A modern architect working in a very traditional area of the country, Bob's work stands out for being unique, cutting edge and progressive. We are proud to announce another collaboration, the "Hillside House", is in the works!

The project involved designing an outdoor room/porch and integrating the entire backyard which required walls, patio, bathhouse, walkways, etc. Bob Catn immediately came up with a design that no one had previously conceived. It was unique and perfect. Bob sees unique solutions that elude others. He is a genius in his field. In addition he has a great personality and demeanor. He is someone you enjoy working with

We had a deck on our house and wanted it turned into a screen porch. Bob had done a similar but grander project for friends of ours, and his work for them received an award. While more modest, ours is very beautiful and completely suits our needs. The porch has opened our house up to the natural world in a way we could not have imagined. We love it. Bob worked efficiently on the design, produced beautiful drawings, as well as a video tour of the proposed porch. He was always accessible and easy to communicate with. His group of carpenters and construction people were first rate--terrific craftsmen and we were very comfortable with them working on our house. I have seen some of his major projects--some small museums as well as the "Rain-Shine" house in Decatur. These are master works. We felt privileged to have him as architect for our porch.

Robert M. Cain was the architect for my home, completed in 2009. Photos are elsewhere on this site. Robert M. Cain (Bob) is a brilliant designer and superlative master of construction oversight. As the project began, he listened carefully to us and perfectly and seamlessly incorporated our desires into the house. The building is both beautiful and extremely comfortable. It is a LEED Platinum Home. It has many high performance features such as solar panels and geothermal heat pumps. Passive solar concepts are inherent in the design and allow us the be comfortable much of the year without heating or air conditioning. It has many windows and feels like it is in a forest, although the location is urban. It is a calm and cheerful house. Working with Bob and his staff was a completely delightful experience; it was satisfying in every way. Mary B.