Sustainable Design Companies in Grand Rapids

“From start to finish Amy was amazing to work with. She took the time to enter fully into our project, listening to how we wanted to live in and use our home and then coming up with renovation plans that far surpassed what we could have hoped for. She will do whatever it takes to meet a deadline and is attentive to every detail. She works exceptionally well with others, always eager to work with and meet contractors and sub-contractors. She understands construction well, which is a great asset as you are going through a renovation. We could not say enough about the quality of our experience with AeH Designs. And the final product, our renovated home, is more beautiful and more well-suited to our needs and wants than we ever thought it could be.”

“I have worked with Via Design as an Owner Representative and have referred them to multiple shared clients who have had very good experiences with Via Design.”

“Gifted home designer. Understands the role of sustainability in affordability and personalized function. Eric has set a new standard in home design, delivering LEED-Platinum certification at entry level through custom price points. My role as a third-party auditor for a variety of national performance building programs affords me a unique opportunity to see hundreds of architects, designers and builders. Eric Hughes stands out in a very crowded field.”

“My wife and I got Tom's name from neighbors in Rogers City where we own a cottage that needed renovating. It has always been our desire to retire up north and we needed to do a major "overhaul" to make the cottage into more of a HOME. We met with Tom several times and provided him with our ideas (our wants and dreams) and our "budget", and we started working from there. Tom has an uncanny ability to visualize things that are not even in the normal person's "realm of possibility". We originally thought our only option would be to tear the cottage down and start completely over - but it didn't take Tom long to develop a plan that allows us to keep the majority of the cottage as is - adding on and giving it a facelift to make it all work together. Amazing results! Not only did we get a home better than we dreamed possible, but this allowed us to stay within our budget as well. We are now in the process of putting the plans out for bids, and hopefully we can get started on our "dream home" either late in 2013 or sometime in 2014. We would highly recommend Tom Parker to anyone who has a renovation project, or a new build, as he definitely thinks "outside the box" and can make your home or vacation spot truly something tailored specifically to YOU. He is extremely accessible, willing to listen to any option, and full of great ideas. He stays current with all of the newest "trends" and has completed a lot of spectacular renovations which gave us a chance to see his work first-hand. Can't say enough good things - but Tom's at the top of our list for any work we will do in the future.”

“Corri is a professional on every level. I hired her to design a small home using principles of sustainability, functionality and feng shui design. With a small budget and big ideas I needed someone who understood me and could deliver in an organized and manageable way. I was not disappointed at any point in our process. I have not yet built the house but she has created my dream.”

“Denise Hopkins did an outstanding job with my gutted condo. She took the floor plan and created a space for me that I never imagined I could have!! She researched, designed and presented me with a package of fantastic colors, awesome furntiure, and sustainable elements for a free flowing, exciting area. It has made me come alive in my own space!! Her experience as an architect, designer and passion for sustainability all melted into one happy place. She considered my budget, presented the plan in a positive and personal manner, and listened to my interests. This is the first time I have ever hired a designer for a project and she made me feel that I deserved to have a wonderful space. And now I have one. She's fantastic!!”

“Sears Architect designed a 3100 sq house for us in East Grand Rapids, MI. We have never built a home previously. We found the design process to be very efficient which resulted in a home that matches our needs and wants. The Sears project manager was very responsive and Rob Sears seemed to be full informed and involved at all times. Having said this there were many heartaches that occurred that could in part be mitigated with up front client education. In talking with another friend who build a house with Sears last year, our experience was similar to theirs. 1. Architectural costs - designing a custom build house is more expensive and has more components than one would expect. Multiple site surveys, structural engineers, each set of more detailed plans add to the final cost. We spent $xxxxx for plans - which were the refinement of a plan presented to us in a design build proposal by the builder. In addition we used an interior designer recommended by the architect another $xxxx. We would have been happier if we had a fixed predefined budget as the builder led us to believe the costs would be about $25,000. Having said this, Rob Sears was very responsive to financial questions and happily and promptly provided the billing records that justified their billings. In addition I felt Rob made a strong effort to follow the project to completion and did quite a bit after delivery of the plans, uncompensated, to finish the job. In the end we are very happy with Sears Architects - but wiser for the experience. 2. Cost of building. We learned that there was essentially no communication between our builder and the architect regarding the building allowances and the costs of the developed plan. Our home ended up xx% over budget, despite most components falling within allowances - the builder just underbid to get the work. What I learned from the process is that is not the architects job, rather the home owners sole responsibility, to verify all components are accuately costed prior to contracting a builder. 3. Interior designer. We did not expect how important the interior designer would be in implementing the design of the home - guiding interior and exterior materials, designing lighting schemes, plumbing, etc as well as planning for furniture layout. Sears recommended Christine DiMaria. We separately retained her. My wife and I thought she did a great job - design, providing perspective from other project, helping sort priorities, communicating with the architect and in general holding our hands through the up and downs of the 10 month process. We were glad we used a designer who had worked with the architect before. 4. Landscape design. This was a separate contract and budget through a landscape architect. Sears coordinated well re the placement of the house on the lot, grade decisions needed so proper retention walls could be planned and built by the Landscape team. So overall, I feel that Sears Architecture is a terrific firm that does good work. We are very happy with the completed product of our home. We would recommend them to other home buyers.”

“We are the owners of the Lowell Barn House depicted in the drawings and photos. Jeff was fabulous on our project and we couldn't be happier with the outcome. Jeff has a great deal of talent, has a perfect eye for the completed project and works to forge a relationship with his client where respect travels in both directions - architect to client and vice versa. Jeff was able to work quickly through the concept phase, was most adept at working with us in Sketchup and then on to drawings. We ended up with a fabulous product and a lifelong friend who couldn't have been easier to work with. Take a look at the drawings and the photos and I think you will agree that we have a unique but most comfortable place we call home. Thanks Jeff.”

“Curt and the Team at Sketchpad were a pleasure to deal with starting Day 1. The 1st house we did turned out better than expected and is a huge hit on the vacation rental program. We have since done multiple projects and looking forward to many more!”

“What we appreciated about working with Jon Schultz is his ability to really listen to our ideas and dreams, and then architecturally interpret them. We hired Jon to help us design a home that would be comfortable and easy to "age" in, one that would allow us to be environmentally conscious in our building and in the operations of the house, and a home that aesthetically worked on the property we would call home. We are very satisfied with the end result, and have Jon Schultz to thank for our dream becoming a reality.”