Structural Engineering Companies in Summit

“I have employed Ben to completely remodel my house in four different phases over the past 10 years. Ben provided expert advice starting with redesign, blueprints, permits, inspections, sub-contractors and finish details from pre-existing to new construction on our property. His diligent and thoughtful manner successfully negotiated the rough spots which pop up in every project. We are very glad to complete our remodel and meet all our requirements and desires. Great job, Ben!”

“In-Place Architecture's knowledge and experience has helped us development a plan for our youth retreat in northern Arizona. His understanding of our needs and innovative style produced a design that was both attractive and functional. His diligence reviewing county rules and regulations as well as his understanding of codes and the like allowed us to move through county review with minimal issues. Definitely recommend them.”

“Dave is helping us design our custom home and has so far been very flexible and accommodating. He has taken a personal approach to helping us clarify our requirements keeping our budgetary goals in mind. Dave has also made an additional effort to educate us in some of the local historical & contemporary architecture and describe how it may influence some of the features of our home design. We appreciate the fact that he brings decades of design and construction experience to the design process so we can avoid unnecessary costs and design flaws.”

“Review of Paul Weiner and DesignBuild Collaborative By John Murray and Judy Terlizzi, owners of the Tucson Mountain Lava House Lot selection After reviewing the websites of many Tucson architects, my wife and I selected Paul Weiner and his firm DesignBuild Collaborative to approach for designing and building our new home in the desert. Paul Weiner gave us personal attention from the very start of our relationship. As we searched for the right lot to purchase, he offered professional analysis and thoughtful judgments on a succession of parcels, helping us visualize what might be built that could offer a sense of living in a desert landscape, fit comfortably within the limits imposed by county building regulations, and provide a site that could handle Tucson weather conditions. His advice was essential to our selecting the lot we eventually bought. Home design Once we selected and purchased our lot, Paul and his DesignBuild team devoted many hours of personal meeting time with us to elicit what we needed, wanted, expected and enjoyed in a home environment. As part of this effort, Paul had us share descriptions and photos of the elements we had in our then-present condominium unit in Washington, DC. We gave Paul only general guidelines for his initial design, giving him broad discretion to apply his architectural skills. The guidelines were six: 1) a modern home, creatively artistic, using earthen materials if possible; 2) everything on one floor, with the interior, exterior living space and garage handicap accessible; 3) inclusion of all sustainable features for desert living (rainwater harvesting, gray water reuse, photovoltaic systems); 4) providing the owners a sense of living directly within the surrounding desert landscape; 5) approximately 2000+/- square feet in size; and 6) within a rough budget range. Within a few months Paul and his team provided an initial home design that we found uniquely artistic and extraordinarily beautiful. It took another year to understand and adjust the design to accommodate special conditions that had arisen, budget considerations and new ideas that were generated in our frequent conversations. We considered this period reasonable given the volatile times imposed by the ‘Great Recession’ and our needs after a move to the region. Paul was able to complete the final drawings and get the necessary permits for construction in a timely manner. We decided to have Paul and the DesignBuild Collaborative act as our general contractor for the house. Paul had designed a uniquely creative home for us, and therefore we wanted him to be intimately involved in its construction. Achieving that involvement called for a design-build format that Paul’s firm provided. The resulting process of building our home was, if anything, even more advantageous and seamless than we had anticipated. Home construction Paul’s firm handled the construction in as professional a manner as it did the initial architectural design. The almost-daily coordination between Paul the architect and the on-site construction supervisor proved to be an effective and dynamic partnership. This close working relationship assured an immediate response whenever an unforeseen problem occurred and opened the door for the ongoing refinement of the many details that went into defining our home. Through continual observation and evaluation, Paul was able to design and implement numerous creative refinements to maintain and enhance the integrity of the original vision. For example, in building the scoria walls for the main living space, he noted how the primary entry space would be darker in reality than his initial vision if we failed to intervene with some considered possibilities. He then designed a unique matrix of 2”x 2” openings into a sculptural form embedded within the mass walls. This matrix allows natural, screened light into the entry and provides a glimpse into the interior of the beautiful volcanic walls as well as limited views of the desert vegetation beyond, while retaining the intimate quality of the front entrance space. Another example: as the home neared completion and focus was placed on creating the guest parking and walkway to the front entrance, Paul worked out a comfortable separation of the driveway and guest parking, with a set of defining scoria walls and pavers integrated nicely into the landscape. Paul also used his close working partnership with the construction supervisor to achieve high quality workmanship throughout the entire process. I often observed Paul’s extended conversations with the supervisor that focused on finding effective methods to implement the many unique aspects of the design. This interaction built mutual respect between the two men, which translated into added attention to quality. The end result is a creative, artistic and beautiful home that is integrated into the surrounding desert landscape and provides a comfortable living pattern for us the homeowners. A final note Our professional relationship with Paul was firmly based on our appreciation for his honesty, his openness, his integrity and his genuine interest in assuring our future happiness in the home he would design and build. He inquired about, listened to, appreciated and gave expression to our values, needs and interests. Paul consistently offered many options with full explanation and transparency, and when he promised to do something, we could rely on it being done and done well. These personal qualities obviously drive his architectural creativity and artistry, and the high quality of DesignBuild operations.”

“Wg Gasser Design brings innovative new ideas to each project. When our budget was not meeting our needs, Wg Gasser Design proposed a completely new approach. They designed a unique space using shipping containers. We were able to meet our budget, and they stayed involved throughout the project to make sure we stayed on track. The results are stunning and we enjoy our new space every day. There is no doubt we would hire Wg Gasser Design again.”

“Gary and his team took our dream and made it reality. We gave him an initial idea and he made it work. He was responsive to our needs as well as our phone calls. Our build was ICF and he is excellent at green building design.”

“We've worked with Bill on three separate projects and in each case he provided great guidance, professionalsim and displayed both an ability to listen to our needs and to communicate quite well with us and other people involved in our projects. He is creative, practical, detail-oriented and diligent in meeting time and financial commitments. We highly recommend him.”

“John worked on a remodel of a 1978 home for us, moving and removing walls for a more open floor plan. He listened to our preferences and requirements, and responded with a couple of creative options. He was professional, timely and on budget. The overall project budget was $35,000.”