Buckenmeyer Architecture

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.

Working with Marty was a pleasure. He's a great listener and quickly understood what we were trying to accomplish. His attention to detail came through in his design, but it was his counsel as we worked through the pricing phase that I greatly appreciated. He helped us prioritize to keep the parts of our project intact that meant the most to us as costs escalated beyond our budget. Can't recommend him enough!

We just completed a fairly complicated project - we physically moved a 3200 sq ft house and then built an age in place smaller house/ADU on the vacated land- We are happy with the design, the process and the communications ! Marty did a good job navigating the permit process and helping us settle on a design that would meet our needs and that could be built on time and on budget. We would and have recommended Buchenmeyer Architecture to our family and friends

Marty immediately saw the charm of our 1920’s Craftsman style house as well as the problems. An oversized island crowded the kitchen. The second floor had a totally oddball layout that wasted space. But maybe worst of all was the main staircase which was claustrophobic, narrow and steep. We asked for a complete reimagining of the space and Marty proposed a brilliant plan. The stairs were relocated which opened up the kitchen to the dining room. He completely reconfigured the 2nd floor and redesigned the kitchen which is now functional and beautiful. It was a pleasure collaborating with Marty. He’s detailed oriented, very responsive, professional and easy to communicate with. His expertise also means that he is highly efficient with his time. Marty created a design that dramatically transformed the house while still preserving its original character. It was all we had hoped for and more.

Marty was so professional, insanely organized and meticulously detail oriented with such a vast understanding for space and how people live. This was a very extensive remodel that took 9 months to complete: we moved the entire staircase from the middle of the house to the back, opened up the dining room to the kitchen in a new open floor plan and we completely torn the upstairs down to the studs and pushed the dormers out and created a very unique floor plan that maximized space in every inch of the house and we added a 3rd bedroom thanks to Marty's configuration. He figured out how to create a feeding/hang out spot for my dog, tons of storage in the kitchen and in the kitchen island, this bizarre nook upstairs in my now master bathroom he created a storage space that works seamlessly. The house was built in 1923 and we preserved the old character of the house with built ins that we mimicked throughout the home - even in the newly remodeled upstairs. People from the neighborhood in Laurelhurst have walked in and just marvel at the integrity of the design that Marty did. This is such amazing feedback - to know that we did such an extensive remodel and the home feels like the way it always should have felt to begin with. Functional, logical with its layout, but with warmth and feeling in its design. There is character throughout the house. My favorite might be the open shelving in the kitchen that harmoniously play with the cabinetry. Marty was on every site visit, he was there every step of the way and he is so organized that he will find something quicker than anyone. He also had a wonderful recommendation to work with an interior designer that fit our style so perfectly. Saying we feel lucky is a huge understatement. Thank you Marty for giving us the home of our dreams. (Note: The photos I have don't give this remodel justice. Photos will be posted by Marty summer 2018).

Buckenmeyer Architecture is rooted in collaborative, client-centered design work that is both skilled and responsive. Marty’s impressive portfolio demonstrated that he possessed the experience and skill to navigate the intricacies of an extensive remodel. As we dove into the design process, Marty sought visionary input and compiled a variety of general design concepts. With each step of the preliminary design, he incorporated our feedback and wishes, seeking a concept that incorporated our interests in balancing function, style, and cost. Marty also demonstrated a willingness to offer his own input in regard to both structural and design layout. Combined, these elements helped us hone our focus and develop a well-thought design that meets our needs and fits with the existing architecture of our home. Buckenmeyer Architecture’s personal, collaborative skill reaches beyond the homeowner; because our 1908 home was not originally built for two-story living, our project presented a considerable amount of engineering and structural modification. In coordination with his engineering partner, Marty developed a design that minimized the disruption to the flow of our basement and main floor living spaces while meeting City of Portland code requirements. When the Bureau of Development Services (the office issuing the building permit) had clarification questions regarding the project, Marty was extremely responsive, discussing and explaining the design details until the City issued the permit. Though Marty and our general contractor were working together for the first time, they collaborated as if this project was one of many partnerships. Our contractor sought clarification and consultation with Marty on a regular basis throughout the five months of construction. Each step of the process, Marty was there—ready to answer questions, clarify design details and ensure that the project proceeded according to plan and code. We sometimes hear of homeowners who become frustrated with the architect designing their remodel project. Common concerns are delays, a lack of communication and an inability to effectively incorporate homeowner input. Conversely, Marty excelled in all of these arenas, partnering with us and walking with us each step of the way through a complex journey of a major home remodel. Through Marty’s design partnership, we not only finished our attic, but also turned our twelve-year-old dream a reality. If you are looking for an architect with great vision and strong work ethic, look no further. We could not be happier with our experience working with Marty.

Marty is a wonderful architect that is a pleasure to work with. He has great ideas, listens well, and is thorough. He helped make the remodel process very smooth and his ideas contributed a lot to the final outcome and success of the remodel. He has great expertise in the area. We had a lot of structural work involved in our remodel and he came up with a great set up plans that was easy for the contractors to follow . He worked well with the contractors and was available for any questions that arose. We are so happy with the final outcome of our project. We highly recommend him and would definitely use him for future projects.

Marty was a pleasure to work with. He did an amazing job of making spaces in our house that functioned like a modern house, but fit in with the historic nature of our home. He attended to little details I never would have thought of, that turned out to be super important. And he did all of that while listening carefully to what we said and incorporating everything that was important to us. The builders regularly commented on how easy his drawings were to work with, since he had carefully attended to every detail. He was warm, friendly, and easy to talk to throughout the whole process. I unequivocally recommend Marty.

Buckenmeyer Architecture provided a quality design for our basement remodel that was in step with our vision, design preferences, and requirements for our new space. Upon completion of construction, the design and plans Buckenmeyer Architecture provided met every expectation and hope we had. The level of service and care Mr. Buckenmeyer provided throughout the process was excellent.

We hired Marty Buckenmeyer to draft plans for our house remodel, a project that included the creation of an open floor plan for the kitchen, family and dining areas as well as the laundry room. Marty was a great thought partner to work with. We liked the approach of submitting different scenarios, and we ended using components of each to come up with the final layout. Marty is easy to work with, was very attentive to our needs and lifestyle to customize the perfect plans for us. Would hire him again in a heartbeat!