Cory Smith Architecture

We reached out to Cory Smith in 2012… at the recommendation of many neighborhood friends and families that had worked with Cory and/or Aspen Creek, we were convinced Cory was the right partner for our home renovation. As it turns out, Cory exceeded the lofty expectations we had going into the project. From the beginning, Cory patiently listened to our ideas and brilliantly incorporated our vision into his plans. Having never gone through the building process, we had many suggestions that were channeled into an efficient design proposal. His communication through the process was impeccable and regularly offered ideas to help us prioritize cost/value decisions. His presence on site each day was appreciated. From demolition through the end of construction, we were fascinated with the talented trades Cory associated with. The quality associated with each stage was impressive through the entire project. Cory mentioned in the beginning that we’ll enjoy the “touches” and “finishes” of his work. He delivered completely on his word. Cory’s response often times is that “anything is possible.” In this particular case, our home renovation was made possible through the strong collaboration of ideas, remarkable trade reliability, and the beautifully orchestrated project management by Cory Smith. Aaron and Jennifer Kady

ory Smith performed a wonderful re-do of an existing home. We told Cory that he should consider our project as if he has a clean sheet of paper to start with. The end result is one that not only made my wife and me happy but also two firends that are in the home building and remodel business. Cory is very creative and very proce conscious. I would recommend him for any size job large or small

We worked with Cory Smith to redesign our master suite. Cory completed the architectural drawings to add a wall in our master bedroom in an effort to create a walk-in-closet and reconfigure the entrance to the master bathroom. Cory had wonderful ideas to stay within our budget. He has a sharp eye for detail and design. The contractors he brings to your home are punctual, friendly, get their work done on time and respectful to your home (and pets). Cory excels at keeping the project moving along - having work completed every day. Cory also does a super job at keeping in close communication so you know what to expect as a next step in completion. Our bathroom is beautiful and I am not sure how we lived in our home for 9 years without a walk-in-closet - they are two of my favorite rooms in our home. I would give Cory my highest recommendation.

The team delivered the project in a timely fashion executed by top subcontractors. The quality of the workmanship was evident in every detail from the ceilings to the floors. We highly recommend the team at Cory Smith Architect and we hope to work with them again very soon. John Wettlaufer Barrett's Technology Solutions

My husband and I have been familiar with Cory Smith Architecture for several years and have admired his work. We recently sat down with him to go over our plan to redesign and renovate our home's exterior. He met with us in a timely fashion, listened to our ideas and welcomed our input. He worked with us to meet our design preferences while staying within our budget. Cory provided us not only with fantastic design options but also insight that only an experienced architect working in our area and with our style of an older home would have. We are in the final stages of the design phase and will get started with the actual construction soon.

Cory Smith has a gift for design and efficiency. I was amazed at how quickly the inspiration came to him when he first saw my project and then see the potential with the lot, view and house to be remodeled. He was able to complete the job beautifully both inside and out. He listens attentively to capture what you want but also is able to point out what we maybe missing in our thoughts. He constantly amazes me with his other work and how creative he can be to satisfy the clients dreams.

Cory Smith was great to work with! He listened to all that we wanted for our home and translated it into a thoughtful design. He was always willing to tweak his designs to accommodate the new ideas that came along the way. We were in a collaboration with Cory and he respected what we wanted to see in our home. He gave his suggestions to help us with our choices and in the end we ended up with our dream home. Cory was very conscious of our budget and gave us options on how to stay within it. I would recommend him to anyone wanting to remodel or build a new home.

Cory Smith Architecture designed our home in 2008 in Naperville, IL. Cory worked with us to design each detail that we wanted in our Williamsburg style home. The end product is a house that is as architecturally beautiful on the inside as well as the outside. Each detail from the Coffered Ceiling in the family room to the design of an Artist Studio is perfect. Cory is easy to work with and offered many design features that we had not envisioned. His eye for symmetry and construction details offer his client a house that flows from room to room, yet each room retains its own personality. We are currently designing our retirement home and we have retained Cory Smith Architecture to design this home as well.

Cory Smith is not only a talented architect, but he is skilled at questioning the client as he seeks to understand what they desire and what their style is. He is remarkable at delivering options to the client and works closely with them to ensure the plans are complete in every way. Cory is not only detail oriented and creative, he makes the design process and execution of those designs a fun and easy experience.

My project was very unique as I had a very small cabin that had originally been built in the 1930's on a sloped site that faced the Columbia River in Columbia City, Oregon. The original structure was situated on the west side of a large site but had a very long one story house in front of it, which blocked the views of the river and the boat traffic that moved up and down the river (ocean liners, cargo ships and military boats) heading to Portland or to the Pacific Ocean. The site also had the benefit of spectacular views to Mt Hood. With a limited budget to work with, Cory's solution was very creative. Parts of the original cabin were kept and reused in order to save money. He situated the new windows of the remodeled portion of the cabin at the corners of the rooms in order to direct the views up and down the river and not at the large house in front. He also added the new kitchen and family room addition on a 50 degree angle in order to capture the views to the river and Mt. Hood beyond. A private deck was built in the area in between the addition and the existing cabin, the front of which undulates to symbolize the free flowing nature of the Columbia River. The interior of the addition was designed to compliment the slope of the site; with the new kitchen floor at the same height as the original cabin and the three foot step down to the new family room to allow for direct access to the stone patio that is at grade. The variation in floor heights also had the added benefit of offering unencumbered views of Mt Hood from the kitchen, as well as a higher ceiling in the family room which allowed for beautiful, tall built ins on either side of the fireplace. I felt like I was on vacation every day of the year. I enjoyed morning sunrises coming through the tall family room windows, views of the Columbia River and its ever constant boat traffic and the snow capped Mt. Hood. It was truly a work of art.

Cory smith architecture commands an unparalleled style brand in the Chicago-land suburban market. I selected Cory as the architect / builder of my home remodeling because his designs properly execute classic, refined details that set his homes apart from all others. His designs are cost conscious, and a great lasting value for the money. He is easy to work with, ( my wife loved working with him) and always mindful of the client's needs. As a retired architect myself, I recommend him to everyone I know who may be looking to build or remodel their home.

I am thrilled with our home renovation. Cory Smith was absolutely great to work with. After discussing what we were looking for in our renovation, Cory set out to design the perfect living space, all the while keeping our budget in mind. He came up with some wonderful ideas and completely exceeded our expectations. We were impressed with Cory’s level of detail – and his presence almost daily on the job site. More than once Cory asked to builder to change something he felt was not done to his level of perfection. Cory is creative and his designs are both beautiful and functional… once I suggested he eliminate something in his drawing I thought was unnecessary (a pantry!) and he convinced me to keep it. It is now one of my favorite features of our home and I still giggle whenever I think what it’d be like without it! Cory is professional and down to earth. He is kind and fair. Later my husband also asked Cory to design a small cottage in Wisconsin. The cottage was built to Cory’s design four years ago and sadly I can’t keep my husband away from it! He wants to be up there ALL THE TIME! I give Cory Smith Architecture the highest recommendation to anyone thinking of a home renovation.