Richard Leggin Architects

When we decided to do a significant expansion of our home, we chose Richard Leggin Architects to develop the design that captured our vision. The result was simply spectacular. They not only brought our ideas to life, they greatly improved on them. They developed a plan that added architectural beauty and symmetry, enhanced natural lighting, and increased efficiency in the use and flow of the space. Each new or expanded room has elegant details that add to its unique character, such as arched doorways, stone tiled flooring, beautiful wood trim, and an entire wall of double-paned windows that captures the beauty of our trees and yard. The plan completely opened up our kitchen area to maximize cozy interactions among family members as easily as it accommodates larger groups when entertaining. The cooking and food preparation areas are well laid out and cater to the busy and efficient cook. Within the new footprint we proposed they found ways to add new spaces for a home office, a screened porch, an exercise room and an enlarged game room. The new exterior blends in beautifully, making it look as if it were all part of the original house. Finally, Dick Leggin and his colleagues worked seamlessly with the contractors throughout the process, making sure that everything that was envisioned in the planning process became reality in the construction phase. We couldn’t be happier, and we most highly recommend Richard Leggin Architects for your home design or expansion planning.

I just completed a major renovation using RLA and I was extremely pleased...again! In 2001 we used RLA for a major project, taking a small house, total renovation and then adding a very large house to complete the project. When we sold this house in 2014, our agent said that every agent she met with said this house was one of the most beautiful houses in Montgomery County. On our recent, but smaller project, we were again very pleased with RLA. Great to work with, very professional.

My wife and I have been working with Richard Leggin Architects to design and build a new home in Bethesda, MD. We found the firm on Houzz and set up an initial meeting. We really resonated with Richard's design aesthetic and accomplished range of previous builds, many in our local area that we could go look at in person. We are nearing the build phase on our home and are looking forward to a continued positive and collaborative experience building our dream home just as we want. He has been very understanding of our price constraints, specific wants and has accommodated both in the final design and small changes as we approach the start of construction. We definitely recommend Richard Leggin Architects to anyone in the region who is looking for high quality, thoughtful design for your residence. They can make your dreams reality!

I was really impressed with the level of service that I received for a specific zoning project I needed help with for a client. I sent out several inquiries and did not hear back from any of them, and the ones I did hear back from were days later. Richard Leggins got right back to me, and was immediately scheduling a call with me to go over my project needs and what they would recommend and could do for me. I had the proposal over with a really quick turnaround and I felt like I had a firm I could rely on. As a result, this is the only proposal that is in front of my client at this time that they will likely move on, and in the future I know who to call whenever anyone has any architect needs. Thank you Richard Leggin Architects!

We retained Richard Leggin to design our new custom, home on a 2-acre, wooded lot that we had purchased. It was an expansive project in McLean, VA near the Potomac River so it involved complicated site plan issues, removing an existing house, designing and building a large, Georgian style stone house with slate roof on two acres. Leggin was able to draft plans in compliance with federal, state, and county rules with minimal design changes and all of our desired elements were approved by the relevant government entities with very few revisions required. The project also involved extensive outside design elements including garden design for the front entrance, multi -level terraces, a large swimming pool terrace with outdoor fireplace, outdoor kitchen, and small pool house. Richard coordinated a large team consisting of the builder, the site engineer, the landscape and pool design and installation firms, in addition, to the numerous specialty craftspeople who worked on the interior design elements. Our project was a large, complicated project but we finished within our planned budget and time frame. We have loved living in our dream house and working with Richard Leggin was a wonderful experience. His talent and design aesthetics are unsurpassed. We wanted to build a house for a modern family but one that looked like it had been on the spot for over 100 years and Richard succeeded in designing that for us and more.

We hired RLA to design our custom house which was recently completed in March 2015. We couldn't be happier with the results and would recommend them to any prospective home builder. From the beginning, we knew we did not want the standard cookie cutter two story colonial that is everywhere in our area, we wanted a custom house with a modern esthetic, not an existing builder plan with a few modifications. Builders will typically tell you that you do not need an architect, and that may be true from a construction perspective, but by forgoing an architect, you lose the opportunity to build a really special house, customized exactly to your needs. It does not add that much extra to the cost. From the beginning, RLA listened to our ideas, paid attention to our budget and designed our home to our exact specifications. While there are many illustrations of how this benefited us, here are three examples: Orientation - we wanted a house that would take the best advantage of natural light and available views. RLA worked hard to orient our house properly on the site and we now have great light, great views and privacy where we want it. The room layout also makes maximum usage of available light and each room has a great view. A builder will just plop your house on the site facing the street, regardless of the orientation of sunlight or privacy. Details - RLA incorporated details in our house that give it that custom, personalized look. Our deep soffitt details, rock stair wall and porch are really unique. Proportions - This is a hard one to describe, but RLA did a great job with sizing details, the proportions including room sizes, trim details, etc. Everything in the house flows beautifully and feels balanced and gracious. Architects understand how big rooms should be! Not to big or too small. My advice to prospective home builders is to forgo more square footage for better advice, materials and design. An architect will ensure you have a really unique home that fits your lifestyle