Ten Directions Design, Architects

From start to finish, Alan was very helpful in designing our finished basement. He gave us simple solutions and was available for any questions we had. He worked with the contractor to be sure what we wanted was what we got. We would hire him again for future projects.

Alan designed an addition to our 1920 Craftsman comprising a garage with master suite above, and some alterations to the existing main floor. He listened carefully to our wishes and needs, was extremely knowledgeable, and patient in explaining options and process to us. Alan designed many floorplan options for us to choose from. He helped us find a contractor to complete the work (no small feat to find someone who was available!) and performed site visits during construction. At each site visit he made valuable suggestions to improve function or aesthetics as necessary. I can't imagine the project going any more smoothly.

Alan is designing our four-seasons sun room addition. He created a design that met all of our expectations and we can't wait to see the finished product! Alan is communicative, reliable, and organized.

We've been working with Alan on a remodel. Okay, remodel makes it sound as though we're redoing something that was actually finished at one time, when this will actually be the first thing to be done to our draconian basement. Alan has been a delight, however. He's responsive, professional and easy to work with. He listens, takes care of the permits and had access to a structural engineer, someone for whom my husband and i wouldn't have even known where to begin looking during that aspect of the building. Alan also has suggestions for craftsmen and contractors he believes we might enjoy working with. The project itself is still in the early stage: we're waiting on the bid from the contractor we picked from the list Alan supplied. Will take photos soon of the basement as it is now, then again when the project is finished.

Working with Alan was wonderful. Our project was demolishing the craftsman home my Grandmother bought in 1956 and sold to us a couple years ago, and replace it with a new, larger craftsman - no pressure! Along the way, we always felt Alan was truly listening to us and doing everything he could to work in all our ideas, as well as bring up new ones. He was easy to talk to, responsive by email and phone, professional, accountable and joyful to work with. He always had a smile on his face and a positive attitude, even when we didn't! There were a few times were we came to him with ideas that we thought "were the best", and he patiently listened, then tactfully showed us what we were overlooking, but always came back with new ways of incorporating our ideas that were better than anything we had thought of. Roadblocks and curve-balls are a given working on a big project inside a big city. Something is not going to go as expected at some point. Inevitably, things would come up that no one had experienced before, but Alan was there to do the research and find the solution. It was so comforting knowing someone with Alan's experience and knowledge was there to solve whatever problem came up - cause they will come up! Alan's recommendations were also great. His referrals to other contractors/vendors/stores were always spot on. His network of other professionals he's worked with is impressive, and gave us a lot of confidence. Those connections alone are worth working with Alan as it's so hard to truly know the quality/accountability of referrals. We had a funny/sad moment half way through the project when a friend approached us who knew Alan. He asked how it was going, and we said "great!" Our friend was doing a similar project, but trying to do it on his own and having lots of problems. The last thing he said to us as he walked away was, "I should have called Alan." We are so grateful for Alan's help and would recommend him to anyone in a heartbeat.

This is the second project I have worked with Alan Ness on & I have to say Alan is a very thoughtful, good listener. He has always been available for questions and always looks for a great answer. He joins our team instead of trying to run the show. I have also notice his designs stick to the clients needs and not to his own ego & my clients enjoy his Ideas and love working with him. Alan Ness at Ten Directions is tops in our book!

We used Alan as architect for our whole house remodel. We had a great team of architect, engineer (Eric Rice) and GC (Jeff Loy) and Alan worked very well with his counterparts. He was very responsive and a good communicator to work through the many different issues that come up in a large scale remodel process.

We selected Ten Directions Design for our kitchen remodel. Alan prepared drawings and assisted with the design work for our project. During his initial consult, he took time to explore our entire house and understand our long term plans for the home, even though the scope of this project was limited. Alan was well organized and reliable, clearly communicated his role, and met all deadlines on time. His manner is the perfect blend of casual yet highly professional. As someone new to the Pacific Northwest, we relied heavily on Alan’s expertise and recommendations, and found all his advice helpful and on point.

We highly recommend Ten Directions Design! We hired Alan to design the plans for an addition. Right off the bat we liked the way he listened to us and made very helpful suggestions. Alan is very efficient in his work and he met and beat all of his deadlines on our project. We also appreciated that he kept nudging us forward when we got stalled and he offered his expertise in person, over the phone and via email. Best of all, he's a genuinely nice guy.

Alan consulted and drew plans for a complete basement finishing project. He was quick, efficient, affordable, and drew up a simple yet flexible plan that we used to convert an unused raw space into a very comfortable living area. We enjoyed working with him, and would recommend him highly.

We did a design consultation with Alan regarding the possibility of adding a small dormer to our second floor. The consult entailed exactly what is specified on the Ten Directions website and was highly informative. Regardless of how we move forward on the project, we feel substantially more prepared to ask questions and make decisions that may cost a whole lot of money and change our home in big ways. Alan was affable and a very good listener.

Alan designed and oversaw the construction of a major change to our 100-year-old house. He turned an unused and nearly inaccessible attic space (you could crawl through a trap door to walk around on the ceiling joists) into a beautiful second floor, popping up two dormers. Perfect! He listened well to our needs, had excellent suggestions of his own, was always well prepared, held our inexperienced hands through the entire process...plus, he was (and is) a nice guy and a pleasure to know. In the dozen or so years since, we've recommended him to others whenever possible.