Sustainable Design Companies in Gaithersburg

“PACE is a one of a kind design + build firm. I just can’t say enough good things about them! First off, they do great work and do it in a very transparent and fair way. The customer service is off the charts, the quality of their craftsmanship is incredible, and the overall experience of working with true professionals in the building and remodeling industry is so valuable to the success of a project. Between Seth, Jordan, Terris, Yuri, Brad and the rest of the crew, you won’t be sorry to have chosen this company for your next Project. Thanks for everything!!”

“Evergreen Building has been great to work with for my remodeling projects. Matt is knowledgeable and meticulous with every detail. I highly recommend!”

“Keith demonstrated a high level of integrity and provided the finest quality of work. His expertise lifted the design and renovation project to a new exciting level. His passion for construction, knowledge, and oversight of the entire project made the experience easy and enjoyable. Keith took our vision, provided his insight into our preferences, and provided a finished product far beyond our expectations. Keith was very adept at finding a balance of design and functionality which was the driver to the success of the project. It was evident the contractors Keith partners with are based on relationships built on trust and years of experience. His patience, guidance, and attention to detail allowed the project to be completed beyond our imagination and without any delays. We look forward to working with Keith again.”

“Paradigm converted my rambler to a colonial. I couldn't believe how smooth and easy the whole tear down and build process went . There was never any doubt on time, budget, or quality. I will definitely use them again.”

“I am a designer for a custom closet company. I have been working with Francisca Alonso of AV Architects on various projects since 2006. I love collaborating with her because she is extremely easy to work with and the projects always go very smoothly. I HIGHLY recommend Francisca Alonso and AV Architects. They do some amazing renovations and are a fantastic company to deal with.”

“When my wife and I decided to move from Western Fairfax to the Vienna/Oakton region, we did not initially consider building a home. Instead, we looked at probably 30-40 used homes in the area selling in the school districts and price range we wanted. Over time, we started to notice the names of home builders. It turned out a number of the homes we liked the most were Sekas homes. We liked the layout, the location, and most especially, the quality. His 10-15 year old homes looked brand new (structurally). I was impressed that his work would stand the test of time like that. As we started looking more closely at the builder, we discovered that he had a number of new construction projects that were within our price range. With that discovery, we decided, "Why compromise with an older home when we can buy brand new and have it exactly the way we want?" We signed the contract last fall and have now lived in our new Sekas home for just over 30-days. From then until today, the process of building our home has been outstanding. Let me give you some specifics: We wanted a pool to be built in conjunction with the home. I have read many horror stories about pools and pool companies and we wanted Sekas to take on that risk. We were willing to pay him the extra money so that he would ensure it was done right. Result: Our pool is beautiful - we couldn't be happier - and the Sekas staff ensured every aspect of the project (deck, patio, coping, tile, fence, electrical, plumbing, etc) met county code requirements and was finished on time and in a quality manner. The most important reason I believe this company produces such a good product is its people. I call tell John Sekas invests a good amount of time and energy into ensuring everyone on his team (from the plumber to his design specialist) deliver consistent quality. The 6-month process of building a home is truly a relationship. And like any other relationship, you see the best and worst in people over that time during stressful situations. The Sekas team certainly had to deal with the worst of myself and my wife on numerous occasions. I could tell they were used to dealing with Type-A personalities and actually took pride in delivering exactly what we wanted. The selection process is daunting. My biggest recommendation is to do as much homework as possible before signing the contract. Once it's signed, Sekas was off to the races and the construction process progresses VERY quickly. We were still researching the type of bathtubs we wanted when the plumber was ready for his final county inspection. Regardless, Sekas worked with us and everything worked out fine even when we were late (they were never late). Their designer, Betsy, is an amazing person. She has a LOT on her plate yet somehow keeps it all straight and has the patience of an angel. One aspect of the company I really appreciated was their willingness to make changes without nickel and dimeing us on everything. We completing changed the layout of the basement. No charge. We completely changed the layout of the master bath and walk-in closets. No charge. We made late changes to appliances, garage doors, brick, and tile - again no charge. They came close to charging us a few times (when it looked like they had already ordered the product we originally requested) but they worked things out with their distributors and we got off without penalty. Regarding the warranty period - I have had to make several minor warranty calls already. The contractors seemed to go out of their way to give me priority and take care of my issue - I think they value working with Sekas and don't want him upset with their service. Additionally, the Sekas team have made it clear that I could simply call them if I need any warranty work. I choose to call the contractors directly so I can set up a date and time that is best for me (instead of working though the middle man back and forth). The bottom line is I am convinced John Sekas stands behind his product and will do everything reasonable to ensure the customer is happy. The reason we went with Sekas was the quality of his product. By looking at his 10-15 year old homes I could tell they were built to last. Now that I have a new one of my own (and watched it being built from the ground up) I can honestly say I feel ever stronger about that belief. Everyone who has visited our home has been blown away with their attention to detail, design, and the home's superb features. We certainly got our money's worth. I highly recommend Sekas Homes. I love my new house!”

“David and his crews were very good to work with. In a few short moths they transformed our ideas into reality, working with us in phases, allowing us to move from one area of the house during this major renovation encompassing a remodeled kitchen, two bathrooms, new lights and trim. They also reinforced the foundation that was settling in one corner. I was impressed by their professionalism and desire to get things right, and to keep to our budget.”

“Brush Arbor owner Jonathan Smith built our home for a competitive price and did an excellent, high quality job. This is especially significant because ours is a complex, highly customized home. Not only were we very happy at the conclusion of the project, but we remain so because our home has stood the test of time. In addition, Jonathan was honest and professional in all of our dealings--most importantly, when he said he would do something or agreed to certain terms, he would always follow through. In fact, Jonathan occasionally checks in with us to answer a question we might have or to ensure that we continue to remain happy with our home. Thank you, Brush Arbor, for being integral to helping us make our dreams come true.”

“"Open-book" contractor, proving high-quality results and creative solutions to the challenges of new home construction. We retained Kevin and his team to demolish a waterfront cottage and rebuild on the same footprint as required by county building restrictions. Kevin worked with us through the permitting process to ensure building and environmental requirements were met. We obtained our plan from the Internet before finding Kevin and were not using an architect for the project. From our first meeting, Kevin was sensitive to our budget needs and provided insightful design suggestions to enhance our project. Kevin has been a pleasure to work with. The open-book contract has made it easy to evaluate the many decision trade offs of the new construction process, and keep us on budget.”

“I recently completed a successful journey in having my old home torn down and having a custom new house built in its place. I consider myself to be one of the lucky few who navigated this terrain with a fabulous outcome thanks to having made the right choice in both the architect and builder that I used. The Architect: Ponte Mellor Architects, Ltd (Bethesda, MD) www.ponte-mellor.com The Builder: Edgemoor Custom Builders (Bethesda, MD) www.edgemoorcustombuilders.com The first order of business was to select the right architect. SHOULD I USE A DESIGN / BUILD FIRM: In researching the right architect, I began realizing the benefits of using a design/build firm - i.e., a firm that could provide both the services of both the architect and the builder. IF YOU DO NOT USE A DESIGN / BUILD FIRM: Let's say you are in the middle of a project and you change your mind about how you want something done. If the architect and builder are not under the same roof, then you first have to call the architect to get the blue prints altered. The architect will most likely be busy and you will have to wait for him or her to review the situation, come up with the new plans and blue-prints, get those revisions to the builder, so that the builder can proceed. This can cause huge (read "expensive" delays). IF YOU DO USE A DESIGN / BUILD FIRM: If you use a firm that is handling both the design AND build, then they can do it all "in house" thereby minimizing the delay (and cost) to you. In interviewing different architects, I found architect Rui Ponte, AIA/LEED AP with Ponte Mellor Architects, to be the one who most clearly and enthusiastically understood my vision and ideas. His firm turned out to be the perfect choice for the architectural work. And since he and his partner Brad Mellor, AIA/LEED AP also have a construction company called Edgemoor Custom Builders, they fit the bill as a "Design / Build" firm. I WENT TO SEE SOME OTHER PROJECTS THEY HAD DONE: I asked Mr. Rui Ponte if I could go inspect some of the homes they had designed and built. He said certainly, and arrangements were made with the various home-owners for me to come take a look. I went to see 5 of them. The homes were beautiful, warm, and classy. But I did not just walk around the main portions of the houses. I also went into the basements and up into the attics, so that I could examine the unfinished portions of the house. What I saw was outstanding, solid craftsmanship in every beam, joint, and installation. I THEN EDUCATED MYSELF ON CONTRACTS: Once I decided who to use, I asked Ponte Mellor Architects and Edgemoor Custom Builders for a copy of the contracts they use. They use the standard AIA (American Institute of Architects) contracts, but these contracts have many different options in them. The next step was to pay an hourly rate to another architect to advise me on what all these variables meant, and to do some research on-line. I then had further discussions with Ponte Mellor Architects and Edgemoor Custom Builders about my ideas regarding the contract, which resulted in an agreement that I thought was fair to all parties. I FOUND PHOTOS ON-LINE OF IDEAS I LIKED: One of the biggest challenges in any creative process is the ability to communicate an idea to another. So how does one communicate to an architect an idea that one wants incorporated into the build? The answer is with photographs taken from the internet. I spent hours combing through the internet taking "screen-shots" of ideas that I liked from architectural sites. These photos were invaluable in this creative process. I INTERVIEWED SUB-CONTRACTORS MYSELF: For decisions on the major subcontractors (HVAC system, Electric, etc) I found it helpful for Edgemoor Custom Builders to get several bids, for them to make a recommendation to me, and then for me to be able to speak to the sub-contractor myself to make a final decision. Edgemoor Custom Builders was very supportive of my involvement with this and we worked together as a team in making the right selections EXPECTATIONS: I often hear people who have been through a renovation or a build be extremely critical of their builder, architect, and/or contractor. Sometimes I wonder how many of these people had unrealistic expectations going in? REALITY CHECK: There is no way you are going to go through a renovation or home build without there being some snafus. In the rare instance when a problem would arise in the building of my home, I was able to speak openly to my architect and builder and together we would find the best solution and move on. FINAL PRODUCT: I now have my dream house where I live with my family. It is amazing. I am very grateful to the folks at Ponte Mellor Architects and Edgemoor Custom Builders, and heartily recommend their services to anyone considering a renovation or a build.”