Our remodel started on 11/1/16 and was completed mostly on time 3/1/17. With virtually no constructive criticism to offer, we are astonished with the result. The thing most obvious when working with DDB is their absolute passion for excellence. On numerous occasions, and with numerous staff, there were opportunities to for them to take short cuts, or to simply “do only what we asked”. Over and again, our team came back with ideas, revisions – both large and small to make our project exceed far beyond our dreams and expectations. They were from day one until the last constantly asking themselves what they could do better. Our original house was built in 1902, and while we wanted a major reorg, facelift and functional redesign, it was also important for us to keep the overall feel of the house (re: not too modern). We also wanted something one of a kind and unique to fit this awesome neighborhood (re: duplexes are no longer cool people). DDB build stayed true to this course, and managed our need for a contemporary, clean feel without being to over the top. This all started with our project leader Josh G. My wife and I went into this project as enthusiastic as can be with a bucket of ideas, a very specific and unchangeable budget, and a demand for extremely high-quality materials and craftsmanship. Josh took this (god bless him), and sculpted our shreds of ideas into a basic working theory for DDB’s lead architect Carly to mold into a cohesive set of plans. While we could spend the next 2000 words talking about her skillset, patience, attention to detail, sense of style, and commitment, she is simply an astounding person in and outside of the draft room. Our home would not be half of what it is today without Carly.
The planning and budget stage was nearly painless. A few minor ups and downs and tough conversations on both sides, as to be expected, but DDB was always professional, upfront, and committed to our satisfaction and vision. Little did we know, this was the theme that would last throughout the entire project. We’ve learned a great deal about trust, managing expectations and working as a team with DDB. All that can be said about their handling of the normal day to day issues expected to come up in a project this large, is nothing but absolute professionalism, compassion and focus on doing the right thing by us. As enormously stressful as this process could have been, 99.9% of the time it was an extremely pleasurable experience.
This was in large part due to our Project Manager Justin Luna. Justin is a man who we grew to respect so quickly, not only for his staggeringly proficient carpentry skills and attention to detail, but also who he is as a person. Justin is one of the most gentle, thoughtful, caring and genuine people we've come to know. For 5 months, we spent time nearly every day together (or at the least emailed/talked), and the entire house project aside, it was just nice to be around him. You could see in Justin's eyes, every single time he walked our jobsite, that he was looking at our house and the work being done, as if it was his own home. He cared deeply for things to be done right, and for our expectations to be exceeded at every step. As with Carly and Josh, we regularly think of Justin fondly. Our house would not be the home that it is without him. Justin is a serious asset to DDB, and you’d be lucky to work with him on your project.
As far as the sub’s, 99% of them were perfect. Literally, only 1 was unworthy, and they addressed it immediately. In my book, that’s a phenomenal feat all on its own, and shows that DDB cares about those relationships as much as they do their clients.
To date, we’ve had no significant workmanship issues, and don’t expect this to change. The fit, finish, and material is top notch, and we’ve never felt like a single shortcut was taken. There were several very customized design elements in our plan, which required a huge degree of precision and skill to execute. These elements were executed perfectly, and the entire team including former Lead Carpenter Matt deserves so much credit.
We could go on with further details, but hopefully this review comes as a huge vote of confidence in hiring DDB for your project. I’d also add that from all appearances, it seems like DDB’s ownership has given the power and encouragement to their managers do what’s necessary to take care of the client. Trust is so underrated these days, and this autonomy is so important to run a successful company. They are as good as it gets. Please feel free to reach out to DDB if you’d like to speak with us further about our project. In our opinion, your search should stop with DDB.
15 Comments