AV Architects + Builders

To avoid burying the headline: After 11 Months of living in our home we are extremely happy. I still find myself looking around a few times per week wondering how everything worked out so well. We LOVE our home, and while it's the fourth place we've lived in NOVA it's the first place we've considered to be our home. It wasn't all sunshine and roses, but we would do it again in a heartbeat. To set the stage, my wife and I are mid-late 30s, dual income, no kids. We had no idea about the homebuilding process when we started, we just knew we wanted main-level living in new-ish construction and couldn't find that in the market. We ended up building a single story with a walkout basement, 3500 Sq. Ft. finished, 1000 unfinished in the basement. Once we realized we needed to build to get what we wanted we started researching. We reached out to 10+ builders and met with 4. One was a large builder in the area who was a bit too cookie cutter for us. Another didn't understand the more contemporary style we were looking for, and another was fine, and I'm sure they would have built us a great house, but we just didn't connect with them. We met with Francisca at a spec home they built and one of the first things she told us is that they don't build spaces with no purpose. It's funny, because we were at a huge house in Great Falls, but it still full intimate and purposeful. Their design style was pretty close to ours, and Francisca took plenty of time over multiple interactions to make sure she knew what we wanted. We were sold. We almost walked away from the process because construction loans are an absolute mystery! There is very little good info out there, and we didn't just have millions sitting around - we knew that in order to make this happen while keeping our cash reserves and investments untouched we were going to need to move out of our current home and into temporary housing to get to an LTV we were comfortable with. Luckily Truist came through and did a great job explaining the options (This is one thing AV, and all builders, could do better - laying out a construction-to-perm for dummies guide). Once we sorted through the funding portion we started our property search. Finding land was a challenge and took 5 offers (in July of 2020) before finding what we wanted. We ended up on .50 acres just inside the beltway. The good: The design is incredible. It's the perfect layout for us, our friends, and family. It can feel very intimate at one moment, but because of the very open and central floor plan it can immediately shift to be the perfect entertaining space. The finishes are top notch, and as corny as it sounds, it truly is vacation living. Since moving in I have yet to stay in a resort or hotel and be anything but underwhelmed. Overall there were times we felt stressed based on cost overruns and decisions we needed to make on the spot, but in the end we got exactly what we wanted, and isn't that the point?

Our desire to build our own house started many years ago, however we were not ready at that time to do so nor had we found the right builders to do it with. But, 5 years ago my husband started to look for builders that were building the kind of home we wanted, a vacation home for our daily busy lives with lots of lights, fantastic outdoor spaces and practical living spaces, and we found the perfect architects to help us in that endeavor - AV Architects and Builders. We looked for what they had built and liked their approached and style, and decided to start building from abroad so by the time we would move back to the US our home would be ready. Little we knew a pandemic was going to stop the world in so many ways, but we were very happy we had chosen AV Architects and Builders as they never dropped the ball and made sure the project could continue. We have moved into our beautiful new home in October 2021 and are super happy with the work AV Architects and Builders did for us. Just amazing! We encourage you to go and see what they are building and we are certain that if you are looking for modern and open spaces that connect naturally with your outdoors spaces you will just fall in love with what they are building!

If you are even thinking about a new home you definitely should start with AV Architects. My husband and I have been dreaming about a new home for 15 years. Between caring for aging parents and travel fatigue we just couldn’t get our dream started. We saw Francisca and Tony’s house on Runner Road in Great Falls and everything fell into place. We had found our vision and the people to make it happen. We contracted with AV to build our forever home. We have been living in a 1932 cape cod for 30 years and we’re ready for some space and luxury. We sat with Francisca and Tony and described what we had in mind. A short time later, they showed us their interpretation of our dream and it was spot on. Now we had to find the right property to build on. Francisca with her role as realtor was able to direct us to properties that she knew would work with our dream home. She was patient but persistent in finding properties for us to review. When we had an interest, she would call upon her engineers and design team to ensure it would work. As one would expect… we had several rejects but ended up finding the prefect lot in the perfect location. When the seller balked at a 15 days study period. Francisca was able to call on her engineers for a quick evaluation to ensure no issues before we submitted our final offer. How amazing. She was able to get us that added element of certainty. Then the fun began….. we started the design phase. Tony and Francisca took the initial concept and tailored it to the actual lot. Boy did they have patience. My only requirement was a large screened in porch with a fireplace but my husband had a life long dream for an observatory. One of his hobbies is astrophotography. The equipment can be heavy and the set up tedious. So his dream was to have a climate controlled area on the roof to set up and leave his equipment with a roll away roof. Yes I said a roll away roof. You would not believe the final design. It was perfect. Top level- access from his large office with open steps and the roll away roof. I could go on and on but let me just say that our experience with AV Architects has been wonderful. They are the full package. Realtor to find the lot, designer to create the dream, creative genius to customize the craziest requirements and genuine caring that made us feel like part of their family. Without reservation we would definitely recommend them to anyone who wants a beautiful well thought out dream home with a talented and caring team. We look forward to long term relationship with Tony and Francisca.

Our desire to build a new home began years ago. We struggled to find the right lot or house to remodel. What did not take long to decide was the architect and builder we wanted to use. After seeing several homes designed and built by AV Architects + Builders, we were confident they could deliver our dream home. The older home we finally purchased needed extensive repair, remodeling, and rebuilding. We changed the entire floor plan, several floor elevations and ceiling heights, significantly increased virtually all window, door, and interior openings, and brought the house up to code with today’s requirements. What could have been an extraordinarily difficult process – essentially building a brand-new home from the inside out – was made easy by Francisca, Tony, and their entire team. Being both the architect and builder, the design and construction flowed seamlessly. Everyone was always on the same page (including the numerous subcontractors), and Francisca and Tony perfectly anticipated and accommodated our participation in making design decisions along the way. With their very friendly style and personal touch, they sought to really get to know us and our vision for the home. At times of uncertainty, their direction consistently proved to be exactly the right choice. We wanted unique and AV Architects + Builders delivered. Francisca and her team gave us many highly customized, unexpected options such as a large, spa-like master shower, floating modern stairs, floating fireplace ledge, and double thick kitchen counters. The result is a modern, yet incredibly warm and inviting home. The attention to detail, quality of materials, and workmanship at every level was excellent. AV Architect delivered a home that was truly beyond our expectations. We wanted to be in our new home by Thanksgiving, and given all the challenges we faced, they made it happen. We could not be happier with our newly built custom home.

As an interior designer, I work with many architects and builders. AV Architects & Builders is one of the best! Francisca Alonso takes the time to listen to her clients to understand what their dream home looks like. Her designs are exceptional and creative. For me, one of my favorite parts of working with Francisca is that she educate her clients on the building process and incorporates virtual walk through of her designs. I highly recommend AV Architects & Builders for anyone looking to build a custom home.

Our experience working with AV Architects + Builders has been one of consistently high professionalism and superb customer care. Our project was huge and involved significantly redesigning existing space which, due to HOA covenants, had challenging constraints. Francisca and AV Architects did a spectacular job working within those constraints and producing architectural plans that aligned beautifully with our hopes and dreams for our home. This company is visionary with both structure and design and we are thrilled with the result.

My wife, Khanh, and I would like to enthusiastically refer AV Architects for any and all architectural matters, including recognition or honors for their outstanding design and build work these past 16 years. Their design quality, professionalism, and stellar performance is of the highest possible standard. Every important project they do, be it small or of grand scale, represents their incredible commitment and passion for their craft. Their integrity and care for their customers from the inception of the project to the final handover, is superb, bar none. We are proud to have lived across the street from Francisca and Tony Alonso, principals of AV Architects, for many years. We watched their four children grow up and we followed their careful planning to create their own special design firm along the way. In 2002, we had the honor of being their first professional client. They designed a very special deck for our back yard, which is approximately 1800 square feet, and of two levels, a stage area, and very unique design. For us, it was our dream deck, where we ultimately would spend 100’s of hours with family and close friends, including the Alonso’s, for many family events, parties, anniversaries, birthdays, business events, and even live bands. It is amazing how such a project as small as a backyard decker has brought such incredible memories for our extended family and friends - ones which we shall always cherish. We recall the incredible commitment from Francisca and Tony to every detail of our deck. Detailed planning, multiple bids for capable contractor assistance, informative meetings during the process at every stage. We were all younger then and this was a very big deal at the time! Our toddlers awaited the moment that the deck would be ready for birthday parties and family gatherings. Although a very small project in relation to what AV Architects are creating now - at that time, it was one of such great importance to us, as clients. They shared the entire design and build process with us along the way, and by the end we felt as if we educated architects ourselves. They even performed landscaping for us around the deck, above and beyond their scope. This is just a small but memorable attribute of the character of their organization, that was there from the beginning. We have fond memories of that process working with AV Architects, especially its principals. We are so fortunate, and proud, to have been the first customers of AV Architects in 2002, and are sure their are hundreds of stories like ours that followed - of large or small scale - about their professionalism, craftsmanship, commitment, integrity, and personal care and attention.

I have worked with and supplied AV Architects & Builders with windows and doors since 2008. They have consistently been one of the most professional and knowledgable builders we supply. Their attention to detail and requirement for quality materials make them one of our most respected clients. I would highly recommend them to anyone interested in having their home designed and built with an eye on detail and emphasis on quality construction.

We have been working with Francisca for a while now and she never ceases to amaze us. She delivers quality work and sets a great example for the builder community.

AV Architects + Builders hired me to photograph their recent spec home. I've photographed many homes in my career, but nothing like this. Their creativity and design are second to none. You can tell they're passionate about what they do, because their execution is flawless. Their homes look like something out of a Home and Design magazine. I highly recommend them if you want a true custom built home. You will not be dissapointed!

We engaged AV Architects and Builders to design and build a custom pool house for year-round use. Francisca and her team worked with us closely to design a structure that was exactly what we were hoping for. Once the design was finished, AV was extremely helpful in the selection of materials that suited our taste and budget, and then oversaw construction in an attentive and detailed manner. It was a pleasure to work with AV, and we can recommend them highly to others considering similar projects.

I hired AV Architects & Builders over 10 years ago to do a total renovation of my home in Vienna. An addition to my home, total kitchen and bathroom redesign, deck and exterior redesign. Ten years later I can say i have never had an issue with their work, solid construction and everything still looks brand new. In fact i am about to hire them again for another project. They are creative, understand client needs and budget. THE BEST.