Passive Solar Heating & Cooling Companies in Spicewood

“We were fortunate to work with PACT Design when we renovated the interior our 1950’s ranch style home (Woodland Project). Their work is highly professional, consistent, well-thought-out, and executed with such attention to detail and delight. We couldn’t be happier with the outcome. Working with Pact Design was a pleasure and definitely the best money we spent on our renovation.”

“Plural Office is an exceptionally creative group that was able to come up with multiple options for our backyard project. They paid detailed attention to our needs and patiently worked with us through the design process. We look forward to having construction begin on the project they designed for us and will hire them again for remodeling work.”

“We needed a pavilion to go alongside our new pool. I reached out to Kyle with a basic description of what we needed and he was able to quickly provide an initial plan. I gave feedback on what we wanted changed--basically have it be more modern than traditional--and within a couple days, he came up with a really impressive design that met all our needs!! The plan detailed all of the material specifications and hardware. I realized I needed to add an existing deck to the plan and Kyle offered to do that for free! For a small fee, he also provided takeoffs that let me know exactly the amount of material I needed. For the build, I feel much better about going with a contractor that I haven't worked with before because I know everything they need is in the plan, and I can even inspect their work myself based on the plan! I highly recommend Kyle and would definitely go with him the next time I need to build anything! I'll post pictures when the build is done.”

“We came to Barley & Pfeiffer after exploring a lot of options for our old but not-distinctive house. We were impressed with the way Peter Pfeiffer's house, which we saw on a home tour, embodied sustainable building practices without looking funky. We wanted a project that would incorporate the details that we loved from our old house with smart, energy efficient construction and a contemporary layout suitable for our growing family. We found that Barley & Pfeiffer as a firm provided all the skills we needed to come out at the end with the house we wanted. Alan's design skills, Peter's building science knowledge, and Scott's detailed project management work all combined to give us a beautiful house that works really well for our family, has very low maintenance requirements, and consumes dramatically less energy than most other houses, both of a similar size and much smaller. The money we have not spent on heating and cooling this house in the past seven years could well pay for a new car. If you are going to spend the money to substantially renovate an existing home or build a new home, think carefully about what it will cost to maintain what you end up with. "Green building" is a trend now and many builders and architects claim to be "green," but few firms have the depth of expertise and years of dedication to sustainable building that Barley & Pfeiffer can provide. What you spend up front on excellent design and construction management will be recouped many times over in savings on the cost of living and maintenance. We enjoyed working with Barely & Pfeiffer and would choose them again.”

“Our builder recommended Elliott as one of the very innovative architects. Elliott was green long before green building was cool. He listened to our high level requirements, showed us various plans and provided us his references, visited our lot, sat down with us multiple times, and eventually came up with a very unique PORTE-COCHÈRE design. We built a beautiful custom house with little to no surprises with his guidance along the way. After 10 years in this house, we could not have been happier!”

“David Manning is a visionary architect who is sensitive to the needs of his clients but brings a fresh perspective to his designs. David blends creativity with functionality utilizing the homesite as his pallet.”

“Scott Ginder and his team at Forge Craft are fantastic Architects! There are many firms that design beautiful buildings, but few understand how to design for comfort, efficiency, and durability. As a General Contractor, I love working on Forge Craft projects, they truly understand the building science behind the scenes that results in functional, comfortable, efficient homes. I give them my highest recommendation. If you are interviewing Architects, they should be on the very top of your list. They are fantastic to work with, and their projects result in VERY happy clients.”

“We hired Janet to help us design our home on Lake Travis. She was an absolute delight to work with throughout the entire process. I am one of those clients that has a very specific idea of what I want. And Janet is one of those designers that actually listens to what the client has in mind, and then helps them make it even better. She wan't creating her idea of our perfect home, she was helping us create our vision for our home. She was timely and professional, but also has a great sense of humor. Probbably the only negative thing anyone could say about her is that she is a work-a-holic...because she truly loves what she does! Would I hire her again? Absolutely! When a remodeling project recently came up she was the first person that I called. I would recommend her again and again.”

“I own a home in East Austin and worked with Marcus to build a 900 square foot ADU and office / studio space on the back half of my lot. Overall it was a great experience and the end result is more design driven and high quality than I expected when I had the idea to build. Working with Marcus was a very collaborative process. He did a great job of listening to me and my goals for the project and proposing design ideas that I would have never envisioned on my own. That said, I also felt I had a hand in the design process and Marcus was great rethinking design elements that I felt didn't suit my needs or aesthetics. The result is a structure that has unique elements that reflect a creative process that I felt I had an active part in. The end result is an environment with features that I remember being born more as stories than drawings on paper. The project came in close to budget and I feel I got a more than I expected for the money I spent on the project. With a tight labor market and competition for resources in Austin, Marcus did a good job of navigating the challenges of the build process, whether that involved interactions with permitting and inspections or finding the right sub-contractors for a job that involved a lot of custom fabrication. Marcus and I were friends before the project, and still are, and that says a lot about the success of a build project that can experience the unexpected. The photos in this review are the project near completion in 2017 and recently in 2021.”

“I've worked with Brian on several projects and I highly recommend him for anyone searching for a reliable, knowledgeable architect. Brian always listens closely to what I am looking for in a design and then carries that out. His knowledge of the industry is evident from his work and recommendations! He is always responsive, timely and provides great service through and through. 5 stars!”