Before The Architect - Reader Testimonials and Client Testimonials

It is not in us to blow our own horn. However, popular demand is making us do this webpage of real reader testimonials and real client testimonials, and not the Devil.

Our practice involves a very personal relationship with each of our clients and we're not going to break those bonds by offering their own words along with their names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail signatures. Herein under, we copy what some have written, and generally identify the authors in some truthful but non-specific way. We couldn't possibly find and furnish all the testimonials we've gotten; we didn't even start saving up some of them until just a little while back, and we remembered a couple of special one from way back and dug 'em out, too.

These few quotes come mostly from e-mails, and range from compliments-in-passing to the hallelujah-windup conclusions to working relationships - some over extensive time periods.

I am a designer in Texas and ran across your website. I have 20 years experience in design and construction and can relate whole-heartedly with your quotes. I love your wit and laughed hysterically. Texas house designer and builder.

You've been a wonderful resource, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to work with you. To-be-built homeowner in Central states, just as the garage pad was about to be poured.

BTW, all the contractors have been very pleased by the level of detail you put in your drawings. Theoretical and Applied Scientist, overseeing his new house building in the Midwest, post construction bid.

I look forward to working with you, and will most certainly forward folks to your site because of the wonderful service you appear to offer. House Design Management Consultant, national

I have really appreciated your encouragement through this process. It's all new to me, but, with your supplying the knowledge and directions, it's been fun and challenging without being overwhelming. [We] are actually confident that we will survive and succeed. Wife and mother in Southeast family co-designing their dream home.

We're so glad we found you! Southeast U.S. couple in the beginning stages of the move of their lives.

You have a great site. I just stumbled on it while looking up info on some circular stairs. I very much appreciate the info you provided. Rhode Island couple who subsequently commissioned us for concept design work.

I have reviewed the drawing and it looks exactly correct. Nice looking drawing, I expect the permit people to be appropriates impressed <g>! California resident who commissioned us to design and draft a limited plan of renovation which he had just laid eyes on.

I'm finding that I am enjoying this [renovation project] with you even more than I had expected. Northeastern client in need of a community-approved facelift to his very tired, mongrel-looking house front.

I do very much appriciate [sic] your efforts and assistance and will highly reccommend [sic] your services to others. . .Thanks again and wishing you and Mrs. AG the best!, and it was a pleasure working with you. Husband and father of large Pennsylvania family who commissioned us for some front-end design work to determine the feasibility of his family's [ultimately too expansive and expensive] house design ideas. Note that there's not a scintilla of hard feelings even when it didn't work out they way they'd hoped.

If I had a cat it would say PUUUUURfect. From a Texan client of our commenting on some plan revisions toward the finish line of an extraordinarily extended developmental time period of remarkably exacting details.

Thanks for your concern. Your gracious cooperation served to maintain my sanity . . .. From a Southwest US small-plant industrialist who lost the beginnings of our designs to ravaging brush fires a couple years back.

I love your website. The FAQ's had me laughing out loud. I share your opinion of architects. Nationally recognized webmaster and website author in the field of commercial manufacturers of and equipment for construction.

Thanks for sharing your insights & humor. Your quotes are awesome, they gave that "man can I relate to that feeling" over and over. I don't feel so alone in my pessimisms about working with some people. Thanks for the inspiration. DD-Designer/Draftsman & low man on the totem pole.

Thank you again for your comments, suggestions & great service approach. Just to close things, we were unable to negotiate the selling bank to our max price - so we've walked away - sadly, we just couldn't justify the economics of the deal with the last & best offer. Please rest assured that we will be in touch as we go down the next path. A couple who came to the old AG in preparation for buying a major remodel with a drop-dead beautiful lot and location. We kind of helped sort things out with them on what's important and what's not.

A client requested that we not rush with our work and work returns, saying that time passing would be better in their own thinking together as a couple if our designs developed more slowly than more quickly. To which I replied that "While our project's work is regularized in time by our queue system, we can extend the duration of our relationship by taking somewhat shorter steps each go-round than we might otherwise. We heartily agree that time duration and better design vary directly." To which our principal contact replied, It is this type of thinking that attracts me to your company.

...for your encouragement and enthusiasm. You guys helped us (who had never seriously considered building a house) get down to the serious business of getting the job done. That's what's up now. We thank you most sincerely for your help. I look forward to a day when we might meet in person. Once things get rolling, I'll send you some e-pix. Until then, Happy trails to you both!

This is from a couple moving almost all the way across the US to retire, build, and reside in their dream home on old family land.

This is from clients who are responding to our first draft of an L1 custom floor plan based on their own original work, "The plan is very true to our original drawing with some great improvements, We are very pleased so far!!!!" LNA

AG, Thank you for your time and valuable insights. PK This from a man whom I preliminarily counseled until I realized that the jurisdiction in which he was to be building would likely not be friendly to outsiders, so I respectfully urged him to seek design and drafting assistance locally.

Dear Ralph, As a CPA in public practice (and as someone who bills by the hour), I understand what you're saying. Enough said on the matter. Thank you for saving everyone some time and us some money. Regards, MF Our client had devised an alternative building technique for a very unusual deck we were designing for a major entertainment area behind his house. It wasn't a stupid alternative - to the contrary, it showed creativity and some good sense of structure - but it a lot more expensive of materials and labor. The AG gladly took the time to respectfully point out all the ways by which this idea deserved to be rejected.

Thanks again for your feedback, and information. I thoroughly enjoyed your site. Lots of personality and professionalism in one....a tough mix to find. From a casual inquirer.

Morning Ag, Thank you for your openness about your concerns. . . I swim with a lot of sharks daily and rarely get bitten. It's not often that someone in your position would raise concerns that might ultimately lose them some new business. I very much appreciate that. . . So, there is no conflict here for us AG. Even it it were so, I would still have you fix up my plan and deal with it after the fact. Integrity is always high on my list. JH. After research, we became concerned that this fellow, our prospective client, may be taking us on without local, legal warrant; therefore, we cautioned him clearly in writing about what worried us on his behalf. Well, he'd done his homework, gratefully.

We have carefully reviewed the plans. L1 & L2 need no additional changes. L0 only minor changes . . . . We were very pleased. L&NA We've been working with the clients for a while now. These comments are excerpted from their remarks about our latest set of custom floor plan designs in an historical colonial story-and-a-half house over full basement. L2 was particularly challenging for all of us as we worked reasonable measures of equity between their children room designs in the irregular spaces that often come about in story-and-a-half structures.

Thank you for your help ... Thank you for much. You are the kindest man I have ever met. Thank you once again. Kindest regards, OT. A reciprocal link webmaster that needed some sage and savvy advice.

Good morning AG, Thank you and Mrs. [AG] for the answer on the arches question. Your insights are educational and enlightening. JH That answer to which JH refers can be read in its complete copy by left-clicking here.

I worry some about "overprocessing" - don't want you > to be inconvenienced by my turtle's pace. Sometimes I'm sure I must be doing way more than is necessary, but don't have the experience to know when I can, or should, give it a rest. But, this creative process is very rewarding, and I am grateful for your knowledge, patience, tact, and encouragement. LD A note from one dedicated client. I wrote back: As for you and overprocessing - though dichotomies oversimplify what's real, the only thing worse I've experienced in designing and construction than being overprepared is being underprepared. The best work out of here is the work we've worn out for testing and review and research and conversation and the like. Working with you is no chore. Would that all our clients get so involved as you. When you get your head to spinning around, hand it over to us. We do spinning heads, too. AG

Dear AG, Been digesting all the info; you do good work. ... RD. This client has been hard at it with us for several months. He has a distinct ability to ask interesting, tough questions, and expect that we're responsible to reply readily and wholly. This quote comes from his feedback on a stack of our replies.

On a scale from 1% to 100%, I think I've got a house about 90%. You've got to make compromises to materials available, then things that get done whether you want them done or not and cannot get undone, sometimes it's budgets for this or that. You're plans are 100% to me, and I get 90% from them. I walk the neighborhood and I see house after house in different stages of construction and I say to myself over and over again, that's a 40% house. If it wasn't for you and Mrs. AG, I'd have a 40% house for my family, too. MI. Our client was as thankful for our acquaintance as we were grateful for his words. He told me this just as the roof sheathing was going up on the house we designed together.

I will bow to your judgment on this one. My opinion is that the 2x10 hit the top plate better, but that may just be aesthetics. I forwarded the window problem to the clients. I thought it was a very elegant solution and I would be surprised if they don't go for it. Well done. WH. These quotes arise from a B2B relationship we have with a custom house builder in the Northeast. Both references are to major residential additions we designed and drafted for his use in working with his clients, his crews, financiers, and local authorities having jurisdiction. The top plate statement engages framing options for evenly wedding existing and new roof structures. Notably, the "window problem" involved a new, L1 Breakfast Room shed roof conflict with existing windows on L2. Options were numerous but unpleasant-to-grim: cut back about 1/3rd on the Breakfast Room's depth; drop its floor level and ceiling levels substantially; break eave lines and roof planes with abutters; diminish or wipe out emergency egress windows from designated sleeping areas and scrounge for alternatives; layout a nearly flat roof; etc. The solution proposed by us addressed window wells which we sketched in a concept drawing - in isometric, wire-framed with partial shading - plus extensive annotations to communicate an unusual view of an unusual resolution.

I could not enjoy working with you more or have more faith in the quality of your work or the success of our relationship. MYB A B2B believer in Before The Architect.

Having course-corrected in detail our clients' direction in laying out kitchen work areas in their to-be-built – they'd run amuck of electrical codes and good construction imperatives – here's their reply . . .Yes, one definitely needs to know those practical limitations and legal requirements. We appreciate anew your experience and knowledge. I'll give the Kitchen more think and draw. Aloha, L

This client wrote to us telling of her planned neighborhood crawl to see for herself what's new and different - and, maybe, worth considering for her new residence under our design. The AG replied that neighborhood crawling almost always gets us down, shows us how not to design and construct. She wrote back . . . ...rotten lots, boring, even ugly houses, stupid layouts, 'why the heck would anybody buy that?' We absolutely agree! Which is why we haven't built before now, and why we are so glad to have found you to help us. LD

This from a client who admitted to be unsure of what to look for and why in choosing between exterior wall finish clads for her style of house under our design commission. Mrs. AG put together a dozen pages or so of pictures and commentary on what how each picture demonstrated good design principles or not so good principles or no principles at all. Mrs. AG, your booklet came this afternoon, and I've been having great fun thinking of wall clads. Your guidance is most appreciated; I definitely have more of a direction, now that I'm better educated about the good, the bad, and the ugly. (Some of those I could spot by myself, but not close to as much as I needed.)

A master carpenter in South Florida with 40+ years of hands-on experience writes .... Enjoyed your site, most informative and good reading as well. Loved your sense of reality (humor).... Keep up the great site. WB

Hi AG, Plan set, articles on brick veneer and [most recent] invoice received. Awesome! Once again, we are sincerely grateful for your hard work, knowledge, skill, creativity, and kind ... . I'll be working on all this today and maybe tomorrow, to give it ... due consideration. Planning to enjoy myself thoroughly. L. This plan set is currently 34 sheets (over 200 square feet of top-quality opaque bond), 15 months in the making. A fabulous dream home in which our clients played an active, consistent, key role in developing.

Before The Architect was managing production of 1 original and 6 copies of a large, complex plan set - prepared to be let for construction bids from general contractors and a couple specialty subcontractors. We offered to run the whole thing through our trusted more-or-less local reprographer, QRS in Atlanta, and our client agreed. We began prepping at 6AM that morning, emailed all the files, and all sorts of problems started up - the receiver didn't know to look for our email address quite right, some files couldn't be opened, some remailed files couldn't be opened, during a personal visit to the production site the AG observed that plotting controls were not set to recognize our various lineweights and linetypes which took some time to iron out, etc. Several emails. Several phone conversations. QRS's man-genius Jaime Watkins could not get Humpty back together again without hellacious time spent. After 12 hours, the AG called it all off, and the next day took our work to another reprographer, this one in Gainesville - Gainesville White Print. In and out in a couple of hours, no problem. We'd traveled well over a hundred miles, booked 16.5 hours, and got the job done. We billed 4.5 hours and ate the rest. Bless you, AG. Once again, we are grateful for your exceptional diligence. . . .Your efforts are positively 'above and beyond the call of duty'. . . . Again, we are most grateful for your many acts of professional diligence and charity on our behalf. Our business life experience requires balancing 2 opposing forces, as identified in this note and testimonial: 1. you cannot make a living at 4.5 hours billed in 16.5 worked, so pick your subcontractors carefully and know when to run away; 2. you cannot responsibly stay in business if you don't do what's right even when it doesn't pay to take another step.

To professional house designers far and wide. Answer me this: when was the last time one of your clients sent you a poem? A fine verse meant to wish you the very best? Answer me that! AG, I just want to let you know the sets are here safely, and everything seems to be in good order....

'May all the rocks in your field turn to gold.
May your ship never be bottoms up.
May you live long,
Die happy,
And may you rate a mansion in Heaven!'

A client's custom house builder-meeting feedback about our plan set of a custom, dream home:

... He said it's the best set of plans he's ever seen, studied here and there closely, saying "Beautiful! Beautiful!" Also said he hasn't had a chance to do an unvented crawl space before, and wants me to send him the journal article about it. I don't know if it was by chance or design, but during our meeting, two men from Wheeler's showed up. One was the man you spoke with about the mouldings. Both of them also admired your plan set, both for its detail and for its clarity, "not all squeezed on one page and marked up so you can't read it".

The AG called up a client from 2002. Their house was built; they'd moved in well over a year ago. The AG asked the client what he thought now of the house we designed together and what do the neighbors say. He replied, "....We love it. We love it every day. We say to each other ... The two best things about working with you were that you made us understand that taking time to think things through was good, really good, even though then it felt like forever. There were no bad things. The other best thing was all your detail in drawings and the specs. It took the wiggle-room right out from underneath the custom house builder and his subs. ....Neighbors complain. No, no. Not about our place. They complain about theirs. 'We envisioned a different look' [though they never saw a full set of elevations and considered them carefully], 'the windows seem so high above the floor' [to lower cost of labor and materials by shoving shy headers tight to top plates], 'I didn't know we'd have steps inside' [in some instances, this can make for tragedy], 'I always thought the door to our bedroom would be over there' [door placement, style, and swing can be very big deals for safety and convenience]..."

Stumbled upon your site looking for some information on stairs. Can't remember when a research project ever turned into an entertaining venture such as this. You're a fascinating person and a true multiple talent. :) CB

This is from a mechanical engineer and experienced custom house builder in Florida and refers to our Home Design Standards - Home Building Standards and our website: I love your work, Quality by Planning. Good luck. B

A comment from an experienced general contractor turned home designer, having just looked over Home Design Standards - Home Building Standards 4Q04: The additions are wonderful, and as usual the writing is informative and entertaining. AG, IN

Reaction to having just received Home Design Standards - Home Building Standards 4Q04 from a veteran professional in commercial residential repair management at the national level: AG, This is great stuff. I have a lot of reading to do and I look forward to it. Thank you, JB, CA

Dear AG, .... I have not fully investigated your website, but I COULD NOT WAIT to contact you after reading some of your quotes. (I believe I read quotes V.) Whether I ultimately do any business with you or not, just know that there is yet another person you’ve reached dead on the money! As I looked over some of the site (I googled “colonial house remodeling” and got that page on your site), I thought it was extremely informative for a website, not just some tease to sell me something. Then I went to your homepage and learned about you. All that was enough to make me want to find you and do business with you and learn from you and build something you drew, but the over-the-top, out-of-this-world, can-it-be-possible comments that made my head spin were the ones about your real understanding of what your wife brings to the process and your respect for her and her abilities. So you know something about me, because of what is important to me, but even if you didn’t have any other partner in the work, I appreciate your attitudes and priorities.

Now, I’ll go back and read your whole site and buy whatever you suggest. (I have read, filed, drawn a million things, but nothing has made me want to really build, as much as what I’ve learned about you. Well, A Pattern Language and the series of Not-So-Big House books called out to me, as well, but never enough to prompt an e-mail!)

I just didn’t think there was a person like you anywhere, and I am inspired anew just knowing that there is.

PS: I’m a 52-year-old wife and mom with some remodeling experience -21,000 square feet of historic renovation in Charleston, SC- and burnt out with the whole thing, and now contemplating doing a smaller, more personal addition to a straight-forward brick colonial.

From an owner working with Home Design Standards - Home Building Standards - Dear AG, Thanks for such a quick response. I have gotten a lot of great
information, especially specification details and your wisdom from years of experience. I just don't want to miss out on anything that will help me on my construction of my home. This guide has helped me write specs (Still writing...) that will give me a quality build and the same time keep contractors wiggle room to a minimum. Thanks for all the work you do to provide this to the public. RW

From a client for whom we designed a 2nd-story addition in a very tight space - Dear AG...I must say this is a very clever design and meets all our needs and desires. If this is structurally feasible [to be determined by a structural engineer...foundation issues in a difficult soil], we would be very happy....Thanks again for your good work and timely reply. [and some time later in our design work. to both AG and The Missus] You have brought to our attention many considerations we could never have envisioned and we are grateful. After studying the design, we find it accomplishes exactly what we wanted in a different and better way. G&GW, MD

From clients writing after a long, long set of draftings to make all major options bonus space options clear and concise for their final, informed choice: Appreciate all you do. We have been fortunate to have you and your wife working on this project. ST

I was just searching the internet for "inspirational quotes" and discovered beforethearchitect.com - I thought it was a great website, nice to see good quality content. Barry - Inspiring Quotes barry@desktop-quotes.com

From RS The Dejected and Rejected, both self-inflicted - Subject: Could Have Been a Client [classic fantasy]. Planning our new house design that we will build later this year. [Probably not that fast on our watch.] Was looking for someone other than an [sic] high-paid architect to put together the overall plan and drawings. [Yep, that could be us.] We found your website and reviewed your services and work. It looked like you offerred [sic] what we were looking for. THEN..... we read through your Services and Fees information, more importantly, your "19 Deadly Sin." Your attitude, especially in the second page, was not humorous (at least not to average people). Rather than get into detail explaining to you, we will look elsewhere. You would probably get more business not trying to be so "humorous" [a/k/a passionate, playful, actually enjoying what we do, happy to participate and not hateful for being hung out to dry on your own rope, you weasel] but trying to better explain the limits of your services [which is what 250+ pages of text and 600+ pics and round about 8000 internal links are for].

Dear RS: That's a good fellow. Found out did you that we won't fix a plan set fee for fixed quality and content, did ya? Found that you'd already filled up a bagful of Deadly Sins, did ya? Just exactly why we so prominently display both pages - on fees and on Sins. So "average"
folks like you can darken someone else's doorstep and desktop; none of our clients is average. Glad you got it. What a good fellow. Buh-bye.

Good afternoon, I’ve spent a bit of time this afternoon studying some of the different websites in your area, and have decided to send you a “2006 Top Content” award for its design, presentation and efficiency. Congratulations. Your site really is nice. Steve.

Dear AG and Mrs. AG, Thank you so much for all of your work to date.... We do appreciate all of the considerations you have given us and we have found that Before The Architect has been the most fair, responsive and qualified firm we have dealt with through the entire remodeling.... To my untrained eyes, the plans are beautiful. I will continue this project by first clearing everything with the engineers and go from there. I will be in touch as the project progresses. GGW

After initially reviewing our most recent custom floor plans and first full set of elevations...Dear AG and Missus AG, Excellent stuff. I hope you're as pleased with the results as we are. This is a wonderful set of prints. Nothing more to say right now except to congratulate you both on your efforts to date and let you know that we think you're both extremely talented and marvelous. S&ET

Out of the blue - I have just now completed a 2-hours-plus tour of your creative, educational and inspiring website. I believe I have a sense of who and what you (both) are. As a "gradual-immersion" guy, I will be learning more from the webpages I may have missed seeing today. Thank you for the effort you have put into your website. BK

From a true admirer of Home Design Standards - Home Building Standards 2Q06....A "monograph" indeed! I am currently on page 20-something of your tome - absorbing each page as if it were a precious drop of water in the Mojave Desert. In July. I love it! Thank you!

Every email and contact with you has exceeded my expectations and you represent the best attitude in the industry that homeowners want and deserve! Best Wishes, KRK, Washington, DC

Congratulations on the immense success of your web-based business! It is obviously due both to the personal tone your site so beautifully maintains, and the excellence of your work. Your drawings, the specifying, is so impressive; the local guys just don't make the grade. DH, Princeton, NJ

This from a might rare, nearby client (almost all Before The Architect's business is out-of-state) who hired Before The Architect a while back to design a major addition and oversee construction.

Hi ... accepted an offer on the house last week, and the home inspector came today. I wanted to let you know that he had a lot of positive things to say, especially about the design and construction of the addition in the back. He said it was some of the best work he's ever seen, and he took pictures so that he could show others the right way to do it. In particular, he was impressed with the ribbon that attaches the addition to the existing house. Not only was it bolted with the correct spacing and bolts, but the the proper diagonal pattern. He was also impressed to that the posts were attached to the footings above ground, the joints hangers were the correct size and spacing, and all of the bracing was attached properly with the correct materials and nailing patterns.

I am starting a design/drafting service in .... the Texas Hill Country. I was previewing several websites to get an idea of how to go about designing a web site. When I came across yours, I took pause to really read it. Boy, did you lay all of the cards on the table. I love your 19 deadly sins! If I could make a stamp of that, I would place it on the foreheads of several people I know. Great reading and a great web site! Bob

This is testimony to how residential design and construction can go wrong: We lived in a brick rambler ... for 6 years, decided to renovate, hired one architect, didn't work out, hired another architect, paid a ton of money, vacated house in anticipation, tore down house because someone said, "it's easier than renovating," have nice plans but not viable Autocad version, the architect and builder are incompatible. Fired architect, one year later fired builder. ... Would need to refinance the whole thing. ... It is no longer going to be our dream house or dream lot. ...so we will be selling the constructed house. ... The plans we have were indeed our unique dream house. DJ, Virginia

AG helped Vanessa understand what was involved in drawing a whole-house section - 2 emails (one was loonnngish0, 3 attachments ... Dear AG, I send a hug by e-mail for your continued help. It made me smile, as you obviously are a kind and generously spirited person. These will be very helpful. Thank you, Vanessa

A while back, AG and The Missus took an interest in joining up with the American Institute of Building Design. Three clients at that time agreed to recommend Before The Architect, and wrote it down. Interest of AG and The Missus has subsequently been withdrawn and withered. Still, the three letters of recommendation remain eminently worthy of representation of what these clients thought AFTER the work was done.

Letter #1 comes from the Southcentral US. Their dream house of middling complexity was designed inch-by-inch on a largish single level in a higher-end development. Draw followed draw until the design fit the family's needs and wants in every aspect.

"Seldom in the construction trade do you find people that stand behind what they do and that take the utmost pride in their work such as you have. Working with you on my house plans was such a pleasure. If you ever find that you need a personal reference, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, MI"

Letter #2 is from the Southeast US. Longest-lasting enterprise AG and The Missus have undertaken so far - about 18 months. The principal contact was a real lady of unbelievable energy and careful consideration. What a joy! Two-story Chateau of size, several beds and baths, two of which baths were to be concealed at least temporarily. The house was designed for both privacy and active social living.

"It is my pleasure to recommend [AG and The Missus] for Professional Membership as a Professional Building Designer.

"[AG] has worked with me for several months to design a custom home in [Southeast US]. After my disappointing attempt to find a local home planner/architect/draftsman who would allow me to participate in the creative process, I was fortunate enough to make [AG's] acquaintance through his web site. We corresponded about my goals and about the skills and services he offered, and I was soon confident that he could take my fuzzy ideas for this proposed new house and convert them into the necessary profession design and construction documents.

"Since I had never gone through this process before, I must first commend him for exceptional patience, unfailing courtesy, and skillful communication. In addition, he was always available for questions, and he was generous with his expertise, both in attitude and in practice. Most importantly, he spent many hours making sure that every facet of his work was correct, both in the meticulous technical details of his drawings and descriptions, as well as the features appropriate to the style of home we wanted.

"With his professional skills and experience, his good sense, good taste, and intelligent wit, [AG] will represent you well as a colleague in the American Institute of Building Design. Sincerely yours, LCD"

Letter #3 is from an individual whom AG and The Missus have counseled for years and years on house design and construction in his remodel after remodel in the Northeast US. The relationship began as a loan officer to AG and The Missus on one of their own projects.

"I have known [AG and The Missus] for almost two decades and am delighted to write this letter of recommendation for them.

"My relationship with the [AG and The Missus] began in 1986 when I was working as a commercial lender in Connecticut. [They] were my clients and over several years I arranged financing for the acquisition and renovation of several residential properties in Fairfield County. During that time I was impressed with their business acumen, design abilities, and construction expertise. Most importantly from perspective as a banker, they were involved in every aspect of these projects and favored a hands-on approach toward labor to insure high quality and standards.

"Since that time we have remained in regular contact. They have acted as consultants to me during my acquisition and renovation of several residential properties in New England. Most recently they provided essential design and construction assistance as I was building my vacation home on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts [and, subsequently, an antique in Washington, DC]. I have also been able to observe their continued work on residential real estate projects in the Northeast and South.

"Over the years I have watched them grow in their business, Before The Architect. I believe they have been successful [AG and The Missus] are individually competent, broadly and deeply, in separate and overlapping disciplines of building design. They have an advantage in their field as they both operate from design and construction backgrounds. Their passion for what has become their "life's work" is plain to see. I have gladly recommended them to anyone serious about actively engaging in house design with real professionals.

"Please do not hesitate to call me if I can offer any additional information or insights. Sincerely, JK"

This from a house designer in the Northeast who bought a Home Design Standards - Home Building Standards 2Q08 in .pdf and got crosswise with its size and his email box. AG and The Missus tried and tried, but couldn't email it, so we burned a c/d.

AG, Thanks, the cd arrived today. It has been a pleasure dealing with you and the Missus. PK

AG gets sort-of hate mail. Well, some of it's just dislike mail and some of it's more like really, really angry and vituperative and accusatory and, well, kinda hateful. Gets about 2/year, he does, from the public at-large and 2 from architects. Here's some from one of each, editorial comments in [ ]s:

From a senior officer in the U.S. military...Subject: Architect web site [Not owning an architect website, this put off AG. Still does.) I'm not trying to be mean [always a giveaway, oh sure you are and now we both know], but this site is costing you money because it turns people off. [Part of AG's marketing strategy 101 - turn off the folks with whom you don't want to do business and who, eventually, will realize that they don't want to do business with AG.] This is the most poorly written -- supposedly serious--web site I've ever encountered. [Does not get around much, this fellow.] I'm looking for an indoor architect [never hoid of such a ting...indoor architect?], but this site is so confusing and so poorly written I just gave up. [See how marketing strategy kicks in when you need it?] Suggestion: get rid of the cutesy jokes, puns, and witty repartee', and make the site easier to follow. [Remember now, about 2 of these visitors each year out of half- to three quarter million on the most actively read - trade term is "sticky" - site of its kind far as AG can reckon it.] And the 'Reviews' are obviously made up, because they are all written in the same cutesy style. [Those "reviews" - testimonials both short and long - are verbatim. Bless 'em one and all. We're like-minded, like it or not, and not like your mind. But you knew that, didn't you?] DD, Lt. Col.

From an architect [these folks can get mucho het-up] in Pennsylvania...Subject: Pocket Doors. Saw your article. [about pocket doors, AG's guessing.] I like pocket doors, too, and more building inspectors will accept them in ADA applications through exception #1 in the 2006 IBC. However, your article said that entry doors cannot intrude in the five foot circle, which isn't the slightest true. You need a 30x48 space clear of the door and at each fixture. Every REAL architect knows this. [AG is not a REAL architect. AG is a REAL home designer. AG's not impressed with codified standards when they can and should be bettered. See the difference? Architect. Designer. You follow the rules, old buddy; AG will exceed 'em when it makes design sense.] I am sick and tired of those who can't pass the test [Who says? Not that it's on my to-do list.] and prove their qualifications who get their joy slandering professionals with ridiculous accusations on websites which only the fool would believe. [Now who's slandering ...really, libeling...and being ridiculous?] I and many others know their stuff and provide exceptional service for a fair price. [All prices may be considered fair if paid...little economics lingo there.] I have been doing that for 35 years [almost as long as AG and The Missus] and have NEVER seen a pretender with all the bluster come close at all. [Sniff, sniff. AG respects that you are special and so are others you know.]

Your plans are extremely primitive by our standards [news flash for our clients, their contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, architectural review boards, permittors, financers, and next door neighbors] and show Freshman mistakes which are nightmares when built. Doors into garages swinging against cars....French doors rendering rooms with tables far less than usable. Etc. [Nonsense. It'd be so, if it was, which it isn't. 35 years, eh?]

And beyond that, in many states, practicing architecture without a license is illegal and certainly fraudulent. There is a world of difference between drafting and being an architect. [We've been here, already.] Thank you, JT

From the wife of a couple who just got their first look at their Front Of House Elevation, which drawing was over the top of the stinky version that came with the stock plan - inaccurate, poorly annotated, undimensioned, etc. - she wrote, simply, "It is a thing of beauty." JJ, TN

From someone who'd just read AG's article on placing a concrete slab-on-grade at http://searchwarp.com/swa210956.htm: "Thanks for a clear well written information packed article. I'm pouring my first slab on grade soon and now can in a much more informed manner." Anon

Thanks! I love your web site, especially after working with a local Architectural firm for the past ten yeas, couldn't take it anymore and am designing on my own now. Tom L, Vermont

From an e-books buyer whose email box was too small, so AG is sending him a c/d of the e-books: Thank you so much. I look forward to receiving them. It's so nice to hear from someone who still cares. I hope to meet you one day. DB, Alabama

Dear AG and The Missus, I have spent the last two hours viewing your website and reading your chronicles much to my delight. I am an architect in Massachusetts who for the past 30 years has been doing mostly commercial projects but feel the need to learn more about residential building. The insights and quotes you have provided are much more valuable than anything the AIA has taught me. Thank you very much and keep doing what you do. I do not have a pick up truck but I do buy the cheapest vodka available. CN

your articles are different than the rest ... they have an incredible depth of information . . . Good to see that you're getting some of the recognition you deserve... BH, E-article Publisher, Houston, TX