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Arcbazar Inc

Architects, Interior Design and Decorating

About us

ARCBAZAR provides online architectural design. Services include: New Residential, Remodeling, Interior Design, Landscape, and Commercial Spaces. Clients launch a competition for a project online at ARCBAZAR.com by providing a brief description and images/dimensions. Several Architects & Designers participate in the competition. By the end, Clients receive multiple design packages and choose the best solution. To view completed projects, please visit www.arcbazar.com

Business highlights

14 years of trusted experience

Services we offer

Design Contests for Architecture, Landscape, & Interior Design Projects

Services we don't offer

Issue Permits, On-Site Implementation, & Contractor Work.

Amenities

Free Estimates
Yes
Senior Discount

50%



Accepted payment methods

American Express
Check
Discover
MasterCard
PayPal
Visa

Photos of past projects

Reviews

4.5252 Reviews
Number of StarsImage of DistributionNumber of Ratings
5
64%
4
13%
3
11%
2
4%
1
7%


Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
4.5
value
4.5
professionalism
4.7
responsiveness
4.6
punctuality
4.7
Showing 176-200 of 252 reviews

joel F.
11/2012
5.0
architect
  + -1 more
I was not able to finish the competition I entered, but will be joining again soon.
Description of Work: Arcbazar is a great opportunity for designers to share their talent and provide the client with much needed ideas.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro

Response from Arcbazar Inc
Dear [Member name removed] Thank you for buying a coupon to run your project with us at Arcbazar. We hope you get around to start your home remodel project, we would love to work with you! Regards, Ana Team Arcbazar ana@arcbazar.com 617 756 1808

mike N.
11/2012
2.0
architect
  + -1 more
I liked the concept but the designs I received back completely missed the mark. If you are spending a couple of hundred bucks its worth a try but anything more than that and I would be wary.
Description of Work: Design project

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
2.0
value
2.0
professionalism
4.0
responsiveness
2.0
punctuality
2.0

$1,500

Response from Arcbazar Inc
Dear [name removed] We are sorry your competition did not run perfectly and that you had less than a great experience. We hope to have a second opportunity to work with you. Ana Team Arcbazar ana@arcbazar.com 617 756 1808

Simon S.
11/2012
5.0
architect
  + -1 more
They were extremely good at following through with suggestions that I made. They came up with a lot of concepts that I had never even thought of. They provide a lot of value for a relatively small cost.
Description of Work: They came up with a set of architectural concepts for me.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$750

Response from Arcbazar Inc
Dear [member name removed] Thank you for buying a coupon to run your project with us at Arcbazar. We hope you get around to start your home remodel project, we would love to work with you! Regards, Ana Team Arcbazar ana@arcbazar.com 617 756 1808

Ross F.
11/2012
5.0
architect
  + -1 more
I needed architectural design assistance on a kitchen and living room project in a 1958 4-bedroom ranch. I had hired two "designers" previously (not associated with Angies' List), but they both turned out to be builders in architect's clothing. They wanted to design the job for cheap ($600 each) so they could then build it for $50,000. I built my home, so I'm the builder, so I wanted truly excellent and detailed and custom design plans, not broad-brush boiler plates. So I found Arcbazar on Angies' List and initiated a design competition. A dozen designers joined the 30-day competition, and five supplied plans by the deadline. I got to keep all five designer's plans. Each of the five plans offered unique solutions that helped me. I created a spreadsheet of my 30 or so expectations, and rated each designer on each expectation on a 4-point scale (what would you expect from a university professor? :-)). From there I rank ordered the winner. The results were close: 1st place received 4.0, 2nd place a 3.9, 3rd place a 3.8, 4th place a 3.7 and 5th place a 3.5. I was very pleased with the results for my money, especially compared to what I had experienced previously. I now have custom plans, with wonderful alternatives and creative ideas, to produce my new kitchen and living room area. This service was especially beneficial to me as the builder. I received five custom design plans for the cost of one good plan. If I weren't a builder, Arcbazar offered to connect me to one to make sure that my project was built as well. A brilliant idea that I found a good value for my money.
Description of Work: Design a re-worked kitchen and living room space in a 1958 ranch, including front door, back door, entrance, island, fireplace, and mudroom using art glass (Prairie Rhythm by Frank Lloyd Wright) accents throughout.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,400

Response from Arcbazar Inc
Dear [name removed] Thank you for buying a coupon to run your project with us at Arcbazar. We hope you get around to start your home remodel project, we would love to work with you! Regards, Ana Team Arcbazar ana@arcbazar.com 617 756 1808

Michelle C.
10/2012
5.0
architect
  + -1 more
My experience with Arcbazar was awesome! Our design competition was for converting a basement into a home theatre room with beverage area. We provide a basic floor plan with dimensions, some photos of the existing conditions and some photos of home theatre features that we like. We got 12 designs for less than the cost that one would have been with a local architect! It was hard to pick the three winners because 8 did such great jobs! The other 4 were good as well. The beauty of getting 12 designs is you end up getting interesting and creative ideas that you or a single architect would have never thought of. We originally thought we knew where the screen, seating, fridge,....would go, but, now have a totally new creative design that we are going to implement! Arcbazar made the process of finding architects easy and the finished products were awesome and at a great price!
Description of Work: Arcbazar is a architectural design services competition website. You describe your project and get a bunch of designers to sign up and deliver designs for your construction project.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,200

Response from Arcbazar Inc
Dear [removed member name] Thank you for buying a coupon to run your project with us at Arcbazar. We hope you get around to start your home remodel project, we would love to work with you! Regards, Ana Team Arcbazar ana@arcbazar.com 617 756 1808

Taylor J.
10/2012
3.0
architect
  + -1 more
I turned in photos of my carport remodel plus specifications and then waited for the architects to submit their proposals for the design. I expected to have at least eight designs from which to choose because eight architects signed up for the competition. Unfortunately, only three designs were submitted and one of those didn't even follow my specifications. I did not care for the other two designs. So, the entire exercise was a waste of money for me. I did not understand that just because eight designers signed up, that didn't mean I would get eight plans. I was told the turnout was low because I didn't offer enough incentive ($250) to pique interest. I had seen other competition where that price was offered and they had tons of design options. I don't know that had I offered $500 I would have gotten better and more designs. I think Arcbazar's website should be more clear. Perhaps suggest that the "prize" money be a percentage of what you think the construction cost will be. Of course, that is difficult to calculate. I like the idea of Arcbazar, but it just didn't work for me.
Description of Work: Arcbazar is a competition webpage for small to medium scale design projects to allow an easy and fast connection interface between clients, young architectural designers and contractors. I wanted building design for a carport remodel.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
3.0
value
3.0
professionalism
4.0
responsiveness
4.0
punctuality
4.0

$250

Response from Arcbazar Inc
Dear Member, First of all, thank you very much for running your competition with us, and thank you for your feedback on the process. Every project is an exciting challenge for us to be a part of as we try to proove the concept of crowdsourcing in architectural design. In response to your report, we want you to know that we truly do appreciate all feedback from our clients as we are constantly trying to improve the process and our product. We, much like any other passionate professionals, grow from knowing what we’re doing well and what we can do to improve. We are a start-up company at Dogpatch Labs at the MIT Campus in Cambridge, MA, and as any other start-up we work around the clock to serve our customers. Our aim is to give clients easy access to quality design at an affordable cost. Having said that, we are constantly optimizing our pricing algorithm for competition awards. Therefore, clients can currently offer their own award amounts to designers, that is, we do not force any fixed amount -- we try to learn what works and what does not. However, as fellow designers, it was clear to us that $250 for the type and scale of your project was too low to attract many designers. Therefore, we kindly asked for an increase in your award amount. All award money goes to designers, and our main motivation at this point is not to make money, but to get clients and designers use our platform. Since incorporation last year we successfully completed hundreds of competitions with an average of 9 submissions per project. From our experience so far, the success of a design competition often relates to the complexity of the project to its award. Although sometimes the project itself might be very interesting, in which case the award can be lower and still attract many designers; but mostly, the success relates directly to how much time designers have to put into a project and what they potentially can get out of it. One good exercise before running a competition is to get a quote from a local architect and perhaps then work around that number for the competition award. We do hope, however, that over time we complete enough competitions to optimize our own pricing algorithm, and avoid these type of inconveniences to clients to occur again. We do void competitions and return the award to clients if there are not at least two submissions. Again, thank you a lot for being a first adapter of this new way of design acuisition. If there is anything we can still do to help in your design process, please don’t hesitate to let us know. We hope very much that we will get another chance to work with you in the future. If we do, I’m sure that we can exceed your expectations. Your Arcbazar Team

Jessica M.
10/2012
3.0
interior designers
  + -1 more
Overall, I think the arcbazar idea is very innovative and just what I needed. However, the process did not work as I would have hoped. 10 designers signed up for my project and only two submitted proposals by the deadline. Of the two proposals received, only one addressed all the rooms I proposed for remodeling. This was very dissapointing for me, since I was really looking forward to many designs and be able to award a first, second and third price. Since I only received two proposals, I did not award a first place price and per discussions with arcbazar personnel I decided to give a second place award to the designer that addressed all the rooms I had asked for and a third place award to the other design. I decided on this compromise since I understand that submitting those two proposals took time and effort, but I am in no way satisfied with the outcome. I feel that to some extent I was forced to give awards for what I received, but I was not really able to select the best design from a group of proposals. There was really no competition and no two projects that I could compare or analyze. When you have an open competition, you can see other open competitions as well and what I learned from those is that you need to make sure the amount of the award and the time frame you have for the project is absolutely adequate. Going with the website recommendation for the project price is not good enough. Please ask arcbazar before submitting your proposal what an adequate project price and timeframe is. Right now I say that I would use arcbazar again, but I am a little hesitant since there is no guarantee that you will receive enough proposal to be able to award a first, second and third place price. In addition, the proposals that I did receive looked nothing like the ones pictured on the website. I think that might have been my fault, since I really did not know what I was asking for, so please make sure you ask arcbazar for the exact diagrams and views you are looking for. Overall, I think this is a great concept, but even though I did my best to be responsive and provide all the information I could about what I wanted/needed, the process did not work for me this time.
Description of Work: I contacted arcbazar to provide interior design ideas for various rooms in my first home. The home is not new and I wanted to obtain ideas on how to remodel various rooms. I was interested in a cohesive and contemporary design. The idea of having a company outsource this work and coordinate the submittals from various designers at a reasonable price was exactly what I was looking for. This was my experience with any interior design work. The website for arcbazar asks you for a description of your project, pictures of the area you plan to remodel and the dimensions of the area to be remodeled. The website is pretty easy to use, but I had some trouble uploading pictures and dimensions. Please take the website advice seriously and save you work in a word processor first and then copy and paste it into the website. I found myself re-writing my project description multiple times because the website would delete my submission once I tried to submit it. Before you can finally submit the project, the website suggests the dollar amount you should pay your designers (60% goes to the first place winner, 30% to the second place and 10% to the third place) based on square footage to be remodeled and the timeframe you are willing to wait to receive the design proposals. Based on that suggestion, I submitted a price very close to that recommended by the website and submitted my request. Immediately after submittal, arcbazar personnel contacts you to make sure they understand your proposal and that everything is in order. At that time, we noticed that the website had deleted my pictures and dimensions again, so arcbazar made sure they were posted for my project. After that possible designers signed up for my project and I waited impatiently to receive any proposals. I was waiting on the proposals to then start painting the house. The house is in dire need for a new paint scheme. During the process, I received various questions from the designers (the website has an inbox where you and the designers can communicate) and I answered them to the best of my ability. I had some delays in responding since I was officially moving to my new house in the midst of this competition. Due to those delays I extended the deadline for my project for almost a week. Arcbazar personnel is always very responsive to your questions and help you thoughout the process.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
4.0
value
5.0
professionalism
4.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,300

Response from Arcbazar Inc
Dear [removed member name] Thank you for buying a coupon to run your project with us at Arcbazar. We hope you get around to start your home remodel project, we would love to work with you! Regards, Ana Team Arcbazar ana@arcbazar.com 617 756 1808

peter K.
10/2012
5.0
architect
  + -1 more
The actual submission of the project was challenging. There are a variety of ways to outsmart the server timeout. It took me a while. I would suggest a preview of what the actual submission will involve instead of stepwise continued phases through the process. This would allow thorough preparation without having the constraints of a timeout. Ana was very helpful and amended my presentation as well as my award money when requested. Do call them before submission to get the ins and outs of their program. It would be worth the time. Arcbazar is a brilliant concept that uses crowd sourcing and talented designers from around the world.
Description of Work: Our competition involved a remodel of the west and south facades. After loading the photos, I described what we had in mind and submitted to the designers. We were surprised by the variety of creative interpretations of our project and considered them all. Arcbazar is prompt, thorough and very helpful, especially for someone who knows nothing about architectural design. We are now in the stage of hiring a contractor and will continue to use our architect as a resource.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$800

Response from Arcbazar Inc
Dear [member name removed] Thank you for buying a coupon to run your project with us at Arcbazar. We hope you get around to start your home remodel project, we would love to work with you! Regards, Ana Team Arcbazar ana@arcbazar.com 617 756 1808

dora H.
10/2012
5.0
architect
  + -1 more
I couldn't be more pleased with the results. Got nine submissions - five of them were excellent and provided innovative designs. Well worth the money. The company was exceptionally responsive and helpful. Would definitely use again!
Description of Work: Company provided designs for an addition to the back - including moving the kitchen and adding a sunroom and bath.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,150

Response from Arcbazar Inc
Dear [removed member name] Thank you for buying a coupon to run your project with us at Arcbazar. We hope you get around to start your home remodel project, we would love to work with you! Regards, Ana Team Arcbazar ana@arcbazar.com 617 756 1808

Jeff A.
10/2012
5.0
architect, interior designers
  + 0 more
Loved the Arcbazar process. It really helped me achieve what I need (Good Ideas!!!). The remodeling process has now begun with several deposits for things already. Since many things can take months to be created, it will be a bit longer, before I can see my new Great Room, in "Real Time", but it will be in the not too distant future. Thanks for the wonderful website and results! Jeff Abrams Ocala, FL, USA
Description of Work: Interior decorating and design ideas, for a Great Room and Living Room

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$250

Response from Arcbazar Inc
Dear [member name removed] Thank you for buying a coupon to run your project with us at Arcbazar. We hope you get around to start your home remodel project, we would love to work with you! Regards, Ana Team Arcbazar ana@arcbazar.com 617 756 1808

missy C.
10/2012
5.0
architect
  + -1 more
It was a very worthwhile experience. The only potential downfall for me was that the actual software/web site seemed a little bit "under par" from what it could have been. I like the "anonymous" aspect of the site but sometimes it made it difficult to communicate extra or additional info with a designer. But the staff was great and responsive with those matters. Overall, it was a great experience.
Description of Work: I submitted a vacant lot with photos and video and asked for a home to be designed from the ground up with certain parameters. I gave an ambitious 3 week deadline. About 16 designers signed up and about half actually made submissions by the date required, 1 of which was nearly exactly what I had asked for.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,000

Response from Arcbazar Inc
Dear [name removed] Thank you for buying a coupon to run your project with us at Arcbazar. We hope you get around to start your home remodel project, we would love to work with you! Regards, Ana Team Arcbazar ana@arcbazar.com 617 756 1808

Tammy P.
09/2012
5.0
architect
  + -1 more
Company representative, Ana, was extremely professional and helpful. Since I had not used their services previously I did not realize that it would have been best to set up my project into two (2) or three (3) separate projects. When Ana noticed that the project did not have enough architects she suggested that there was too much detail and offered to rewrite my description. In addition, she laid out the project into 2 separate projects. From reviewing other projects, I believe Ana's advice was accurate so we decided to cancel the project that I am writing this review for and we will be looking at re-engaging with Arcbazar again at a later date. Because of their professionalism, follow-up, and no hassle when had to cancel I would recommend others to give them a try for their projects. And if you have any questions or issues in setting up your project, just give them a call.
Description of Work: Ran one project for a whole house remodel, design for an addition and design for the landscape/hardscape.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,380

Response from Arcbazar Inc
Dear [removed member name] Thank you for running your project with us at Arcbazar. We hope you keep us in mind for a future home remodel project, we would love to work with you again! Regards, Ana Team Arcbazar ana@arcbazar.com 617 756 1808

BOLA O.
09/2012
5.0
architect, interior designers
  + 0 more
They gave me an Angie's List discount. They opened the competition and I chose 3 finalists. It was a very good experience. Those people were so hard working, they were available to answer my questions on the weekends.
Description of Work: They facilitated a competition for designers to design my office.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$500

Response from Arcbazar Inc
Dear [removed member name] Thank you for running your project with us at Arcbazar. We hope you keep us in mind for a future home remodel project, we would love to work with you again! Regards, Ana Team Arcbazar ana@arcbazar.com 617 756 1808

Elizabeth D.
09/2012
5.0
architect, interior designers
  + 0 more
I'm writing this about to launch a second competition on arcbazar. The process is amazing! I found myself checking the website every day to see which new designs were going to be uploaded. The process went like this: I told them my design problems and what I hoped the space would feel like. I needed storage on the first floor, a place to store my bike, and to create living room space that was ideal for entertaining. I had trouble with measurements but the arcbazar team helped me figure that out. I took pics, submitted the request and launched the competition. I enjoyed the process over the next two weeks while designers asked questions and began to post their designs. The competition ended two days ago. I had a tough time deciding which one I liked most, but I tell you, the one I picked addressed every problem I had and really, really completes the first floor for me. I am sooo excited to execute this plan. I was originally going to just engage a contractor directly, thinking I could come up with good design but came across arcbazar and thought I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did because what I got was design ideas I never thought of that make the space one I'm very much looking forward to come home to. Totally recommend this process for anyone doing even a small renovation. I'm going to have them design me a deck and landscape my back yard next!
Description of Work: Arcbazar is a design competition platform that allows users to submit design problems and they connect with designers around the world to help you solve your design problems. I chose a redesign of my first floor dining room, living room, and entrance hallway.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$350

SUZANNE CRESS W.
09/2012
5.0
architect
  + -1 more
Overall the process went really well. It would have helped to have a better way to download and print the submissions but the quality of what we received was excellent.
Description of Work: Posted a competition for a home addition. Received 13 submissions and a ton of great ideas. It was exactly what we were looking for to jump start our renovation project.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
4.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,800

Response from Arcbazar Inc
Dear [member name removed] Thank you for running your project with us at Arcbazar. We hope you keep us in mind for a future home remodel project, we would love to work with you again! Regards, Ana Team Arcbazar ana@arcbazar.com 617 756 1808

Coleen F.
08/2012
5.0
architect, interior designers
  + 0 more
To help us design our nursery, we found Arcbazaar and tried them out. We had a great experience with them. The staff was very responsive and helpful with any questions or concerns we had along the way. We’d used interior designers or consultants before and were aware of the cost just to get one design idea. For less money, we were able to get nine designs including detailed drawings and shopping lists, matching our stated preferences and budget for our nursery. We had fun reviewing and selecting the winning design and are in the process of implementing it now. We’d definitely use them again. We’ve already recommended them to our friends and family.
Description of Work: We were expecting our first child this past summer and needed help creating his nursery. We initiated a contest on Arcbazaar to take an existing spare bedroom and turn it into our baby’s nursery. We communicated the room’s measurements, our design style, preferences and our budget. We requested detailed drawings and an itemized list of recommended furniture or other items to purchase. Nine designers submitted designs.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$300

Response from Arcbazar Inc
Dear [removed member name] Thank you for running your project with us at Arcbazar. We hope you keep us in mind for a future home remodel project, we would love to work with you again! Regards, Ana Team Arcbazar ana@arcbazar.com 617 756 1808

James N.
08/2012
5.0
architect
  + -1 more
We received 15 different designs for our bathroom remodel. The experience was good and we will be working with the winner to make a few changes to the winning design.
Description of Work: I launched a design competition for a master bathroom remodel.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$400

Response from Arcbazar Inc
Dear [member name removed] Thank you for running your project with us at Arcbazar. We hope you keep us in mind for a future home remodel project, we would love to work with you again! Regards, Ana Team Arcbazar ana@arcbazar.com 617 756 1808

RACHEL B.
08/2012
3.0
architect
  + -1 more
I used the Arcbazar service for a plan to take 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom and turn that into 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. I offered $1000 to the winners, more than what I expected based on other Angie's list reviews but less than their recommendation. I ended up having 5 submissions and none were interesting or different than what I had already come up with myself. Certainly nothing I would actually use. Two of the submissions had nothing to do with what I requested (an interior design submission on an architectural project). I love the idea of getting ideas from amateurs competing, and I thought Arcbazar itself has wonderful service. You are at the mercy of the architects who decide to take on your project, that is the risk. I would not take this risk again, I really wanted it to work for me but it didn't. I was so unimpressed by the results that I forgot to award a winner until I was reminded by Arcbazar. The submissions were so poor that I couldn't even award a third place. Arcbazar kindly refunded the money that would have gone to third place, which made me wonder if I shouldn't have submitted any winners.
Description of Work: I submitted a project for architectural re-design of my home, taking three bedrooms and one bathroom and turning that into two bedrooms and two bathrooms. In the Arcbazar model individuals submit designs and I chose the best design to get the money I offered. Five different designs were submitted.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
2.0
value
2.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

$1,000

Response from Arcbazar Inc
Dear [member name removed], We are sorry that our experience was less than great. We work hard to provide an innovative service. We hope to have another opportunity to work with you. Ana Team Arcbazar ana@arcbazar.com 617 756 1808

Carol B.
07/2012
5.0
architect
  + -1 more
We had an outstanding experience with Arcbazar! We were looking for someone to develop a plan for an unfinished basement in our new home. I learned about Arcbazar on Angie's List and decided to try the site after reading so many positive reviews. We were very impressed with the quality of the plans, and the promptness, creativity and geographic diversity of the people who responded. We have mentioned the site to many others. Our contractor was able to to work with our top three plans, and our work will begin in the fall. This is a fabulous site--the costs are very reasonable for the benefit of getting many different perspectives. At the same time, common design elements appeared in the plans helping us make decisions that were important to the layout of the space. The Arcbazar staff were very helpful and promptly answered all questions! Great experience!
Description of Work: We were looking for plans and creative ideas to finish a basement in our recently purchased new home. We submitted the requested information to Arcbazar and, within three weeks, received 14 different, interesting plans from architects all over the world.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$800

Response from Arcbazar Inc
Dear [removed member name] Thank you for running your project with us at Arcbazar. We hope you keep us in mind for a future home remodel project, we would love to work with you again! Regards, Ana Team Arcbazar ana@arcbazar.com 617 756 1808

David R.
07/2012
5.0
architect
  + -1 more
Overall the project ran smoothly and whenever there were any questions the support from arcbazar.com was excellent. I contacted them to make sure I understood the process and looked at previous contests that had been run on the site. I then put together a description of our project and posted it. On the due date I went through the submissions and selected the winners. I was very pleased with the whole experience.
Description of Work: I posted a project on arcbazar.com which involved designing a second floor addition for our house as well as renovations to the main floor. We were not interested in plans which could be given to a builder to actually do the construction (but you can ask for that if you wish) but we were interested in a more preliminary job and just seeing how different layouts would look. The project had more than 15 designers submit entries. From the large number of entries we saw new ideas about how we might decide to do the addition should we decide to proceed. That was exactly what I was looking for and was a lot of value for the amount of money we put up for the contest.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,300

Response from Arcbazar Inc
Dear [member name removed] Thank you for running your project with us at Arcbazar. We hope you keep us in mind for a future home remodel project, we would love to work with you again! Regards, Ana Team Arcbazar ana@arcbazar.com 617 756 1808

Benjamin L.
07/2012
5.0
architect
  + -1 more
went pretty well, there are some quirks to the process and getting dimensional drawings is something you need to specify for if you want. Otherwise, they provide approx dimensions.
Description of Work: Posted a rough design for new bathrooms and I got approx 15 results in 10 days. Out of all those designs, only one was really usable, but that is the one we actually implemented in our bathrooms today.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
4.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$400

Response from Arcbazar Inc
Dear (removed member name) Thank you for running your project with us at Arcbazar. We hope you keep us in mind for a future home remodel project, we would love to work with you again! Regards, Ana Team Arcbazar ana@arcbazar.com 617 756 1808

Elaine O.
07/2012
5.0
architect
  + -1 more
There were a total of 26 architects that signed up for the competition. We recieved 11 design plans by the deadline date. Choosing the top three was the most difficult part. We were given the opportunity to get in touch with the winner(s) after we made our selections, and I'm glad to say we have made contact to make minor adjustments to the floor plan. Overall, if you have a design project you want done, this is the way to go. You'll get multiple ideas for one price and great service from the arcbazar staff.
Description of Work: Finding it difficult to locate a reputable and inexpensive architect in our area, we found this web-based service to be the answer to our problems. We posted a floor plan design project which included the redesign of four rooms in our 1952 ranch-style home. We provided the potential architects with photos and an original blue print of the house with specific instructions of what rooms we wanted changed. We were contacted immediately by arcbazar personnel who was most helpful in assisting us with the process. The "competition" began immediately and updates by arcbazar were most appreciated. Some of the competitors asked questions to verify project requirements which allowed for clarification of project requirements.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
4.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,000

Response from Arcbazar Inc
Dear [member name removed] Thank you for running your project with us at Arcbazar. We hope you keep us in mind for a future home remodel project, we would love to work with you again! Regards, Ana Team Arcbazar ana@arcbazar.com 617 756 1808

J K W.
05/2012
5.0
architect
  + -1 more
I was looking for an architect or designer to help me design a small guesthouse to go behind my main house here in SoCal. To get this done, most people think to ask around, get referrals, talk with each referral to test chemistry and see some of their prior work, and then hire one of them and ask for some preliminary renderings to give an idea of how THEY interpret what I want. In the past, this procedure has proven to be very time consuming, costly, and frequently very disappointing - more often than not I would not get what I wanted in the design, so more $$ spent to tweak and redraw. But now there's ArcBazar. For minimal cost, I gave ArcBazar a detailed written outline of what I wanted in the guesthouse, then ArcBazar opened a Web-based competition for designers from around the world to prepare their interpretation of my outline. Essentially the same procedure that I would have used locally, but I ended up with 18 designers signing on to compete in my competition, which resulted in a final 10 full blown complelte design submissions!! At the end of the competition, ArcBazar asked me to pick and rank the top 3 submissions, and they split my "prize money" among them. Overall, I received 10 very creative design submissions for about the cost of a "first draft" rendering from a single architect here in the States. Overall, a very satisfying experience. I would highly recommend ArcBazar to anyone who needs creative professional design help on anything from a remodel to a new house construction. ArcBazar is an innovative concept that works pretty well. I hope they are around for a long time.
Description of Work: ArcBazar provides a Web-based service that allows architectural designers from around the world to compete to prepare conceptual renderings for building projects. Very cost effective way to get several creative designs for a single project. Really satisfies a huge need for cost-effective architectural design in a novel, efficient and cost-effective way.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$800

Response from Arcbazar Inc
Dear (removed member name) Thank you for running your project with us at Arcbazar. We hope you keep us in mind for a future home remodel project, we would love to work with you again! Regards, Ana Team Arcbazar ana@arcbazar.com 617 756 1808

Jeffry B.
05/2012
5.0
architect
  + -1 more
I found Arcbazar by doing a search on Angie's List for "Architects", it sounded very intriguing to me....put your project online and let people from all over the world submit proposals with detailed drawings and renderings. We just bought a small ranch style home that was built in the 50's and it still had the original floor plan and appliances; we want to completely remodel the home starting with the kitchen and living but we didn't have a good idea of how to lay everything out for the best use of the space. We also didn't want to spend an excessive amount on an architect before we even knew what kind of plan they might come up with....that's where Arcbazar came in. I put together a quick drawing of the house using Google Sketchup (free), took pictures of all spaces and submitted everything along with our desires, likes and dislikes on Arcbazar with a three week deadline for submissions for the competitors.The staff at Arcbazar were extremely kind, prompt and professional; they did not give us a "money back" guarantee, but they did a great job overcoming our initial hesitations of paying up front. During the next three weeks we had a steady stream of people from all over the world signing up for the competition and as the deadline approached we had a total of 21 people signed up; every time we got a notification a new contender,we would get more excited. In the end, we had 11 people that actually submitted plans for our review. The hardest part was reviewing the plans and ranking them....these people are good! We were completely surprised by the amount of work some people put into our design, the read everything we said about our style and desires and used them. Many of them even submitted intricate 3D drawings that can be viewed on Google Sketchup. We have now made contact with the winner and we are planning on using them for the remodel project. By using Arcbazar we have the plans we want and we now have an architect that we know from the beginning is on the same page we are.....all for a modest fee that we would have paid to an unknown architect in a short amount of time. We will be using Arcbazar many more times and I highly recommend you submit your own project with them.
Description of Work: Architects and designers from all over the world submitted plans for remodeling our kitchen and living area.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,100

Response from Arcbazar Inc
Dear(removed member name) Thank you for running your project with us at Arcbazar. We hope you keep us in mind for a future home remodel project, we would love to work with you again! Regards, Ana Team Arcbazar ana@arcbazar.com 617 756 1808

Holly D.
05/2012
5.0
architect
  + -1 more
Have not used the company yet, but I sure plan to. Promptly responded to my questions, professional looking results and helpful website. I'm looking forward to the results. Just need to complete my submission.
Description of Work: Architecturaly drawings.

Rating CategoryRating out of 5
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0

Yes, I recommend this pro

Response from Arcbazar Inc
Dear [member name removed] Thank you for running your project with us at Arcbazar. We hope you keep us in mind for a future home remodel project, we would love to work with you again! Regards, Ana Team Arcbazar ana@arcbazar.com 617 756 1808

Contact information

114 Western Ave, Allston, MA 02134

http://www.arcbazar.com

Service hours

Sunday:
Open All Day
Monday:
Open All Day
Tuesday:
Open All Day
Wednesday:
Open All Day
Thursday:
Open All Day
Friday:
Open All Day
Saturday:
Open All Day

Licensing

State Contractor License Requirements

All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our State Contractor License Requirements page.

*Contact business to see additional licenses.


Service Categories

Architects,
Interior Design and Decorating

FAQ

Arcbazar Inc is currently rated 4.5 overall out of 5.

Sunday: Open All Day

Monday: Open All Day

Tuesday: Open All Day

Wednesday: Open All Day

Thursday: Open All Day

Friday: Open All Day

Saturday: Open All Day

Arcbazar Inc accepts the following forms of payment: American Express,Check,Discover,MasterCard,PayPal,Visa
Yes, Arcbazar Inc offers free project estimates.
No, Arcbazar Inc does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
Yes, Arcbazar Inc offers a 50% senior discount.
No, Arcbazar Inc does not offer emergency services.
No, Arcbazar Inc does not offer warranties.
Arcbazar Inc offers the following services: Design Contests for Architecture, Landscape, & Interior Design Projects
Issue Permits, On-Site Implementation, & Contractor Work.

Contact information

114 Western Ave, Allston, MA 02134

http://www.arcbazar.com

Service hours

Sunday:
Open All Day
Monday:
Open All Day
Tuesday:
Open All Day
Wednesday:
Open All Day
Thursday:
Open All Day
Friday:
Open All Day
Saturday:
Open All Day