SHELTER ARCHITECTURE

They did a great job. Before we bought our home, they visited a few others with us to give us a basic remodeling ideas and an idea of a project budget. When we finally closed on our house, they worked with us to integrate a fireplace into the living room, and they put together a plan for a third story bedroom and bath. The reason we went with Shelter is that we wanted something a bit more modern and designed - not just a typical suburban fireplace and bedroom, but something more interesting. We got what we were looking for. They gave us three fireplace ideas; two were pretty standard (small fireplace under in the middle of a wall), but one was unique - a corner fireplace with a bench extending along the wall. We went with the third option, and it looks great, and really adds to the character of our living area. We haven't started the second project yet (attic bedroom/bath), but they've given us some good ideas already, and we'll continue to work with them when we start the project. Our project was tiny compared to what they normally do, but they still did a great job.

Great. Very professional and friendly.

I had worked with architects before and had bad experiences. I usually ended up knowing more than the architects in the past. But Shelter has changed my impression of architects. This is a small firm so we were able to work directly with the owner and then with his expert on green building and building science. They helped us design an extremely innovative new custom home that is beautifully suited to our needs. The plans are complete now and construction begins in a couple months. We have also hired them to assist us through the construction process to help verify that everything will be completed to specification. Colin's knowledge of new building techniques and green products is endless and he is always eager to learn more. He has been extremely helpful recommending quality subcontractors to us and answering all questions in a timely fashion.

What they came up with was amazing! We were very surprised with all of the ideas that they had. They were very flexible and willing to come meet with us at our home at six in the evening. They helped us deal with code issues that came up with the city. They have also continued to take an interest in the project as it is being built.

They were relaxed, easy to work with, and capable. We meet Shelter using their "Reality Check" service. A 2-3 hour brainstorming session. It was very positive and gave us a bunch of good ideas. We decided to use them to create a master plan which is a longer, more involved version of the reality check. We are happy with the result, but we should've imposed deadlines to keep the process from dragging on. I'd recommend their Reality Check to anyone planning a remodel. Going beyond that will depend on your needs/relationship/budget. You can always take the sketches to design-build contractor if you decide Shelter isn't for you.

Note: 1) We had never worked with a designer or architect before. 2) We were operating on a tight initial budget of $20,000. Initial impression was great. Architect/designer J. Millea went out of her way to meet us on a Sat. for the initial consultation. Since we had never worked with an architect/designer before, our expectations were defined purely by information on Shelter's website and by what J. Millea indicated to us verbally. Very little of the expectations they established came to fruition. Things started unraveling immediately. For example, on the day that the sellers made their home available to us prior to the official closing, the intern forgot the camera and laughed it off. Summary of our experience: 1) no comprehensive plan was ever provided, information came slowly and in a very piecemeal way, which made it hard for us to make decisions and slowed the overall process. 2) e-mails and questions were ignored. 3)Shelter's self-imposed deadlines were rarely, if ever, kept.

THEY WERE FANTASTIC, LISTEN CAREFULLY, NOT TO EXPENSIVE, AND CREATED AN INNOVATIVE. WWW.SHELTERARCHITECTURE.COM IS THEIR WEBSITE.