Googe J Hilton Design Group

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Hilton Googe has been designing house plans for 40+ years and is probably the premier designer of elevated plans...certainly in the Charleston and surrounding area. I've used his plans in the past and found them to be efficient to build and highly "liveable." When we decided to build our personal home, a Googe design was the first consideration. While there are hundreds of stock plans available, we worked with Hilton on making major modifications to our plan; essentially creating a custom plan. Throughout the process Hilton provided the same guidance, suggestions, and professional expertise that is is trademark. I've built lots of houses. Nevertheless, Hilton was able to provide a perspective that only years of experience can create. We spent hours pouring over various ideas and options while Hilton remained steadfast in steering the design back to a common-sense use of materials and space...also his trademark. Hilton was never shy about providing push-back in the form of guidance by taking the time to fully explain his position and giving us (and by us...I mean my wife) ample opportunity to fully think through the options. His familiarity with his products and first-hand experience with so many iterations of his designs over time gives him the unique perspective of knowing what works best ... and what doesn't. While he always makes it clear that in the end, "I'll do whatever you want", he makes every reasonable effort to provide guidance based on his significant experience. Hilton is "old school." He personally draws his plans ... as in pencil to paper. And his passion for getting it right is what drives him. It's not unusual to find that, for example, the master bathroom plan you finally see is the culmination of 15 or more hand drawings where he kept making incremental improvements until he was satisfied. Hilton never wanted to work on cars, plant gardens, etc. He wanted to design houses. And he does it with the same enthusiasm today as decades ago. There are lots of draftsmen and architects out there who can manipulate their CAD systems and crank out tons of plans. But technology is just a tool. Passion and enthusiasm for what you do is what creates the work product. It is clear that when you're working with Hilton on a plan that he's fully engaged in the project and genuinely focused on the best possible outcome. (Btw...the final plan is fully computer generated with all applicable notes and details, not a hand drawing) Finally, because Hilton has been doing this for a very long time, it would difficult to find a subcontractor who was not familiar with his plans. And they appreciate the thought that goes into the dimensions and the overall efficiency of the designs. There's nothing to "guess" about. It's straightforward, it's properly engineered, and it's simple to make minor field changes...because there are almost always a few of those "last minute ideas" that pop up. I would highly recommend the J. Hilton Googe Design Group whether for a custom project or one of 100's of stock plans. His methods are tried and true. And if it's a custom plan (or significant modification), I'd urge you to listen carefully to the feedback that will be provided. It could be priceless.