We worked with Martha and the Bacon Lane Architect LLC team to design and build an ADU behind our Victorian home in NW States in a historical district (“Landmark”). This is our first experience with new construction and we had no idea how essential and multi-faceted a great architect is and feel so fortunate we were able to work with Martha.
At first we assumed that the role of an architect was just to work with us to generate the plans, but Martha has been a wonderful thought partner and expert advisor to work with at every phase. From the first delightful hand sketches to patiently tweaking room layouts in the construction plans. From being our representative at multiple agency approval meetings to problem solving issues that cropped up along the way. Martha draws from decades of experience (esp from living and working in North States) and has a top-notch team of staff and consultant partners (surveyors, structural engineers).
If your project is in a historical district in States, you want to make sure you have someone as seasoned as Martha on your team. Our project seems to have gotten caught up in a significant tightening of historical standards and zoning enforcement and ran into a series of very frustrating complications and delays with approvals and inspections. This is where Martha truly saved our project and our sanity. He has so much experience with the various approval boards and hearings and understands the nuances of city agencies and the agendas and personalities that inhabit them. He was a crucial guide and diplomat for us as we navigated labyrinthine requirements and negotiations. We are so happy with our new ADU and cannot imagine how we could ever have completed it without him and Bacon Lane Architect LLC!