What People Are Saying
“We count ourselves as extraordinarily fortunate to have found Jim in Durango. Building a special home on a spectacular lot in a small mountain town, while living elsewhere, was an undertaking many people advised us against - and yet with Jim the process was seamless.
Jim surpassed our expectations every step of the way, and did so with patience, kindness and diplomacy. We developed immense respect for his creative talent, depth of knowledge and attention to detail. It was a joy to work with him and we continue to reap the daily benefits of living in a thoughtfully curated and functional space.”
— Rob & Bridget E.
“Working with Jim on our house project can best be described as a good dream come true. He expanded on our initial ideas to the very last detail and was in constant contact. After starting to put lines on paper, he stayed in touch, checking on the little things that really make a difference. During construction, Jim visited the site several times weekly, consulting with our builder, and made sure things were right.
He just made it seem so effortless. We can’t imagine having done our project without him.”
— Pat & Jan M.
“Jim has the unique ability to provide an “Old School” architectural service to his clients while staying modern in style, aesthetics, materials and techniques. His communication skills are sharp and he’s available for guidance whenever the project needs it. Delivers great details from the beginning and adapts to new conditions as necessary. I enjoy every project I work with him on.”
— Chris L.
“Jim is the epitome of professional. He’s an extremely talented and knowledgable architect. We sought him out after seeing a few homes he had designed, one of which was his own.
Impressed by his work and communication style, we decided to design our first home with him. Throughout the process he was always very responsive and professional, and his expertise guided our design decisions. We are extremely pleased with the work and would highly recommend him to anyone wanting to build a custom home. Thank you, Jim!”
— Mark M.
“We’re closing in on 30 years of building custom homes in the Durango area. In that time we’ve had the pleasure and the privilege of working with not only numerous local architects, but also architects from all over the United States. Jim is one the finest!
His ability to create one of a kind projects from site planning through landscaping is unsurpassed. His continued help, direction, and support throughout a project is invaluable to a general contractor and assures the homeowner an impeccable finished product.”
— Aaron T.
“ I am an engineer and very particular; some consider me difficult to work for because I am detail oriented and tend to hover over a project. That didn’t bother Jim, or he hid it well if it did.
My wife and I first met Jim at our proposed build site. We discussed our desires and requirements for our planned home; budget, square footage, style, views we wanted to capture, etc. I showed him a rough sketch of a house plan I drew up which lacked style and pizzazz, but conveyed the basics. After some time at the site discussing ideas, and getting acquainted, we were convinced Jim was the Architect for our dream home. He communicated accurately and honestly and he listened to what we wanted. He has a wealth of knowledge about all areas of construction and design.
Jim is very organized. He sent us a well documented contract outlining the general requirements of the home, a target budget, house square footage with estimated cost per square foot to build, a target schedule for construction documents, and a detailed schedule of his services and fees. He also sent us a very detailed program outline questionnaire that served as a guidebook for the design of our home.
After signing the contract we began exchanging emails back and forth developing a preliminary plan, we communicated almost daily with ideas, and pictures of homes that had elements we liked. We agreed the best way to communicate with Jim would be by email which really worked well. Two weeks after contract signing Jim delivered drawings of his vision for our home; my wife and I were blown away with the originality of the design and how perfectly it matched our needs and desires. We gave him the go ahead to proceed with this plan and develop detailed drawings and construction documents.
When construction documents were completed, which were 23 pages of the most detailed house plans I’ve seen, Jim worked with the builder to generate an itemized cost estimate for construction of the home. When the estimate was complete Jim met with us and the contractor to go over every item in the estimate. This gave us the opportunity to make minor modifications or scale back the project before construction began.
Before work on the foundation layout started, Jim spent time with me at the build site making certain the house orientation allowed the large view windows to capture the desired scenery. Once construction began, Jim regularly communicated with the job supervisor to resolve construction issues or make design modification if required. Jim made several visits to the build site which were spelled out in the contract but he also made many additional visits to the site when needed. There were no extra charges for any of this.
Selecting tile, granite, flooring, stone, interior and exterior colors, lighting fixtures, hardware, plumbing, (and the list goes on), can be a daunting task. Jim provided expert assistance with all of those decisions providing detailed lists of requirements and his suggestions for each. He would travel to showrooms to meet with us when requested, which was a huge help with so many choices to make.
We’ve been in the house for over a year now and have not found one thing we would change. The house fits our life style perfectly, and is the dream house we originally envisioned. So many people have commented on the beauty and uniqueness of the design and how perfectly it blends with the surrounding environment. When we decided to build our home in the Four Corners area, I was concerned we wouldn’t find an architect with the experience and design expertise to build the home we wanted. I was sure wrong. I can’t imagine finding another architect so knowledgable and talented yet so easy to work with. My wife and I highly recommend him.”
— Fred & Laura W.