Architectural Design Incorporated

We worked with Peter/Architectural Design to completely renovate our home from the foundation up. He was an absolute pleasure to work with – highly creative, professional and patient, and very accessible, which was especially important as we were living several hours from the Cape throughout during the design and build phase. He embraced the challenges imposed by lot size and roof lines, with a design that respected the original exterior and fit in with the neighboring homes, but provided everything on our “wish list” and more. He also worked closely with the National Seashore to ensure compliance with all guidelines. Lastly, he coordinated very closely with the AD Build team. The AD Build team was also an absolute pleasure to work with. Through their high-quality craftsmanship and attention to detail our vision was beautifully realized. From an execution perspective, their on-line project management system provided clarity on time lines for decision-making, clear summary of decisions made, and budget tracking. Dave regularly uploaded photos so we could see progress, and was readily available for meetings and phone calls for status updates, issues resolution etc. His professionalism, care and patience were so appreciated. I unequivocally recommend Architectural Design, and AD Build, to others.

Exceptional design and great coordination with the AD Build team. Their attention to detail, their selection and oversight of subcontractors, and their assistance with lighting, hardware, et al, to complement our contemporary design was exemplary. And, they are fine and caring people.

High end professional organization with attention to detail. From the A drawing package to the finished product we are very happy with our renovation. The staff from the GC to the administrator were very courteous and responsive. This organization is accredited and has their act together.

We have Architectural Design Incorporated to help us construct two beautiful homes on the Cape. Highly professional, creative and reasonably priced. They were on time and helped us build our dream retirement home. I would recommend them highly and if we ever needed to build another house or do a remodel, would not think twice.

The level of care, quality and professionalism shown by Peter and everyone at Architectural Design is a blessing! Truly a great company to work with and we look forward to more collaborations with AD for many years to come.

I have been referring buyers to Architectural Design for decades. As a Real Estate professional I need to refer my buyers only to architects to whom I would want to work myself. I value Architectural Design's creativity, professionalism, honesty and integrity. Their designs are considerate of the unique aspects, topography and challenges presented by every unique building site. I love the high praise I receive back from people who have worked with Peter and John. There are several designs being worked on now and many that have been built in the past. There are never any unpleasant "surprises".

Peter Haig and John Ingwersen of AD Inc were involved in our project from the very beginning. Based on homes that we visited that AD Inc had designed, their experience, & their warm yet professional demeanors, we entered a working relationship. They met with us, at the property site, to discuss the location and how we intended to use the house. After listening well and carefully, they drafted architectural drawings of a new dwelling that was unique, interesting, aesthetically appealing, & that fit the environment & surroundings of our land. Peter & John were always readily available if our builder or we had any concerns or issues during the construction phase of the house. Often they were able to make changes that were aesthetically pleasing and practically necessary to avoid construction complications. AD Inc was instrumental in the lighting (electrical design) as well which positively impacts the atmosphere of our new home. Their work was always completed in a timely fashion and they worked well with all tradesmen involved in the project. The result is that we now have a home that we love and fits our lifestyle, where our entire family enjoys to gather.

We had planned to interview a number of architects, but after the first meeting with Architectural Design Incorporated (ADI) we knew immediately that we could work with them. We assumed the architect would have the technical and professional skills to design a building, but we were looking for an architect/firm that would listen to us and design a home rather than a house. Most importantly, we knew we needed an architect that would be part of the architect-builder team, not just the designer. For these to happen we needed an architect that would listen to us and help us to design a home to be passed on into the generations. ADI started with a blank sheet of paper, literally, with a heavily wooded lot. ADI met with us in person and via Skype as they listened and learned what we wanted from our house and how we planned to live in the home. Listening to how we planned to live was critical to the eventual design they came up with and is a key part of the quality of their firm. They made it fun to work together. ADI did all of the above and more. Their ability to listen to our ideas and convert them to a realistic, buildable, and affordable plan was amazing. Communications between ADI and the builder (Goff Brothers Construction Company Inc.) was truly seamless and critical reason our house is a home. This team worked closely together to ensure we kept to the budget we wanted and both made great efforts to present different ideas to improve the design and reduce costs when they thought it would benefit us and the final product.

We bought a house designed in 1999 specifically for its site and meticulously built and maintained until our purchase in 2011. It was our 15th house and was purchased to be our last. So everything on our 'must have' list was required and this house met 95% of those requirements. Since it was site specific, there is not another house like this and the siting plus spaces created capture the ocean views and flows internally perfectly. But like all houses, regardless of their quality, things get dated...mostly baths and the kitchen. We had already performed an upgrade on the kitchen (the space not requiring any alterations) so it was the separate his/her master baths and separate closets that were next in need of refreshing. Many months of intense planning went into taking nearly 700 available square feet and designing a completely different 21st century master bath. Nothing was spared to insure at least a 15-20 year life span with the latest technologies and amenities. But the added challenge for the architect was that we wanted this renovation to blend seamlessly with the rest of the house and overall design…such that no one would know it was not completed as part of the original construction. So an enormous amount of time and planning was exercised in selecting materials and the right craftsmen to insure that there was no interruption in going from old to new and new to old. Surprisingly this was achieved by many minor decisions that cumulated into the end product. There were no easy short cuts by the purchase of just one expensive item or one ‘wow’ material. There were no ‘stars’ to this renovation other that the space itself. The new master bath and his/her closets work in perfect harmony with every other design element in the original structure. And we achieved this without altering the exterior footprint at all. A well-designed house is no different than any other creative expression. When renovating/upgrading you have the choice of preserving that expression or changing it. Most renovations become expedient where dozens of tiny ‘paper cuts’ detracts from the original design. In this case, working with the original architects, we had the commitment on both sides to preserving the original design while not sacrificing any functionality…in fact we improved it for our personal uses over the original owners who had a different set of needs. The project started and was completed on time. And the daily project management insured that every element was held to the highest quality standard and was not approved until it was completely finished.

Very Creative! Architectural Design Incorporated helped my team by offering wonderful ideas for a house that we were marketing for sale. They presented a vision for renovation that completely changed the look of a house, turning it from awkward to elegant.

We are so pleased that we chose Peter Haig and John Ingwerson at Architectural Design for our “dream house” on the beach. They are smart, creative, thoughtful, and personable architects, who made this whole process so much more enjoyable than we could have imagined. Our site was a challenge, as we have a very small lot, were limited by conservation rules and were required by the town to build on the original footprint. Peter or John accompanied us to the seven zoning board and conservation commission meetings over many months, and were able to continually revise the plans to abide by town restrictions. We had been warned by others who had built homes that conflicts often arise between architects and builders. Our experience with Peter and John was the opposite: they were remarkably collaborative with all who were involved in this complicated project including the builders, conservation agent, interior designer, civil and structural engineers. Peter and John created an ingenious design for our home, in a way that maximized our living space and allowed us to take advantage of the dramatic views from every window. They designed five different levels within two stories, creating a spacious and very practical living area. We give AD our highest recommendation, for both their high quality architectural design skills and their professional, collaborative approach to projects.

Architectural Design (AD) was hired to design our home on Cape Cod as part of a process involving a comprehensive review process and interviews of ten architectural firms. We selected AD for a range of reasons. First, they emphasized the collaborative process between architect and owner that was critical for us. We didn't want someone to go away and bring us back a design - we had definite ideas and wanted to integral to the design process. Second, was the team. Many firms started with their principal architect with the intent to bring in a junior person as point. We met with John Ingwersen and John made it clear that we would be our primary contact, with support from his very capable office. We hired AD in October 2009 to design our home and to provide project management services during construction. The design process went very smoothly. The site was a little challenging to capture the best orientation of the sun and to maximize views of Nantucket Sound. The process was truly collaborative as we had hoped. John and his team were very efficient, quickly turned design options and sketches. John managed the process to obtain construction bids from a range of qualified contractors. Construction commenced on October 2010. While it may seem like a long design period, we were living remotely from Cape Cod and were only able to visit monthly. Some reviews were done by email and phone but, basically, we were not in a hurry and wanted to make sure we had the design fully complete before starting construction. Construction of the home took about 12 months - we moved into our home mid October 2011. The construction phase went very smoothly, particularly given the complex framing requirements and architectural details. John made regular site visits to monitor construction and address any of the contractors' questions. We have been living in our home now for two years and are as thrilled as the day we moved in. John and his team at AD designed a warm, comfortable home for us that fits perfectly with our lifestyle. The exterior views and exposure to the sun provide natural light and bring mother nature into our home. We couldn't be any happier with the outcome. We highly recommend AD for anyone interested in a new home (or renovation). In addition to being highly capable and professional, John and his team are a delight to work with and are wonderful people.

Working with the AD team in building our Cape Cod dream retirement house was an absolute pleasure from start to finish. John and Peter's understanding of our intentions and desires was almost intuitive from the very start of the design process and continued through final plans, builder selection, construction and completion. AD's professionalism, creativity, and attention to detail resulted in a stunningly beautiful and superbly functional home. In fact, we were so impressed and pleased with their work on the Cape house, we asked them to design a mountain retreat for us in North Carolina, another fantastic experience which has resulted in another spectacular home. AD is the best!

Architectural Design, Incorporated, architects on Cape Cod, MA company principals John Ingwersen, Andrew Miao and Peter Haig are all experienced Cape and Islands architects with degrees from Harvard and MIT, with wide-ranging design experience. The company was strongly recommended by former clients when we were looking for an architectural firm to design a unique home on Cape Cod that was a blend of both Cape Cod/Nantucket and Japanese design elements. We were fortunate to work with all 3 principals who each brought complementary skills to the task. There were many challenges bringing these diverse architectural design criteria together into a coherent, liveable home design. AD, Inc. was more than up to that challenge delivering a complete set of drawings and construction blueprints and documentation that met our requirements exactly and the builder found perfect to work with. The design phase of the project was completed on time within the budget established up front. AD, Inc. also provided oversight during the construction phase of the project consulting with the builder and owners on a number of issues as the work progressed. A number of new materials were used successfully which AD researched and recommended as appropriate for this project. We would recommend AD, Inc. to anyone planning to design a high quality project, especially if there are unique elements in the design that require creative solutions. JDC - Orleans, MA