Ten Stellar Architects

 

Each November, we present this sponsored section, where we invite highly accomplished architects of the Chesapeake Region to feature a home they have designed and a profile about their work and firm. Our purpose is to benefit those homeowners who are considering hiring an architect. The principals of these firms are licensed architects and have won professional awards in juried competitions or have been featured in regional and national design magazines, including Annapolis Home Magazine.

As we know these architects personally, we are confident that they are serious about giving you their best work. We would not say that about just any architect. If you are considering hiring an architect to design or remodel your home in greater Annapolis, the Eastern Shore, or the metropolitan D.C. area, you will find in the list below exceptional architects worthy of your consideration.

 

 

 

BEAUTY & AUTHENTICITY

 

 

BarnesVanze Architects creates architecture of beauty and authenticity for clients who share the same aspiration for excellence.

Based in Washington, D.C.’s historic Georgetown, the 25-member firm consists of six principals and a talented studio team who together create sophisticated architecture in a range of contexts, climates, and historical traditions. The firm’s portfolio of expertly designed residential, commercial, institutional, and ecclesiastic projects can be found nationwide and in six other countries, from Canada to the Caribbean.

Photographer: Greg Premru Photography | Builder: Wood and Clay Fine Homes | Landscape Designer: Terrain Planning & Design

 

BarnesVanze Architects

Anthony “Ankie” Barnes, FAIA, LEED AP

Stephen J. Vanze FAIA, LEED AP

Wayne R. Adams

Melanie B. Giordano, AIA

Ellen Hatton, AIA

Michael Patrick, AIA, LEED AP

202.337.7255   |   barnesvanze.com

 

 

A SPECTRUM OF STYLE

 

Donald Lococo Architects is a top architecture firm nationally recognized for compelling homes that span the design spectrum, from warmly traditional to freshly modern. 

Recently, Lococo Architects has achieved a rare distinction: international publication and awards for both traditional and modern architecture. Their dexterous approach allows each client more freedom and many options in how their home evolves. The design process results in homes that are unique and personal.

Photographer: Anice Hoachlander

 

Donald Lococo Architects

Donald Lococo, AIA, NCARB

202.337.4422   |   donaldlococoarchitects.com

 

 

REFINED DESIGN

 

Fred Sieracki has led his Annapolis-based architecture practice since 1996, specializing in custom homes. By creating buildings that are beautiful as well as functional and energy-efficient, he helps clients build their dream house while reducing their carbon footprint. As a sole practitioner, Fred gives each client his personal attention as he guides them through every stage of the process, from design through construction. Clients appreciate his use of historical elements and natural materials that reflect the Chesapeake region—not to mention his attention to detail, which has earned him local and state awards for his designs. 

The clients for this project wanted a French country-style house. The hipped roofs, stucco and stone walls, and other traditional elements pair with modern energy efficiency for a home that’s as practical as it is charming.

 

Fred Sieracki Architects

Fred Sieracki, AIA

410.570.2985   |   fredsierackiarchitect.com

 

 

MODERN LIVING

 

Hansen Architects specializes in maximizing the potential of the most highly regulated waterfront sites in Maryland. Marta Hansen has completed 150+ residential projects on the water, along with numerous inland and commercial structures, many of which have been featured in regional/national publications and won AIA design awards. Hansen’s practice is scaled to ensure clients receive her personal attention in every detail. This ‘boutique’ model yields both a highly unified design vision and the highest quality professional attention. Hansen is noted for blending construction expertise with a deep background in fine arts. This enables her to compose fluently in three dimensions via artful hand sketches, in addition to using computer renderings as needed.

 

Hansen Architects

Marta Hansen, AIA, LEED

410.212.7970   |   hansenarchitects.net

 

 

ENVIRONMENTAL RESILIENCY

 

HD Squared Architects, LLC is an award-winning Architecture, Interiors, and Consulting firm based in Downtown Annapolis. Founded by longtime activist and architect, Melanie Hartwig-Davis, the firm also practices in the District of Columbia.  

HD Squared Architects was honored to receive the American Institute of Architects, Chesapeake Bay Chapter’s first ever Sustainability Award for a bold waterfront design on the Severn River. Melanie’s passionate advocacy for the environment results in sustainable and resilient design strategies interwoven into all aspects of HD Squared’s work. 

 

HD Squared Architects, LLC

Melanie Hartwig-Davis, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C

443.898.9480   |   hd2architects.com

 

 

ALL IN THE DETAILS

 

Jonathan Rivera can claim nearly 20 years of award-winning commercial and residential architecture experience under his own name as he’s worked on custom projects across the mid-Atlantic region, from Washington, D.C., all the way up to the state of New York. Rivera earned his BS and BA in architecture from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, graduating with honors in 1994. He started his career as a senior designer at several architecture firms before ultimately establishing his own Jonathan Rivera Architecture in 2003. With the tagline “Every detail matters,” his firm aims to meet the visions of his clients in a realistic, practical way. He is licensed in Maryland, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C.

For this featured house, Rivera sought to capture the humble and understated approach his client wanted while making use of every inch of the open plan, connecting each space and maximizing daylight. The property even has an in-ground skateboard halfpipe that attracts skateboarders from across the county to skate at the “Shred Mansion.”

 

Jonathan Rivera Architecture

Jonathan Rivera, AIA, NCARB

443.226.5745   |   jonathanrivera.com

 

 

CREATIVELY INSPIRED

 

JTAD offers a guided, collaborative, comprehensive and creative design experience to homeowners who want to infuse their lives with timeless elegance, customized to embrace and enhance the way they live, work, and play. John Toates and partner Mark L. Hoffman have more than 50 years of combined experience, making them ideal experts to guide you through the experience of designing and building a new home, renovation, addition, or outbuilding. JTAD’s architects bring to every project their expertise in history, proper usage of materials, and accuracy of details without pretension or inflexibility. The firm’s architects have a reputation for being approachable and easy to work with, complemented by passion, attentiveness and personal investment in every project, to ensure the client’s complete satisfaction with the entire experience. 

Photo: A birds-eye view of a cluster of JTAD designed houses in the Avondale Cottages section of Solomons Island, MD.

 

John Toates Architecture & Design, LLC

John Toates, RA

Mark L. Hoffman, RA

484.725.7978   |   toatesarchitecture.com

 

 

AUTHENTIC LIVING

 

SPIRE Architecture is driven to create authentic living through design. Principals Kurt Shepard and Craig Martin bring nearly 40 years of experience to work on behalf of clients up and down the Chesapeake Bay. “Our process goes beyond active listening,” Martin says, “because SPIRE melds our client’s vision with a realistic budget, assists in hiring the appropriate builder, and observes the construction process from beginning to end.” The integration of architecture, building, and client service sets SPIRE apart.

This project, on the north side of the Kent Narrows, perfectly exemplifies SPIRE’s comprehensive approach. The clients asked for an oasis away from their busy professional lives, a beacon for family and friends.

“Our team worked with the client’s dreams to develop a thoroughly modern design aesthetic integrating their vision with the contractor’s process and pricing, for a complete experience,” explains Shepard. “Once we had the concept, we formulated a practical budget, finalized the design, and worked hand-in-hand with the builder to produce the high-quality home that will fit our clients’ lifestyle for years to come.”

Founded in 2013, SPIRE has created some of the most noteworthy custom homes and renovations in the region. Its projects have appeared in numerous publications and it has been named the Best of Annapolis architect three years in a row. Both principals are adjunct faculty members for architecture at a local college and are active members of the American Institute of Architects, Chesapeake Bay Chapter. Martin currently serves on the Eastport Civic Association’s architectural review committee.

 

SPIRE Architecture

Kurt Shepard, AIA

Craig Martin, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP

410.212.6790   |   spirearch.com

 

 

WATERFRONT SPLENDOR

 

Steve Terhune has a straightforward philosophy when it comes to architecture: He wants his clients and their visitors to say, “I really like that, and I’ve never seen it before.” The goal is always to be unique but comfortably familiar. And that resonates with his clients. He has unanimous 5-star ratings on Houzz with testimonials praising his creativity and the way he listens to people’s needs. With diverse experience in everything from large institutional health care projects to small residential remodeling, Terhune is most proud that he has many repeat clients.

One homeowner remarks: “Steve has done 3 major projects for us over the past 15 years. The result has always been surprising and amazing whether the project is in Maryland or the mountains of Utah.”

His background as a construction manager for a national development company makes him unique among architects, giving him practical field experience and an understanding of what things cost. He works closely with builders early in the project to keep an eye on his client’s pocketbook.   

This featured house, with its 270-degree water views and vista toward the Bloody Point Lighthouse, displays characteristics of the old and the new. There is no house like it, but there are enough elements from the past to remind the owner where they live and make it feel like home.

 

Stephen T. Terhune Architect, LLC

Steve Terhune

443.994.6100   |   steveterhune.com

 

 

THE ARCHITECTURE OF HOME

 

The design of a home is infinitely more than architecture. It is a personal reflection of how each client wants to live. For this new, custom home on the West River, architect Bob Berry with Three B Architecture seamlessly integrates the owner’s desire for maximum indoor-outdoor living space while navigating complex critical area requirements. Re-positioning the new home on the site permitted an open floorplan that maximizes river views and enabled a waterfront pool and spa, also with spectacular views. Waterfront decks on both the ground and upper levels, combined with a wrap-around porch, perfectly met the owner’s desire for highly integrated indoor-outdoor living spaces. Capitalizing on more than 23 years of global award-winning residential and commercial experience, Three B Architecture is perfectly positioned to balance each client’s values and vision with contextual sensitivity for each site. Like this home, the result is an elegant, refined solution that merges modern living with sustainable design. 

Photographer: Geoffrey Hodgdon

 

Three B Architecture

Bob Berry, AIA

443.791.6193   |   threebarchitecture.com

 

 

 

 

 

© Annapolis Home Magazine
Vol. 12, No. 6 2021