The Best Residential Architects in Virginia

Last updated on July 26th, 2024 at 04:03 pm

Choosing the right residential architect in Virginia is essential for creating a beautiful and functional home. A residential architect’s expertise is critical for avoiding common pitfalls in the construction process. They know how to maximize space utilization, optimize energy efficiency, and incorporate sustainable materials. Moreover, they add artistic flair and unique design elements that reflect your personality and lifestyle.

Virginia, with its charming small towns, historical landmarks, idyllic vineyards, award-winning wineries, lakes, national parks, and beach resorts, offers a picturesque setting for any home. While the state is a quintessential year-round vacation destination, it’s also a wonderful place to call home. With average project costs ranging from $100,000 to $400,000 and potentially reaching up to $500,000, investing in a skilled architect ensures that your project stays within budget and meets your expectations. The cost per square foot averages $69.83, and projects typically take around nine months to complete, making it essential to choose a contractor to manage the timeline and deliver quality results.

Virginia’s real estate market is thriving, with a population of 8.684 million and a median home value of $393,527. The state boasts 25,405 relevant contractors, making the selection process exciting and challenging. In this article, we will introduce you to some of the best architects in Virginia. These professionals stand out for their expertise, creativity, and proven track record. By choosing the right residential architect, you can ensure that your home truly reflects your dreams and fits seamlessly into Virginia’s stunning landscapes.

Overview: The Best Residential Architects in Virginia

See Ranking Methodology at the bottom of this article to learn more.

Purple Cherry Architects

646 W. Main Street, White Sulphur Springs, WV 24986

For 25 years, Purple Cherry Architects has designed incredible luxury residences across the U.S.  Using advanced technologies and new materials, the firm builds elaborate custom homes of differing shapes and sizes.

The founder, Cathy, is joined by a team of highly competent industry professionals accredited in many fields, including AIA, LEED AP, NCIDQ, LEED Green Associate, and NCARB. Together, the firm celebrates an interdisciplinary approach to design, considering the lifestyle of the people residing in the homes it designs.

One example is this Family Retreat project that the Purple Cherry Architects designed. This agrarian-inspired home is in a thirteen-acre parcel in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, surrounded by lush greenery and views of the mountain from the home’s covered porch. Purple Cherry Architects designed the home with three distinct buildings, conjoined by a flat-roofed glass connector that serves as an art gallery to accommodate visiting family and friends. The retreat home also has five bedrooms, a large, gorgeous kitchen, and a three-car garage, built with elements like reclaimed wood flooring, a standing seam metal roof, and West Virginia stone to give its distinct rural Virginia atmosphere a tinge of luxury.

Moore Architects, PC

105 N Maple Avenue, Suite 100, Falls Church, VA 22046

Moore Architects, PC, is a full-service architectural firm that specializes in residential practice. Having completed over 300 residential projects across the country, Moore Architects is well-equipped and experienced in all types of residential architecture. 

Although the firm is skilled in designing diverse homes, it specializes in building cozy bungalows, distinct contemporary homes, and welcoming cottages. These homes can be seen in publications like Home Magazine, Luxe Magazine, Spaces Magazine, Cottage Living Magazine, Fine Homebuilding Magazine, and Architectural Digest. Moore Architects Virginia was also featured in an article from Forbes.

Featured below is Moore Architects’ stunning work on The Pond House.  It is lined with large windows that offer panoramic views of the surrounding greenery. At the back of the house is a large covered porch with access to a boardwalk extending over the pond’s calm waters, leading up to a small shed at the back. This gives the family access to their peaceful surroundings, resulting in a light, airy home that blends seamlessly with the area.

WC Ralston Architects

3684 Centerview Dr., Suite 110A, Chantilly, VA 20151

Headquartered in Northern Virginia, WC Ralston Architects is a custom residential architecture firm focused on creating contemporary homes that feel intimate and inviting. WCRA has designed homes that enrich residents’ lives, earning the company awards for its functional, striking residential projects.

The McLean Contemporary project featured below is a testament to WC Ralston Architects’ award-winning work on contemporary homes. Outside, the facade features a low brick front contrasting with the twelve-foot-tall first-floor ceilings, giving it a distinct look on the exterior. Inside the house, subtle brickwork and clean lines frame the house’s distinct spaces. Expansive windows, an elevated front terrace, and a backyard patio open up this home to the tree-lined horizon beyond. With its sleek facade and elegant interiors, this home was recognized for its design and architecture in the 2018 Gala Awards.

Moser Architects

3504 North Jefferson St., Arlington, VA 22207

Moser Architects is a residential architecture firm that offers homeowners a comprehensive package for custom home design and construction administration. Among the best architects in Virginia, Sarah Riddlemoster, AIA, founded the company to implement the innovative ways she designs and layers spaces. Now, the company does that in custom new homes, large additions, and whole-house renovations.

Below is a custom home in North Trinidad Street that Moser Architects designed. This contemporary haven is packed with a large kitchen, expansive living areas, and a lovely sunroom, perfect for raising a family in the suburbs of Virginia. Throughout the house, subtle light-wash wooden details contrast with the clean white walls and keep this home’s spaces bright and airy.

James McDonald Associate Architects

10135 Colvin Run Road, Suite 200, Great Falls, VA 22066

With nearly 20 years of experience, James McDonald Associate Architects designs award-winning and best-selling homes. Its president, James McDonald, has experience designing custom homes of differing shapes and sizes, from charming, intricate jewel boxes to elegant grand manor homes. Each project he designs is striking in its balance of proportion, scale, and livability. One of the preferred architects in Virginia, it has a project featured in an article from the Washington Post.

One example is the award-winning Beach Mill project that James McDonald Associate Architects designed on a narrow two-acre wooded lot. This custom home was designed to add an entertainment area for the family in the rear yard. The team worked diligently to make this place a cozy home, creating a warm, inviting exterior with a large front porch containing chairs, a swing, and an oversized front door. Inside, the private rooms are tucked away with various open areas for entertaining guests or having fun with the family. This project was the 2020 GALA Winner of the Brookmont Homes at Deepwood Lane, in the Lots from 3,000 to 5,000 s.f. Category.

Kohlmark Group

5206-B Rolling Road, Burke, VA 22015

Kohlmark Group has 58 years of industry experience, which it utilizes to provide design excellence and quality craftsmanship in each project. The team ensures its clients receive distinctive homes that enhance their lives. This architecture-focused, design-build company strictly adheres to a team approach, prioritizing the needs, desires, functionality, and budget of its clients to create a home that proves unique to their needs.

Among the best architects in Virginia, the team is led by founder Mark Kohler. AIA was introduced to the world of design and building at an early age since his father worked as an architect, builder, and developer. He has practiced architecture since 1984 and has served on the Board of Directors of the Metro DC Chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry and co-chaired its CotY Awards Committee. He is also an active community member, having served on the Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together Alexandria. With grounded, experienced leadership, Kohlmark Group exceeds expectations by building spaces worth living in.

One example of Kohlmark Group’s craftsmanship is the French Provencal Estate featured below. Found in a thirteen-acre heavily wooded site in Clifton, this turn-of-the-century French country-style home was designed by Kohlmark Group to mimic the atmosphere of the manor houses and chateaux in the French countryside. To capture the French Provencal atmosphere, the home features steeply pitched slate roofs, dormers with gabled windows, and stone and stucco masonry around the house. Smart technology has been applied to the home and carefully hidden from sight, giving this home its classic look with the modern amenities a family needs.

Thrive Architecture

108 South First Street, Charlottesville, VA 22902

Headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia, up-and-coming Thrive Architecture is an architecture firm that designs sustainable projects that promote users’ wellness. Thrive Architecture’s diverse portfolio reflects immense passion and experience, united by the company’s love of open and interconnected spaces, modern expression, authentic materials, and crisp detailing.

Featured below is the Hickory House, a staunch example of Thrive Architecture’s commitment to people-friendly design.  This forest retreat home was once a well-loved existing house found in the woods of Albemarle County. Thrive Architecture redesigned it to age in place. This 675-square-foot home has interiors lined with locally sourced, salvaged hardwood, including the native Hickory lining the forest that surrounds the project. It has a master suite addition that connects their interior space to the rolling landscape outside and a large sitting area where they can enjoy the view beyond. Additional project features include air-tight spray foam insulation, energy-efficient LED lighting, and low-flow plumbing fixtures designed for living in the woods.

Balzer and Associates

1208 Corporate Circle, Roanoke, VA 24018

Balzer and Associates is an experienced architecture firm with fifty-three years of experience serving Virginia and its surrounding communities. In each project, it assists clients from initial site selection to design development and construction of the property. It is considered among the best in the Land Development Planning and Design field, and its service is best known for its professionalism, enjoyable collaboration, and innovative approach to design. One of the top architects in Virginia, it holds an accreditation from BBB.

Featured below is a product of that approach: the Private Residence project in Madison County, VA. For this project, Balzer and Associates designed a three-story, 5,500-square-foot vacation home located halfway up a tree-lined hillside. This grand vacation house boasts spacious and open living areas, individual office spaces, bedrooms, and a play area for the kids, with windows that provide an incredible view of the woods and the mountain beyond.

3North

4015 Fitzhugh Avenue, Richmond, VA 23230

3North is a full-service design firm that delivers inspired solutions. For 22 years, its 30-member team of architects, landscape architects, interior designers, and graphic designers has created a clear, collaborative design process for its clients. Headquartered in Richmond, with local design values, 3North maintains a presence beyond the U.S., extending to the Mid-Atlantic throughout Nova Scotia, the Caribbean, and the United Kingdom.

One of its best projects in Virginia is this expansive Grand Provencal project, which is featured below. This majestic estate house overlooking the James River was designed in the classic French Renaissance style, with modern energy-efficient amenities like geothermal heat pumps, sophisticated lighting controls, automated shading, and photovoltaics. This sprawling home also features multiple outbuildings, a pool and tennis court, formal gardens, and breathtaking fountains.

Sabina Weitzman – Architect

913 Marye St, Fredericksburg, VA 22401

Sabina Weitzman’s design practice is rooted in the needs of the twenty-first century. A licensed architect in Virginia, a member of the AIA, and a Safety Assessment Program Evaluator, Sabina employs energy-efficient structures and sustainable materials and methods to build homes that are attractive and environmentally conscious. Her practice is backed by decades of experience and a Master’s in Architecture from MIT in 1990.

Below is an example of her residential work, the Family Traditions project. The owners adore historic Virginia houses and wanted something inspired by Colonial Williamsburg. Since the homeowners treasure their time with family and friends, Sabina Weitzman designed their home with ample entertaining living spaces, formal living and dining rooms, a lower-level lodge with a bar and game room, and wide porches for guests. It’s also designed with two fully appointed guest suites and a room for grandparents or other family members to live in the house while maintaining everyone’s privacy. So, there’s room for the entire family during the holidays.

Ranking Methodology

To evaluate the performance of architects, our methodology employs a systematic approach that considers various factors contributing to customer experience and satisfaction. We focused on assessing the residential architects in the Virginia area. The methodology involves assigning weightings to specific categories based on their significance in determining customer service quality. Here’s the breakdown of the categories and their respective weightings:

• Average Customer Satisfaction (35%): This metric represents the average rating given by customers across the same review platforms as the Average Customer Satisfaction Score. A higher average rating indicates greater overall satisfaction with the service provided.
• Service Rating Score (25%): We analyze the ratio of high (4-5 stars) to low (1-2 stars) ratings for each business across multiple review platforms: Google, Houzz, and Yelp. A higher percentage of positive reviews contributes to a higher score, reflecting better customer satisfaction.
• Complaint Percentage (25%): We analyze the ratio of complaints to total reviews for each business. A lower complaints ratio indicates better service quality and results in a higher score.
• Business Hours and Availability (10%): The operating hours of each business are assessed to gauge accessibility. Companies with extended operating hours are awarded a higher score, as they offer greater convenience to customers.
• License Status (5%): We verify the licensing status of each contractor with their local licensing board to ensure legal compliance. Companies with valid licenses receive a higher score, reflecting professionalism and adherence to regulations.
• Total Score: We determined the overall rating for every contractor by calculating a weighted average, with the category weight determining the amount the subscore contributed to the total score 

Additional Note: Service Rating Score, Average Customer Satisfaction, and Complaint Percentage are calculated with a Bayesian estimate to account for if the contractor has a low number of total reviews. A Bayesian average is a statistical method used to calculate the average of a set of data points while taking into account prior information or beliefs about the distribution of the data. It combines the observed data with a prior distribution to generate a more accurate estimate of the true average.