What others have to say about James Gerrety, AIA
Work with someone you can trust, it makes all the difference...
“I have work closely with Mr. Jim Gerrety, AIA, for 10 years. During that period I have provided structural engineering certifications to the architectural drawings created by him.
I find his architectural practice to be unsurpassed in directly and imaginatively addressing the needs and desires of his clients. His work is highly detailed, which serves to suppress unauthorized short-cuts taken by contractors. Little or no latitude is granted in the selection of building materials. This has the effect of more accurate cost-out estimating and suppressing end of job sudden cost overuns, which is all too prevalent in the industry today.
Mr. Gerrety introduces discipline in this regard, and is a stand-out architect, who I highly recommend.”
Allen M. Bissell, PH.D., P.E. (Retired U.S. Navy), Structural and Mechanical Engineer, Chevy Chase, Maryland
Working with Jim Gerrety, Architect, as a structural engineer is always a pleasure and an opportunity to see new and old concepts woven together for a unique design to meet the client's needs and dreams in their project. His approach of developing the first concept design drawings and maintaining close contact with the client through the design development is an excellent method to present the desires of the clients including options that maybe considered by the client as the project drawings move to a final version. I have worked early in some projects with Jim so that the basic structural framing concept can be most efficiently integrated into and with the architectural concept. Jim brings into a project a great set of materials that enhance the architectural design and impact of a project. As a structural engineer who is involved with critical details that are many times hidden and not provided by most architects, I always admire both the structural and architectural details that his project drawings provide and I know that he thinks through how the residence or building will be constructed. The details that are missing from many architect's drawings are provided in his plan sets and the critical details are not left to the builder's imagination. In cases where the builder is known at the time of drawing development, Jim will collaborate with the builder on possible construction details. The same relationship between designer and builder continues on his projects. Jim's projects always illustrate a well-blended and unique architectural outcome that is recognized by all.
Robert E. Shewmaker, PE, Gaithersburg, Maryland
1966 - 1969 Senior Structural Engr. responsible for all computer based analysis and design of prestressed concrete containments of Bechtel Power in Gaithersburg, MD.
1969 - 2008 Senior Structural Engineer US Atomic Energy Commision and US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
1986 - Present - Private consultant
“Jim has a remarkable talent for being able to translate customer vision into reality. He designed for us a multipurpose, semi-detached building. After just one consultation, he captured every one of our ideas perfectly and added many of his own-- all resulting in an extraordinarily beautiful and yet functional facility. We hardly changed a thing.
He’s imaginative, well organized and has a great sense for space and livability. He’s a pleasure to work with and a real gentleman.
We could not recommend him more highly.”
Oakley and Francie Johnson, Darnestown, Maryland
“Dear Jim,
You really do superb work, so it is a pleasure referring clients to your doorstep.”
Admiral Marlene Haffner, M.D. U.S. Navy, Rockville, Maryland
“Jim,
When I tell people about you I always start with.... We sat there for 6 hours and talked about what we wanted -- Jim didn't really say anything -- he simply listened. He then came back two or three weeks later with the design and it was exactly what we wanted."
Susan Wilkes, Annapolis, Maryland
“Dear Jim,
As you know, we initially worked with a design-build firm but found the design part of the team to be very weak. In essence, we were expected to tell the architect what we wanted our new space to look like not what our requirements were for using the space. We knew we had found the right person when your first question to us was not “what type of roof do you want?” but “how do you intend to use each of the rooms”.
Working with a true professional gave us a lot of confidence throughout the entire process. Our builder was able to follow your detailed plans without any surprises and the final result says it all. We couldn’t be more pleased with our renovated home.”
Phil Levinton, Darnestown, Maryland
“Jim,
We can't tell you how happy we are with the addition you designed for us...it's the envy of the whole neighborhood. More than that, the help you gave us in planning, contracting and basically surviving the whole construction process was invaluable. Many, many thanks for the wonderful work you did.”
David Sarokin and Sarah Shaw, Washington, D.C.
“Jim,
For helping me create my dream house inside and outside; my deepest heart felt gratitude.”
Professor Linda Kaufman, Univ. of MD., Washington, D.C.
“Dear Jim,
Christie and I both are really impressed with the way you lay out your approach, method, involvement, etc. You're the only one (design-builder, builder, architect, anyone) who's brought a cohesive process to the table. We look forward to working with you.”
Tim and Christie Blanchard, Chevy Chase, Maryland
“Jim,
We are so pleased with our family room and sun room addition as well as our redesigned kitchen space. We loved working with you as our architect and in particular, thought your approach to gathering client requirements through asking very detailed questions and listening carefully to our responses was critical to obtaining a design that we both fell in love with and met all of our needs.
The design incorporated imaginative and practical solutions to ALL our requirements. We especially liked that you provided beautifully drawn renderings of our new rooms so we could actually envision what they would look like so early on in the project. We thought your structured methodology for walking through the conceptual design drawings and obtaining competitive budget and planning bids early on in the process was very helpful to inform additional decisions about what to include in our final specifications.”
Robin Gross, Darnestown, Maryland
"Our house had been renovated several times but no one cared about blending into the existing character of the house. The result was just a mix of mismatched additions. We hired Jim to design the expansion and renovation of the whole structure and make it all blend in. The result was amazing. We found Jim to be knowledgeable, creative and easy to communicate with. He took into consideration not just our wishes, but our ideas as well and worked them into the plans. We wouldn't just recommend him, we would encourage you to hire him.”
Sam Lievano, DDS., Bethesda, Maryland
"Mr. Jim Gerrety transformed into a small gem a once old Maryland farmhouse which had accumulated over the years two additions, two boilers, noisy window air conditioners, a converted garage/room, all with a ramshackle porch falling off the back of the house. Twenty-six years earlier I had made this patchwork building a permanent home for the Winchester School, a small pre-K through second grade school. After seeing Mr. Gerrety's beautiful renovation and enlargement of my son's Bethesda house, I asked him to do what to me seemed the almost-impossible: convert what stood before him into a school for young children which was practical, attractive, and inviting with lots of color and light. And he did just that. The newly positioned entrance with blue flagstone and wrought iron railings and complimentary landscaping further fostered a desire to go inside and see what was going on.
A huge part of the challenge was that a limited budget led me to hire a crew that were enormously hard-working and willing but whose lack of technical skill and attention to detail became increasingly apparent as the job progressed. But Mr. Gerrety's insistence that things be done right--or as right as the crew could make them--led him to a level of orchestration of every aspect of the project which I know often led to frayed nerves for him. After a summer of long hours and hectic activity the school opened on time in September with sunlight from skylights and windows playing on soft shades of fresh paint, colorful patterns of tile, and soft muted carpet. One little boy said to one of his teachers on the first day of school as he stood admiring his "new" school, "Wow! Mrs. Rhim should have done this a long time ago!"
Jim Gerrety's creative spirit, strong sense of style and design, and perfectionism all unite to ultimately give you exactly what you always knew you wanted. ”
Mary L. Rhim, Director, The Winchester School, Silver Spring, Maryland
Dear Jim:
You have designed three large projects for our family over the years. Each was very different, and in each case we have been absolutely satisfied and pleased with the result.
First, you designed a large kitchen and family room addition for our primary residence in Chevy Chase, Maryland. The design was complicated by setback requirements and the historic designation of the house. Your addition melds effortlessly with the original 1925 historic home and lot. The Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission and The Village of Chevy Chase both agreed and gave their approval. Your design gave us the very comfortable and functional spaces that we needed to make family life and entertaining really special and enjoyable.
Second, you designed a complete rehab and interior reconfiguration of a historic home on the water in Groton, Connecticut. This nine bedroom home was redesigned and rebuilt from top to bottom and the result was a great success. Today, this large elegant yellow home is a landmark on the Thames River and viewed by all the ferry boats that come and go from the port in New London.
Third, you designed the rehab, reconfiguration and newly constructed addition for our current second home in Stonington, Connecticut. Your design added the new space we needed but preserved the most important design aspects of the original 1786 landmark home. Here also, your design was successfully accepted by the town’s very protective local historic review board. The design created a total "whole" for this important property, and this home is very dear to our family.
We would be pleased to provide a personal reference for you and your architectural design talents any time.
Don and Jean Wolf, Chevy Chase, Maryland
“Jim’s method of design and client guidance from the front-end through the entire design phase is the best I have seen in the home remodeling industry since I entered the field in 1970. I continue to recommend him to my demanding clients.”
George Papaheraklis, Owner, Finecraft Building Contractors, Inc., NARI - 2010 Contractor of the year
"I have hired Jim to design two significant renovation projects at both my former and current homes. Not only is Jim extremely talented from a technical standpoint, but he really takes the upfront time to establish a rapport and trust with his clients. He was able to make suggestions into our original design that were very insightful to capture our personalities into each project. I plan to work with Jim Gerrety in the future on our pending kitchen redesign".
Patrick Grobbel, Washington, D.C.
"Jim designed a screened-in porch and interior renovations to our family room for us. The project turned out exactly as we would have hoped. It meets all our functional needs, is consistent with the existing style of our house (but better!), and gets compliments from everyone. Jim's attention to detail sets him apart...from the knot-free wood he recommended for the porch ceiling to the multiple site visits he made when a wall beam was discovered that required an adjustment to a picture window he had designed for the family room wall.”
Stephanie Loughlin & Rob Kaye, Bethesda, Maryland
Jim,
“The reason that we got top dollar for the sale of our house in Georgetown is due to your design talent. And by the way, it sold in one day!”
Alexandra LeFrankey, Washington, D.C.
Jim,
“I have shown the plans you did for us to a friend of mine who had a horrible experience with her own project.......she was brought to tears by how much care and detail was included in your drawings – she was very impressed and said she had not gotten anything close to that in her own project experience.”
Natalia Jordan, Bethesda, Maryland
Jim,
“The project, and whole backyard, has turned out just about perfect. I don't think I've had a conversation in the past few months with a neighbor where they don't talk about how outstanding the porch and patios look. It really does stand out in the whole neighborhood just as we anticipated. I've given your contact to a couple of people who've asked as well. Thanks again for a great job!”
Dr. Khoa Tran, Leesburg, Virginia
I have known Jim Gerrety socially for several years and was highly impressed with the design he did for mutual friends. I had been walking around the outside of my little non-descript house for 30 years, trying to see how I could add a room. Because the style is sort of craftsman, with odd roof lines, but mainly just what someone in the 1930’s designed to build on the foundation of a house that had burned down, I could not come up with even a starting point.
Then I asked Jim to take a look and see what he thought. Jim walked around the house and sketched up something that I immediately loved. I was astonished that it was so perfect! As he worked on the design, Jim spent a huge amount of effort to understand the style of my little house and also my living style. I have a number of dogs, all of which are allowed in the house. So I wanted a “dog room” as well as a comfortable living room, a powder room, a laundry room, and a new kitchen. Jim had to work within the tight constraints of the county, as well as my financial limits. His attention to detail is extraordinary, and he worked closely with my builder so that any modifications needed during the build phase were consistent with the overall design.
The result is an addition that looks like it was part of the original house, or maybe even was the original house! It is handsome, unique, livable, and the one word summary Jim asked for early on, “comfortable!” I absolutely love it! I have been living in it now for 9 months, through 3 seasons, and there is not a thing that I would change.
MS. Anne Davies, Honorary Secretary of the Potomac Hunt, Stonefield Farm, Boyds, Maryland
