From those who should know, some kind words:
Institutional
"On the administration end, Coldham & Hartman Architects was by far the most efficient architect which I have ever worked with in processing the mountains of paper work which develop throughout the course of a job. The diligent and extremely accurate management of submittals, requests for information, change orders and requisitions greatly facilitated both the timely delivery of a great project for the owner and a profitable job for the contractor."
Thomas P. O'Connor, Jr., Project Manager, The RL Whipple Co., Inc.
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We selected Coldham & Hartman Architects not only because of their expertise and creativity, but also because of their experience in Green Building and their background in working with non-profit organizations.
Moreover, we really wanted to work with them, on both the personal and professional levels.
Our new store was the first major building project Hawthorne Valley Farm had ever undertaken. Throughout the project process, Bruce and Tom made it an exciting and learning experience for us. They made a real effort to understand us and what we wanted, and were always accessible to us. It truly was a pleasure to work with them!
Working with Tom and Bruce made a difficult and daunting project understandable, manageable, and even enjoyable for us! They extended a great deal of experience, expertise, and creativity, as well as support, good humor, and a willingness to teach and guide us throughout the building planning and building process. We would certainly and highly recommend them to anyone!
Whoever says dealing with architects has to be difficult never worked with Bruce and Tom!
Laura Manchester, Store Manager, Hawthorne Valley Farm
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"Our experiences with Coldham & Hartman Architects have been rewarding and successful. Their success grows out of their commitment to teamwork, both within their own firm and in their interaction with their clients as well as Consultants and Contractors. I always felt that the good of the project was the first priority. The focus was consistently on the solution to any issues that arose in the Projects we were involved in.
The Harris Center Project, in particular, had many challenges. The goal of housing an ambitious education and stewardship program within an old farmhouse, without changing the character of the building and grounds while also maintaining high standards of performance was a unique challenge that required good vision, communication, and leadership throughout the project. This was certainly accomplished successfully by the Coldham/Hartman team. It is our pleasure to be associated with them and we look forward to a continued relationship."
Michael Bruss, President, Bruss Construction
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"It means a great deal to us that you have always listened so carefully, considered our wishes, expanded our views, and worked to incorporate our ideas into the design of the school." In the beginning ..." we could hardly appreciate how much the willingness and eagerness to work with us would be the fabric and success of this project. We are feeling excited that this is the school we’ve wanted, fitting our dreams and also respecting the budget of our community and the requirements of our land. It is a wonderful and exciting design, inside and out. It’s our school, and you’ve worked hard to make that the case. Thank you."
Liz Reilly, Secretary to the Town of Hardwick School Building Committee.
Cohousing
"The skill that Bruce and Tom bring to a project is amazing. From beginning to end they worked to bring out our needs and turn them into something that was better than we could have imagined.
"Bruce's design skills are terrific. He developed the plans for the dream homes of 28 families with very different visions all using just four basic designs. His use of color and the way he situated our homes give our community great visual interest with little extra cost.
"Tom is an amazing project manager. He worked extremely well with our contractor to make sure we got incredibly well built and extremely energy efficient homes. Our home was given the highest energy star rating (5 stars plus). I was extremely impressed with his commitment to the job and his ability to work with the contractor to solve problems on the spot in a way that always improved the final product."
Randy Sailer, Rocky Hill Cohousing
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"A very intriguing, affordable housing project that reflects an uncommon respect for the site. The architecture is simple to the extreme -- a refreshing design experience."
AIA New England 1995 Design Awards Jury
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Residential
"It was with some trepidation that we entered the project of building a home from A to Z. It must be said that the process was much more enjoyable than we could have anticipated. For that we must thank many, but most especially you. We found a person who, while he had concepts and was not afraid to express them, listened to our rather imprecise but nonetheless real ideas — and was willing to work with them.
We wanted a house that when people see it they say "Wow"!
We have had a number of people say ... "Wow.""
Peter and Mary Brady
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"We found an architect who listened and listened some more — and came up with what we wanted."
Alan Swedlund"Bruce took our desire for a 3,500 square foot house and got it down to 2,300 square feet"
M.A Swedlund
The real testimony is that we were indeed more comfortable this winter. Never had the excessively dry nasal passages, skin, hair that usually developed in the winter months. In spite of my long hours at work since 3Q last year, and no flu shot this year, I have not been sick once and I do think that my indoor environment has helped me to remain healthier. Mark normally has had one really bad bronchial illness each winter that would linger - never happened this year. So, we feel that the greater benefit, in terms of family comfort and health far outweighs any energy savings [which we haven't calculated].
Kim Kispert