Ding, Newton 2020
...It turned out that we have made right decision! Yael was professional, knowledgeable, and very thorough...She has worked with us patiently and provided recommendations that are in the best interest of our needs...Yael is truly a customer centric architect. I would highly recommend her.
John, Winchester 2017
...She is internet-savvy... All documents were shared with us in online workspace for immediate review, which was also great. She understands that designs need to accommodate budget. We can't afford to do everything. So she builds her designs to make them reachable for us, and won't break our budget...
Peter, Cambridge 2016
...We went through a very methodical approach, identifying my needs and objectives, evaluating my aesthetic preferences, and identifying the various restrictions on possible additions or modifications...The proposed solutions were very creative, and even at the early stages were detailed and well thought out...
Andrew, Newton 2017
...She was an absolute joy to work with, and I would hire her again in a heartbeat. As a matter of fact, I had contractors compliment her initial plans and recommend her to their other clients. You would be lucky to work with her and benefit from her expertise and work ethic...
Laura, Boston 2015
Yael was so great....walked me through the process and options for our project...she came to our condo and took very accurate measurements to ensure the drawing was going to be accurate for our contractor...I would absolutely use Yael again for any upcoming projects in our home...
Barry, Somerville 2016
...We found it very helpful that she provided several detailed alternatives at different project price points...At our special permit hearing, she came prepared with printed plans and helped us rehearse our introduction. She has always been super responsive, flexible, and professional.
After phone screened 3 architects, my wife and I have decided to choose Yael to be our architect to design a 2-stody addition for our house. It turned out that we have made right decision! Yael was professional, knowledgeable, and very thorough. She has helped us to understand exactly what would need to be done and how we could start. Yael went throughout our home, from the basement up into the attic. She has worked with us patiently and provided recommendations that are in the best interest of our needs. We have been struggling to determine which builder to choose for our project. Yael has helped us to assess the proposals to identify one that works best for our project and budget. Yael is truly a customer centric architect. I would highly recommend her.
Ding, Newton, 2020
We worked with Yael to finish our attic and convert a bedroom into an open-concept dining room. We knew what we wanted but needed an architect to show us what was truly possible in our space, which had a few quirks and limitations. Throughout the design and construction process, Yael was extremely reliable and responsive. We got bids from 6 different architects before deciding on her, and we are happy we went with her. She showed up at our first meeting having done research on our particular lot and on the codes in our town relevant to our project, which no other architect did. Her design is also wonderful - our space was transformed from a largely unusable space to three beautiful bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a laundry room. I recommend her services without reservation - she's honest, thorough, and excellent at what she does.
Nora, Medford, 2019
Yael was recommended from a contractor and she was terrific. Very responsive, collaborative and knowledgeable about zoning regulations. She worked with the town on permitting issues and provided alternative designs. She helped review quotes and find the right contractor and delivered great 3D renderings and plans. Worked with YGS on a front entrance expansion project. Yael handled every aspect of the design and architectural plans. She provided alternatives, worked through zoning and permitting, recommended the surveyor and contractor. She is professional, creative, timely and a pleasure to work with.
Carlos, Newton, 2019
The firm was recommended to us from a builder. Our first meeting with Yael we knew she would be an excellent architect for us. Her direct communication style, knowledge of local permit requirements and wonderful flexibility worked well for us. Ours was a fairly large complicated addition project and her talent and dedication made it easy for us. Our plans were approved for permit on first pass with our town.
Laurie, Belmont, 2018
Yael is a wonderfully thorough architect and I'm so happy we selected her to design our new home. Yael understands the construction process from start to finish and is able to guide clients through various situations that inevitably come up during the planning, design, and construction phases. She provides great insight regarding design, finishes, and layout and is able to help guide you as you make the best selection for your needs. Yael provides a high quality product at a very reasonable cost. She is incredibly fast, efficient, and detailed. She will be one of your greatest allies every step of the way -- especially during construction. I would highly recommend Yael for your architectural needs!
Maria, Belmont, 2018
Yael is very professional and thorough. She was very attentive to our needs and our wish list when she designed the addition to our house. During the planning period she provided a number of options until we were satisfied. She also included photos of how she envisioned the space and it helped us visualize it as well. We learned that Yael is a great communicator and is very prompt. She responded quickly to emails and also provided time for phone conversations to work out any important details. During the framing period she visited our house so we could go over the plans and see if any changes are necessary. We’ve been very happy with the design and are extremely pleased with Yael’s work!
Assaf, Bedford, 2018
Yael was a pleasure to work with. Overall, she was patient, creative, knowledgeable, and responsive. We were considering 3 possible designs to add on and renovate our home. Initially, I sent her an email and she quickly responded. She provided basic information on zoning and building. Even before she submitted a proposal, she was helpful in answering questions and making sure we were headed in the right direction. She took the time to come over for an initial meeting and discussed what we envisioned. She explained the process, showed us other work. Yael quickly followed up with a proposal that was fairly structured and priced. Yael took her time with us and I never felt rushed. She provided advice when necessary and made changes based on our feedback. Once we decided on a design, she worked to fine tune the drawings. She guided us through the process, recommended contractors, and reviewed initial quotes with us. She was an absolute joy to work with, and I would hire her again in a heartbeat. As a matter of fact, I had contractors compliment her initial plans and recommend her to their other clients. You would be lucky to work with her and benefit from her expertise and work ethic.
Andrew, Newton, 2017
We really appreciated Yael's guidance as we planned an addition to our condo. She quickly assessed how much space we had, and determined that we could add a bathroom in addition to a bedroom, which radically changed our plans! Her drawings were clear and reflected our taste, and she was patient with rounds of revision from us and from the city as we sought approval to build.
Shoshana, Somerville, 2017
We interviewed and received quotes from multiple architects before hiring Yael. We were very careful in our selection process, and are very happy with the services, for example: The quote was very thorough and detailed, specifying exactly what's included & excluded. So you know what you're getting up-front. She is internet-savvy. We are very busy and appreciate working with an architect who is responsive via email. All documents were shared with us in online workspace for immediate review, which was also great. She understands that designs need to accommodate budget. We can't afford to do everything. So she builds her designs that to make them reachable for us, and won't break our budget. She is very good at guiding you through the process. We've never done a big reno like this, and had no idea how to do it. She essentially held our hand through the entire process. She didn't nickle and dime us. We still send her random questions via email and get quick and honest responses. Her services extend beyond producing designs on paper, and include assistance with choosing a contractor, building site visits, etc. We took her designs to about 7 different general contractors and got quotes. And with her help, we have chosen a GC, have a building permit in hand, and will break ground in about 1 month.
John, Winchester, 2017
I am so thrilled I found Yael on Angie's List. Newly pregnant, I knew we needed to expand our home quickly. I reached out to Yael in November of 2015, and she was at my home 4 days later for our initial meeting. She came prepared to the meeting with town documents about our property, and samples of previous dormer projects. I assumed we'd need a special permit, but Yael reassured me that if we were conforming to the town's criteria, we could bypass that step (saving me time and money!). I had a pretty clear idea of how I wanted the space designed from the interior, but was clueless about the exterior. Yael worked quickly to come up with a variety of options for me. It was wonderful to collaborate on Google Docs. My husband could weigh in and we took different iterations of designs and tweaked them until they were just perfect. Her work is excellent, attention to detail spectacular, and the turn around time is lightening fast. She answers emails, texts, and calls promptly, and has gone the extra mile - meeting me at town hall to talk to the building inspector on one hour's notice! I found her fee structure to be very reasonable too!
Audrey, Belmont, 2016
We have been very happy with Yael's architect services in helping us plan an attic expansion. We found it very helpful that she provided several detailed alternatives at different project price points. She made detailed measurements of our place and gathered feedback from us in person, by phone and email. She researched local zoning and building codes and discussed our plans with city staff prior to our permit applications. When it was time to apply for our special permit, Yael put the application together and proof-read our personal statement. At our special permit hearing, she came prepared with printed plans and helped us rehearse our introduction. She has always been super responsive, flexible, and professional. We are looking forward to the start of construction soon!
Barry, Somerville 2016
I started working with Yael in December of 2014. I own one unit of a 2-family in Cambridge, and wanted to make an addition to the unit to increase my living area, as well as rearrange the interior of the existing part of the house. We went through a very methodical approach, identifying my needs and objectives, evaluating my aesthetic preferences, and identifying the various restrictions on possible additions or modifications. She reconciled the zoning ordinance requirements against the objectives and we iterated several possible designs before agreeing on the optimal one. The proposed solutions were very creative, and even at the early stages were detailed and well thought out.
From there, she went through the options for the design, systematically refining and better defining it. She was always open to communication and very proactive about arranging times to meet or have phone calls to review things and make decisions. Together, we developed a plan for the zoning variance application. Yael presented lots of options and together we agreed on the most likely path forward for approval. We gradually iterated the design until we had a final floor plan and exterior elevations which successfully reconciled my objectives for usage and aesthetics with the requirements of the zoning ordinance. This plan was approved by the Cambridge BZA and we then proceeded into the detailed design and engineering phase.
Yael helped me identify an engineer to hire, as well as tradespeople to meet to assist in making decisions. She went to numerous showrooms with me to help select materials for siding, decking, window, tiles, fixtures, and lighting. We continued to refine and iterate the design, methodically going through every detail including specific material selections, cabinetry arrangements, lighting fixtures, etc. She took a holistic approach and evaluated not just specific components, but how the whole of the house would fit together and be used.
Yael worked with the engineer to develop structural plans that successfully reconciled the conflicting engineering, aesthetic, and usage requirements. She was always responsive to feedback, suggestions, and changes. She was always willing to discuss things, and no request by me for feedback from her or guidance ever seemed like it was unreasonable or too much. We frequently went outside the specific scope in our contract, but she was always willing to help and to make sure that we were working towards the best final design. In the end, the final design that she produced is incredibly detailed and well thought out, and I have received several comments as much from contractors.
Overall, the experience was has been great, and it has been an impressive amount of time and work, especially considering the relatively low cost
Peter, Cambridge, 2015
Yael was so great. I had never hired an architect before and wasn't sure what kind of information she would need up front. Yael walked me through the process and options for our project. In addition, she came to our condo and took very accurate measurements to ensure the drawing was going to be accurate for our contractor. Yael was professional, knowledgeable, and punctual. From the time I called her to the time I had drawings in hand was only a little over a week. I would absolutely use Yael again for any upcoming projects in our home. Thank you, Yael.
Laura Boston, 2015
She did a lovely job, and managed the potential conflicts between the interior and exterior beautifully. She's a careful thinker and an excellent planner.
Rebecca Somerville, 2014