Helman Architects Inc

Kari gave me advice and provided drawings for an add-on to my house.  She is totally amazing.  She obviously has a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience, because she seems to understand and consider so many things very quickly and easily.  She provides value every single minute.  Plus, as mentioned by others, she is very personable, and it makes you feel good to interact with her and be around her.  I feel that I was extremely lucky to benefit from her expertise, and was extremely pleased with her her work.

Kari was amazing! I initially called Kari because we're about to do a big structural remodel in our house and we wanted plans. She told over the phone that we didn't need her; we only needed a structural engineer. She saved us thousands of dollars by telling me that. But I liked her so much that when she said she also did consulting for an hourly rate, I asked her to come to our house. It was like having a new best friend who knew everything there was to know about a house, from the architectural elements to whether several remodel dreams were possible as we envisioned them. She is a wonderful listener, and patiently let me babble on about my many ideas and preferences. She noticed small details of the house and asked questions about them in ways that very astutely brought out my preferences. She had brilliant ideas I'd never thought of, and gently nixed my ideas that weren't possible or that she knew would look terrible. Hire her. You will be SO glad you did.

Kari Helman was precisely on time for each meeting. She helped me figure out the process of getting a certain construction permitted. She also helped investigate what had been allowed or done in the past. She and her colleague went to the City a couple of times in my behalf.

She made suggestions along the way and always made sure I was happy with the decisions made. She worked with the city (which I understand is not very easy) to get the plans quickly approved and made sure the process went smoothly. I would highly recommend Kari for any/all architectural planning needs and will definitely use her on future projects.

Prior to demolition of the existing building conditions, Kari made a site visit and carefully measured and documented all existing dimensions. She conducted a detailed examination of the existing structural members to be certain that the removal and replacement of walls and other infrastructure would not compromise the integrity of the building.
Kari produced architectural plans which incorporated turning an odd angle of the building into an architectural feature. She assisted with space planning and even provided a recommendation for the furniture supplier - who treated us like royalty - based on her recommendation.
During the construction period, Kari was always available by phone to answer questions when we encountered an obstacle and visited the site as needed.
The result is a phenomenal success. Our offices are impressive to visitors. We have light, airy and comfortable work spaces that function perfectly for our needs. Kari's work helped us to complete the project on time and within our budget. Kari's experience and assistance alleviated a lot of the headaches normally associated with construction projects.
Kari is always pleasant and professional, available, a master at her discipline and also reasonably priced. I would not hesitate to recommend Ward R. Helman Architects for any project!

We first contracted with Kari Helman and her associates 14 years ago to change the roof on our newly purchased mid-century home. We wanted to convert a flat roof to a pitch roof in order to install central HVAC. In the process, Kari introduced a few simple design changes to the floor plan that fit our budget and completely transformed the building. The result was more than we could have hoped for: they transformed our home from a dark rabbit warren to a bright, airy wonderful environment. We were so pleased with the result that we have sense hired Kari and her colleagues to design a major bathroom/bedroom remodel and convert a family room to library.
Of special note... when it comes to picking colors, tiles and flooring, Kari was amazingly clear headed and a tremendous help in guiding us through a bewildering choices to specifics that came together beautifully.
On each of the assignments, we found Kari very personable and sensitive to both my desires for constraining cost and my wife's desire for stylish design. In cases where we were at loggerheads, Kari was amazingly effective in leading us to mutually agreeable approach. (This skill is not to be underrated!)
Finally, on those few occasions when it was needed, Kari was a incredibly effective advocate with the contractors and subcontractors.
We have plans for a kitchen remodel in coming years. We plan to continue to use Helman Architect and would highly recommend them to anyone who was looking for an architect.

We couldn't be more pleased with the feeling of having a new house without having to move. And with feeling that the decisions will take us into life-style changes as we age in place. Helman Architects worked with our constraints and needs, including the need for space and quiet in between projects, to achieve an overall effect. They discussed what we had in mind, provided options to consider, translated them to drawn up plans, discussed details, helped select products, worked closely with our contractor, Bullington Inc, on the work in progress to make adjustments as needed, helped us keep in budget, and let us know when an idea would not have lasting value.