YGS Design & Development

We hired Yael to design a second story addition and full first story renovation of our home. We honestly could not be happier with her services. She listened to our family's needs/goals, she came up with multiple creative design options and communicated clearly and promptly with us all along the way. Our project also involved walking through the thorny territory of special permitting. Yael guided us through special permitting with expertise and professionalism. She is excellent at her craft and I highly recommend her for your design and development needs.

We hired Yael to help us envision options to add a master suite, office, mudroom, and larger living space to our home. Yael did a great job of offering us multiple options to consider, and then refined our choice to a set of detailed documents that we used to go through town permitting, and then into construction. Our project consists both of a substantial addition (new construction) as well as renovation/ reconfiguration of our existing home. Yael was great at both suggesting her ideas and listening to ours. I appreciated that she offered strong opinions for us to consider- she was usually right! Yael is responsive and dependable, and turned around her design options in reasonable timeframes. Yael's support through the Special Permit process was instrumental in us obtaining municipal approval. We appreciated Yael's recommendations of contractors, structural engineers, and land surveyors to solicit proposals from. I would highly recommend YGS Design & Development for your renovation or new construction project!

Yael and her company YGS Design & Development were fantastic! We purchased an apartment that required substantial remodeling and changes to the layout. The apartment’s shape is far from a standard rectangular shape, so we couldn’t get a decent ‘as-built’ floor plan. Yael interviewed us regarding the scope of the project, and our desires and ideas for what needs to be done. She then came on-site, quickly measured everything, and presented an as-built floor plan and schematic design plans with 4 alternatives. Yael’s alternatives contained several ideas that we hadn't thought of, and we liked some of them very much. After additional discussions, Yael presented adjusted alternatives, and then after some more discussions we received a final package of drawings sufficient for obtaining all necessary permits and signing a contract for development with one of the teams that Yael suggested. All communications with Yael were very pleasant. She responded quickly, was professional, and detail oriented. When Yael determined that the final design wouldn't require certain construction drawings, she substantially decreased her fee, which was pleasantly surprising to us and demonstrated her integrity. In addition to the high personal standard that Yael follows, she holds a degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from a top European school, as well as a Master's Degree in Real Estate Development from MIT's School of Architecture and Planning. We highly recommend Yael and her company.

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.

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.

Yael has been helping a whole-house renovation of our 1930 colonial, and I cannot recommend her enough! Her role stretched beyond the design & architecture. She helped vetting GCs, comparing their estimates, and sorting through small and large issues with the GC on site. She made the whole process a lot more enjoyable and helped me made my dream house come true. If I ever have another renovation, she'll be the first one to know. Working with her has been night and day compared to a reputable design-build firm I had hired before. Here are the ways that Yael stood out: 1) She listened to my ideas and incorporated them as much as possible. She is not shy to provide her point of view and tell me why my idea might not work and suggest alternatives. She strikes a good balance between my vision & need, the constraints (constructional challenges, town code, etc.), and her own aesthetic standard. I'm super happy with the end result that we created together. 2) She's a superb communicator. She replies to all emails, texts, and calls -- she responds to every single questions/comments (and I had a lot of them!) and follows up on time. If things get delayed, she proactively lets me know so that I can plan accordingly. It's a huge load off that I don't have to manage the architect. 3) Yael is fast and accommodates numerous updates. I've requested so many different versions of the layouts. We had at least dozen layouts for the house, and several variations within the top contenders. She was always prompt to make those changes and discuss pros & cons. The fast and frequent iteration during the design phase was so satisfying & fun, and assured me that we've considered all the viable options and found the best possible layout for the family. 4) She cares about me. Even after her work was done, she made herself available to help me along the construction phase. She lends her experience and advice on how to deal with the GC and various issues on site. It's really good to have a neutral sounding board.

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.

YGS was recommended by a builder as well as other architects. As soon as we met with Yael, we knew she was the right choice for us. We appreciated her direct communications style and her extensive knowledge of the limitations of our project given zoning issues. Based on her design we were able to get a building permit with no complications. She was excellent about presenting various options and dealing with multiple changes. Punctual, communicative, friendly, knowledgable, thorough - what more could you ask for.

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!

Yael was perfect. She knew exactly what we were looking for and had great design sense. She is patient, calm, creative, and most importantly extremely thorough. We thought threw so much detail with her upfront that has made the construction process much easier. We are so excited about our new home and it could not have happened without Yael.

The outcome was everything we had hoped for.

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.

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. Ultimately we decided not to proceed with the project, but she got us to a point to help us see the potential wth our home. 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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

Yael helped us figure out different options for extension of our house. She was very professional and came and did exact measurements of the house as it is now and then, very quickly, she generated plans and even 3D drawings of our house and we started to discuss different options.
The 3D drawings were very helpful since we are not used to looking at plans and the 3D views really helped us get a feeling of how things will look. She also went to the city hall and asked about different regulations regarding our house and explained the process and limitations to us. Yael provided several alternatives for extension of the house with guidance on which of them would be more expensive or complicated to do. The plans and 3D drawings were excellent and they really helped us think about these options.
Eventually, we decided on one of the options and she connected us with potential contractors to do the work.
We are now still in the process and could not have done it without Yael's help.
In summary, Yael was extremely fast and professional -- she knows the rules, who to talk to in the city, she is an expert in the different computational tools to make drawings and 3D images. We are very happy with her work.

She was easy to work with from the beginning, we felt comfortable that all our design wishes will be addressed, and was very flexible, creative, and open to our ideas as homeowners. She was also flexible to modify the drawings as needed throughout the process. In addition she helped with communication with town planning boards and town inspectors throughout the process.
Also, her pricing was very reasonable.
Based on our good experience, we highly recommend her for architectural design for your home renovation!

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.