SHARON WASHBURN ARCHITECT PC

SHARON F. WASHBURN, FAIA has practiced in the Washington, D.C. area since graduating from Cornell University, forming her own firm, Sharon Washburn, Architect, P.C., in 1978. Her firm specializes in both new and renovation residential work as well as historic preservation and small commercial projects. Her designs have been built from Maine to Virginia. She is actively involved in her profession, serving as 1992 President of the Washington chapter of the American Institute of Architects and a founding officer of the Washington Architectural Foundation. She has been awarded fellowship in the American Institute of Architects. She serves as a director of the Montgomery County Historical Society and the Bethesda Community Garden Club. Here are some of her thoughts about architecture. Good and bad design comes in many styles, whether it is a Federal structure or a Victorian row house or a 1960’s split level. My job is to offer you good design options, no matter what style your home or office is. The challenge of creating good design with tight restrictions of an existing structure or infill lot is more challenging than designing a new structure in an open field. Getting the most use of every inch of space becomes more critical as one tries to keep maximize one’s space without overbuilding. The process of working with an architect is a personal one, the client needs to be comfortable talking with their architect about who they are, how they live or work and what their dreams are, and yes, even how they use their bathroom. So it is important to work with an architect who you like, that you feel you can say no to: no, I don’t like that, or no, I don’t understand what you are showing me. And it is the architect’s job to give their client a full understanding of the job, both in terms of the design as well as the construction process as well as a design that reflects the client’s needs and visions, not the personal taste of the designer. It is a privilege to help people turn their dreams and needs in to reality and I hope that my expertise can make this process simpler and the end result more rewarding for my clients.