Tanz Architects

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I contacted Shahin based on the reviews on this website site and also because of Shahin’s persistence in following up. First of all, the project started off very well (usually in the case with most contractors) then after a couple months, the wheels came off. Though there were setbacks to the project which is also normal, in my example, Shahin did not perform well on several key areas. 1. Timeliness to the project due dates. Early on in the project, the due dates on completed items seemed fine. However, as the project ensued, Shahin made several promises regarding the completed plans which had to be submitted to Montgomery County for approval, but they were false and at one point in the project, I had no clue of the new due date as to when the completed plans would be submitted to the county. 2. Transparency with Change requests. I was charged an additional fee of $200 for a change request and had no idea that a change request was actually in place. I told Shahin that clients should be aware of when one phase ends and the other is set to begin so that they are informed that after one phase, all changes are final and if the client requests any other changes, then there is a cost. His response was that I responded to all e-mails so I should have known when in fact there was no communication about his change request process. 3. Contract Clarification. I asked several times for a clear understanding of the contract with due dates and associated fees but it was very difficult to ascertain his site fees and due dates were not clearly spelt out. 4. Unethical. As the project progressed, I began to take a more proactive approach at managing the tasks and coordinating stand up calls. Oftentimes, we would have a discussion during the calls which included also included the contractor. After these calls Shahin was assigned tasks but he would e-mail the exact opposite of what was required based on the call or a totally different artifact. Part of this may have been attributed to a possible delay tactic. In other words, since he did not have the finished product, it was best to deliver any product to the client as a sign of completing the task. 5. Risk Identification and escalation. Later on during the project Shahin unfortunately broke his arm which constituted additional limitations. I specifically asked Shahin for us to have a conversation about his ability to continue with the project—he agreed that his hand would not be a problem. As a matter of fact, I actually asked him to provide dates that would work best for him because of his broken hand. In other words, I understood that he has a small business and thus I was willing to work with him in light of his issues. Again, he would promise dates and they would never met. To make matters worst, he requested the final payment to the county plans of $1,000 and told me that he would get the plans completed but it never occurred. In the end, I had to select another contractor to complete h

Excellent architect, a very pleasant and stress-free experience.

Great quality at a great price! I shopped around with price quotes and completion time for my home extension project and Tanz Architects was the best price and promised the quickest results. Work was completed very quickly and professionally! Highly recommended!

Needed a plan design for the renovation of our condo.

We needed an architect to draw plans for a retail store in Bethesda, and we were pressed for time. Mr. Shahin, from Tanz Architects, was very understanding to our situation, worked fast and well, and we were able to submit the plans shortly, have them approved with very few changes (which he did on the spot). It was great to work together, easy and efficient. We strongly recommend this company for their professional and easy going people!

Would hire this architect again for another project - very creative and readily adapted my concepts and ideas.