COUPARD ARCHITECTS & BUILDERS

We have only good things to say about Mark Coupard, Charles McSorley and their crew.  It was a very positive experience - and we still feel that way almost 8 years later.  They were knowledgeable and very responsive to our needs and desires.  They cleaned up each day and kept the noise down.  And they worked things out so that we could still live in the house while they were doing the addition.  Great guys.  Great result.

Mark is extremely conscientious.   He's very detail-oriented.  Communication has been very effective and I love his crew.

Coupard built our new deck and screened in porch which was a major project that required excavation behind our house and fixing a lot of the mistakes made when the house was built. We spent a while in the design phase - mostly our fault - and we were very pleased with what Mark came up with. I was home almost the entire length of the project and was totally impressed by the quality of work and their professionalism. There was never any mess and they were totally respectful when in our house and were even great with our dogs. Although I was glad to have the banging stop and everything complete, I would definitely have them back again to do more work. I asked a lot of questions of Mark and the crew and they took the time to explain why they were doing things a certain way and always did things the right way. I am confident this outdoor addition is sturdier than the rest of our house. Our project took about five months from the start of construction which was about in line with what we were quoted.

Having lived overseas in five different houses, we had some definite views about what we liked and didn’t want in a renovated home. We loved the location of our home in Franklin Park in McLean, Virginia, enjoyed a spacious lot, but the 1958 split level house left a lot to be desired.

After contacting Mark Coupard, we discussed vision and strategy. I wanted to expand the house, especially the public spaces, creating a spacious, airy open environment where we could better appreciate the significant trees and greenery on our
lot. We ended up adding about 1000 square feet to the house. What had been the living room, dining room and kitchen became the living room that extended in an open floor plan to the dining area and large kitchen and deck. Mark and his team lifted the ceiling, but more importantly, created tray ceilings in the living room, dining room, kitchen and new master bedroom suite, creating interesting geometrics that also were echoed in a new small front porch. Large windows throughout the house (4 bedrooms, a study, a basement rec room), complemented by large skylights in two of the three baths and in the kitchen created a feeling of light and openness that were absent before. We worked closely with Mark and his team, and they guided us from selection of granite and tiles to light fixtures. Mark was very responsive to our ideas and needs, while offering the necessary guidance to us. While our son got a new bedroom and we got a new master bedroom suite, as well as totally reconceived public areas, every room was improved. At the end of the day, we ended us with a home we view as a sanctuary. Our first houseguest remarked that the renovation vastly improved our living spaces but without compromising the intimacy of our home.
I strongly endorse Coupard Architects and Builders who designed and oversaw the execution of the project. The work undertaken by Mark’s team of skilled craftsmen and builders was first rate, including the framing and woodwork. And the same can be said for the work completed by his sub-contractors, each of whom he has carefully tested over time. The masonry, for example, was done with a high degree of attention to detail. Another plus worth mentioning, because we believe that the quality of this work would be hard to beat, is the quality of the interior trim. Also, the quality of the windows and the doors exceeded our expectations. While our budget was higher than we originally planned, it was in part due to the choices we made during the construction process – with respect to kitchen and bathroom fixtures for example - and budgets were transparently discussed throughout the process. Communication
between us remained excellent throughout. We ended up with a quality home we’re proud to live in and can appreciate the aesthetic inputs into the design conceived by Mark.