Rogers + Labarthe Architects

Rogers+Labarthe Architects designed and oversaw the construction of a studio/guest house to match the style of our hundred year old bungalow. They also designed the remodel of the kitchen and bathrooms of our bungalow. The kitchen remodel included a total redesign of the back entrance. The finished project is so enchanting, that it was chosen for the Historic Heights Home and Garden Tour. Living in our bungalow, with its studio/guest house out back, has reinforced our conviction that no space should be brought into existence without the skilled eye of the architect. One of the docents on the home tour told us that our home “...puts it’s arms around you and hugs you.” Rogers+Labarthe Architects designed those hugs.

I have been working with Suzanne Labarthe on the renovation of my historic bungalow. The project includes kitchen renovation, master bath renovation, second bath renovation, and a small addition of a one-car garage, studio, and screened in porch. While I had some initial ideas, Suzanne was able to take those and improve upon them especially in regards to how to make the most of our space and budget limitations. She listened carefully throughout the design phase to our needs and requests. A Certificate of Appropriateness was required as our home is in an historic district. Suzanne provided all documents required and based on her knowledge of historic requirements, we were easily approved. We are now in the build phase and I engaged Suzanne to monitor that process working closely with contractor. She has been instrumental in ensuring the work is completed as designed as well as making adjustments along the way. She has an incredible eye for detail which is critical during the build phase. Suzanne has provided excellent resources and advice in selecting fixtures, finishes, and other details - listening to my likes and dislikes, and improving the selections I've made on my own, all while keeping a close eye on my budget. While my project is a renovation, I have seen her work on new construction which is equally outstanding. I highly recommend Suzanne and her firm for any project you may be considering.

Intense research and multiple interviews led us to engage Rogers + Labarthe Architects (R+L) for our first project in 1997--a comprehensive renovation of a 1916 Craftsman bungalow which was featured later that year on the Houston Heights Home & Garden Tour. [1102 Columbia Street 77008] Our experience and the beautiful outcome were the reasons we returned to them for two subsequent projects. The second project was a ground up design of a re-imagined warehouse/storefront-styled home, and this home was featured in 2003 on the AIA Home Tour and the Houston Heights Association Holiday Home Tour. [448 Columbia Street 77007] Our third project with R+L--and our current home--was completed in 2008. In keeping with an existing c. 1950 storefront structure already on the property--renovated during the project to serve as a guest house--R+L created a contemporary one-story residence with a nod to modern mid-century design and early 20th century warehouses, including a single slope standing seam roof, exterior siding elements of galvalume and D'Hanis tile [matching the same tile of the original storefront structure], and casement and storefront windows and doors. The interior's open floor plan features polished concrete floors (appreciated for our large menagerie of rescue dogs), sloped ceilings with exposed glu-lam beams and full walls of custom sliding doors and clerestory windows (with exterior galvalume louvers) facing the "Hollywood" pool from both the large living space and the master bedroom. Expansive windowless walls and spot lighting were planned throughout to accommodate an extensive art collection. The kitchen features concrete countertops, professional-grade appliances and upper Metro shelving and other lighted display boxes to showcase substantial mid-century collectibles and dishware. In all three projects, it was a pleasure working with R+L. We challenged them with three very different projects and they exceeded our expectations each time. Waking up in this beautiful and comfortable home every day has been a true gift that we expect to enjoy for years to come.

I highly recommend Rogers + Labarthe Architects on the basis of a relationship that spans over 20 years and includes both residential and commercial projects. John and Suzanne bring a level of professionalism and commitment to their work that is truly impressive. Their design sense is very imaginative but at the same time, very practical and detail oriented. They listen to their clients and are sensitive to their priorities, including budgets and schedules, and they thoroughly understand all aspects of the permitting and construction processes. In addition to developing designs and drawings they helped us to identify qualified contractors and to evaluate their bids, and also provided rigorous construction oversight The first project, in 1994, was the reconfiguration of our 900-sf ca.1910 cottage in the Houston Heights, with a 2 story addition that included a kitchen and dining room downstairs and a master bedroom suite upstairs. There were a number of constraints in working with an older house closely surrounded by mature trees and close to the property line, but they found creative solutions to deal with the space limitations. In 1998 we added an attached garage with a family room and full bath upstairs. Three bids on the first phase came in within 10% of each other and when I remarked on this to the winning bidder he attributed it to the thoroughness and clarity of the drawings and specifications. The integration of the old and new structures is virtually seamless. The flow of the interior spaces and the relationship between the house and the yard and garden has made the house a pleasure to live in. In more than 20 years, we have not felt the need to change even the paint colors. On the strength of this experience my company hired Rogers + Labarthe to design our offices in Houston (in 1997, with expansions in 2003 and 2004), and in Austin (2009, with an expansion in 2011). I mention these commercial projects only to emphasize our level of confidence in their abilities and satisfaction with their product that has made us repeat clients. Most recently (fall 2011), we hired them to develop detailed drawings from my wife’s conceptual plan to remodel the living/dining and kitchen areas of our house in the hill country. This last entailed yet another level of collaboration and the result was just what we had hoped for.

Rogers + Labarthe Architects worked closely with us on the design and construction of our home. We had a general design concept going into the project - the Rogers and Labarthe team were instrumental in bringing that idea into fruition, and in helping us select a builder who could execute the construction to our standards. John and Suzanne are an excellent team and were very responsive in all phases of the project, providing ideas, renderings, and plans in a timely fashion. Their creative ideas, problem solving abilities, and attention to detail made the design and construction of our home progress about as smoothly as you could imagine. The firm is experienced in both residential and commercial architecture; we would recommend them highly to anyone considering new construction or remodeling.