Christopher Jackson Architect, PA

Chris Jackson did a great job on designing the addition to my house. He was friendly, thoughtful and professional. One thing I particularly liked is that his plans are automatically and easily renderable in 3D. He draws them up in 2D (which is the way you submit plans to the building department for approval), but in a couple of minutes with several clicks of his mouse, you can see a high definition 3D rendering of what the current design will look like. Technically it's called virtual building with parametric objects. Seeing the designs in 3D is invaluable because designs in 2D usually look much different in real life than you imagine them on paper, and you can easily be disappointed. Even the architect can’t really know how a variety of architectural details in 2D will look when combined together in real life, and even if he/she could picture it in their own head, they wouldn’t be able to accurately describe it to you so you could correctly picture it so you can know if you like it or not. By comparison, 3D shows it very close to how it will look in real life. Chris’s 3D is dynamic and moveable 3D, so you can: a) move the addition/house on the screen to see it from different angles left to right going around the whole house and different heights, including from bird’s eye view high up, chair height, standing height (or any height you want). This helps a lot. For example, I spend most of my leisure time in my back yard on my patio and another spot, so in the dynamic 3D, I moved to those spots to see how the addition would look from the spots I would see it from 90% of the time. b) you can walk further away from or closer to the house, and you can walk through walls and into the house to see the insides of the rooms and hallways. By contrast, if you go with someone who does non-dynamic 3D, you’re usually limited to seeing only 2-5 still screen shots, and they’re usually at angles, distances or heights that in real life you’ll never be standing in. I made many important improvements after I saw the 3D, and in hindsight, I would have had a subpar addition if not for the dynamic 3D. Chris can email the 3D file so you can view it on your own computer, so you don’t even have to meet with him to view the 3D. About 95% of architects either don’t do 3D or charge you a considerable amount extra for 3D, but with Chris it’s free. Related to that, every set of changes he makes can be rapidly rendered in 3D. Most architects that offer 3D do their 2D plans in one app, and their 3D plans in a different app. So each time you make a set of changes, they have to make the changes to both apps, which costs you far more in hourly billing and results in a lag time of when you can see the 3D. With Chris, it’s the same app, so he only needs to make the changes once, which reduces your costs. Note, Houzz asks for the project date and cost, and the answers I gave are for Chris's work, not the total cost of building the addition. Also, he is very willing to brainstorm ideas, and also able to offer up his opinions without being attached to your accepting them. He is very competent and skilled, yet he was never condescending, which happens in this field. He is able to help you evaluate contractors if you want, and also able to help monitor your project after construction begins. The final thing I’ll add is you’ll know fairly soon after working with him that he’s a good person - he cares about people and he’ll treat you fairly. I highly recommend him.

Chris Jackson has designed both our guest house and main house. He was a dream to work with. He listened carefully to all of our needs and dreams and was able to design a home that is both stunning and comfortable. Our lot is heavily wooded on a river. Chris made sure the design took in the best perspectives of our heirloom oaks and water views. He was patience personified especially when called upon to mediate between contractors and ourselves. This wasn't always easy but the results speak for themselves.

My husband and I hired Chris to perform architectural services for our future custom home based on a prior positive experience with him. Our waterfront property has a partial view of Sarasota Bay. Chris was tasked with the challenge of designing a home to maximize views of the Bay and also several grand oaks along the street frontage. Prior to his first schematic drawing, Chris performed a comprehensive evaluation of our building lot which included elevation views, zoning regulations and the relationship of adjoining properties. The design development phase allowed for several revisions to accommodate our tastes, needs and budget. At the present time, we have passed the midway point in the estimated construction period. As work progresses, we are even more aware of the unique details that make our home special. Chris works closely with our experienced general contractor and job supervisor to ensure that his design is executed with meticulous detail. His warm and respectful personality is appreciated by all. The end result is a team that is dedicated to building a quality home that we will cherish for many years.

Chris was the architectural partner, with our builder, of a customized SIP (Structural Insulated Panel) home. Chris was attentive to every detail and his plans reflected his deep knowledge of home design. He suggested many creative and practical ways to enhance our ease and enjoyment of daily living in the house. His overall professionalism was par excellence.

With the realization that a client "lives" with his architect, we were looking for a person who was responsible, a listener, reflected our needs in the design of our new home, would help us decipher those needs, and who was a lady/gentleman and respectful. We found all of these qualifications and more in Christopher Jackson. His knowledge, thoroughness, ideas, and follow-through were unending. His ability to meet deadlines was a saving grace. We had a budget; he stuck to it. Chris got along beautifully with the builder and his sub-contractors, and yet, he was demanding of certain construction requirements which the builder and subs happily fulfilled. His attitude made it very comfortable for us to question, change, and even challenge. Although we had previous building experience in doubling the size of another home through an addition years earlier, we learned a tremendous amount from Chris. He opened our minds while still fulfilling our specific needs and wants. Such as, we wanted a handicap accessible home without straining traffic patterns or looks. We wanted a very specific view upon entering our home. Chris did that. We wanted modern with warmth. Chris did that, too. We benefitted from his background in working in the modern genre. Christopher Jackson respectfully represents the Sarasota School of Architecture with his own sensibility and with a gentlemanliness that makes working or, as we called it earlier, "living" with Chris a pleasure. We highly recommend him.