Harry Pharr/ Architect & Planner

Harry had worked with my husband and me on home renovation. When we decided to build an art studio, Harry was our first choice. We worked collaboratively. Locating the studio was the starting point. Our sites changed a number of times as our land is large and complex. Harry was superb at understanding the needs of a structure in relation to the unique properties of our very lovely yet complicated land. The result is a studio building that fits well into a small undulating crook in the landscape. Harry designed a very beautiful structure on a site that carried particular structural and practical challenges. I learned a great deal on this collaboration especially the importance of clear communication between all participants from the architect, to the owners to the builder and workers. If you want an architect who has a very high aesthetic sense for design, awareness of the space of nature and architecture, as well as being sensitive to his client’s design preferences, Harry is an excellent choice. His work is high-end work. He is an excellent collaborator with the land/home owners and builders who have an equally high standard.

I hired Harry to design a substantial addition to my home, a farm house and adjacent barn complex in the Town of Wallkill. The plan for the addition was to include a Great Room, Guest Quarters, and to Renovate the Kitchen, etc. My existing house was a jumble consisting of the post & beam original section dating from the mid-19th century, a two-story section added to one side at the turn of the century, and a kitchen (in name only) on the other side of the original section. Harry listened carefully to my needs, as he made accurate layouts of the existing house and barn, and the site; to which he added his design for the addition. His imaginative design honored the authenticity of the original architecture, extending the post and beam construction to the rebuilt Kitchen and the Great Room. The open plan created a flow and unity throughout my house. Harry’s professionalism, attention to detail and collaborative spirit made him a joy to work with. He also worked closely with the contractor to help manage and smooth out what otherwise would have been a very disruptive process. I would whole heartedly recommend Harry to anyone looking for a design professional.

Harry Pharr is a rare find: an amalgam of artistic genius, skilled and practiced architect, meticulous planner and budgeter and an individual of impeccable integrity. My collaboration with Harry over approximately 2 years on the renovation and restoration of my home, one of the most historically significant private homes in Orange County NY, achieved extraordinary results. Beginning with an extensive survey of the condition of the structure to the development of a holistic design and construction plan to the interviewing and selection of a capable, trustworthy general contractor and ending with onsite supervision of the work to ensure adherence to the plan and completion of the myriad permitting and inspections, Harry performed flawlessly. Results achieved were a relocated kitchen, restoration of a grand open air porch and preparation of the second story floor for a complete bathroom renovation as well as upgrades to many other aspect of the home. The cost of the project was in the $400K range. As s longterm term owner (25+ years) of a large, historic home I have retained the services of many contractors in a variety of capacities. NONE compare to Harry Pharr. Indeed, when Harry was present the usual construction contractor shenanigans evaporated: everything went off on time and without surprises. If you have the opportunity to collaborate with him, do yourself a favor and take advantage of it. He is the real deal.

I engaged Harry to develop plans for a redesign/rebuild of a detached garage/studio. I very much enjoyed working with Harry. He listened to what I was looking for, both stylistically and with respect to the practicable use of the space, and designed a structure that I'm very happy with. It was an incremental and collaborative process and the final product is something I like visually and that also fulfills competing requirements (storage space, working space and guest space). The final plans look great. Everything was done on a timely basis and I thought fairly priced, especially given the quality of the work. I'm looking forward to turning them into a finished structure over the summer of 2019.