Michael Buss Architects, Ltd

Wanted to formally thank you for bringing the house to life with the plans. Excited to get started on the next phase- they are beautiful!!!!! Details are perfection.

I worked with Mike to design our dream home, he listened to everything we wanted and turned our dream into a reality!! Being we had never done this before Mike walked us through the whole process and explained everything when we had questions. He is so easy to work with and just did an amazing job in designing our home!

This is the second home Mike Buss has designed for us. Mike has a great eye for detail in his design, added things we never thought of that bring a unique look to the home.

This was an addition and remodel of a ranch home. It was perfection from start to finish. I was provided estimates for the project and we stuck to the budget. All the subcontractors showed up as scheduled and hit their deadlines. I had an accident in the middle of the project. They continued to proceed and kept me in the loop every step of the way. They were accessible to us 24/7. I would build another home just to be able to work with these fine folks again.

He is great at what he does, very knowledgable, historically accurate and fair. I have owned and designed so many " houses" and he has designed my family our "home". It will be one of the most charming homes in our village. I truly appreciate all of their work. These are good people.

We were paired with Mike by our developer to design our dream home last year. We are nearing the completion of our home as I write this review and we couldn't be more pleased with the experience we had with Mike. I had a very strong vision going into this project and Mike was able to execute that vision, educated me on the design & engineering of home design & building and pay attention to every little detail. Way above & beyond just designing a 'set of plans'. Working each week with Mike was easy, enjoyable and a pleasure. This amazing home we are about to live in was not possible without the first step in this whole journey, the Architect, Mike Buss. Thank You Mike! We miss sitting down with you!

We hired Mike Buss to help us with a significant remodel to our home. Working with him was a delight. He is is a very talented architect and has a natural enthusiasm for what he does. His attention to detail and making sure everything is done right is very comforting. We'd hire him again in a heartbeat.

Pre-Apology; I don't do brief. My wife and I lucked into choosing Michael Buss Architects to interview to design a custom home for us. Pretty much from our first meeting, we knew that Mike was the right person to architect our home. He had a great combination of knowledge, practicality, sense of aesthetics and good concepts on 'how people live in a home' that just worked plus he has a personality (I'll let you judge whether it's good or not ;) . One of the best things Mike was able to do was mitigate differences of opinion between my wife and I. Mike was able to ensure that we talked through the differences, and also later on as I often met with Mike without my wife present and he ensured what she wanted was still captured and represented. The additional bonus which I only learned later is the 'construction manager' role that MBA is willing to provide for the right clients; clients who want to be VERY involved in the construction process itself. Instead of shopping my new blueprints to various contractors in the area, I self-contracted the construction. However I'm just smart enough to know I'm not smart enough about construction to fulfill this role (plus I have a day job of my own). So if it's right for both of you, MBA will charge a fixed flat fee to be your construction manager. They run the project, schedule the subcontractors that they already know do good work, ensure things are being done properly from a construction standpoint and also procedurally such as permits, inspections, etc. This is not for everyone (there were weeks when I was on site every day whether for a few minutes or a couple of hours). The advantages to this are three-fold. 1. You are pretty much assured you get exactly what you want. In a previous Spec House we had built, many decisions were made by the contractor which we didn't have the opportunity to weigh in on, and once it was done we would have to pay extra to change it. 2. Quality. Since MBA charges a fixed fee that is known up front, there is no incentive for them to make choices or substitutions which would increase their profit on the job. You get to make those choices if they come up. MBA's goal is to make you happy, and to build the quality house that that Mike and his staff invested so much time designing in the first place. 3. Potential savings. The risk/reward is on YOU. This is another part that might not be for everyone, however it can yield substantial savings if the project goes smoothly AND luck is on your side (e.g. it doesn't rain for weeks at the wrong time, the occasional bad luck of a mistake or accident doesn't happen, etc). The project running smoothly is where Sue and others enter the picture. Mike is the Architect and makes sure it's built right, but Sue keeps the trains running on time and cracks the whip (on you too!) to ensure everything is lined up. In summary, my experience with MBA was even better than we'd hoped for. We love our home. We're confident in the quality of craftsmanship. Every detail is as we chose it to be, even when we chose compromise to keep costs in check. We got exactly what we were expecting.

As a window Sales Rep for Exclusive Windows I don't always come across the professionalism, experience, knowledge and friendliness that Michael Buss Architects displayed throughout the project we supplied windows for. They are unique in a sense that Michael and Sue were involved in every aspect of this project and paid very close attention to every small detail. I can't say the same for many that I personally do business with so it was very refreshing for myself and I'm sure the homeowner to experience this. Not only do they design a great house but they know how to deliver tastefully and timely.

My wife and I had the privilege of working with Mike and his team in early 2014 on our home in Hinsdale. They assisted in a complete rehab/remodel of our house. The experience from design through construction was outstanding. Construction is generally never an easy experience, but the whole Buss team made it a breeze. We are truly grateful to have worked with the Buss team and would recommend them to anyone!

Mike Buss and his staff have worked with our Firm for the past 5 years. Mike is great to work with, very professional, and you can sense a true dedication to his profession and passion for architecture. I would recommend Mike to anyone looking to design a new home or design a remodel project.

I'm a custom builder and remodeler and have built over 30 homes and numerous condo buildings over the past 25 years I've worked with several architects over the years in business and I can honesty say that Michael Buss is the most creative and easiest to work with overall. Reasonably priced as well Good turn around time I recommend him to all of my clients