PORTFOLIO

Greenwich shingle style architect

NEW HOMES

Hamptons modern architect

RENOVATIONS

Quogue architect Gambrel house

in development

PROFILE

David Neff attended Williams College where he studied economics and studio art, and majored in the renowned art history program. David graduate magna cum laude and was awarded the Bruce Sanderson Prize in Architecture.

For graduate studies, David chose the University of Virginia for its Masters in Architecture program because he felt the curriculum’s unusually close ties to the school’s Landscape Architecture program best served his interest in home design.

After graduation, David worked for Austin Patterson Disston in Southport, CT and Quogue, NY and Trumbull Architects in New York, NY, two firms known for thoughtfully-designed single-family homes. Mentors at these two firms gave him nearly a decade of experience in all aspects of home projects.

David launched his own firm in 2008 and has been designing renovations and ground-up homes ever since. David has designed homes in Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Florida. He is licensed in Connecticut, New York, and Florida.

David’s projects have been published in Traditional Home, Luxe, and the New York Times. In 2018, he was named to Luxe’s Gold List.

“For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by houses. I was very fortunate to have grown up in a Connecticut suburb and a Long Island coastal village where I could admire beautiful homes and explore the surrounding nature. A surprising number of my earliest memories seem to involve indoor/outdoor spaces and this became a major driver in my design process.”

“A design succeeds if you drive up to your home and it speaks to you on an emotional level. It succeeds if your home is brand new yet it resonates with a deeper place within you, as if its your ancestral home. If it feels like an inevitable place for new memories and celebrations. And above all, if it allows you and your family to be your most true, authentic selves.”

David Neff Architect
David Neff attended Williams College where he studied economics and studio art, and majored in the renowned art history program. David graduate magna cum laude and was awarded the Bruce Sanderson Prize in Architecture. For graduate studies, David chose the University of Virginia for its Masters in Architecture program because he felt the curriculum’s unusually close ties to the school’s Landscape Architecture program best served his interest in home design. After graduation, David worked for Austin Patterson Disston in Southport, CT and Quogue, NY and Trumbull Architects in New York, NY, two firms known for thoughtfully-designed single-family homes. Mentors at these two firms gave him nearly a decade of experience in all aspects of home projects. David launched his own firm in 2008 and has been designing renovations and ground-up homes ever since. David has designed homes in Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Florida. He is licensed in Connecticut, New York, and Florida. David’s projects have been published in Traditional Home, Luxe, and the New York Times. In 2018, he was named to Luxe’s Gold List.

“For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by houses. I was very fortunate to have grown up in a Connecticut suburb and a Long Island coastal village where I could admire beautiful homes and explore the surrounding nature. A surprising number of my earliest memories seem to involve indoor/outdoor spaces and this became a major driver in my design process.”

“A design succeeds if you drive up to your home and it speaks to you on an emotional level. It succeeds if your home is brand new yet it resonates with a deeper place within you, as if its your ancestral home. If it feels like an inevitable place for new memories and celebrations. And above all, if it allows you and your family to be your most true, authentic selves.”

PHILOSOPHY

CLIENT-CENTERED

It’s a great honor and huge responsibility to be asked to create someone’s future home. You’re trusting me to create what may be the most significant gift you ever give your family and that’s not something I will ever take lightly.

You might be here because you related to a past project of mine… but please know that house didn’t result from my imposing a personal style on a client. Every family is unique. If your future home is truly right, it will spring from your specific personal story.

There’s no satisfaction for either of us if you move your family in and the design is ‘nice’ but somehow leaves you cold. A design succeeds if you drive up to your home and it speaks to you on an emotional level. It succeeds if your home is brand new yet it resonates with a deeper place within you, as if its your ancestral home. If it feels like an inevitable place for new memories and celebrations. And above all if it allows you and your family to be your most true, authentic selves.

In a client-centered process, my task is to quietly guide you to possibilities and then LISTEN. To give you helpful information, ask the right questions, and show you beautiful images and then you in turn will guide me to the answer. I will take what moves you and infuse it with clarity and beauty, transforming your needs and desires into a home that could only be for your family.

HISTORY

At a subconscious level, we bring a lifetime of associations to each new experience with a building. I believe new homes should be original and inventive but at the same time we can’t deny the emotional power of being reminded of past buildings from throughout our lifetime.

Even the best modern architects were masters of history. History at its most powerful is never rigid revivalism or pastiche. It’s a deep understanding of what came before us so we can endow new buildings with timeless qualities. Precedents can be abstracted, combined, and transformed. Your personal style is likely a special blend of many associations and influences.

I am constantly researching past architecture and planning my next architectural vacation and I think of my photo collection as a design superpower. The shingle style and Caribbean style may be more visible favorites but I strive to absorb all the lessons of classical and gothic, modern and vernacular, and I relish the opportunity to design every kind of home.

BEAUTY

A favorite teacher used to always say, “Make it beautiful.” That may sound obvious but in much of our built surroundings, beauty feels like an afterthought.

Beauty can be mysterious so in home design, perhaps we gravitate towards easier discussions of function. Proper function is of course an absolute necessity but a home can be so much more.

Some may worry that beauty is out of reach but it truly doesn’t have to be expensive. Maybe it’s my New England roots but I feel a special affection for buildings that achieve their beauty through simple means. Balance, proportion, pleasing line, color, texture, pattern, detail- none of these qualities are exclusive to big budgets… and a bottomless budget in no way guarantees they are properly deployed.

From the most sacred rooms in our homes to the most utilitarian, we deserve to have our lives enriched by happy feelings and I will strive to give every facade of your home and every last room charm and joy and beauty.

SENSE OF PLACE

I believe that when a home design is Client-Centered, when it respects a family’s History, and when it radiates Beauty, then and only then can its inhabitants can feel a “Sense of Place.”

Sense of Place is mere physical ‘space’ transformed by a real bond between a house and family. There is deeper meaning throughout the home that gives rise to authentic feelings of belonging.

An authentic home belongs to its neighborhood and to its site and appears to naturally inevitably grow from it. A home with “sense of place” truly respects the spirit of its surroundings.

Indoor places effortlessly flow to outdoor places. There may be great openness but every space is well-defined and has its own personality. Places of food and fun and activity flow to places of rest and relaxation and every place is personal and memorable and every place feels like home.

PROCESS

PRE-DESIGN

Overview:
I will help you compile all important information about your site, your needs, your tastes, and your lifestyle to create a “program” for the design phases that follow. Done thoughtfully, our work here will set the stage for a low-stress process that works with your budget and schedule and results in a deeply personal home that truly speaks to your family.
Deliverable:
Existing Conditions Drawings; Code Review; House Questionnaire; Inspiration Board; Budget Analysis; Program/Square Foot Analysis; Project Scheduling; Team Coordination

SCHEMATIC DESIGN

Overview:
In this exciting phase, I will take the program and inspiration that we compiled during Pre-Design and with your help, will translate that information into a conceptual design. Together, we will take your needs and organize them into a plan functions for your family. And we will take all that inspires you and transform it into something simple and beautiful.
Deliverable:
Site Plan; Floor plans; Exterior Elevations; Building Sections; Exterior 3D Renderings

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

Overview:
We will take Schematic Design’s conceptual framework and flesh it out with material selections and design details consistent with the original vision and with your budget, taking an important leap closer to your home’s reality
Deliverable:
Accessory Structure Plans; Door & Window Schedule; HVAC Review; Interior Elevations; Electrical Plans; Flooring Plans; Ceiling Plans; Cabinet Details; Molding Details; Appliance Schedule; Plumbing Schedule; Hardware Schedule; Finish Schedule

CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS

Overview:
I will produce an expanded set of drawings with detail sufficient for permit approval and for the contractor to build your home with confidence, precision, and without delay.
Deliverable:
Final detailed versions of all Schematic Design & Design Development deliverables; Foundation Plan; Roof Plan; Framing Plans; Exterior Details; Written Specifications

BIDDING / PERMITTING

Overview:
I will submit drawing sets and application forms to the necessary government offices and will then monitor the progress and provide any additional information that’s requested. I will recommend qualified, reputable contractors and create a competitive bidding environment from which we can determine the best contractor to build your new home.
Deliverable:
Application Forms; Variance Approval; Contractor Candidate List; Bid Analysis

CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION

Overview:
Acting as your advisor. I will visit the site as requested to resolve any design or construction questions and to make sure your home is built to specifications. I will also document and administer any design changes and review all billing invoices from the contractor. At the end of this exciting phase, I will help work through the final punchlist so your family can move into your new home!
Deliverable:
Field Reports; Design Revisions; Final Punchlist