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Professional

Contest Winners, Featured Customers, Interior Design, Kitchen Design, Professional

Zak Rathgeber Wins 1st Place with His Modern Inner-City Kitchen Design!

September 19, 2018

By Jake Murray

 

Zak placed 1st in the Chief Architect Kitchen/Bath & Interiors Design Contest! A start with Lego houses has led to a long career and successful company of his own, Livara Design Inc.

 

Zak, his wife, and two children. With a passion for design that began at an early age, his work is the product of an experienced and talented designer. Congratulations on winning 1st place!

“I was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with a small stint in British Columbia.  I always knew I wanted to design homes.  I can remember sitting on the floor as a kid building Lego houses and hotels, and I always gravitated to drawing sprawling dream homes over all the other topics little kids usually draw! I was gifted my first drafting table when I was 13 or 14, and I was off to the races.  I had a great Drafting & Design program in my high school and it definitely solidified my want to do this for a living. Continue reading…

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Events, Professional, Stories

Chief Academy 2018 Recap

September 7, 2018

By Dani Walker

 

Last week Chief Architect held the 2018 Chief Academy near our headquarters in Coeur d’ Alene, ID. There were over 100 attendees who came for the 2 ½ days of in-depth training, 1 on 1 support, and networking events. Over the course of the event, Users were able to soak up the last few days of summer in Coeur d’ Alene through morning events and evening receptions.

Day 1 kicked off with a Welcome and Company Update from our CEO, Greg Wells. Shortly after, Users headed to their class to start training. Classes ranged from Introductory to Advanced, each taught by a certified Chief Architect Instructor. The day was full of tips, tricks, and techniques to help Users utilize Chief Architect within their business.

 

Chief Architect customers gathered at the 2018 Chief Academy ready for a training.

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Contest Winners, Featured Customers, Professional, Residential Home Design

Jennifer Lazarus Places 2nd with Her Stone Tudor Home Design

August 28, 2018
Dream Home that has evolved over many years,

By Emily Black

Jennifer placed 2nd in the Chief Architect Residential Design Contest! Her passion for design began when she was 10 years old and has flourished in her career as a home designer.

Jennifer Lazarus

I chose Chief Architect because of its realistic appearance, reasonable price, and user-friendliness.

“Unofficially, I started drawing house plans on graph paper when I was 10 years old, and I knew that designing was something I wanted to pursue as a profession.  Officially, I started designing in 2005, when I began working for and training with a local designer in my hometown of Memphis, TN.  In 2010, I began doing freelance residential design while also pursuing a career in another field.  I founded Ideal House Plans, LLC in 2017 and am currently working on growing the business.

“I’ve been a Chief Architect customer since May 2018.  Earlier in the year, I knew that I would need quality 3D renderings to post on the new website, so I began my search for the right software to use.  I downloaded several trial versions of various software to determine what would work best for me. In the end, I chose Chief Architect because of its realistic appearance, reasonable price, and user-friendliness.”

 

We really enjoyed seeing Jennifer’s work. To see more examples of her designs, visit idealhouseplansllc.com/shop. We wish Jennifer the very best with the launch of her new website.

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Professional, Residential Home Design, Stories

Fine Homebuilding California House Collaboration

July 30, 2018
FHB California House Watercolor Rendering by Chief Architect

By Adrean Stephenson

 

Taunton Press’s Fine Homebuilding Magazine has been the gold standard reference, covering quality home design and construction for over 30 years. I remember as a youngster sifting through the stacks of my dad’s coveted back issues, soaking up the details and anticipating the next “Great Moments in Building History” featured on the last page. It wasn’t long after I purchased my first fixer upper that I started an archive library of my own. Continue reading…

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Contest Winners, Featured Customers, Professional, Remodel-Addition

Glenn M. Travis Places 2nd with His Georgian Colonial Remodel

July 18, 2018
Second story addition to a ranch rambler home design.

By Emily Black

 

Glenn placed 2nd in the Chief Architect Remodel/Addition Design Contest! His winning design is a beautiful transformation of the original home design.

Glenn M. Travis, the principal designer and owner of GMT Home Designs, focused on adding a second story and redesigning the first floor to give the clients a large kitchen and open family room. Glenn utilizes Chief Architect to bring his clients into the design with him and open communication for changes.

“Glenn and his team turned our idea into a reality using their incredible 3D design system. For the first time, we could actually see our dream home come to life. Visualizing the space in the 3D Viewer not only showed us what our home would look like but allowed us to make changes to something “we thought we liked” before ever breaking ground.” – GMT Home Design Client Continue reading…

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Bathroom Design, Contest Winners, Featured Customers, Professional

Shona Griffin places 2nd with her versatile walk-in shower design

June 19, 2018
This bathroom design features a walk-in steam shower with a sauna, standalone tub, bench seat and a large round window.

By Kendra Dorosh

Shona Griffin places 2nd in the Chief Architect Kitchen/Bath & Interior Design Contest. She’s based in Atlanta, Georgia and owns a small home-based drafting and permitting service called Key Designs.

 

 

“I have an Associate’s Degree in Computer-Aided Science and a Bachelor’s Degree in Project Management. I was introduced to Chief Architect Software through an engineering firm that I worked for, at that time they were operating Chief Architect Version X7. I have also learned Revit, but I prefer Chief Architect and have now been using it for 14 years. I operate a small home-based drafting and permitting service, which is growing rapidly.” Continue reading…

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Contest Winners, Featured Customers, Professional, Remodel-Addition

Robin McCarthy and Heather Brewer win 2nd Place with their Craftsman-Style Design

May 22, 2018
This large remodel and major addition was designed around an active lifestyle of a family of five who have outgrown their current home. The style of the home is primarily a mix of farmhouse and craftsman elements. The timber beams, shingles, and stone accents highlight the craftsman style, while the board and batten farmhouse style windows bring out the farmhouse style.

By Kendra Dorosh

Architect Robin McCarthy and Junior Designer Heather Brewer placed 2nd in the Chief Architect Residential Design Contest. See how their projects have come to life with Robin’s passion for design and Heather’s skill with 3D Modeling.

Robin McCarthy (Left) and Heather Brewer (Right)

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Contest Winners, Featured Customers, Professional, Residential Home Design

Angela Barnes wins 1st place with her fusion of Modern and Traditional home design

May 10, 2018
Fusion of modern and traditional home design, blue siding with white trim, large front porch and gable roof lines.

By Kendra Dorosh

Angela Barnes wins 1st place in the Chief Architect Residential Design Contest. She and her husband Chris have been building custom homes together for over 20 years.

“I use Chief Architect every day and am always learning something new that improves my designs!!!” -Angela Barnes

“I am originally from Raleigh, NC but have lived In Hampstead, NC for 22 years with my husband and three sons. I graduated in 1992 from Meredith College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Interior Design. My husband and I have been building custom homes for over 20 years and just recently added the design element to our business, CLB Custom Homes, Inc., thanks to Chief Architect. Continue reading…

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Contest Winners, Featured Customers, Professional, Remodel-Addition

Joslyn Brungardt and Caci Pommerehn win 1st place with their 1960’s ranch remodel

May 7, 2018
With a centralized atrium, this ranch home offers nearly 4000 square feet of main floor living.

By Kendra Dorosh

Joslyn Brungardt and Caci Pommerehn win 1st place in the Chief Architect Remodel/Addition Design Contest. Their individual talents complement each other in creating unique spaces, such as this beautiful remodel.

“Chief Architect has given us the ability to give our clients confidence in their project before construction has even begun.”- Caci Pommerehn (Left) and Joslyn Brungardt (Right)

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