Dick Clark + Associates

We, as a family of five, hired Dick Clark in September 2020 to handle a redesign on our home; an existing structure (adding ~1300SF), with the addition of a garage and a pool. Nearly one year and an absurd amount of money later (2-3x more than was reasonable based on our prior experiences working with architects), we received erroneous and un-finalized plans (they only delivered the main house, with pronounced errors) and disrespect toward our family as client. The “final” DCA plans initially delivered did not adhere to our vision of the house; the vision board we created for a modern farmhouse was clearly not looked at, much less adhered to, as their design plan inexplicably featured a contemporary look. Another example: The exterior plans were delivered with stucco and limestone, despite our request for batten board. The firm works a process on their clients, delivering plans and designs never asked for, and keeping the clock on by burning hours/budget on unrequested (and too many) design changes and too many staff members; we felt like we were part of the DCA revenue flywheel and the partner on our business felt both slimy and opaque. The junior architect on our business was respectful, and we would work with him again if he were not at this firm. Their process timeline runs much longer than it should, to accommodate their billable hours. The experience was so bad that, at one low point, the partner on our project actually criticized our budget for being too low, with a comment that our budget will make it "harder to love where you are living." When being confronted by the amount we were being charged on just the main house, his response was to point out that the firm contractually had the right to charge another $30,000. This comment was made from a partner in the firm; the lack of respect for the customer was in incredibly poor taste and demonstrates how far the firm will go to support their bottom line - running through families on their way to profit! Strong recommendation against considering this firm for your work. Of our three experiences with architects, this was by far the worst in time, money and customer experience.

We are a builder and renovator of high-end residential homes in Austin. We had the pleasure of collaborating with DC+A on a phenomenal custom home in Central Austin. As was to be expected of a firm of this caliber, the design work was incredible - both in its technical accuracy and aesthetics. Building high performance, ultra modern homes can be very difficult; so having the right architect, producing high quality plans is critical for success. The design team was involved throughout the build doing construction administration, constantly improving the project as we went, giving us much needed guidance on design intent, and being a second set of eyes for technical details. The process was fun, efficient and effective. It was also wonderful to have the interior designer under the same DC+A roof - keeping builder, architect, designer and client all on the same page - this was a key success factor. We look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with the DC+A team again very soon. On a personal and professional level it was a real thrill. We could not recommend them more highly.

We hired Dick Clark Architects in the Spring of 2014, to do a full remodel on a 5,100 sq. ft. commercial building in Austin, TX. The construction documents/complete blue prints were to take a total of 8 weeks with a delivery date of July 21st, 2014. DCA was well aware from the outset that time was of the essence as the renovation represented a major investment for us and our tenants required a move-in date of early Spring 2015. The construction documents/blue prints were 3 months late, received on October 30th, 2014. From the beginning, our tenants were involved in the initial meetings with DCA and were very specific about their requirements for their future high end furniture showroom. It was fairly simple really but utmost important: open floor plan, plentiful of electrical outlets in the walls and ceiling for lamps and chandeliers, and 80 ft candle lighting throughout; a term we ourselves were not familiar with but DCA assured us they were and would adequately account for the amount of lighting required by our tenants. The estimated cost of the project was $80 - $90 per square foot but because of material and design decisions made by DCA, the completed project cost was approximately $140+ per square foot. Ouch! The cost overrun was mainly due to the choice of facade materials recommended by the architects and several mistakes in design that had to be corrected during the construction process. The mistakes included: requiring a monitored fire alarm/suppression system and roof railings that were not required by City of Austin Code; a lighting system that was so inadequate it achieved approximately 25% of the requested level of lighting for the retail space; and failing to provide for adequate power outlets for all areas of the retail area. The newly designed 800 sq. ft. mezzanine that joined the upper and lower level, to be used as retail space, had zero electrical outlets. Not a one! And the new florescent light fixtures showcased the ceiling; the light from the fixtures literally illumined the ceiling. Not a great concept if you’re trying to sell furniture off the floor. DCA recommended three builders for our job; one of which was MDS Builders who we ended up hiring. We later learned that the senior architect who was working on and supposedly overseeing our project had an individual business relationship with the general contractor; MDS was building a boutique hotel for he and his wife. This relationship seemed to influence his ability to adequately represent our interests during the construction phase of the project. We also found MDS to be an unscrupulous group in their business practice and if it hadn’t been for DCA’s initial 3 month delay in providing a complete set of blue prints, we would have fired MDS 6 weeks into the project. They were that bad. DCA is a very well known, local firm that has a good reputation. The guys are nice, intelligent, creative and skilled. Their office is centrally located downtown. Parking sucks. Due to architectural delays and mistakes, excessive cost overrun and lack of representation, we don’t feel we can give DCA much of a recommendation, unfortunately.

Dynamic has had the opportunity of working on several projects with Dick Clark, each one a unique and original concept. Dick's team excel in project management, creativity, clear and concise communication and attention to every detail, above and beyond the typical. The portfolio of the firm speaks for itself and we have greatly enjoyed the demands of working with them. We highly recommend Dick's firm, they are a pleasure to do business with. Looking forward to the next one.

We work the the Dick Clark team a lot, especially their Interior Designer Karen. They are incredibly creative, professional and great clients to work with.

Excllent Architect. One of the best if not the best in Austin TX. Do your research. May be higher end but your ROI will be definitely greater. Highly recommend