John Lively & Associates

I'm a (former) client of JLA. I feel compelled to write a review to spare others what I've gone through. I'll try to be balanced. Overall, I strongly recommend you do not retain JLA. Pros: - The junior architects we worked with were very nice and thoughtful. - JLA was less expensive than the others we considered. Cons: - You get what you pay for. During construction, there were very many mistakes that caused last minute changes, big sacrifices, tons of frustration, and lots of extra time and cost. - I liked that JLA was a smaller firm and thought I'd get a lot of time with John. I met with him only twice during the entire engagement. I think he goes to great length to avoid dealing directly with clients. Much of what he said in the first meeting turned out to not be true. - They effectively do no interior elevations. - The do not do 3D renderings or use very conventional software to provide 3D virtual walk-throughs. If they did, they would have realized several design errors. - They give zero regard to how the home and the exterior environment work with each other. - They seem to be a "design mill" focused on cranking out their designs rather than working with and listening to their clients.

John Lively and his team created a unique and beautiful home for us. We were unsure of the project design direction at the onset, but John was able to guide us through with extraordinary results. We are very pleased with the plan and look forward to finishing the build process.

I cannot say enough about John & Brandy and the entire office staff. We had a specific idea of what we wanted and John was able to see that idea and make it a beautiful reality! It can be a stressful time, but each meeting was like working with family. All questions answered and requests done in a speedy manner. We cannot wait to have them out to enjoy what we are able to enjoy everyday!

They listened to our thoughts and were able to create the exact design that we were seeking. The elevation they created was wonderful

We have worked with John and his team on many projects. Their professionalism and attention to detail are outstanding. I have recommended them to my clients for their own home designs many times. They have always exceeded expectations!

John Lively & Associates has been a pleasure to work with! Very professional and personable. Easy to work with; listen well and provide excellent feedback. Flexible on meeting times and accommodated builder and client schedules.

We found John Lively from researching architects here on Houzz. We met with 3 architects to get the feel for them and each time we learned more. John was very easy going and walked us through the process as we have never started a house from scratch before. For our second meeting we went in with six pages of things that would or could be in my dream home. From those six pages of instruction like master bedroom opposite end from guest room, dog bath in the utility, viewing deck for storms..... he created my dream home. The project is a 4200 square foot Hill Country type house with a bonus room over the garage including balconies for storm viewing. They kept me informed on what each step of the process was and how long it would take, always very responsive to any questions and changes. Once we started construction I thought we were done with the architect but they have continued to be very helpful and responsive when the builder had questions or we had questions on materials. I highly recommend John Lively & Associates. Edit to add photo's. Still a work in progress but we love everything about it so far!

Our company has used John Lively & Associates to design many of the homes we have built. We highly recommend the entire team. The designs are not only beautiful but are also functional and current. They listen to what you want and design gorgeous homes with great attention to detail. They are easy to work with and have flawlessly designed many style homes for our company including contemporary, transitional, and mediterranean. We cannot recommend them highly enough.

John Lively and Associates are the most creative architects I've had the pleasure to work with. They actually listen to your ideas and then add a creative twist to it when it is put on paper. Their entire team is very professional and attentive. I can say with great confidence that I am happy to refer John Lively and Asso.

Have worked with multiple architectural firms in past. Worked most recently with John Lively & Assoc, specifically Brandy Moser, on complex lake house remodel. Brandy's attention to detail, creativity, working knowledge of construction techniques......and sensitivity to the client's needs/ideas..... collectively eclipsed the performance of all other architects previously retained. My experience was both professional and pleasant. I have no reservations recommending Brandy as an architectural consultant. C.H.

We loved John Lively and his team!! We fired our first architect and John was able to take the elements we liked of our original plan and then made our home 110% better!! They completed work in a timely manner and listened to all concerns we had. We've now been in our home for 7 months and love it. I would highly recommend John Lively and Associates and would gladly use them again should we build another home in the future!

John and team designed our current "modern Mediterranean" in Dallas, and we found their creativity, design and overall client support to be excellent. Following only one initial meeting, their team was able to produce a design that was within 95% of the final building plan. Thanks to their expert guidance and vision, we only had to make minimal changes and the process was very effecient. Friends and colleagues in the business rave about the dramatic layout but efficient design of our house. I would highly recommend John and team to anyone looking for a great architect in the Dallas market.