AV Architects and Builders - Great Falls, Virginia

Misha L.

AV Architects and Builders are truly a top-notch quality boutique firm. Having witnessed several iterations and designs over the years, the product and the output are exceptional. The design is definitely modern and it reflects the sense of spaciousness filled with the abundance of light that allows for both comfortable every-day life and also entertaining. The prize jewel is the combination of indoor and outdoor space, which blend superbly. This home truly feels like being on a permanent vacation in an idyllic setting! My compliments...

Julie B.

It's obvious Tony and Francisca are passionate about architecture. Outside of their passion, they are extremely responsive, knowledgeable, honest and a lot of fun to be around.
We've seen, first hand, the thoughtfulness, functionality and creativity they put in their work and highly recommend AV Architects.

Michael F.

To avoid burying the headline: After 11 Months of living in our home we are extremely happy. I still find myself looking around a few times per week wondering how everything worked out so well. We LOVE our home, and while it's the fourth place we've lived in NOVA it's the first place we've considered to be our home. It wasn't all sunshine and roses, but we would do it again in a heartbeat.

To set the stage, my wife and I are mid-late 30s, dual income, no kids. We had no idea about the homebuilding process when we started, we just knew we wanted main-level living in new-ish construction and couldn't find that in the market. We ended up building a single story with a walkout basement, 3500 Sq. Ft. finished, 1000 unfinished in the basement.

Once we realized we needed to build to get what we wanted we started researching. We reached out to 10+ builders and met with 4. One was a large builder in the area who was a bit too cookie cutter for us. Another didn't understand the more contemporary style we were looking for, and another was fine, and I'm sure they would have built us a great house, but we just didn't connect with them.

We met with Francisca at a spec home they built and one of the first things she told us is that they don't build spaces with no purpose. It's funny, because we were at a huge house in Great Falls, but it still full intimate and purposeful. Their design style was pretty close to ours, and Francisca took plenty of time over multiple interactions to make sure she knew what we wanted. We were sold.

We almost walked away from the process because construction loans are an absolute mystery! There is very little good info out there, and we didn't just have millions sitting around - we knew that in order to make this happen while keeping our cash reserves and investments untouched we were going to need to move out of our current home and into temporary housing to get to an LTV we were comfortable with. Luckily Truist came through and did a great job explaining the options (This is one thing AV, and all builders, could do better - laying out a construction-to-perm for dummies guide).

Once we sorted through the funding portion we started our property search. Finding land was a challenge and took 5 offers (in July of 2020) before finding what we wanted. We ended up on .50 acres just inside the beltway.

The design is incredible. It's the perfect layout for us, our friends, and family. It can feel very intimate at one moment, but because of the very open and central floor plan it can immediately shift to be the perfect entertaining space. The finishes are top notch, and as corny as it sounds, it truly is vacation living. Since moving in I have yet to stay in a resort or hotel and be anything but underwhelmed.

Overall there were times we felt stressed based on cost overruns and decisions we needed to make on the spot, but in the end we got exactly what we wanted, and isn't that the point?

Catherine T.

When my husband and I decided to build our forever custom home, we knew it would be a huge undertaking.
We selected AV Architects + Builders because of their architectural style and they served as both builder and architect.
AV Architects + Builders transformed a potentially overwhelming process into a smooth and straightforward one. From the very beginning, they took their time and expertise to guide us through every stage of the design and construction process, providing a single point of contact that eliminated the usual stress of dealing with multiple parties.

Working with Francisca and Tony was nothing short of a delight. I was initially worried that my husband's meticulous nature and specific tastes would have been a challenge in the design process, but they were more than up to the task. They welcomed his detailed input and integrated our suggestions thoroughly, showing a strong commitment to reflect our personal style and preferences in the home.

During the construction phase, I made several unannounced visits to the site and was consistently impressed by its clean condition. The cleanliness and organization spoke volumes about AV Architects + Builders' high standards. This attention to detail and respect for the construction process exceeded our expectations in both aesthetics and functionality.

One of my unexpected aspects of our experience with AV Architects + Builders is the relationship I now have with Francisca and Tony even after moving into our new home.  Unlike many builders who disappear once the keys are handed over, Francisca and Tony have been there for us, ready to assist with any post-move adjustments or connect us with any professional that we need. They helped with things like hanging artwork, interior design, and referrals. Their ongoing availability and proactive approach have led them to become more than just our architect and builder, but also  true friends.

David B.

AV Architects and Builders is amazing, they do stunning work. While I am not a direct client of theirs I help support them and their service and marketing are outstanding. They want to educate along with providing a high quality product.

Rob H.

My wife and I decided years ago that we wanted to build a custom "forever" home. After looking for available lots or tear downs and several false starts Francesca found us a great property west of Leesburg. I would strongly recommend anyone getting into this process to work with AV Architects to evaluate the land and leverage their expertise as there are many pitfalls (we had two previous contracts on lots that turned out to be unbuildable. To say we dodged a cannonball on those is an understatement).
AV Architects walked us through the build process, including an amazing virtual reality model of our future home.
During construction I would take time from work and make unannounced site visits. I would talk to the contractors and ask questions. The carpenter foreman for example " I love working with AV Architects, Antonio's plans are so detailed. Every towel holder, every outlet everything is clearly detailed in their plans. Most other builders are not as detailed. The lumber they specify is top grade." I checked his statement, he wasn't kidding.
When it came time for our lender to send out their home inspector who I'm sure tours many newly built homes he said " I think this is the best built new home I have been in."
The materials are premium, no builder grade big-box store lumber, fixtures, HVAC or anything.
We love the design. We love the uniqueness of our home. Most new homes only differ by the numbers on the mailbox. You cannot tell one from another. We wanted something unique, something special and I feel that is exactly what we got.
Rob H.

Sungjin K.

Francisca and her team are experts in luxury constructions. Their professionalism and care for customers is well-known.

Andrea R. V.

Our desire to build our own house started many years ago, however we were not ready at that time to do so nor had we found the right builders to do it with. But, 5 years ago my husband started to look for builders that were building the kind of home we wanted, a vacation home for our daily busy lives with lots of lights, fantastic outdoor spaces and practical living spaces, and we found the perfect architects to help us in that endeavor - AV Architects and Builders. We looked for what they had built and liked their approached and style, and decided to start building from abroad so by the time we would move back to the US our home would be ready. Little we knew a pandemic was going to stop the world in so many ways, but we were very happy we had chosen AV Architects and Builders as they never dropped the ball and made sure the project could continue. We have moved into our beautiful new home in October 2021 and are super happy with the work AV Architects and Builders did for us. Just amazing!