Sparano + Mooney Architecture

I have had the pleasure of working with John Sparano and Anne Mooney on several large design projects. They are both some of the nicest people you have ever met. Thorough, creative, think-outside-the-box type of architects that you only dream of working with and learning from. They are extremely honest, forthright, detail-oriented, and have a great sense of accountability and follow through. Each time I have had the opportunity to watch Sparano and Mooney in action, I am beyond impressed and revel in the opportunity to learn from them, their business, and their work ethic. They get to the soul of a project, they really explore what the structure means and the potential of the space. This is truly what architecture and being an architect is all about.

Lauren Bald | Project Manager
cityhomeCOLLECTIVE

After interviewing several architectural firms, I hired Sparano + Mooney in September to design a new home. We negotiated a design fee and I put up a large deposit. In early November, in response to my prompting, they finally offered me 5 “concept plans.” When I saw their drawings, I was astonished. None of the five plans had any relationship to the available views. In a host of ways, the plans made no sense. I had hired this firm because I thought we would communicate well, that they were listening. These preliminary plans indicated otherwise. I didn’t feel I could risk getting any further into the project. I told them I would not be going forward and asked for a refund of the remainder of my paid deposit. It took them several weeks to do the accounting. Of course, since they had my money, I had no leverage at this point. Besides their self-described “brushstrokes” (the 5 unusable concept plans), they had visited the site twice and reviewed the CCR’s. For this, they charged me 20% of the project cost, double what I had expected to pay. When I protested, they became quite nasty and refused any further consideration. If you choose this firm, read your contract carefully. You may want to specify some percentage of charges should an early exit become necessary.