Black Dog Architects Co.

Black Dog Architects Co. Semi-Retired, residential architectural services for additions and renovations in the Greater Philadelphia area (Abington, PA). [email protected]

Thanks for visiting my page. I am now retiring with the limited exception of helping old clients if possible. Based in Abington, PA and Silver Spring, Maryland I have worked throughout the greater Philadelphia region and the greater Washington DC area, especially the Maryland and VA suburbs of Washington, DC, providing architectural design services for homes, additions and remodels. I have always

strived to make sure that the process is as enjoyable and believe in good design that is energy efficient, appropriate to the property and the client’s needs, and provided at reasonable cost.

The  main house is basically a row-house configuration "cozy" rooms and limited family space. This new wing is giving th...
06/06/2026

The main house is basically a row-house configuration "cozy" rooms and limited family space. This new wing is giving them a spacious new family room and bathroom, hugely expanded kitchen and a new master suite. They owners want to build it themselves so we kept it simple also in keeping with simple box-shape of the existing house. Covid and subsequent life changes is delaying this a bit, unfortunately.

06/04/2026

Just catching up on some projects from the recent past. Most are fairly simple, in keeping with the owner's budgets and modest or "regular" house styles, but have made huge differences in their lives.

06/04/2026

Well, time has passed, the cancer's gone, I wouldn't mind the occasional project to keep busy, but I thought I'd share a few from the last couple of years. Most of them are pretty simple, in keeping with the modest budgets and house styles. But all have managed to make a huge difference in the owner's lives, so I deem that successful!.

07/15/2024

Modifying an older post,

As many of you have heard, I am retiring. I had thought to reserve the right to take on smaller projects for old clients, friends, interesting challenges, and the random need to keep myself busy.

But the path went sideways. I developed cancer in my throat, tonsils, actually. While I feel "lucky" that this is a very treatable cancer and has indeed been that way, it has still been a horrendous experience. I empathize with those whose cancers are worse, and wish them all the blessings and prayers that I received, but in massively greater amounts.

From all the prayers that were wished on my by friends, groups, strangers even, I feel like I am standing under a prayer tree where the leaves just gently an continuously fall over me, till I am invisible in a pile of prayers. I'm not particularly religious but there are worse places to be.

I had thought that this experience would change my path, and the ling recovery certainly limits my energy, but I find I still need "something to do" and what I do is architecture. The projects just have to be smaller, residential additions or renovations, but that has always been my preference, since they have the greatest impact on clients lives.

We intend to travel, typical to retire folks, so I may be remote working, but that's no different than sitting in my office.

Therefore , I reserve the right...

01/08/2024

Happy New Year, everyone~ I just found out that my website provider (iPower) "lost" my website. For a fee, they would restore files but I'd have to rebuild the website! How nice of them. I didn't realize that retirement would mean Black Dog would disappear...

So, that means I only exist here. Please feel free to contact me through here or Messenger. Despite being semi-retired, I will occasionally take a project if it is reasonable, helpful to regular people, and fun. Or past clients or their friends. Scrolling back through these pages will show some projects, but a direct conversation is best.

So, all the best in the New Year. Pray for sanity!

Many of you have heard, I am retiring. I had thought to reserve the right to take on smaller projects for old clients, f...
07/16/2023

Many of you have heard, I am retiring. I had thought to reserve the right to take on smaller projects for old clients, friends, interesting challenges, random need to keep myself busy.

But the path went sideways. I developed cancer in my throat, tonsils, actually. While I feel "lucky" that this is a very treatable cancer and has indeed been that way, it has still been a horrendous experience. I empathize with those whose cancers are worse, and wish them all the blessings and prayers that I received, but in massively greater amounts.

From all the prayers that were wished on my by friends, groups, strangers even, I feel like I am standing under a prayer tree where the leaves just gently an continuously fall over me, till I am invisible in a pile of prayers. I'm not particularly religious but there are wore places to be.

This experience had changed my path, so I am going to be fully retired. If I do anything it will be our own retirement home, there just isn't that much time otherwise.

If I do anything at all, it will be remote working.

However, I reserve the right...

Catching up a bit, this Swarthmore couple wanted to modify/repair/ extend a 1980's addition, get more storage space and ...
07/16/2023

Catching up a bit, this Swarthmore couple wanted to modify/repair/ extend a 1980's addition, get more storage space and a better master suite with room for many plants.

10 years ago a young couple asked me to redesign an existing kitchen area and rear shed addition for a new larger eat-in...
07/14/2021

10 years ago a young couple asked me to redesign an existing kitchen area and rear shed addition for a new larger eat-in kitchen as well as other interior renovations. Fast forward to 2020, they have an 8-year old and new-born twins, and want a 2nd floor bedroom suite on that original rear shed addition. Dad is tired of sitting in basement doing remote work at the kids table. This renovation/addition will give them a 4th bedroom, a new bathroom and an updated existing bath and modifications to the existing bedrooms. Again, the neighborhood wins out. They would rather modify their (originally) small house than move. Nice house, park nearby, good schools, great kid-friendly neighborhood, no-brainer!

Coming out of the darkness, projects start to get built! This young couple decided to stay in their terrific Abington ne...
07/14/2021

Coming out of the darkness, projects start to get built! This young couple decided to stay in their terrific Abington neighborhood and add a 2nd floor, rather than move. A big expensive step, but they will be staying put for a while, and the new plans will work for any family in the future. They had already been using a low and cramped attic for a master suite, so we kept a lower profile and added dormers to maximize the 2nd floor while keeping some of the old character. Paramount to this was replacing a su***de 8/8 stair!

It seems life is returning to the market s folks try to adjust to the spending more time at home and the next generation...
10/30/2020

It seems life is returning to the market s folks try to adjust to the spending more time at home and the next generation hits child age (their child, not them).

For a young couple we are raising the roof on this modest house for a full 2nd floor adding a garage and absorbing the old garage into the new living space flipping and enlarging the kitchen and adding a family room and reading nook overlooking the woods behind them. The site backs onto a preserve and that alone makes this effort worthwhile!

A couple of rough sketches...

Address

1805 Brook Road
Abington, PA
19001

Telephone

+12158060862

Website

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