DAVID NEFF ARCHITECTDAVID NEFF ARCHITECT

PORTFOLIO

Greenwich shingle style architect

NEW HOMES

Hamptons modern architect

RENOVATIONS

Quogue Hamptons architect Gambrel house

in development

ABOUT US

DAVID NEFF

David Neff founded his practice in 2008 and has intentionally limited his studio to just two to three new projects a year. This boutique scale allows David to personally handle every aspect of the design process and to personally manage the relationships with contractors, interior designers, landscape architects, and all other collaborators. Clients work directly with David from start to finish, on every renovation and ground-up home the firm takes on.

Before founding his own practice, David spent nearly a decade at Austin Patterson Disston Architects in Southport, CT and Quogue, NY, and at Trumbull Architects in New York, NY - two firms respected for their thoughtfully-designed single-family homes.

David studied at Williams College, where he majored in art history and graduated magna cum laude, receiving the Bruce Sanderson Prize in Architecture. He went on to earn his Master of Architecture at the University of Virginia, drawn to the program's close ties with UVA's Landscape Architecture school - a fit for his particular interest in the relationship between a home and its site.

David has designed homes in Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Florida, and is licensed to practice in Connecticut, New York, and Florida. His work has been published in Traditional Home, Luxe, and the New York Times, and in 2018 he was named to Luxe's Gold List.

David lives in New York City with his wife and two children, and spends summers with family in Quogue, NY.

"For as long as I can remember, I've been fascinated by houses. I was very fortunate to have grown up in Connecticut and The Hamptons where I could admire beautiful homes and explore the surrounding nature. A surprising number of my earliest memories seem to involve indoor/outdoor spaces and this became a major driver in my design process."

David Neff Architect

OUR APPROACH

HOW WE BEGIN

Every project begins the same way: I start by learning everything I can about you and your project: your site and neighborhood, your routines and rituals, your program of rooms (which I can help you shape,) and the styles and qualities that you respond to emotionally. I use a photo-based process that's proven very effective at drawing out what excites people architecturally, even when they can't quite put it into words themselves.

WHAT YOUR HOME WON'T BE

Your new home will not be my own personal vision, with your needs and preferences taking a back seat to my tastes or ambitions. I care about is what home means to you - a house built from your own lifetime of experiences and associations.
Nor will I fill the drawing set with intricate historic details unless those details hold real meaning for you. I'm deeply inspired by many periods of history and aim to capture their essence, but I don't believe literal period "correctness" for its own sake typical serves clients (or their budgets) well.

YOUR LANGUAGE, YOUR HOME

I believe the best work - modern, traditional, or a mix - takes the spirit of a style (or styles) and shapes it around the occupants: their family, their needs, their budget, their site, their light, their views. Every project is a different and I relish the opportunity to help each house speak its own unique language.

While every house is different, in each, I tend to prioritize:

  • Materials
  • Light
  • Proportion
  • Clean, restrained details
  • The feels of moving through a space
  • Connection to the landscape
  • Smart allocation of budget toward what will matter most to you
The goal is always a house that feels alive and entirely yours - not a personal statement, not a textbook rendering of a style, but a house that feels so right you can't imagine it any other way.

PROCESS

PRE-DESIGN

Overview:
I will help you compile all important information about your site, your needs, your tastes, and your lifestyle to create a “program” for the design phases that follow. Done thoughtfully, our work here will set the stage for a low-stress process that works with your budget and schedule and results in a deeply personal home that truly speaks to your family.
Deliverable:
Existing Conditions Drawings; Code Review; House Questionnaire; Inspiration Board; Budget Analysis; Program/Square Foot Analysis; Project Scheduling; Team Coordination

SCHEMATIC DESIGN

Overview:
In this exciting phase, I will take the program and inspiration that we compiled during Pre-Design and with your help, will translate that information into a conceptual design. Together, we will take your needs and organize them into a plan functions for your family. And we will take all that inspires you and transform it into something simple and beautiful.
Deliverable:
Site Plan; Floor plans; Exterior Elevations; Building Sections; Exterior 3D Renderings

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

Overview:
We will take Schematic Design's conceptual framework and flesh it out with material selections and design details consistent with the original vision and with your budget, taking an important leap closer to your home's reality
Deliverable:
Accessory Structure Plans; Door & Window Schedule; HVAC Review; Interior Elevations; Electrical Plans; Flooring Plans; Ceiling Plans; Cabinet Details; Molding Details; Appliance Schedule; Plumbing Schedule; Hardware Schedule; Finish Schedule

CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS

Overview:
I will produce an expanded set of drawings with detail sufficient for permit approval and for the contractor to build your home with confidence, precision, and without delay.
Deliverable:
Final detailed versions of all Schematic Design & Design Development deliverables; Foundation Plan; Roof Plan; Framing Plans; Exterior Details; Written Specifications

BIDDING / PERMITTING

Overview:
I will submit drawing sets and application forms to the necessary government offices and will then monitor the progress and provide any additional information that's requested.
I will recommend qualified, reputable contractors and create a competitive bidding environment from which we can determine the best contractor to build your new home.
Deliverable:
Application Forms; Variance Approval; Contractor Candidate List; Bid Analysis

CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION

Overview:
Acting as your advisor. I will visit the site as requested to resolve any design or construction questions and to make sure your home is built to specifications. I will also document and administer any design changes and review all billing invoices from the contractor. At the end of this exciting phase, I will help work through the final punchlist so your family can move into your new home!
Deliverable:
Field Reports; Design Revisions; Final Punchlist