The Best Residential Architects and Designers in Houston

Skyscrapers hog the headlines when it comes to Houston’s architectural scene. Most everyone has heard of Pennzoil Place or is at least vaguely familiar with the look of Johnson Burgee-era buildings. But Houston’s architects and builders have never limited themselves to a single style. They live here too, after all, and they want to create interesting structures. And Houston has many of those: from shipping-container homes on the cutting edge of hip, urban living to planned high-rise villages on the Woodlands waterfront. Here are 10 architects who help make Houston home, and who are receiving impressive accolades from regional and national associations.

This list includes both licensed architects and residential designers who can both design stunning homes but differ in other services offered. Architects are trained in design, engineering, and project management and have passed a licensing exam. Residential designers typically don’t manage projects and plans will need to be approved by a structural engineer. Whether you choose to hire an architect or a residential designer will depend on your project needs and complexity.

Overview: The Best Residential Architects and Designers in Houston

See Ranking Methodology at the bottom of this article to learn more.

Masa Studio Architects

3211 Edloe Street #107, Houston, TX 77027

MASA Studio Architects is one of the most renowned firms in Houston and has earned a stellar reputation in the city’s architectural arena. Its name is short for Mark Atkins Studio of Architecture and operates as a full-service architecture and interior design practice. The studio is formed on the four pillars of architecture, interiors, fine arts, and design and excels in each department through a solid roster of craftspeople and consistent quality workmanship. His team has worked on both small and large scale projects, each one treated with commitment and creative savvy to deliver top-quality results. Their work encompasses residential, ecclesiastical, retail, corporate, and commercial sectors.

The aforementioned Mark Atkins spearheads the firm, a seasoned expert of his craft with an extensive portfolio of projects in Houston and beyond. The detail-oriented principal has spent decades in the industry, mastering the art of efficient and gorgeous designs that transcend trends and form a lasting impression on people. His industry affiliations include the AIA, NAHB, Texas Association of Builders, and the GHBA.

The Over the Brook residence featured was completed in 2020. The lavish mansion showcases a serene aesthetic and a minimalist design both inside and outside the estate. Its contemporary interior layout exudes a muted palette of predominantly white hues with black accents and strategic pops of vivid colors.

Collaborative Designworks

4415 Woodhead Street, Houston TX 77098

Collaborative Designworks is a small firm staffed by lifelong architecture professionals. They offer construction, design, and planning services. The firm is owned by James Evans, who spent six years as an associate architect at Kirksey. Adriana Camacho rounds out the design team. Camacho received a Bachelor’s and a Master’s of Architecture from Tulane University and spent five years as a designer at Energy Architecture. The firm’s projects appear regularly on the annual AIA Houston Home Tour and their work has been featured in the Houston Chronicle, Houston Modern Luxury, and Texas Architect Magazine, among others. Evans received the AIA Houston Young Architect Award in 2010.

Collaborative Design Works showed its commitment to community planning and environmental preservation with House 1700 in Cherryhurst. The 4,357 square foot home was designed around the location of a mature oak tree. The firm worked with the Houston Planning Department and the local homeowner’s association on a plan that made room for the tree and the building on the 5,000 square feet lot by increasing the setback. Dark walnut covered the home’s second-floor exterior while terraces and outdoor spaces were placed under the tree for a “modern treehouse effect.” House 1700 was included on the AIA Houston Home Tour in 2017. House 2045 was arranged for a client concerned about future mobility issues and grants full access on one floor. The house employed few doors and a design that relied on two intersecting, rectangular tubes. House 2045 was included on the Rice Design Alliance Home Tour in 2010 and received a Design Award from AIA Houston in 2006.

Newberry Architecture

6990 Portwest Drive Suite 190, Houston, TX 77024

Newberry Architecture was founded in Houston in 1997 and has since completed projects across the country and around the globe. Its work can be found on the West Coast, New York, and Connecticut, and as far from Houston as Belize and Italy. Founding principal Ken Newberry is a LEED Accredited Professional who studied architecture at the University of Rome in Italy and at the University of Houston. The firm offers feasibility studies and residential and commercial architecture services. Newberry Architecture received a Community Improvement award from the Houston Heights Association in 2013. Gina Brown, a principal at the firm, was given a Leader in Design award by the Houston Design Center in April. She joined Newberry Architecture in 2006 and has worked on projects featured in Luxe magazine and Architectural Digest.

After Hurricane Ike destroyed the Jafarnias’ family home, they hired Newberry Architecture for the rebuild. The result was a 7,400 square-foot space with ample room for their three children. Newberry met the family’s request for more natural light with a glass panel that took up an entire wall and made the pool and back patio feel like an extension of the room. Newberry suggested melding the living and dining areas into one room, an idea the client appreciated later. A 1933 Mansion renovated by Newberry Architects was included on Architectural Digest’s list of “nine Texas homes where sophistication is key.” The building had an elaborate trim and was set back behind gates, conjuring images of an Old World estate.

Keechi Creek Home Builders

21175 State Highway 249, No. 328, Houston, TX 77070

Keechi Creek Home Builders is run by a married couple and a third-generation carpenter. It’s a full-service design-build firm that helps clients through each phase of the home-building process. Brandon Lynch serves as the firm’s president, and Sheri Lynch is CFO. Tommy Strong, the carpenter for the firm, is also the project manager. Sheri and Brandon both attended Texas A&M University. Brandon is active with the Greater Houston Builders Association and chairs the Custom Building Council. He was named Custom Builder of the Year in 2015. Strong studied English at the University of Texas and has written for Remodeling Magazine, Professional Remodeler, and the Houston Chronicle. Keechi Creek Builders is a Better Business Bureau Award of Excellence Winner.

A 10k-square-foot Teaswood Home in Conroe, north of the Woodlands, has everything required for a large family: four bedrooms, four-and-a-half bathrooms, a game room, a study, and a dining room, with a sauna for relaxing. The home design is contemporary casual, with a curved banister on the stairs, a large yard, and wooden, decorative furnishings in the restrooms and lounging areas. The house was certified Green Built Gulf Coast, a program by the Greater Houston Builders Association that recognizes environmentally sustainable building practices. A pool house addition by Keechi Creek Builders received the award for Best Specialty Room from the Texas Association of Builders in 2011. It was designed with a vaulted ceiling to be spacious enough for comfortable entertaining, while still feeling small enough for intimate conversations.

Dwight Patterson Architects

1334 Brittmoore Road, Houston, TX 77043

Dwight Patterson Architects, also known as DPA, is guided by a client-inspired and design-driven principle, one that has elevated its status to prominence on the Houston architectural landscape. The award-winning studio has a core focus on modern and functional design and offers key services that center around residential, commercial, restaurant, and worship architecture. Customer-relationships are also integral in its operations, and fortifying bonds through positive collaboration and dedicated service is well-ingrained in its team. Its talented roster of craftspeople is led by eponymous principal Dwight D. Patterson, an industry veteran with over 25 years of experience and expertise in architecture and design. Patterson is a registered architect in Texas and California and his firm is an affiliate of the AIA’s national, Houston, and Orange County chapters as well as the Texas Society of Architects (TSA).

The Seidel Residence featured is a residential project designed by DPA. The three-story Houston home features monumental mass elements that ground its structures and clear glass walls that allow homeowners to enjoy its scenic natural surroundings. Minimalist exterior design complements the crystal and stone elements, giving off a stylish elegance fit for a magazine spread. At night, the open layout is illuminated by bright lights installed all throughout the house, rendering the modern manor a beacon in the neighborhood.

Greymark Construction

1207 Bingham Street, Houston, TX 77007

Greymark Construction brings a practical approach to its architectural and design-build services. The firm’s focus is mostly on remodeling and design. “We will not design something that can’t be built on a budget because we are the ones who will have to build the project for the stated amount” the firm states on its website. Greymark president Leslie King studied business administration and management at Sam Houston University. Architectural expertise comes from project manager Courtney Doss-Lomas and designer Jorge Arreola. Doss-Lomas, a native Houstonian, earned her Master of Architecture at the University of Houston. Graymark has awards from Professional Remodeler magazine, the Texas Association of Builders, and the Greater Houston Builders Association.

Greymark Construction remodeled a River Oaks Home in a stylish, upscale neighborhood. The final version had a black, winding metal handrail on curved stairs, black-accented rectangular long-pane windows that opened onto a pool, and a long kitchen island with room for six stools to rest comfortably. Easy-open doors were attached to the entertainment area to quickly create an indoor-outdoor living room.

StudioMET Architects

2500 Summer St., Suite 3112, Houston, TX 77007

StudioMET is well respected in Houston, and for good reason. The firm was AIA Houston’s 2016 firm of the year and received the Decorative Center Houston Stars of Design Award for Architecture in April. The studio was founded in 2007 and has remained firmly dedicated to Houston for over 10 years. It offers an architectural scholarship to students at the University of Houston, the University of Texas at Arlington, and Texas A&M University. The firm’s philosophy is to approach each project as a unique endeavor and to create timely, environmentally sustainable buildings that meld with their surroundings. StudioMET has three principals: Yoonchul You, Stephen Andrews, and Shawn Gottschalk. Yoonchul You has two Master of Architecture degrees, one from the University of Houston and another from Konkuk University in Seoul, Korea. Andrews received his master’s from the University of Houston and Gottschalk earned his at the University of Texas at Arlington.

The Houston Modern Architecture + Design Society hosts an annual Modern Home Tour that takes participants into that one house “you always drive by and wonder what it must be like to visit it, design it, or even live in it.” StudioMET’s Wharton Home was included on the 2017 tour—a structure that uses wood and earth colors for a natural look that blends with the 5,000 square feet lot in the Energy Corridor where it stands. Another tour-favorite from StudioMET was the Underwood Home, which was included on the AIA Houston Home Tour, featured in Modern Luxury Interiors Texas, and a semi-finalist for HGTV’s Faces of Design Award. The 5,500 square feet Underwood Home mixes black, yellow, and brown color schemes with a gray inset gabion wall and a two-island kitchen for a relaxed, suburban experience. A small rectangular pool adds a luxurious finishing touch.

GSMArchitects

5305 Jackson Street, Houston, TX 77004

GSMArchitects was founded in 1996 as Glassman Shoemake Maldonado Architects, Inc. The name was later shortened to reflect its initials, but the firm’s ethos remained: to create unique buildings with personality. GSMArchitects works on a variety of residential, civic, and commercial projects with services that include architecture, new construction, renovation, preservation, and design. Founding partner Carrie G. Shoemake, FAIA, is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP) and Houston native who attended the University of Texas at Austin. She was the president of the Rice Design Alliance and an active member of the Houston Design Sub-Committee and Museum of Fine Arts. GSMA has received 10 AIA Houston Design Awards and was named AIA Houston’s Firm of the Year in 2013.

GSMArchitects constructed the second LEED Platinum residential home in Houston called the Bluegate Street Home. The firm used efficient construction techniques—LED lighting, tankless water heaters, and a yard designed to avoid excessive water waste—to reach the added environmental standards. Its structural design was based on the owner’s memory of a childhood house. The Bluegate Street Home was included on the City of Houston Green Building Tour in 2013. GSMA exhibited its capacity for custom design at the Terramar Beach House in Galveston. The client wanted something small, comfortable, and private. The firm responded with a modest two-story home. A combined palette of light blues and mild browns form a natural, airy theme. The house frame was shifted to improve views of the sky and minimize views of neighboring homes.

Lake Flato Architects

311 Third Street, San Antonio, TX 78205

The architects at the San Antonio-based Lake Flato Architects believe that architecture should have a sense of place. They strive to create buildings that relate to the natural or built environment in which they are constructed, which shines through their Houston work. Founded in 1984, the practice currently has an 89-person staff that boasts 31 registered architects and 42 LEED Accredited Professionals. Six of its partners are accredited fellows of the AIA, including Ted Flato and David Lake, founding partners of the firm. Flato is an active member of the AIA Committee on the Environment and focuses on sustainable design. Lake is an urban development enthusiast and Austin native who oversaw the opening of Lake Flato Architects’ Austin office. Their firm has won over 270 architecture and design awards, including the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture and the AIA Firm of the Year award. It was named among Fast Company’s list of the 10 most innovative architectural firms in the world.

A Bayou Residence by Lake Flato Architects was named Architecture Magazine’s Home of the Year. The steel and glass structure hides in the dense greenery of its residential Houston neighborhood and is separated into three parts. Rolling panels allow the residents to reconfigure the space into smaller, intimate rooms or create larger sections for entertaining. Wall-length glass panels allow for ample natural lighting within the two-story section of the building. The Bayou Residence won a Merit Award from the American Institute of Steel Construction. A Bellaire Residence designed by the firm used white ceilings, domed lamps, and black metal beams for contemporary, youthful elegance. Light and dark brown tones complemented the thin rectangular pool while greenery climbed the short concrete walls around the residence.

Ranking Methodology

To evaluate the performance of architects, our methodology employs a systematic approach that considers various factors contributing to customer experience and satisfaction. We focused on assessing the residential architects in the Houston area. The methodology involves assigning weightings to specific categories based on their significance in determining customer service quality. Here’s the breakdown of the categories and their respective weightings:

• Average Customer Satisfaction (35%): This metric represents the average rating given by customers across the same review platforms as the Average Customer Satisfaction Score. A higher average rating indicates greater overall satisfaction with the service provided.
• Service Rating Score (25%): We analyze the ratio of high (4-5 stars) to low (1-2 stars) ratings for each business across multiple review platforms: Google, Houzz, and Yelp. A higher percentage of positive reviews contributes to a higher score, reflecting better customer satisfaction.
• Complaint Percentage (25%): We analyze the ratio of complaints to total reviews for each business. A lower complaints ratio indicates better service quality and results in a higher score.
• Business Hours and Availability (10%): The operating hours of each business are assessed to gauge accessibility. Companies with extended operating hours are awarded a higher score, as they offer greater convenience to customers.
• License Status (5%): We verify the licensing status of each contractor with their local licensing board to ensure legal compliance. Companies with valid licenses receive a higher score, reflecting professionalism and adherence to regulations.
• Total Score: We determined the overall rating for every contractor by calculating a weighted average, with the category weight determining the amount the subscore contributed to the total score 

Additional Note: Service Rating Score, Average Customer Satisfaction, and Complaint Percentage are calculated with a Bayesian estimate to account for if the contractor has a low number of total reviews. A Bayesian average is a statistical method used to calculate the average of a set of data points while taking into account prior information or beliefs about the distribution of the data. It combines the observed data with a prior distribution to generate a more accurate estimate of the true average.