Ballard + Mensua Architecture

I have been working with Seth for 13+ years. Can't say enough great things about Seth and his organization. Seth is one of the most hard working individuals I know. He's always looking out for his clients best interest, while trying to keep them on budget. 5 stars! More...

Reviewed on Houzz

Ballard Mensua provided the utmost professionalism and top notch service possible. Seth designed an amazing plan combining two semi-detached houses. The house flows seamlessly; Seth maintained the feel of an old Georgetown house all while updating the feel with more contemporary aspects. Seth is ... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

We did a combo renovation and addition to our home (new master bedroom and bath, new kitchen, and new guest bedroom - built over 3 floors) and worked with Seth and his team to design a home that made the addition seamlessly connect to the original 1940s built home. We just completed the project and ... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

After months of researching on potential architects and interviewing a few, I hired Seth to undertake a major expansion/renovation of my house. The project, which finished for a few months, included a new kitchen, family room, master suite and basement. I couldn't be happier with the results. The be... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

We hired Ballard + Mensua Architecture to design and supervise the construction of a three-floor deck and stair structure on the rear of our historic condo building in Dupont Circle, DC. Seth guided our Condo Association through the whole process, from concept to completion, and we couldn't be more ... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

We have been planning our complete remodel of a 1950's ranch since 2008, which is when we first met with Seth, the principal architect of Ballard Mensua. I reached out to him after seeing another remodel he had done that I liked. Seth's services do not come cheap, but every penny has been worthwhi... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

One of Seth's contractors spent an entire day at my house fixing all my skylights (which the previous owner installed improperly and they were leaking badly) and repairing my roof. He did an excellent job - I was really happy with the work! I would recommend him to anyone. More...

Reviewed on Houzz

Seth Ballard designed a perfect cottage for my residence in a wooded hillside on a cove off the Chesapeake Bay. Seth has a perfect design sense that is reflected in the spaces, details and materials in my home. His contruction experience is invaluable when working with a builder. Seth doesn't d... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

I hired Ballard + Mensua to provide assistance with a stacked stone wall in my living room. Not only were they on schedule and on budget, the wall looks fantastic! I will absolutely recommend them to family and friends. More...

Reviewed on Houzz

Following the recommendations from our realtor, we hired Seth Ballard from Ballard + Mensua Architecture to help us with the expansion of our traditional colonial 3 bed-room house in Bethesda, Maryland. The job was a total renovation / expansion to accommodate our 4 children, and included adding tw... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

We badly needed to expand our 1950's Cape Cod and were drawn to Seth's distinctive style on a number of homes he had crafted in our neighborhood (including his own). Seth completed a master plan for us that was broken into two Phases: a Kitchen and Dining room, Living room, Master Bedroom Suite addi... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

We selected Ballard + Mensua Architecture for a major remodel of our residence based on their designs, recommendations, and experience with a project this complex. Not only did we create a new master suite over an expanded 3-car garage, we also added a greenhouse and modified some existing interior ... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

I have had the pleasure of working with Mr. Ballard and his talented team of architects for the past 15 years. Being in design business myself, I work with lots of architects and designers. I can easily say this firm is one of the best. I have never heard anything but praises from my clients abou... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

I met Seth a little over a year ago when he agreed to come down to Suffolk, VA to look at an historic home that I was thinking of purchasing. Since I no construction experience, there was no way I had the courage to consider taking a step like this without a professional opinion as to the condition... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

Seth Ballard of Ballard + Mensua has done several projects for us. The first was a major bathroom renovation that brought our builder standard bathroom into a thing of absolute beauty! The creativity and attention to the most finite detail was amazing. That was over 10 years ago, and we recently b... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

Seth and his company supported the entire life cycle of our project to renovate and expand a property we purchased in the Falls Church City. He met with us to understand our needs and desires as well as our budget. He provided options and collaborated with us to surface the best choice for our pro... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

While I work with Seth Ballard professionally, when it came time to renovate my own house my wife and I chose to work with Seth and the Ballard + Mensua team because of the uniqueness of their designs and the creative details that you will not find anywhere else. Being in the business I see a lot o... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

I hired Ballard+Mensua to do a massive renovation on my 1927 Craftsman bungalow. Seth and company did a fabulous job. Seth totally understood what we wanted -- both in terms of look/feel and functionality. He did a masterful job translating our shared vision into a reality. It was also very help... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

We did a major renovation job in our 100 year-old home. 4 bathrooms, full kitchen, basement and some other work (adding/removing some doorways and windows. )

Seth was our architect but also brought considerable creative design talent to bear, as well as great guidance and oversight of contractors... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

We hired Seth while looking to move from Charlotte NC to Northern Va in 2008. He helped us pick out the house and then design a plan to meet our needs. A lovely Queen Anne has become more of a home to us thanks to Seth Ballard and his team. It has been over 3 years since we moved into our new Mas... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

We worked with Seth Ballard of Ballard+Mensua Architecture to develop a concept to expand our 1950's cottage in Falls Church. Seth developed the plan, helped us compete the plan to several builders, helped us select a builder, and helped us manage the project (we managed some of the sub-contractors to save overhead).

We first contacted him in late 2009 to discuss concepts, sketch ideas, and talk about rough-order-of-magnitude costs. We had plans and permits by summer and had selected a builder and began construction in late September 2010. The work was completed in summer of 2011.

This first phase involved expanding the East side of the house from front to back almost 10 feet. This allowed for a substantial increase in the size of the dining room and kitchen and the creation of a master suite. The rest of this main floor was upgraded (new interior doors, new windows, new trim and refinished flooring) to match the new construction.

We then decided to kick-off another phase to renovate the basement (which had not been part of the original scope). Seth drew up the plans and helped us bid them out. This was essentially an in place renovation with the addition of a bathroom and an egress window. This project was built in spring 2012 finishing around June.

The basement project involved creating a new bedroom (with egress window), a new full bathroom, a utility room, and remodeling the family room. The old ceiling was "wavy" and had to be replaced, we put in a new tile floor, and new doors, windows, and trim to match the upstairs.

Seth is a pleasure to work with. His creative designs allowed us to make our house far more livable and comfortable while minimizing the size of the addition. Now that we have been living in it for almost 2 years (since the main renovation was completed) we can confirm that his advice was right on the mark. Not only do we love our "new" house, but people stop on the street (yes, cars stop in the middle of the street) to look at it. It looks great but more importantly it works great.

Seth was able to work within our budget constraints and his knowledge of sources (cabinets, appliances, tile, etc.) saved us tens of thousands of dollars.

We would definitely work with him again. In fact we just contacted him to start working on a concept for a carport. More...

Reviewed on Houzz

A talented architect, project manager, and problem solver. A steady presence during unsteady circumstances. Seth is able to take your ideas, and his experience and combine them together to create a great design that will stand the test of time.

Reviewed on Houzz

Ballard+Mensua is an incredibly talented, creative and professional architectural firm. We have contracted with them multiple times and have LOVED the product each time. Great attention to detail and client relations...always felt listened to, but their recommendations were frequently better! More...

Reviewed on Houzz

Seth Ballard is an outstanding architect!! His attention to detail and attentiveness to his clients needs make the design and renovation less scary. Seth came highly recommended and the moment I met him I knew he would be my architect. His easy going attitude and wonderful personality make him so ea... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

Seth is an outstanding architect. I've used him personally, and have also referred many happy clients to him over the years. He listens to his clients and takes the time to understand their needs, and then helps them achieve their goals on time AND on budget. He's a rock star. More...

Reviewed on Houzz

Seth is an amazing architect. We have worked with him on 3 major projects and this last one was a complete gut down and addition. My wife and I highly recommend Seth and his team. He is creative and listens to his customers. He is always pushing to do more with his designs. More...

Reviewed on Houzz