Our firm
Hidden inside of every house is the potential for a home that can transform how you live. At CBH Architects, our mission is to bring change to your home in a way that fits your family’s unique lifestyle. You have ideas, we have a vision; together we can make these a reality. We are a residential-only firm focusing on remodels and additions.
Our history
Located in Summit, New Jersey, CBH Architects was founded in 2009 as Barnett Design Build, a home improvement construction company. In 2011, we began offering architectural services. By 2013, as our design projects increased, we hung up our tool belts to focus exclusively on residential architecture. With the addition of partners Mike Cuittitta and Sean Hilgeman 2016, we became CBH Architects. We began offering Interior Design services in 2020.
Team
Mike Cuttitta, AIA, NCIDQ, Licensed in VT
Partner/Lead Designer
Mike is a graduate of the College of Architecture and Design at NJIT, with a BS in Architecture and minor in History, He was an Edward J. Bloustein Distinguished Scholar and part of Albert Dorman Honors College. His has a passion for historic residential architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture. With CBH Architects since 2013, Mike became Partner and Lead Designer in 2015. Mike has served on Branchburg, Nj's Board of Adjustment since 2016 and on the Historic Preservation Commission since 2018.
Bob Barnett, licensed in NJ
Founder & President
A graduate of Rhodes College, Washington University, and Columbia Business School, Bob was a Marketing Director at American Express and Dun & Bradstreet. After gut-renovating two homes in West and South Orange, NJ, he founded CBH as a general contractor and became a licensed architect. Bob lives between South Orange and Brasília, Brazil. He is an avid gardener, historic preservationist (original South Orange HPC) and choir member with credits from Carnegie Hall and La Sagrada Familia.
Dusan Gajic
Senior Associate
A native of Belgrade, Serbia, Dusan earned his Engineer of Architecture degree from University of Belgrade. He worked at AMB Group for over 10 years as associate for design-technology working on domestic and international projects. Dusan has worked with CBH Architects since 2014 and drives architectural production for the majority of projects.
Kathery Carrasco
Executive Assistant
Kathery hails from Managua, Nicaragua and holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from Keiser University in Fort Lauderdale. Boasting three years of virtual assistant experience, Kathery brings administrative support and customer service expertise to CBH leveraging updated technological capabilities. Fluent in English and Spanish, Kathery loves solving problems and learning new things. She is motivated by great teamwork and the results it produces. She is an avid reader of biographies and fiction.
Damon Johnson, P.E.
Structural Engineer
President, DRJ Engineering Consultants
A NJ native, Damon attended Delaware State University in Dover then Rutgers in Piscataway earning a BS in Civil Engineering. He worked at Frazier Industrial Co., then Hanington Engineering where he earned his engineering license. In 2010 he formed DRJ Engineering Consultants and has worked with CBH Architects since 2012 as their primary structural engineer.
Sean Hilgeman, AIA, licensed in NJ & NY
Associate Partner
Sean received his B.S. from University of Massachusetts Boston and his Master of Architecture degree from The University of Washington in Seattle. His broad career stretches from residential and commercial work across 5 states as well as charitable projects in Liberia where he served as consulting architect. A member of American Mensa, Sean join CBH Architects in 2016, and is the Philadelphia Architectural Representative at ModernfoldStyles, Inc.
STANDARD PROCESS & FEES
Step 1: Zoning Analysis – We research and confirm your municipality’s zoning rules before starting any other design services.
Step 2: Existing Conditions: What are you starting with? Measurement, analysis, and drawings of your current home. For new homes, this applies to the site itself.
We complete Zoning Analysis and Existing Conditions as a combined fixed fee usually ranging between $1,800 and $4,500 depending on how large your house is, how complex your house is, and how many drawings are needed to be produced for the proposed scope of work.
Step 3: Project Requirements Analysis: Interview and discussion with you and your family to understand how you use your space and determine what you want and need.
Step 4: Schematic Design: Innovative design concepts, space planning, and associated rough construction cost estimates to address your needs and achieve the goals of the project scope. We collaborate with you and revise until a final design solution is identified.
We complete our Project Requirements Analysis and Schematic Design for a combined fixed fee usually ranging between $5,000 and $15,000, depending on the scope of the project and how many alternative schemes are desired.
Step 5: Construction Drawings (CDs) & Services – We develop the finalized design solution into a detailed set of drawings. These enable general contractors to provide a competitive bid and enable building departments to issue a building permit. Once construction is underway, CBH includes general project support in our standard contract. For most projects we break out this phase as follows:
Initial Drawing Set - The majority of the drawings are provided, reviewed, and discussed with you for input and feedback.
Bid/Pricing Set - Drawings are completed to enable a competitive bid from licensed General Contractors.
Permit Set - Once the General Contractor (GC) is chosen, we solicit any feedback from them and you and incorporate into this final drawing set. The completed drawings are sealed by a NJ licensed architect and are ready for submission to your municipality’s building department.
Our fees for Construction Documents & Services are generally based on a percentage of the ultimate GC contract price for labor and building materials. Finish materials and products including appliances, finishes (tile, stone, etc.), cabinets, counters, plumbing and electrical fixtures are generally not included in the GC contract price. Therefore, our percentage fee does not apply to these items. Our percentage fee ranges between 6% to 15% (smaller projects have a higher percentage). We can also provide a fixed fee for CDs upon request.
Construction Cost Estimates - as of May, 2024
In planning your project, we recommend budgeting for the following construction costs per square foot based on our most recently recently bid projects in our geographic area - updated January 2024.
Renovations: Dry areas: $205/sf; Wet areas (Kitchen, bath, laundry): $390/sf
New Construction/Additions: Dry areas: $390/sf; Wet areas: $525/sf
We recommend a factor of 2-times this amount for smaller projects (less than 100 sf) and a reduction factor when projects are over 600 sf.
ADDITIONAL DESIGN SERVICES
For the following services we charge hourly fees, which can be estimated prior to projects:
Architect Consultation: $275
Design: $225
Project Management: $165
Drafting/Administrative: $95
We will estimate the hours required prior to initiating any of these service.
Home Purchase Consulting - Assistance, consultation, and walk-through with prospective homeowners who are interested in a particular property. This may include a Zoning Analysis to determine feasibility of changes to the property or building envelope as well as ballpark construction cost estimates for the projects your are interested in pursuing.
3D Digital Modeling - Enables clients to better visualize proposed spaces. The models also allow us to “plug and play” potential lighting fixtures, furniture layouts, tile, building materials, etc. into the proposed space.
Interior Design - We help in the selection of fixtures, finishes, and products. We can also aid in procurement, installation, and/or styling of these products.
Bidding & Negotiation - We develop a list of General Contractors, distribute drawings, conduct individual GC walk-throughs of the proposed project, receive their bids, and analyze the bids for to aid in GC selection. We also review the chosen GC’s contract and make recommendations regarding scope, timing, cost, and payment schedule.
Project Management - We can provide direct support during execution of a project in any capacity desired. Project management during construction may include:
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Preparation of an overall project plan incorporating timelines, tasks, and decisions to be made for the homeowner, General Contractor, subcontractors, and other project participants
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Weekly site visits and site visit follow up summaries
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Periodic conference calls or site visits between the CBH, the homeowner, the GC, and other project participants