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The Best Residential Architects in Virginia Beach, Virginia

4 Min Read

Virginia Beach is home to the Guinness World Record-holding longest pleasure beach in the world. The coastal city is the meeting point for the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The local community is vibrant and tightly knit. Virginia Beach has the annual Neptune Festival, a cultural event that attracts over 50,000 people on average. The city also has over 200 public parks including the famous 97-acre Red Wing Park.

The beach culture and a strong sense of community make Virginia Beach a prime estate in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Pop culture icons Mark Ruffalo, Pharell Williams, and Journalist Jamelle Bouie have strong ties with the city. The coastal city has a rich architectural heritage. Residential Architects take advantage of the beachside landscape and the community-centric atmosphere of Virginia Beach.

Homeowners looking for local architects to design homes tailored for their Virginia Beach lifestyle should consider the firms in this list. To generate the list, our editorial team gathered dozens of local architectural firms and assessed each based on a set of criteria. We considered the work history, familiarity with the city, and overall work quality of each firm.

If you are thinking about building a custom home, we recommend checking each builder’s license with the local licensing board, speaking to past clients, and using our bidding system to get competitive quotes from at least 3 contractors. Getting multiple bids is the best way to ensure you get a fair price and that bids include the complete scope of work. On the other hand, if you want to learn more about the cost of building a custom home in Virginia Beach, check out our cost guide article.


Covington Hendrix Anderson Architects

360 Southport Cr., Ste. #104, Virginia Beach, VA, 23452

Covington Hendrix Anderson Architects is an architectural and interior design firm licensed in 20 states. Since its establishment in 1998, the company has designed commercial, single-family residential, and multi-family residential projects. Four principal architects lead the company operations. Jonathan Covington, Christopher Hendrix, Wayne Anderson, and Jerry Smith have different backgrounds in architecture. Covington is LEED AP certified. Hendrix has certification from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). Anderson studied Architecture at the Hampton University, while the rest attended the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Homes designed by the firm stay true to its Virginia roots. The firm dwelled in Colonial Revival, Modern, and Craftsman home styles. The eclectic home in the photo is one of the firm’s most distinctive works. The home has an asymmetrical facade, and the firm used narrow windows, giving the home a unique look.


GMF + Architects

4356 Bonney Rd., Building 3, Ste., #102, Virginia Beach, VA 23452

GMF + Architects is an award-winning architectural firm experienced in residential and commercial architecture. The firm was featured in the 2016 OBX Parade of Homes, winning both the Judge’s Choice of Excellence Award and the People’s Choice Award. GMF has also been featured in the local newspaper The Virginian-Pilot and the 2019 Multi-Housing News. GMF’s strong reputation in the local community was credited to the company founder and namesake Gregory Martin Frech, who studied Architecture at Califonia State Polytechnic University. Frech acquired his Ph.D. in Planning and Environmental Science at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. Frech’s background as an architect, city planner, and university professor helped the business gain the trust of Virginia Beach locals.

In business since 1984, GMF has designed multiple residential projects. The firm’s list of award-winning projects includes a wide range, from bungalow-style projects to farmhouse-inspired homes. The Mustang, a Contemporary Farmhouse home, is a four-bedroom estate. The home’s design was built with country living in mind.


Pentecost, Deal & Associates

5900 E Virginia Beach Blvd., Ste. #407, Norfolk, VA 23502

Founded in 1986, Pentecost, Deal & Associates is an architectural firm serving the mid-Atlantic. The firm’s reputation was centered around its commitment to quality, integrity, and value. Since its founding, the company has designed hundreds of homes, commercial buildings, and institutional facilities. The company hit the pages of several magazines including Distinction Magazine and Inform Magazine. William Deal serves as the company President. Deal holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Virginia.

The firm’s impressive portfolio includes churches, the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, and premium homes. The project featured in the photo is a Neoclassical estate. The home follows symmetry popular with the neoclassical style, as well as timeless stonework.


About Our Rankings

This list takes a range of ranking criteria into consideration, including but not limited to: work history, customer satisfaction, awards and recognition, geographic area of work, cost, building permits, and clientele. We spent over 40 hours researching local contractors before calculating the final ranking for this post. If there is additional information about your business that could affect these rankings, please fill out this form and we will take it into consideration.


Get Bids For Your Build

If you are thinking about building a custom home, we recommend checking each builder’s license with the local licensing board, speaking to past clients, and using our bidding system to get competitive quotes from at least 3 contractors. Getting multiple bids is the best way to ensure you get a fair price and that bids include the complete scope of work.