Cranbury's historic village and the neighborhoods around it call for careful design. We plan and engineer additions, renovations and new homes that respect the town's character.
Cranbury is one of the best preserved small towns in central New Jersey. The Cranbury Historic District, listed on the National Register in 1980, covers about 175 acres with 177 contributing buildings, and many homes on and near Main Street date to the 18th or 19th century. Outside the village, newer neighborhoods and farm properties make up the rest of the township.
Old houses reward careful work. Framing is often undersized by modern standards, past renovations may have hidden problems, and foundations can be fieldstone or brick. Our engineers evaluate what is there before the design goes far, so the plan works with the house rather than against it.
Licensed architects and professional engineers on one team, one contract and one set of signed and sealed drawings. See all of our services.
Rear, side and wraparound additions for kitchens, family rooms and primary suites, with the existing house evaluated by our engineers.
New floors over ranches, capes, garages and one story wings, with foundations and framing checked and reinforced as needed.
Whole house and partial renovations, wall removals and open plans, basements and attics, with structure and systems designed in house.
Ground up single family homes and teardown rebuilds, from site planning to sealed construction drawings.
Decks, covered porches, pergolas and garages engineered for footings, ledgers and loads.
Beam replacements, foundation fixes and engineer's letters for homeowners, buyers and insurers.
For a home in the historic village, the most important design decisions are scale, rooflines, window patterns and materials. An addition that steps back from the original house and uses compatible proportions keeps the street intact and usually makes for a better house too. We confirm early what local review applies to your property and plan the drawings to match it.
In New Jersey, most additions and structural renovations need zoning approval from the town before the construction permit, and the construction permit itself is reviewed under the state Uniform Construction Code. When a design needs relief from a setback, coverage or height limit, it goes to the town's land use board for a variance hearing.
Cranbury Brook, a tributary of the Millstone River, runs through the township, so some properties are near streams or low areas. We check flood mapping and site drainage before designing an addition so those requirements are part of the plan from the start.
However your project is approved, we deliver signed and sealed drawings to you, support you and your contractor through the permit submission and answer the building department's review comments in house. Read how a project moves from consultation to close out on our process page.
Yes. We design additions that step back from the original, follow its proportions and use compatible materials, while bringing structure and systems up to modern standards.
That is common in older homes. Our engineers design the reinforcement as part of the drawings so your contractor can price it upfront.
Yes. We design additions, second stories and renovations for homes of every era.
See a fixed design fee in about two minutes, or book a consultation and we will visit your home.