Mountain Lakes' Hapgood houses are a one of a kind housing stock. We design and engineer renovations and additions that respect them.
Mountain Lakes was founded in 1910 by Herbert Hapgood as a planned lake community, and by 1923 about 600 large stucco houses, known as Hapgoods, had been built with Arts and Crafts, Colonial and Craftsman features. Hundreds still stand. The Mountain Lakes Historic District, covering 1,397 acres, was added to the National Register in 2005. Birchwood, Crystal, Mountain, Shadow, Sunset, Wildwood and Cove lakes are spread through the borough, and the Mountain Lakes station is on the Montclair-Boonton Line.
A century old Hapgood has stucco walls, original framing and many past alterations. Additions and renovations need structure and design worked out together so the new work matches the house, which is how our architects and engineers work.
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.
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.
We document Hapgood houses, often with LiDAR scanning, and design additions that follow their rooflines, stucco walls and window patterns.
Lakeside and sloped lots affect footings and drainage. We study the site early and design for actual conditions.
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 match the original stucco, rooflines and details while meeting current code.
Yes, often with LiDAR scanning, so the drawings match what is actually built.
We deliver signed and sealed drawings and support you or your contractor in the permit submission.
See a fixed design fee in about two minutes, or book a consultation and we will visit your home.