YGS Design & Development

We hired Yael to design a second story addition and full first story renovation of our home. We honestly could not be happier with her services. She listened to our family's needs/goals, she came up with multiple creative design options and communicated clearly and promptly with us all along the way. Our project also involved walking through the thorny territory of special permitting. Yael guided us through special permitting with expertise and professionalism. She is excellent at her craft and I highly recommend her for your design and development needs.

Yael and her company YGS Design & Development were fantastic! We purchased an apartment that required substantial remodeling and changes to the layout. The apartment’s shape is far from a standard rectangular shape, so we couldn’t get a decent ‘as-built’ floor plan. Yael interviewed us regarding the scope of the project, and our desires and ideas for what needs to be done. She then came on-site, quickly measured everything, and presented an as-built floor plan and schematic design plans with 4 alternatives. Yael’s alternatives contained several ideas that we hadn't thought of, and we liked some of them very much. After additional discussions, Yael presented adjusted alternatives, and then after some more discussions we received a final package of drawings sufficient for obtaining all necessary permits and signing a contract for development with one of the teams that Yael suggested. All communications with Yael were very pleasant. She responded quickly, was professional, and detail oriented. When Yael determined that the final design wouldn't require certain construction drawings, she substantially decreased her fee, which was pleasantly surprising to us and demonstrated her integrity. In addition to the high personal standard that Yael follows, she holds a degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from a top European school, as well as a Master's Degree in Real Estate Development from MIT's School of Architecture and Planning. We highly recommend Yael and her company.

After phone screened 3 architects, my wife and I have decided to choose Yael to be our architect to design a 2-stody addition for our house. It turned out that we have made right decision! Yael was professional, knowledgeable, and very thorough. She has helped us to understand exactly what would need to be done and how we could start. Yael went throughout our home, from the basement up into the attic. She has worked with us patiently and provided recommendations that are in the best interest of our needs. We have been struggling to determine which builder to choose for our project. Yael has helped us to assess the proposals to identify one that works best for our project and budget. Yael is truly a customer centric architect. I would highly recommend her.

We worked with Yael to finish our attic and convert a bedroom into an open-concept dining room. We knew what we wanted but needed an architect to show us what was truly possible in our space, which had a few quirks and limitations. Throughout the design and construction process, Yael was extremely reliable and responsive. We got bids from 6 different architects before deciding on her, and we are happy we went with her. She showed up at our first meeting having done research on our particular lot and on the codes in our town relevant to our project, which no other architect did. Her design is also wonderful - our space was transformed from a largely unusable space to three beautiful bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a laundry room. I recommend her services without reservation - she's honest, thorough, and excellent at what she does.

Yael has been helping a whole-house renovation of our 1930 colonial, and I cannot recommend her enough! Her role stretched beyond the design & architecture. She helped vetting GCs, comparing their estimates, and sorting through small and large issues with the GC on site. She made the whole process a lot more enjoyable and helped me made my dream house come true. If I ever have another renovation, she'll be the first one to know. Working with her has been night and day compared to a reputable design-build firm I had hired before. Here are the ways that Yael stood out: 1) She listened to my ideas and incorporated them as much as possible. She is not shy to provide her point of view and tell me why my idea might not work and suggest alternatives. She strikes a good balance between my vision & need, the constraints (constructional challenges, town code, etc.), and her own aesthetic standard. I'm super happy with the end result that we created together. 2) She's a superb communicator. She replies to all emails, texts, and calls -- she responds to every single questions/comments (and I had a lot of them!) and follows up on time. If things get delayed, she proactively lets me know so that I can plan accordingly. It's a huge load off that I don't have to manage the architect. 3) Yael is fast and accommodates numerous updates. I've requested so many different versions of the layouts. We had at least dozen layouts for the house, and several variations within the top contenders. She was always prompt to make those changes and discuss pros & cons. The fast and frequent iteration during the design phase was so satisfying & fun, and assured me that we've considered all the viable options and found the best possible layout for the family. 4) She cares about me. Even after her work was done, she made herself available to help me along the construction phase. She lends her experience and advice on how to deal with the GC and various issues on site. It's really good to have a neutral sounding board.

Worked with YGS on a front entrance expansion project. Yael handled every aspect of the design and architectural plans. She provided alternatives, worked through zoning and permitting, recommended the surveyor and contractor. She is professional, creative, timely and a pleasure to work with.

The firm was recommended to us from a builder. Our first meeting with Yael we knew she would be an excellent architect for us. Her direct communication style, knowledge of local permit requirements and wonderful flexibility worked well for us. Ours was a fairly large complicated addition project and her talent and dedication made it easy for us. Our plans were approved for permit on first pass with our town.

We hired Yael to design a new home for us in the Boston area. Yael provided a high-quality product at a very reasonable price. She has been our advocate through the design, planning and construction phases. She is extremely knowledgable and resourceful and can help guide you to make decisions and selections that you will be happy with for years to come. Yael is extremely responsive and collaborative. I've enjoyed working on this project with her and am already looking forward to our next project together!

Yael is very professional and thorough. She was very attentive to our needs and our wish list when she designed the addition to our house. During the planning period she provided a number of options until we were satisfied. She also included photos of how she envisioned the space and it helped us visualize it as well. We learned that Yael is a great communicator and is very prompt. She responded quickly to emails and also provided time for phone conversations to work out any important details. During the framing period she visited our house so we could go over the plans and see if any changes are necessary. Our project is not finished yet but we can’t wait to see it when it is done. We’ve been very happy with the design and are extremely pleased with Yael’s work!

We really appreciated Yael's guidance as we planned an addition to our condo. She quickly assessed how much space we had, and determined that we could add a bathroom in addition to a bedroom, which radically changed our plans! Her drawings were clear and reflected our taste, and she was patient with rounds of revision from us and from the city as we sought approval to build.

We hired YGS for a large renovation project at our home in Massachusetts. We wanted to expand the 2nd story of our home by extending the roof in order to add a bedroom, bathroom and walk-in closet, which will convert our bedroom into a master suite. We interviewed and received quotes from multiple architects before hiring Yael. We were very careful in our selection process, and are very happy with the services, for example: * The quote was very thorough and detailed, specifying exactly what's included & excluded. So you know what you're getting up-front. * She is internet-savvy. We are very busy and appreciate working with an architect who is responsive via email. All documents were shared with us in online workspace for immediate review, which was also great. * She understands that designs need to accomdate budget. We can't afford to do everything. So she builds her designs that to make them reachable for us, and won't break our budget. * She is very good at guiding you through the process. We've never done a big reno like this, and had no idea how to do it. She essentially held our hand through the entire process. * She didn't nickle and dime us. We still send her random questions via email and get quick and honest responses. * Her services extend beyond procuding designs on paper, and include assistance with choosing a contractor, building site visits, etc. We took her designs to about 7 different general contractors and got quotes. And with her help, we have chosen a GC, have a building permit in hand, and will break ground in about 1 month.

We have been very happy with Yael's architect services in helping us plan an attic expansion. We found it very helpful that she provided several detailed alternatives at different project price points. She made detailed measurements of our place and gathered feedback from us in person, by phone and email. She researched local zoning and building codes and discussed our plans with city staff prior to our permit applications. When it was time to apply for our special permit, Yael put the application together and proof-read our personal statement. At our special permit hearing, she came prepared with printed plans and helped us rehearse our introduction. She has always been super responsive, flexible, and professional. We are looking forward to the start of construction soon!