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Spitzmiller & Norris

Address	5825 Glenridge Drive Number One, Suite 206 Atlanta, GA 30328
Phone	404-843-3874
Fax	404-843-0231
Website	www.spitzmillerandnorris.com
Email	www.spitzmillerandnorris.com

The Company

Spitzmiller & Norris, Inc. recently celebrated a remarkable 24th year in the practicing of residential architecture. The firm's reputation has been built on creating consistently—over the years—inspired designs for distinctive personal residences.

They are specialists in practical, yet creative, design problem-solving—Using their extensive knowledge and experience they are called on to devise plans for all manner of personal residences; commissions range from houses in town to houses planned for the beach, lake or mountains and work happily includes preparing plans for new houses, plans for the renovation of existing houses, and plans for the proper restoration of houses with historical significance. They also provide exemplary architectural renderings or presentation drawings.

The staff's educated understanding of architecture enables Spitzmiller & Norris, Inc. to handle effectively more than 100 design projects per year. Their clients reside from the coast of California to the eastern seaboard and often times commissions have proceed through several generations of one family. The firm's work is frequently published and recognized for design excellence nationally. Previous commissions include the fifteen-year design development of BlackBerry Farm located in Walland, Tennessee. Here the Spitzmiller and Norris-designed cottages, the boathouse and the beloved Yallarhammar Pavilion have continued to draw appreciative and admiring guests from far and wide!

Frederick Spitzmiller

Rick Spitzmiller, a native of Columbus, Georgia, earned his Master’s degree from the University of Virginia School of Architecture. There he was awarded the Thomas Jefferson Scholarship and was among those selected to study abroad at the prestigious Centro Internazionale di Architettura Andrea Palladio in Vecenza, Italy. Following school, he served as Architectural Consultant with the Historic Savannah Foundation. In 1985, Rick, along with Robert Norris, established Spitzmiller and Norris, Inc. A conscientious preservationist, Rick has worked with and long helped support the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation and served a term on the Board of Governors for Historic Rhodes Hall. Other organizations that are dear to his heart include Project Open Hand, AID Atlanta and P.A.L.S. (Pets are Loving Support)

Robert Norris

Robert Norris, a native Atlantan, earned his degree in Architecture with honors from Southern Institute of Technology. Before founding Spitzmiller & Norris, he worked as architectural consultant for a distinguished residential developer. Robert is a member of the American Institute of Architects, involved in the Atlanta Preservation Center, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Trust for Preservation, The Piedmont Conservancy and like Rick, supports the High Museum of Art, Open Hand and Atlanta Pet Rescue. Robert is a passionate gardener and member of the Atlanta Botanical Garden. His stunning private garden has been featured in the Atlanta Botanical Garden Connoisseurs Tour and other local garden tours as well as being widely published. Robert’s award winning talent in designing the interior living spaces of Spitzmiller & Norris homes is exceptional.

Design Process – The Way We Work

A consistent level of high quality work and our focused, effective service is a large benefit of working with Spitzmiller and Norris. The two principals, Rick Spitzmiller and Robert Norris create, guide and fully participate in all phases of designing and developing our plans.

The resulting carefully prepared set of plans is fundamental to building a house successfully; attempting to construct a house without this well-marked "road map" can often lead to miscalculations and disappointing delays. To guard against this, our extensive review processes help ensure that our construction drawings are not only well detailed but accurate.

We also help our clients’ projects run smoothly by interfacing seamlessly with other members of the project team such as the builder, the landscape architect the interior designer and the engineers. By routinely working together and communicating effectively our projects are built and finished as intended.

Design Process – Developing the Plans

Every one of our house designs is unique and as such requires sufficient time for thoughtful designing and detailing before the contractor drives the first nail. The care given your new home before the construction begins helps to ensure that every facet of the home is thoroughly understood, thereby avoiding expensive “fixes” associated with encountering the “unexpected.” A project takes several months to develop prior to construction and will cycle through the following phases:

Preliminary Design

Following the all-important exchange of design information between designer and client the conceptual plans are committed to paper illustrating each floor plan, perspective views of the exteriors (and often important interiors as well) and a schematic site plan. This affords our clients and their builders as well as the other members of the design team the opportunity to become well acquainted with the future house before proceeding to the next phase.

Construction Drawings

Once the preliminary design has been developed and approved, the construction drawings are undertaken. These are the technical documents that will guide the builder. Before starting on this phase of work we prepare a detailed quote for all proposed drawings for approval by the client.

Construction

During construction we have found it very helpful to provide limited on-going site supervision of the house. This part of our service is done at our client’s discretion and has proven invaluable in moving a project along strongly by being available often to confer with the builder and to answer the questions of sub-contractors.

Company Awards and Recognition

Spitzmiller and Norris, Inc. has received numerous awards for architectural design excellence. Some of our awards include:

Excellence in Restoration/Preservation Awards, Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation – 2003; Two projects acknowledged
Outstanding Restoration/Rehabilitation Project, Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation – 1982
Southern Living "Home of the Year" - 1992
Southern Living Idea House 1996; The Centennial House in Atlanta, GA
Professionalism Awards — Obie Award-winning projects every year from 1986

Our work has been featured in a variety of distinguished periodicals, some of which include Veranda, Southern Accents, Traditional Home, Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, and Southern Living.

Television: HGTV Homes Across America

Beall "Maple Cottage" at Blackberry Farm