Jones Pierce Architects

Clients often come to us with the seed of an idea a vision that’s in their head and not on paper yet. We enjoy helping clients bring their idea to life and to light! Our team’s role is to focus on ALL aspects of project design from budget management to due diligence to city and neighborhood zoning and more. Thinking big-picture and holistically is all in a day’s work for us. Ready to bring your idea to light? Contact us at 404-446-3882 or [email protected].

Meet Michelle Everett from our Commercial studio team. She joined Jones Pierce Studios in 2014 after graduating from Georgia Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Architecture degree. We’re so glad you’re part of the team, Michelle!

There’s something about partnering with a mission-driven organization that brings out the best in our team and that was our experience working with the Monastery of the Holy Spirit. Great memories of the good people we worked when we designed their visitors’ center, including Father Augustine and Brother Calistus!

Check out part one of our new series featuring a commercial architecture project that will take shape near the BeltLine at the Virginia Highlands Apartments. If you ever wondered what it takes to get a project from start to finish, you’ll find this to be an informative read! We're enjoying our partnership with Tequila Zell and the other fine folks at RangeWater Real Estate and look forward to the next phases! https://jonespierce.com/commercial-architecture-virginia-h/

The Resort Backyard The destination backyard is having its moment. The high-maintenance green field behind a home that’s used occasionally for kickball can evolve into a year-round living space. The master plan usually includes an indoor/outdoor space and an area for cooking. We recently created a full-blown kitchen, including a quincho (small house outside the home for preparing food), pizza oven and a big green egg.... Of course, there are many other options, such as a pool and spa, firepit or fireplace, putting green or a tennis, pickleball or bocce court. Want to dream bigger? We can carry the AV/automation system outdoors, which is perfect for an outdoor movie night or catching the game or perfecting your backyard’s ambiance with background music. (Don’t forget to ask us how to incorporate solar and take advantage of the current tax credit!) http://ow.ly/32rO50BXEVO

Transform Your Home to Unlock It's Potential! We’re seeing a trend over the past couple of years with more clients coming to us for creative ideas on how to transform their home and unlock its full potential. Clients are typically interested in developing their entire property into a solace, resort, estate or potential income-earner. What about your hopes for your home? If you need inspiration on how you might go about such a transformation, explore our round-up of ideas, the...n contact us to bring those dreams to life. http://ow.ly/4GK050BXEB2

Throw-in-the-kitchen-sink Questions Have we inspired some ideas for your home? We hope so. If not, bring us your weird and wonderful questions and your hopes and dreams for your home. Do you want to be in the cool kids’ club with a killer dock or outdoor shower, living your best lake life? Do you want to introduce your indoors to your outdoors? What about getting a tax credit on your new pool pavilion outfitted with some solar panel bling? If you thirst for change in your cur...rent home or in one you hope to purchase contact us for a Zoom call to get the consultation process started! Learn more: http://ow.ly/vBXz50BGWXD

Maximizing your Assets! To bring about in-town workforce housing, municipalities across the country, including in Atlanta (see item #10), are making it possible even easy to build an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) or additional building on a home lot. Whether it’s a garage, apartment for boomerang kids or your parents, rental property, separate home office, or in today’s world a classroom an ADU adds function and value to a home.... What’s been surprising to us is not seeing that many people take advantage of this new rule. We’re fans of the idea and are spreading the word! With current, super-low interest rates, our clients are able, on average, to refinance their home, add the accessory building to the note, and cover the additional cost with short- or long-term rentals or enjoy more breathing room in a formerly congested home. If the idea of a new, functional space has appeal, this is a perfect time to make your dream a reality. We can consult with you on how to add an accessory unit or guest house on your property. Photo courtesy of architect Jack Barnes Learn more: http://ow.ly/ht8R50BGWIX

Out of Sight, Out of Mind! It’s very easy to ignore and defer home repairs. Our process helps you pay attention to what should be remembered, not ignored. Once we complete a design/build project, we offer clients an annual maintenance package with the intent of keeping the work like-new indefinitely. Through that effort, we have a checklist of items necessary to make that sort of claim possible. We can also do a thorough inspection of your home, diagnose necessary repairs ... and then offer a custom maintenance package to help your home remain almost ageless. Preventative maintenance isn’t just for cars. Your home needs this type of TLC, too. Learn more: http://ow.ly/4CLI50BGWhe

Due Diligence! You may have an idea in mind about what you want to fix. And that’s great. But there may be a conflict between what you want to do to your property and what is allowed by your municipality, historic district, homeowners’ association or your budget. While thorough research of each area should be the first step of any construction project, it often isn’t. Whether we’re going to design and build your project or not, we make sure that what you want can and should b...e built. On a recent project at Kennebec at Lake Martin, AL, we helped four clients understand the 65-page design guidelines that dictated house placement, size and construction materials. We helped make sure our clients could close with the confidence that their goals would work on the property. Due diligence is part of our process, and it should be part of yours, too. While thorough research of each area should be the first step of any construction project, it often isn’t. Whether we’re going to design and build your project or not, we make sure that what you want can and should be built. Learn more: http://ow.ly/pL0850BGVuD

Design and Construction Forensics The recent real-estate boom came with an unfortunate side effect: an all-time low in construction quality (at least, within the lifetime of our careers). How does that play out? Often, it’s water infiltration as vapor (humidity) or in bulk (stormwater). Here’s an example: a recent trend for infill developers is the use of modern boxes with flat roofs. Most will throw in a roof deck, bad flashing details, bad grading, inexpensive building ma...terials that individually and combined make sure something will eventually leak. When this occurs, uncovering the source or every source can be very tricky. But our team has been very successful in dealing with these issues and can offer the report that your insurance company, lawyer or general contractor needs to correct the problem. Every home’s nemesis is uninvited water, and we know how to show it the door. Learn more: http://ow.ly/EJbR50BGVKs

Renovate vs. Sell Analysis Should you sell or renovate (and stay) in your Atlanta home? The struggle often begins with the same thoughts: We love our neighbors and our yard. This is where the kids grew up. It’s just familiar to us. Still, clients tend to want to move as their need for space changes, either because their family is growing or as kids leave the house. For growing families, the options are to add or reconfigure space to accommodate the new needs for example, ...additional bedrooms, playrooms and systems of living spaces such as mudrooms to welcome muddy children into the home, work and learn-from-home spaces, etc. For retire-in-place clients, we analyze how they can age in place while enjoying features of a new home, such as an improved master suite, better entertaining space or a resort-style back yard. We can help you understand the potential and cost of both situations to stay or move so you make the best decision. Learn more: http://ow.ly/aD9s50BGUZV

Jones Pierce Studios is excited to announce our newest service offering for consultations. These are services we offered to clients for years as part of our project design and construction processes. Today, more homeowners are contacting us with a need for standalone fixes, so we decided to fill this void. They appreciate our unique and holistic approach that comes from the diversity of our team. We have in-house architects, general contractors, building scientists and super-smart people who care about doing great work. They know how to get to the heart of the matter, offering a complete and considered diagnosis along with a plan of attack for a fix that’s just right for you. Learn more: http://ow.ly/uc8u50BGUKj

11 Ways to Retrofit Resilience Into Your Home | Today and Post-Pandemic 11. Utility Resilience ! If nothing else, COVID is teaching us that life can change dramatically overnight. This crisis was person-to-person and utilities weren’t interrupted. What happens if the next crisis is different? How can your home offer resilient shelter?... Here are two solutions you’ll enjoy every day with benefits that can also intervene when water or the grid is interrupted: Water Install A whole-house water filtration system can allow you to ignore boil-water advisories. And in the meantime, your household will enjoy great water every day while being protected from a water contamination event. We like whole-house water filtration that is easy to maintain and removes 99.99% of contaminates. But rather than promoting a specific system, we’d prefer to promote a process. Metro Water Filter recommends a system based on a sample of your home’s water. And here’s what else we like: water filtration systems that dramatically improve the lifespan of all your plumbing fixtures and appliances, water heaters and appliances that utilize water. Electricity Take advantage of the soon-to-expire Federal Solar Tax Credit that will offset 26% of the cost in 2020 and 22% in 2021. We can help show you how to pay for a pavilion, back porch or walkway with the tax credit. Adding a battery backup converts your array into storage for use during an outage or to offset peak demand every day. We understand these systems and how to get the best bang for your buck. #jonespierce More Info: http://ow.ly/OX5C50AolSB The complete list: http://ow.ly/3InX50AolSC

11 Ways to Retrofit Resilience Into Your Home | Today and Post-Pandemic 10. Built-in Flexibility for Resilience! There is a national push for in-town, affordable workforce housing. Atlanta Zoning, and other jurisdictions around the country, allow the addition of a flexible guest house or Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). (Think of a tiny house or not-so-tiny house.) For Atlanta, zoning limits accessory buildings to 30% of the square footage of the primary residence.... In January 2019, the City of Atlanta passed an ADU to help address housing affordability in the city. These zoning categories are 60% of the city’s single-family properties. A property owner can add up to a 750 square-foot building to use for a long- or short-term rental unit or any other previously allowed uses. Guest houses and ADUs can be designed to quickly transition to other uses as an office, school, gym or for a college kid living at home. And the best part? Space can evolve as your needs change. We have a current client who is building a guest house, where the grandmother is helping to finance the project that’s to become her home. The complete list: https://jonespierce.com/11-ways-to-retrofit-resilience-int/

11 Ways to Retrofit Resilience Into Your Home | Today and Post-Pandemic 9. Food Resilience! As you Marie Kondo your pantry, you might consider organizing staples that are easier to use and build up an emergency supply.... Our lead residential architect, Bryan Jones, says, My daughter, with two summers of kitchen experience at the Spring House on Lake Martin in Alabama, recommends some heavy-duty and functional food storage containers that allow storage for bulk purchase and ease of everyday use. Check out 4- and 8-quart clear poly-carbonate, square food storage containers and don’t forget the clear lids for each size. Bryan also likes to say, Space is expensive. Use it twice. Well, this goes for outdoor space, as well! Jones Pierce partners with Shades of Green Permaculture who considers outdoor spaces the same way we consider indoor. The outdoor spaces should work with and for you. Shades of Green designs edible gardens in addition to recommending plant combinations that can help deter mosquitoes. Our Favorite: http://ow.ly/vdkg50AokUc The complete list: http://ow.ly/GgXN50AokU7

https://jonespierce.com/future-proof-your-home-for-golden-/

11 Ways to Retrofit Resilience Into Your Home | Today and Post-Pandemic 8. Turn Your Home Office Into Your Office at Home ! Once you carved out your special places, you may want to bump up the infrastructure or ease of use. Our automation and electrical teams can help.... Start with consistent WiFi across your home and outdoor spaces so that roaming and separation can occur. A receptacle can be added within a cabinet to house and conceal a Bluetooth laser printer. (These printers have fewer malfunctions and cost much less per sheet to operate.) Coffee and beverage stations can be added on a second floor. Simplified workout stations can be added in a couple of different areas s calls and virtual meetings have the opportunity for physical movement. #jonespierce The complete list: http://ow.ly/pa6650Ao7Ex

See you at Greenprints August 6! The conference has gone virtual this year so you can join from anywhere in the world. Check out our session on Designing for Resilience and Efficiency. #greenprints #southface http://ow.ly/TUFv30qYTjH

11 Ways to Retrofit Resilience Into Your Home | Today and Post-Pandemic 7. Find Your Place ! Togetherness is great, but carve out a special place for everyone in your household, too. This is not just a private spot, it’s a place where each of you can be productive and thrive. Your place can be inside or outside and can happen by pulling unconditioned space, like the attic or basement, into the building envelope. It can be a fairly easy and non-intrusive project. For more... ideas, check out our Finding Your‘Place’ During Home Isolation article. Create your own supply store to avoid the next crazed-shopper shortage. A first step for all our remodels is hiring a professional organizer to help understand what should stay, what should go and what should be replaced. This exercise always frees up space. And there are usually wasted pockets in every home, whether behind a staircase, in a larger-than-necessary wall-chase/cavity or behind a knee wall. Chances are, the space is already there and we can help you find it. The complete list: http://ow.ly/VONf50Ao626

11 Ways to Retrofit Resilience Into Your Home | Today and Post-Pandemic 6. GOOOO TEAM ! Turn your family into a team by planning shared windows for work, meals, relaxations, and exercise. This can help maintain productivity and decrease anxiety. Together can still feel very isolated when everyone is going it alone. Remember that multigenerational family vacation when you had a scheduled day to cook and clean together? Consider installing a family schedule to prep the first... string for tomorrow’s game plan. #jonespierce #family Our Favorites: http://ow.ly/DKpG50Ao46B The complete list: http://ow.ly/kn5x50Ao46I

11 Ways to Retrofit Resilience Into Your Home | Today and Post-Pandemic 5. Keep it Clean ! Install hygienic surfaces that minimize the spread of bacteria. Cambria is a non-porous quartz surface that is GREENGUARD GOLD and NSF Certified Safe so there is no surface bacteria. And it's gorgeous (The attached photo is their Britannica design). ... Brass, bronze, nickel, and silver are all available hardware options that have antimicrobial properties, but the best option is copper. Rocky Mountain hardware offers a copper alloy that actually kills 99.9% of harmful bacteria. #cambria #hygenic Our Favorites: http://ow.ly/PLUy50Ao3rE The complete list: http://ow.ly/DwJB50Ao3rD

How does a 3 year old company rank #11 in Metro Atlanta? By focusing on design, craftsmanship, sustainability, and most important...CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE along the way !!! #jonespierce #make it fun