By Jake Murray

Edgar places third in the Chief Architect Residential Design Contest! Edgar’s achievements have led to his own business, Pena’s Drafting & Design, located in his hometown.

“I am from McAllen, a small town in south Texas, where I started technical drafting in High School. I obtained my Architectural Drafting Associates Degree at South Texas Community College and have designed homes since 2003. After months of planning and researching, I decided to go with Chief Architect. I have been using Chief Architect since 2013, and am glad I made the right choice. Besides customers being amazed to see their home in 3D, I love being able to do a preliminary floor plan in just hours instead of days. Now I can complete a full set of construction drawings in two to three days.” (more…)

By Kendra Dorosh

Alexis places 2nd in the Chief Architect Kitchen, Bath, and Interior Design Contest! She is a Chief Architect Certified Apprentice who has found her passion in interior design.

Alexis McDaniel, Chief Architect Certified Apprentice

“I’m a senior at Klein Collins High School in Spring Texas, who at a young age fell in love with interior design. My high school has a class where we can design living and commercial spaces using Chief Architect software. It has truly ignited the flame in me to design. I gain so much joy and pleasure from what I do. I have been using Chief Architect for around 3 years, and plan to continue using it. I prefer Chief Architect over other software products because it’s easy to use, and the renderings make a design really come to life.

“I, along with my fellow classmates Mary and Krystina, became a Chief Architect Certified Apprentice last year, which is a huge accomplishment to me. I would also like to mention my teacher Mrs. Mock, who has pushed us to be our best in what we do and has helped in my realization that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.” (more…)

By Emily Black

Paul placed third in the Chief Architect Kitchen/Bath & Interiors Design Contest. He has been using CAD programs since his architectural drafting shop days at the local vocational school.

Paul Machado, Design Manager at Southcoast Kitchen Designs

“I have been in the kitchen industry for just over six years using the same software all my other competitors were using. I started my career in 2012 at a big box store as a kitchen design salesperson, then got more into the technical end of it in the more recent years.

“I currently transitioned to a team with similar long-term aspirations to become a premier Massachusetts Design Build Firm. I knew that making the switch of software to Chief Architect would be essential for our growth. Not just because the scope of the work we were about to take on required much more detailed plans to achieve smooth project flow, but also to separate ourselves from any competitors. (more…)

By Jake Murray

Thomas placed 2nd in the Chief Architect Residential Design Contest! After retiring as a Production Art Manager, Thomas continues to showcase his design abilities through a remodel and custom home design.

Thomas pictured on his recent wedding day.

“I grew up on the farm my family settled in 1852 in the small town of Cedar Lake, Indiana. I had always gravitated towards art and drafting in high-school, but it was a field trip to Chicago that truly inspired my fascination with architecture. So much so, I broke with family tradition and spent the summers of my Junior and Senior year working as an artist for a graphics company. I then attended Ball State University for the first year of their Architecture program. (more…)

By Jake Murray

Dave placed third in the Chief Architect Remodel/Addition Design Contest. His mission to design spaces that foster bonds between families has contributed to his success as a designer.

Dave, his wife Deanna, and their two daughters

“I’ve been designing on-and-off in an official capacity since 2005 (the design office was using v9.5 at the time), but I started using Chief Architect in 2000 or 2001 using version 6. Before Chief Architect, I started with notebooks full of sketches from age 12 and up! (more…)

By Jake Murray

Leslee placed first in the Chief Architect Remodel/Addition Design Contest! Her winning design is a showcase of the potential for concrete structures in the Keys.

Leslee grew up knowing she’d be an artist of some sort. As soon as she began to write, she began to draw.  As a child, she would sit and watch “Picture Pages” with Bill Cosby and according to her family was very accurate in her early efforts. She also painted her dad’s brand new leather jacket he got for Christmas with nail polish when she was 4 years old. Leslee’s mother, Roberta, knew right then her daughter would grow up to be an artist. Her passion led her to win many art competitions while in school. (more…)

By Jake Murray

Amanda placed 3rd in the Chief Architect Kitchen/Bath & Interiors Design Contest! Her ability to learn from different design perspectives has contributed to her success as a young designer.

“My interest in design all started in high school when I decided to focus on art and design classes. I grew up in Massachusetts where I attended college in Boston at Wentworth Institute of Technology and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Interior Design. As a young designer, I am always curious about “what’s the new thing.” I am always wanting to learn from a different design perspective. For example, my last co-op I worked with architects and got to understand more about the structure. These advantages help me understand what I am designing and what I need to improve on as a young designer. (more…)

By Jake Murray

Zak placed 1st in the Chief Architect Kitchen/Bath & Interiors Design Contest! A start with Lego houses has led to a long career and successful company of his own, Livara Design Inc.

Zak, his wife, and two children. With a passion for design that began at an early age, his work is the product of an experienced and talented designer. Congratulations on winning 1st place!

“I was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with a small stint in British Columbia.  I always knew I wanted to design homes.  I can remember sitting on the floor as a kid building Lego houses and hotels, and I always gravitated to drawing sprawling dream homes over all the other topics little kids usually draw! I was gifted my first drafting table when I was 13 or 14, and I was off to the races.  I had a great Drafting & Design program in my high school and it definitely solidified my want to do this for a living. (more…)

By Emily Black

Jennifer placed 2nd in the Chief Architect Residential Design Contest! Her passion for design began when she was 10 years old and has flourished in her career as a home designer.

I chose Chief Architect because of its realistic appearance, reasonable price, and user-friendliness.

“Unofficially, I started drawing house plans on graph paper when I was 10 years old, and I knew that designing was something I wanted to pursue as a profession.  Officially, I started designing in 2005, when I began working for and training with a local designer in my hometown of Memphis, TN.  In 2010, I began doing freelance residential design while also pursuing a career in another field.  I founded Ideal House Plans, LLC in 2017 and am currently working on growing the business.

“I’ve been a Chief Architect customer since May 2018.  Earlier in the year, I knew that I would need quality 3D renderings to post on the new website, so I began my search for the right software to use.  I downloaded several trial versions of various software to determine what would work best for me. In the end, I chose Chief Architect because of its realistic appearance, reasonable price, and user-friendliness.”

We really enjoyed seeing Jennifer’s work. To see more examples of her designs, visit idealhouseplansllc.com/shop. We wish Jennifer the very best with the launch of her new website.

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By Emily Black

Sarah placed 1st in the Chief Architect Residential Design Contest! She is a home design hobbyist, but you can see her eye for design shine through in her winning home design.

Sarah was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, and now calls the Dayton, Ohio area home with her husband.

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