Congratulations to the 2019 Design of the Year winners!

Throughout 2019, Chief Architect held monthly design contests for our customers to showcase their work. Designers from all around the world, with vastly different backgrounds and design styles, competed head-to-head in the following three categories: Residential, Remodel / Additions, and Kitchen/ Bath & Interiors.

Each month our Facebook fans were asked to vote for their favorite design. The winners (1st, 2nd, 3rd) were entered into our year-end Design of the Year contest in December. Voting was open until January 9th and we are pleased to announce the winners! Discover more about the contestants through our Featured Contest Winner stories.

Grand Winners

Watch the live video for the announcement of the winners on our Facebook Page here.

Placing 3rd in our Remodel/Addition Design Contest, Mark Supanchick’s story proves Chief Architect is capable of a lot more than Home Design.

“I started designing when I worked for Patterson Dental from 2001 – 2017.  During that time I had an idea that if we could show the dentist one of his existing exam rooms with all new equipment in it with updated colors and flooring in a period of 5 minutes, it would be a great sales tool.  So I started modeling all of the various dental equipment in 3D using AutoCAD.  My problem was I didn’t have a program that I could draw the room with existing windows and doors fast enough to put the new equipment in within 5 minutes.  Without that ability, my idea was useless.

By Kendra Dorosh

How do remodeling professionals capture as-built measurements?  Paper, Napkin, App, or Laptop software?  Chief Architect software surveyed remodelers and found 75% measure as-built homes by hand using paper and pencil.  The compounding effects of repetition have made this an efficient process. If the system works, why change?

What is an As-Built plan?

The As-Built plan refers to the original condition of the house before remodeling. Remodeling projects and home additions start with as-built measurements, also called red-line drawings or record drawings. It’s vital to map out the as-built plan as precisely as possible.

Congratulations to our three Chief Architect Remodel/Addition Design Contest Winners!

Thank you all for sharing your designs with us and our community.

By Emily Black

Jerry wins 1st place in the Chief Architect Remodel/Addition Design Contest. His level of detail and craftsmanship show his passion and experience.

“Soon to be 63 years old, I was born and raised in the Detroit Metropolitan area.  After high school, I attended the University of Michigan, graduating in 1980 from the School of Architecture with my Bachelor of Science in Architecture.  Shortly after graduation, I married my beautiful and brilliant high school sweetheart, Debbie, who often helps me when I’m struggling with project designs… and is also my best critic (soon to be celebrating our 39^th anniversary!). 

By Emily Black

Eric, an Idaho native, places third in the Chief Architect Remodel/Addition Design Contest. His artistic talents were a perfect fit for a career in home design.

“I was born in Pocatello, Idaho and then moved to Idaho Falls and lived on the family farm and worked with my father who flew airplanes and was a metal fabricator. I took on a job as a laborer that placed me in the building industry framing houses and building cabinets. I was very intrigued by the plans that we worked from. I am an artist and planned to go to college in Boise, Idaho to study Art, Advertising and Design. To pay my way through college, I worked construction at various levels including building houses.

Congratulations to our three Chief Architect Remodel/Addition Design Contest winners!

Thank you all for sharing your designs with us and our community.

1st Place

Design by Jerry Heckendorn of GWH: Residential Architecture using Chief Architect Premier X11.

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…)

Congratulations to our three Chief Architect Remodel/Addition Design Contest winners!

Thank you all for sharing your designs with us and our community.

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