![The Power of Planning: Why Your 2026 Vermont Home Project Starts with Strategy]()
Welcome to the Arocordis Design blog. Here, we share insights, case studies, and articles regarding our residential architecture practice in Vermont and beyond. This guide, updated for Winter 2026, reflects the current economic, energy, and permitting landscape for high-end residential design.
Building or renovating a home is one of life’s most significant investments. Whether you are a local family or moving to Vermont for semi-retirement, we guide you through the journey. With construction typically taking 1 to 2 years from initial sketches to move-in, careful preparation is the difference between a successful build and a costly setback.
Why is architectural planning essential for a successful Vermont home?
Good design is the foundation of financial and emotional security
Thorough upfront planning with a licensed Vermont architect can help save months of delays and streamline the process if started in the beginning. In the complex 2026 market, effective planning helps:
Protect Your "North Star" Vision: We ensure the final build matches your original dream.
Mitigate Hidden Risks: We identify site constraints, like……….
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Is your home a source of stress or a sanctuary? Discover the principles of The Intuitive Home by Arocordis Design. From acoustic zoning to flicker-free lighting, this Vermont architect’s guide explores how to create a 'Sensory Friendly Home' that supports Autism, ADHD, and Aging-in-Place for a lifetime of well-being.
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The Sound of Silence: Diagnosing the Drop in Inquiries
For a boutique architecture firm like us, the "canary in the coal mine" is the inbox. Recently, we noticed a trend that gave us pause. Despite maintaining our Google Ads spend, keeping our Google Business Profile updated, and sharing our work on social media, the project inquiries weren't coming in at their usual pace.
It is easy to jump to the scary conclusion: Is the Vermont economy turning downward? Are homeowners pulling back on renovations and new builds? What is going on this year?
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Making the Right Home Design Decision in Central Vermont
When deciding between home renovation with additions or custom new construction, families in Central Vermont and beyond often face an important crossroads with no clear answers. At Arocordis Design in scenic Montpelier, we guide families through creating homes that truly reflect their needs and dreams, whether through thoughtful addition and remodeling design or new custom home design.
Common Concerns We Hear
Homeowners frequently ask us whether they should renovate their existing space or opt for new construction. Four key considerations influence this decision:
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An architect like Arocordis Design and Stephen M. Frey, AIA plays a pivotal role in helping a client hire the right builder team by using their experience and networks in the industry here in Vermont. Once hired, effectively collaborate with the client and that builder to help deliver the desired end results. Here is how:
1. Good drawings with clear design and building scope: Before hiring a builder, we set up a clear design and scope of work with and for our clients. We create clear architectural drawings that communicate the desired design, quality, and scope of the custom home design, major renovation, or addition. Good drawings help organize…
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Introduction:
In our quest for a sustainable future, the way we design our homes for you and how they connect with the local community and place hold immense significance to us. The harsh realities of the recent 2023 Vermont flood brought this clearly into perspective. With its effects in mind, we are trying to return to a new normal with how we design our homes, major renovations, and additions for you. What is the roadmap? It is unclear. The flood affects certainly highlight the importance of sustainable home design here in Vermont. We have work to do and design and building practices to reassess.
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A new project
Arocordis Design likes to create stunning rustic and modern custom homes for clients in Vermont. In this article, we will take you through our journey of a recent new net-zero rustic modern home for a new client that is both eco and family-friendly.
Sustainable home design is very popular in Vermont because of its many benefits to the environment and its occupants. At Arocordis Design, we strive to design eco-friendly homes that are energy efficient and use natural resources like local materials, energy efficient building construction and systems, sunlight, and wind. We are now designing such a home in Northern Vermont for an owner-builder family who will soon move back to Vermont.
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At Arocordis Design, we often collaborate with clients who have eyes bigger than their stomachs, or honestly, home design ideas bigger than their budget. If this sounds like you what do you do in cases like that? Whether a new custom home, addition, or major renovation this mindset applies equally well. As Vermont architects, we advocate for and design harder-working buildings and spaces that do more than one job. This short article focuses on interior space planning and design but also can be applied to the design of an overall new home or large addition or wing.
What does doing more than one job mean? Well, toss out single-use rooms like a dining room or a formal entry area. Work to integrate that dining function into a flexible open space living area. Create a mudroom that doubles as the main entry. With ideas like this,…..
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When it comes to building a new home, it's important to work with an architect early on in the process. At Arocordis Design, a Vermont residential architecture firm, we have guided local families since 2010, through the planning, design, and construction of modern, sustainable homes. By working with us from the beginning, you can help maximize your investment and achieve the home of your dreams.
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