Lake houses, historic buildings, and green design in Western New York.

An architect draws the plans, handles permits, works with review boards, and answers the builder's questions.

Jamestown, New York·Thirty five years·LEED accredited

Start a project
Why hire an architect

The link between your idea and the people who build it.

  • Permits and review boards

    Zoning, the building permit, and the boards that have to approve the design.

  • Contractors the firm knows

    The firm can point you to contractors it has worked with before.

  • Help comparing bids

    Every contractor prices the same set of drawings, and the firm helps you compare the bids.

  • On site during construction

    The firm visits while the work is underway and answers the builder's questions, so they do not land on you.

One example: a house at Chautauqua Institution, designed by the firm and built with Alexander Construction. See the midcentury craftsman house

Projects

Selected projects: lake houses, renovations, and additions.

All projects
Packard Manor, Chautauqua Institution, with kitchen and garage addition Packard Manor from the lake Packard Manor sunroom looking toward the lake Chautauqua Institution · Renovation

Packard Manor

Chautauqua Institution, New York · AIA WNY First Award
 Kitchen inside the expanded lake house, Chautauqua Lake View toward the lake from inside Great room into kitchen Sunny bedroom Lake house · Addition

Lake house expansion

Chautauqua Lake, New York
 Modern craftsman lake house from the lake side Kitchen island with the dining table and great room beyond Custom fireplace and built-ins Lake house · New build

Modern craftsman lake house

Chautauqua Lake, New York
 Midcentury craftsman house, Chautauqua Institution, from the street Living space Kitchen and dining Back patio Chautauqua Institution · New house

Midcentury craftsman house

Chautauqua Institution, New York
 Expanded split-level house in Lakewood, New York The new main entry canopy and porch The garage wing with the new primary suite above The new front entry up close Residential · Addition

Split-level expansion

Lakewood, New York
 Midcentury modern addition, Chautauqua Institution, corner view Midcentury modern addition from the lake side Chautauqua Institution · Second-floor addition

Midcentury modern addition

Chautauqua Institution, New York
 The Ellicott Apartments in downtown Jamestown, a three story painted brick corner building with dark window hoods, a bracketed cornice, and storefronts at the street Historic · Restoration

Ellicott Apartments

Downtown Jamestown, New York
 The open living, dining, and kitchen space of the loft apartment, with light wood floors and recessed lights Loft apartment kitchen with pale upper cabinets, dark lower cabinets, stainless appliances, and pendant lights Tall street windows with window seats, round dark columns, and exposed brick in the loft apartment Historic · Facade restoration

208 Main Street

Downtown Jamestown, New York
 The stair hall at The Inn at One Bank Street, with white arches, red and white painted brackets, a red door, and a schoolhouse pendant light The brick entrance of The Inn at One Bank Street under flowering trees, with the inn sign on the lawn A suite sitting room with tall windows, a sofa, a leather chair, and red painted chairs Historic · Old building, new use

The Inn at One Bank Street

Randolph, New York
 The storefront from the sidewalk, with tall display windows, a recessed entry, and a dark green sign band with gold lettering Looking up at the Randolph Retail Company sign and the second floor windows, with gold scrollwork on the window hoods and a street lamp in front The restored Randolph Retail Company facade in the Downtown Randolph Historic District, cream brick with dark green and maroon trim, a painted cornice, and a peaked pediment with a sunburst Close view of the painted cornice and pediment, dark green with maroon brackets and a gold sunburst, above window hoods with gold scrollwork Historic · Facade restoration

Randolph Retail

Randolph, New York
 The back of the Board of Public Utilities addition, with round windows in the metal panel wall and trees along the paved yard The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities addition from the street, brick and metal panel walls under a green metal roof, with the power plant stacks behind Commercial · Addition

Jamestown Board of Public Utilities

Jamestown, New York
 The curved brick porches of the Presbyterian House at Chautauqua Institution, with tall brick piers and iron railings The rooftop solar array on the Presbyterian House, rows of photovoltaic panels on a flat roof Commercial · Additions and changes

Presbyterian House

Chautauqua Institution, New York
 The main theater at the Reg Lenna in Jamestown seen from the stage, with red seats, a balcony, and a domed ceiling A narrow four story building front at dusk, with lit windows on every floor and a street entrance, between older downtown buildings The theater lobby with chandeliers, a curved glass block counter, and the Reg Lenna Civic Center sign over the auditorium doors The lobby extension with the box office windows and the new concession stand under pendant lights Commercial · Historic theater

Reg Lenna Theater

Downtown Jamestown, New York
 The curved roof entrance addition at the Gerace Office Building and Chautauqua County Courts in Mayville, with the courthouse dome behind Commercial · Remodeling and additions

Chautauqua County Courts

Mayville, New York
 One story dental office in Jamestown with a stone base, tall windows and a dark metal roof band, seen from the parking lot Commercial · Adaptive reuse

Southern Tier Family Dentistry

Jamestown, New York
 Industrial building at Stoneman Park in Lakewood, white and gray block walls with a raised entry, a curved metal canopy over glass doors, and a lawn with young trees Long single story industrial building at Stoneman Park in Lakewood seen across its parking lot and lawn, with a curved canopy over the front entrance Commercial · New building

Stoneman Park

Lakewood, New York
 Civic Center Apartments in downtown Jamestown, a restored cream colored brick corner building with green window trim, a bracketed cornice with a center peak, and a restaurant storefront at the street Historic · Restoration

Civic Center Apartments

Downtown Jamestown, New York
 Bemus Bay condominiums in Bemus Point, four stories with balconies, gabled dormers, and an octagonal corner tower, with the lake beyond The long front of the Bemus Bay condominiums with covered porches and balconies, above a courtyard with a swimming pool and a gazebo The swimming pool at Bemus Bay seen from above, with Chautauqua Lake and the marina docks across the road Residential · Resort condominiums

Bemus Bay Condominiums

Bemus Point, New York
 Two family lakefront house at Chautauqua Institution with a wrap around porch, striped awnings, and a tall arched gable window The duplex from the lawn in evening light, with its porch, bay windows, balconies, and a turret roof Chautauqua Institution · New two-family home

South Lake Duplex

Chautauqua Institution, New York
 Tudor style lake cottage in Bemus Point, stone and stucco with a covered entry porch, a brick path, and flower gardens The patio side of the cottage, with its stone chimney, steep roofs, and garden terrace under tall trees Kitchen with cherry cabinets, a granite island, and a wood plank ceiling, open to a dining area with lake windows Primary bedroom under a vaulted ceiling with exposed timber trusses and windows toward the lake Residential · Addition

Tudor renovation, Bemus Point

Bemus Point, New York
 White Victorian house at Chautauqua Institution with a row of steep Gothic gables above a wrap around porch The rain garden in the back yard, with a stone path and Chautauqua Lake beyond The front of the house from the street, with twin Gothic gables over the long porch The side of the house and its wrap around porch, with the row of steep gables above Chautauqua Institution · Renovation

Victorian renovation

Chautauqua Institution, New York
 The finished modern house in Fredonia seen from the drive, with its garages, low sloped roofs, and a wood sided upper level Residential · New house

Modern house, Fredonia

Fredonia, New York
 The farmhouse seen from the lawn, with the wrap around porch across its full width Looking down the length of the wrap around porch, with rocking chairs and a ceiling fan The farmhouse on its hill, with the wrap around porch above and the new garage at the foot of the slope The entry side of the farmhouse, with its timber framed entry porch and the garage roof below Residential · Addition

Farmhouse addition

Chautauqua, New York
 Front of the white board and batten farmhouse, with its covered front porch Full height stone fireplace in the great room, with the front door beside it Great room with a stone fireplace, exposed timber trusses, and a white plank ceiling Dining table in the great room under the timber trusses, with the living area beyond Residential · Modern farmhouse

Modern farmhouse

Chautauqua County, New York
 The Student Union addition at SUNY Buffalo State, seen across the Quad The cafe inside the Student Union addition at Buffalo State, with tall windows along one wall and tables beside them Exterior of the Student Union addition at Buffalo State Commercial · Campus addition

Buffalo State Student Union addition

Buffalo, New York
 The Thurston Block townhouses on East Fourth Street in downtown Jamestown The bar at the Brazil wine bar in the Thurston Block Bar seating inside the Brazil wine bar Table seating inside the Brazil wine bar Downtown Jamestown · New uses for old buildings

Fourth Street, Thurston Block

Downtown Jamestown, New York
 Lake side of the two story cottage, with a covered deck upstairs and a stone patio in front The cottage from the street, with its stone ground floor and breezeway to the garage Living room with sliding doors straight ahead to the porch and the lake Covered porch with a wood plank ceiling and a stone pizza oven Lake house · Renovation

Lakefront stone cottage

Chautauqua Lake, New York
 Grey two story house at Chautauqua Institution with rebuilt porches on both floors and a new front garden The open first floor, with the kitchen on the left and the living room at the far end Living room with a fireplace framed by built-in shelving Wraparound porch with white wicker seating and bright cushions Chautauqua Institution · Renovation

Raised house

Chautauqua Institution, New York
 The sunroom under its new vaulted wood ceiling, with exposed beams, built-in shelves and a wall of windows The new sunroom from outside, a white gable with windows up to the peak The small new porch with a gate, timber frame style posts and a white railing The sunroom from the far end, with exposed beams and tall windows on two sides Residential · Renovation

Sunroom renovation

Chautauqua County, New York
 Lake side of the wood sided cottage, with a timber framed covered porch and stone steps down to the lawn Street side of the tall, narrow cottage, with a timber framed entry porch under a metal roof Covered porch with a wood plank ceiling, heavy timber posts and a stone floor, open to the lawn and the lake Dining area with a wood table beside sliding doors, on a stone floor Lake house · Narrow lot

Narrow lot cottage

Chautauqua Lake, New York
 Lake side of the house with two gables facing the water, a wraparound deck and a screened porch at one end Great room under the vaulted ceiling, with high windows toward the lake Screened porch with a natural wood ceiling, open to the deck and the lake Outdoor dining table under an umbrella on the lakefront deck Lake house · Renovation and addition

The Boathouse, Mayville

Chautauqua Lake, New York

Work in Jamestown, Chautauqua Institution, Bemus Point, Lakewood, Fredonia, Randolph, and across the county. See the map

“We are grateful for the team at Harrington Architecture for helping us create an amazing home that we will enjoy for generations to come.”
Custom modern craftsman lake houseChautauqua Lake
What we do

What kind of building do you have?

Clients

In the owners' words.

Modern rustic residence in Kennedy, New York
Working with Harrington Architecture was a wonderful experience. From the very beginning stages to the completion of our home, over five years, Don, Scott and John were an amazing and professional team. They took our ideas and made them into reality. Being open to our design changes, they were kind, patient and understanding. Their knowledge and expertise from start to finish exceeded our expectations. It was truly a pleasure having them design and build our home.
Modern rustic residenceKennedy, New York
Living space of the midcentury craftsman house at Chautauqua Institution
Don and his team were wonderful to work with. It began with a long conversation during which Don really listened to what we wanted our new home to be. He made our vision come alive, and together with the skillful craftsmen of Alexander Construction, vision became reality. We appreciate the ease of communication we had with Don, and all the ways that Harrington Architecture made this process more enjoyable.
Midcentury craftsman houseChautauqua Institution
The lake house expansion on Chautauqua Lake, with the new great room and bedroom suite added on the lake side
Don provided us with great design ideas and approaches for our lake house. He was with us through the entire process with our contractor and was expert in putting all the parts and pieces together to create a beautiful new floor plan and look. Visitors cannot say enough positive things about how our rooms look and feel. ‘Beautiful and one of a kind’ are common reactions.
Lake house expansionChautauqua Lake, New York
Some of the clients and partners over the years

Chautauqua Institution lists Harrington Architecture among the architects with recent work on its grounds. See the list

Historic tax credits

Own an old building? Tax credits may cover part of the work.

Federal and New York State historic tax credits can return a share of the restoration costs that qualify. The firm handles the application and the design together.

How the credits work
Questions

Questions people ask first.

When should I hire an architect?

When the project changes the layout, adds space, touches the structure, or needs a permit. Paint and finishes alone usually do not need one.

How much does an architect cost?

It depends on the size of the project and how much of it you want the firm to handle. Send a few lines about yours and the firm will talk through the fee with you.

How long does it take?

It depends on the project, how quickly decisions get made, and how long the town or review board takes. Ask about timing in the first conversation.

Do I need an architect to get a building permit?

It depends on the town and the job. Many additions and structural changes need professionally prepared drawings, and the local building department decides. The firm can tell you what yours is likely to need.

Can I hire the firm for permit drawings only?

Yes. If all you need is architect stamped drawings for a town or village permit, that is a normal job for the firm.

Can the firm help me find a contractor?

Yes. The firm can point you to contractors it has worked with before, and it helps you compare their bids.

Will the architect come to the site during construction?

Yes. The firm visits while the work is underway and answers the builder's questions.

What happens after I send the form?

You will hear back within two business days. It starts with a long first conversation about what you want and what the budget really is.

Start a project

Tell us about the building.

A few lines is enough. You will hear back within two business days.

If all you need is architect stamped drawings for a permit, that's a normal job for us too.

Your details are used only to reply to this inquiry.

(716) 489-8338
contact@harrington-architecture.com
Jamestown, New York