ACHA

Ali has handled all of the architectural and oversight aspects of a number of different projects for me - a gut renovation of my Central Park West apartment, and then the subsequent purchase of a neighboring unit; renovation and expansion of a 4-stores townhouse in the West Village; and has recently handled all architectural (and more!) aspects of a new roof terrace on the 72-unit apartment building I live in. He is exceptional. And while my continued use of his professional services should suffice as a reference and recommendation, he is practical but with a very keen and tasteful aesthetic eye, is creative and has great ingenuity (which is a must when dealing with 100+ year old buildings), and knows how to ensure the contractor sees the project through to completion, including the typical punch list items and clean up. He has a gentle but assertive manner when dealing with contractors and other suppliers, with a focus on successful and very professional project completion. Given my admiration and confidence in Ali and his colleagues, I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending him - which I have done frequently, and with excellent and very satisfied reviews.

We had never been homeowners, let alone renovators, before we bought a brownstone in Carroll Gardens, and ACHA was the perfect partner to get us through a daunting process to the home we wanted. Ali helped us figure out and then implement the right plan for us. He was great on the big picture and the detail -- taking the time to learn our style preferences and developing them into options we never would have thought of on our own. He was patient with us and effective at translating our priorities (and financial constraints!) to the contractors. Ali made optimal use of our limited space -- fitting in a powder room on a parlor floor, where it didn't seem one could fit, along with an open living/dining area, and three comfortable bedrooms and two baths on the garden level. And he designed a fabulous deck and got us through the treacherous Department of Building approval process for it! I cannot overstate the unusual combination of aesthetic sophistication and practical know-how ACHA offers.

Ali was a complete pleasure to work with. The overall design was thoughtful and elegant. Its simplicity belies the sophistication and consideration that went into all the small details creating an open, beautifully textured and interesting space. Ali also had a smooth and diplomatic manner that made communication with the general contractor and various trades run smoothly and efficiently. I would enthusiastically recommend him and hope to work with him again myself.

From start to finish, we were impressed with Ali Hocek’s architectural ideas, professionalism, patience, responsiveness and attention to detail. He was also adept at listening to our needs and desires and adapting his ideas and knowledge accordingly. We live in a landmarked prewar apartment in NYC and wanted to do a major renovation including moving the kitchen, adding a full bathroom and tearing down various walls to open up the apartment. For those who have experienced an NYC renovation in a landmarked building, you appreciate the layers and layers of red tape, reviews, permits and licenses throughout the entire process. Ali handled all of the parties throughout the process professionally and efficiently to ensure the renovation did not get bogged down. Ali was incredibly organized from the initial plans to the weekly meetings and detailed timelines keeping everyone on task until the final item on the punch list was completed. He was much more than an architect, but also a project manager which we were especially grateful for as we had demanding full time jobs and could not be on site often. We have now lived in the renovated apartment for over 4 years including during the pandemic where we rarely left the apartment which meant an intimate understanding of every detail of the renovation. There is not one aspect of the renovation we would have done differently from the molding to the lighting fixtures and every detail in between thanks to Ali’s keen eye for detail and endless pursuit of perfection. We highly recommend Ali as a person and a professional.