Evanston, IL Custom Home Builders – Remodeling, Design & Build

A vibrant, diverse North Shore community, Evanston, Illinois offers amazing views of the Chicago skyline, countless restaurants and boutiques within walking distance and fabulous cultural opportunities for the entire family to enjoy. Combine that with the area’s plethora of outdoor parks, beaches and playgrounds and the prestigious academic resource that is Northwestern University, and it’s easy to see why many people are interested in finding homes in the Evanston area and why those who already live in the Evanston area wish to stay here.

If you’ve been captured by Evanston’s magic spell, Orren Pickell understands—and we can help. Our expert architects and builders are ready to work with you to design a home that fits your lifestyle and needs, then transform it from a drawing on paper into the place that you and your family can happily call home for years to come.

Orren Pickell’s Design/Build Services

For more than forty years, the Orren Pickell Building Group has helped homeowners here in Evanston and beyond. We offer a variety of services, including:

Get in touch with us today to learn how we can help you.

Orren Pickell Helps One Evanston Homeowner Start Fresh

Years ago, JC’s career brought him to the Evanston area where he settled down and purchased a home. But the thought of moving out of the area or even out of the neighborhood wasn’t on his mind when he realized that he was having structural issues at his existing home. “Over the years, my house had settled and cracks had developed in the foundation,” said JC. “It was an older home and didn’t have some of the features that you would have in a newer home—insulation in the walls, for example.” Wanting something that could take advantage of advances in building techniques to enhance home efficiency—and deciding to sidestep an interior gutting and rehab due to the existing foundation issues, JC decided it was best to start from scratch, and to stay right where he was.

“Evanston is central to a lot of things. From my house in northwest Evanston, Old Orchard is a mile and a half away, and the lake isn’t very far—and for me, it’s very convenient in terms of getting to my work which is north of the city,” JC said. “Downtown Evanston has restaurants, movie theaters and local shops in the neighborhood. The North Shore Art Center is there which has great plays and performances, and you don’t have to walk forever to get to places you want to be.”

JC initially worked with a small design-only architectural group on creating his new home, but found that his travel-heavy work schedule made progress slow and difficult. Additionally, JC began to realize that with a design-only firm, he’d end up being the project manager liaison between the architect and the builder, hardly an ideal situation given his schedule. With the desire to have the entire project fully managed from start to finish, he began searching for a full-service design/build architect and found the Orren Pickell Building Group.

“The experience has been great,” said JC. “From emails to calls to in-person meetings, the Orren Pickell team has been extremely accommodating in terms of my schedule, ensuring we continue to make progress without allowing my work travel to become a bottleneck. They’ve made the process move a lot faster and smoother than it would’ve otherwise gone.”

Another area where JC can really feel the Orren Pickell difference is in the level of experience that the Pickell design/build team brings to the table. “Even Pickell’s design process felt different than what I’d experienced before and gave me more confidence,” said JC. “It was immediately apparent that Orren Pickell has a massive amount of experience bringing to life beautiful, energy efficient residential homes. With the design-only firm, the architect seemed to have a good feel for designing a space that was fairly efficient, but looking back at some of the plans, I’m not so sure how some of those designs
could have been executed cost-effectively.”

According to JC, working with Orren Pickell to build his new home has been…exciting! “It’s been exciting to see the project move along. I was out of town at the time, but I got photos, and it was exciting to see the demolition. Then I drove by on the weekends and could see the framing go up,” said JC. “Communication has been going smoothly, and everything has been transparent, and I can truly see the impact of my decisions on the process.”

A Light Remodel or a Tear Down and Rebuild?

Perhaps you want to give your outdated kitchen and master bathroom a facelift, or you need to refresh the look and functionality of a family room now that your children are older. Or maybe you’re experiencing larger structural issues like our client mentioned earlier, and want an expert opinion on your best options for moving forward? Contact us for a one-on-one consultation to discuss the situation with your specific Evanston home.