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Residential Architects and Interior Designers in Cambridge, MA

Make your Cambridge home really feel like yours.

Hi, we’re JtA.

We design homes in Cambridge that people love to live in—spaces that feel right the moment you walk in, and keep feeling right for years after. From Cambridgeport to Inman Square, we listen first and design second, working closely with homeowners so the final space reflects your taste and how you actually live. After all, it's your home—it should feel like it.

But above everything else, we're genuine, down-to-earth people who pride ourselves on designing in a very personal, hands-on, and service-focused way.

Let's talk
Front of a red Victorian house with a mansard roof, bay windows and green trim, renovated in Cambridge, MA.

What Cambridge homeowners usually want to know.

Do I need an architect to renovate a house in Cambridge?
Generally speaking, if a permit is required for general construction, you’ll need an architect’s stamp. If you’re looking just to replace finishes or fixtures, you may only need electrical or plumbing permits and might not need the architect. But keep in mind, in Cambridge, a simple project can turn into something bigger—zoning nonconformities, fire separation requirements, sound attenuation, space dimensional requirements, layouts that impact construction efficiencies, etc. So by working with an architect, you’ll be prepared for any twists and turns that come with older homes.

My Cambridge house doesn't conform to zoning. Can I still build an addition?
Usually, yes. Every situation is truly unique so we’ll investigate the conditions of your property early on. Before the 2025 rezoning, roughly 85% of Cambridge homes didn't conform to the code on the books—undersized lots, short setbacks, walls sitting where walls aren't supposed to sit. There's a path for altering an existing nonconforming house, generally a special permit from the Board of Zoning Appeal. The approval process can vary depending on the specific nonconformity and the proposed design.
We can do a quick zoning analysis report, before engaging in the full design process, to help you better understand your property and have a greater awareness of potential challenges or issues.

Is my house in a Cambridge historic or conservation district?
There's a good chance the answer is yes. Cambridge has two Historic Districts (Fort Washington and Old Cambridge) plus four Neighborhood Conservation Districts (Avon Hill, Harvard Square, Half Crown-Marsh, and Mid Cambridge). There are also National Register of Historic Places locations throughout the city, sometimes for individual properties and sometimes for local districts. Within these districts, exterior changes visible from the street need to be reviewed. That includes additions, new front porches, replacement windows, new window and door openings, and taller fences. If you are outside a historic district, the citywide demolition review applies to any building over 50 years old, which in Cambridge is most of them. We check this on day one, before we get too deep into design.

Did Cambridge's 2025 zoning change what I can do with my house?
Quite possibly, yes. In February 2025 Cambridge became the first city in Massachusetts to allow multifamily housing citywide, folding most residential districts into one and permitting buildings up to four stories by right, and six stories on lots of at least 5,000 sf that include affordable units. For a homeowner, the practical upshot is room to expand vertically, and sometimes the ability to add space where you couldn't before. Whether that's a good idea for your house is a separate conversation, and we'll have it with you honestly.

Do I need an interior designer as well as an architect?
Interior design is an incredibly important part of residential design projects. All finishes, fixtures, millwork, lighting, in addition to furniture and decor, are all key parts of home design. That’s why our team consists of both architects and interior designers who work collaboratively with you to create holistic and complete spaces. For the complexities of houses in Cambridge, having these two disciplines working together from start to finish will ensure your home turns out not only beautifully, but it also makes your life easier by handling material, finish, and fixture selection and sourcing. Plus it’s through one partner, us, so there is much less to manage, fewer surprises, and smoother communication.

What does Cambridge's energy code mean for my renovation?
If you're doing a gut renovation or a large addition, it means thinking about electrical early. Cambridge adopted the state's Specialized Energy Code in 2023, which pushes major work toward all-electric utilities. It shapes insulation, windows, air sealing, and where the panel goes. It’s much smarter and cost-effective to design for this on paper ahead of time, than to solve for it on- site.

What makes Cambridge, Cambridge.

Cambridge wasn’t planned. It was uniquely shaped over hundreds of years.

Walk a few blocks of Cambridgeport and you'll pass a Greek Revival worker's cottage from the 1830s, a mansard-roofed Victorian from the 1870s, and a triple-decker built when the streetcar showed up—sometimes on the same side of the same street. Head north toward Avon Hill and the houses get bigger, older, and prouder. Go east and you'll find brick rowhouses on Gore Street that went up in 1821, on land that used to be tidal marsh. Only historic communities in New England pack this much architectural diversity into such little spaces.

We love that about the city. It's also why no two Cambridge projects start the same way.

Don’t let that scare you. It’s not a reason not to build or renovate. It’s a reason to work with architects and interior designers who know Cambridge.

We're just over the line in Somerville, and we've spent years working with exactly this housing stock. The two-family transformed into one. The third floor nobody has touched since 1955, now extra space for your family. The compact kitchen that's one wall away from making sense.

Cambridge is a great place to live, especially if you own a house. We want to help you make it even better, by making it yours.

Let's talk about your Cambridge home.

Tell us a bit about yourself, and we’ll get in touch.