ALA Architects & Planners

“I can’t speak highly enough about our experience with ALA Architects.”

I can’t speak highly enough about our experience with ALA Architects. My wife and I are in the process of building a custom home in Illinois, and we had the pleasure of working with Chris throughout the design phase. From start to finish, Chris was exceptional. Every design session was thoughtful, efficient, and collaborative. He took the time to understand our vision and even went above and beyond by offering additional sessions to ensure we were completely satisfied with every detail of the design. Chris also proved to be incredibly resourceful and accommodating when it came to making necessary adjustments to meet our HOA’s requirements. His expertise and professionalism made what could have been a stressful process feel smooth and manageable. We’re deeply grateful to ALA Architects for their dedication and outstanding service. Without hesitation, we would recommend them to anyone looking to design a custom home.

Fr. David Hanna

Apr 2025

“The best of the best.”

The best of the best. I’ve worked with ALA to have multiple custom house plans drawn. They do an amazing job. Great attention to detail and they take great care to design the home according to each clients needs.

M F

May 2024

“They work with homeowners.”

They work with homeowners! Not all architectural companies work with homeowners. Tim and the rest of the ALA team were absolutely fantastic to work with. My wife and I already knew what we wanted so he was able to design what was in our mind and put it down on paper. Even through the hiccups of our project he was just a phonecall away and got us answers quickly. I highly recommend ALA to anyone looking for an architect for their next project!

Andrew Borkowicz

Aug 2023

“very high quality team and responsive.”

Nicholas Gavrilos

Oct 2022

“Great business to work with.”

Great business to work with. Professional staff. Thoma A. was patient, took time to explain everything. He was detrimental in my project for my new restaurant. I highly recommend this team!

TANGIE WARREN

Sep 2022

“Very good. They understand all your needs.”

Lorenzo Martinez

Mar 2022

“Dave and his team do really fine work.”

Dave and his team do really fine work. Easy to work with as well.

Bob Graham

Sep 2021

“We worked with Nick at ALA to draw up plans for our 2800 sq ft house as well as additional 900 sq...”

We worked with Nick at ALA to draw up plans for our 2800 sq ft house as well as additional 900 sq ft apartment over our 3-car garage. Nick was amazing to work with throughout this process. He has the perfect blend of people skills and architectural vision that make him one-of-a-kind. Nick carefully listened to our needs (including our budget) and made additional suggestions that were well-thought-through and creative. Such a remarkable, talented man! He worked at a pace that was convenient for us. It was a 6-month process, but that was our choice. I was glad to have the time...I was never made to feel rushed. Just like anywhere you go, you must clearly articulate your goals and communicate your needs directly. Nick at ALA is tops in my book! I highly recommend him!

Kim Diersen

Jan 2021

“Very friendly an knowledgeable love the end result for my addiction blue prints.”

Very friendly an knowledgeable love the end result for my addiction blue prints. Took my ideas and made them more than I could have imagined.

Amy

Sep 2020

“How do you select an architect? That is a question I asked myself when I began the process of building a house.”

How do you select an architect? That is a question I asked myself when I began the process of building a house. Not knowing where to start, I began by interviewing several architects, reviewing their portfolios, and talking to their clients, but none seemed to match my style, my timeline, or my desire to learn and actively participate in the architectural process. So next I found homes that I really liked, and asked the builders who the architects were. It soon became clear that ALA Architects were drawing the most beautiful homes in the neighborhood. So I made an appointment, and met with Dave Dolby the owner. The first time I met him, I knew he was the right architect for me. He had so many thoughts and ideas on what we could do, and took the time to thoroughly explain the architectural process. Most importantly, I could tell he was not going to rush me through the process so he could move on to the next project. As a busy professional, I needed an architect that would work to my schedule. For my part, this was truly a labor of love, as I am building my dream home. I started with my own sketch of what I thought I wanted. Dave and the ALA team took it from there. They came up with unique, but practical ideas to improve what I started with. If I didn’t like something, they did not try to change my mind, rather they came up with several alternatives for me to consider. They also didn’t mind if I studied the drawings for a month or more, changed my mind a few times, sent them my sketches, or needed to take a break due to my hectic work schedule. They were patient and professional. I didn’t realize this at the time, but they had a team of 5 working on my drawings. This allowed for diverse points of view, and plenty of great ideas. I never felt like we hit a brick wall, or ran out of ideas, like what might have happened if I used a solo practitioner, or a smaller firm. The team at ALA is truly phenomenal. You might think that this kind of personal attention, and patient attention to detail would cost more. Well it didn’t. ALA was almost half the price of the other architects I spoke with. But don’t let the lower price fool you, they are truly superb architects, and take great care of you as a client. ALA Architects drew the house of my dreams. I cannot say enough about my experience with them. I highly recommend them for all your architectural needs.

Dave Carroll

Dec 2019

“ALA brought our dream home to life with a complete redesign of the exterior of our home.”

ALA brought our dream home to life with a complete redesign of the exterior of our home. The team at ALA is professional, creative, responsive, meticulous, artistic and willing to go above and beyond. Just can’t say enough about ALA, in particular, Dave Dolby, owner & Nick Marmitt, ALA’s lead designer, who worked with us, side by aide, from day one until project completion. We could not be happier with the look of our new home. The entire project and experience working with ALA was top notch.

Cara Beu

Dec 2019