Managing Partner, Tharpaling Norbu Resort, Kingdom of Bhutan
Observing him interacting with Bhutan urban planning officials, architects, engineers, land owners,and farmers all brought home to me that we made the correct choice in selecting Roel Krabbendam and his firm. Mr. Krabbendam has a disarming combination of lightness and cheerfulness, boundless sensitivity and generosity, profound laser-like attention to detail, flow and design consequences, as well as profound attention to the business side of bringing a resort retreat concept into reality. His sensitivity to place, culture and context...ensures that the best investor-worthy presentations are developed. I endorse the selection of imagine RED LLC for projects seeking exceptional design talent and outcomes.
President, ADD Inc.
Polly’s design skills are exceptional as is her ability to organize design processes based on a clear understanding of the client and the client’s needs and to communicate her thoughts clearly and effectively. Polly’s passion for design and collaboration make her a spirited partner for the most challenging commissions and I recommend her to you without hesitation.
Project Architect for LSST, La Serena, Chile
Roel Krabbendam provided architectural consultation services on the design of the facilities for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, which is being designed in Chile and for which I am the Owners Technical Representative. Roel provided in-depth commentary and valuable advice regarding code compliance, energy conservation, building envelope and other important aspects of the facility design. I would particularly note his ability to quickly familiarize himself with the design of our complex facility (for which the plans and specifications are entirely in Spanish) and immediately offer creative and insightful advice about the quality of the design and the process we are following to develop it.
Project Representative
As the designer in charge of two projects for which I was the client representative I found Polly to be an unusually creative designer, comfortable with being able to hold the tension between our Design Guidelines and pushing the envelope. Polly was highly collaborative and able to easily communicate how our program requirements were being achieved. Her sense of color, pattern and flair was enjoyed and appreciated by the end users.
Chief Operations Officer , Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tucson
I write this recommendation for Roel and RED with enthusiasm and thanks, as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tucson has worked with RED for many years now. RED not only gave us the vision, the images and the tools early in our project to facilitate our fund-raising efforts, but they became intimately involved in the organization itself. RED also helped us to prepare grant applications with engaging text and imagery, and with very articulate presentations to review committees. When it was time to design and document in detail the project for construction, RED carefully interviewed our entire staff, offered numerous design options, and helped us to understand the evolving project with easy to understand three dimensional drawings. The bid package they prepared yielded very similar bids, attesting to the quality of their documents. In absolutely every respect, they exceeded our expectations. I would recommend them very, very highly to any non-profit organization seeking to realize a vision for their facility or pursue any kind of construction project.
CEO, AG|ENA
Polly has skillfully and tirelessly promoted the principles of total
design: the fusion of the disciplines of architecture, interior design and
graphics. She combines an innate artistic sensibility with tremendous
personal integrity. She takes responsibility for her clients and their
needs, and delivers outstanding results. Polly proved herself a highly
capable player. She is forever enthusiastic and a joy to work with.
I recommend her without reservation.
Principal at KA Nicodemus Consulting Services, LLC
President Emeritus, Cochise College
I appreciated Mr. Roel Krabbendam's style (lead project architect) and others in working with college and community members. As we grappled with designing a facility to meet future needs coupled with limited resources, Roel helped the college identify and assess options for our consideration. As a result, the college was able to
accommodate many items on our "wish list" while also managing our resources
Principal, Zelinka Parsons
Consultant, Tucson Waldorf School, Tucson, AZ
As with any true professional, Roel is a pleasure to work with. His dedication to the work that he was asked to perform was excellent and went well beyond what could reasonably be expected. Roel is a creative problem solver, is personable and very easy to work with. Given the opportunity I wouldn't hesitate to work with Roel again.
Director of Facilities and Transportation at Catalina Foothills School District #16, Tucson, AZ
Roel is a pleasure to work with and is gifted with creative genius. He has been able to come up with great design solutions while being mindful of budget and schedule as well as constructibility. All this plus a great sense of humor too!
Superintendent at Pima Unified School District, Pima, AZ
Roel and I first met as we worked together on a new school building. I was the superintendent and he was the architect. We met regularly. I was extremely impressed with how easy it was to speak to Roel. I enjoyed our weekly meetings to discuss our building project. His integrity through the entire process was incredible and I would highly recommend his work and firm to others. He became a trusted friend.
Consultant in Planning and Facilities, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT
Roel was enjoyable to work with, knowledgeable, and worked well the owners team. He was clear in his presentations and aware of budget constraints. He has the ability to bridge difficult situations that can arise between owners and architects during the design process, and lead the team to a mutually agreed upon solution. I would hire or recommend Roel for a project without reservation.
Middlebury College, Facilities Services
Throughout all of our meetings and design reviews with local and state permitting agencies, historic preservationists, faculty and staff , administrators and trustees, donors, and students, Roel was collegial and intelligent while presenting the options and, in some cases, the obstacles that each constituent brought to the design process. Roel also has an excellent understanding of construction means and methods and this attribute contributed to the “buildability” of the Axinn Center. I am pleased to recommend Roel to you and invite you to learn more about the Axinn Center at Middlebury College by visiting our website www.middlebury.edu .
Project Coordinator - Global Advantage at Tech Parks Arizona
We loved our interaction with RED! From the beginning, Roel and Polly were anxious to understand our completely disparate views of what our space could be. Although this was a relatively small project in terms of space, the ideas of 4 people were taken into account. On more than one occasion we all met in the space, then each of us was given time to share our dreams of what could happen. Roel and Polly listened carefully to each of us, then came back with sketches. As we talked more, the sketches were amended and eventually, when we had consensus on the major elements, formal plans were drawn. Everyone’s opinion had weight, and RED had the design talent to achieve a compromise that made each of us happy. They were receptive to comments as we explored the drawings more, spent time with us shopping for elements needed as well as researching sources. They also led the bidding process for a contractor to create the reality out of the dream. They maintained the contact with the contractor, helped negotiate the final contracts, and appeared onsite regularly to ensure that all went according to plan. Although our contractor was fantastic, he wasn’t totally sure about how this was going to go - by mid way thru the project he became an integral part of the “design team” and was as thrilled with the results as we were. Our space is extremely creative - no one else around has anything like it! It has made a huge impact on our lives - opening up a whole new dimension to our living space that didn’t really exist before, and opening it in a way that is different for each of us, but exactly what we wanted. We love it, and would happily recommend Roel and Polly for your next project.
Michele Finn Johnson, P.E., LEED AP
President, Artemis Consulting Group, Inc. - Sustainability and Environmental Strategies Consulting
My husband and I retained Roel in 2012 to provide insight on a conceptual design and layout of our proposed residence. We had vetted multiple architects, but Roel stood out from the others, mainly because he asked incredibly insightful questions, made keen observations, and helped us to think about our project in a different, more creative fashion. I would highly recommend hiring Roel if you're looking for someone who is inventive and highly personable.
Executive Director, The Hearth Foundation