About Our Firm


Don Duffy’s thirty years of experience designing private homes and renovations are a testament to his talent. He has spent his career meeting the special demands of single-family residential projects. His technical expertise and untiring passion for homes has created a long list of satisfied clients.

Don Duffy Architecture is a full service architectural firm serving a broad range of private clients as well as builders. Unlike many firms, we specialize in residential architecture, concentrating on the client’s vision. One will note our traditional designs celebrate an art form that has withstood the test of time. Much of our work can be seen in the older Charlotte neighborhoods of Eastover, Dilworth and Myers Park, including new homes built to look "old" and elegant renovations in which new and old are blended seamlessly.

Established in 1995 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Don Duffy Architecture's projects are spread throughout our home state as well as South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. This highly skilled and dedicated group works together to ensure that clients receive service and an enjoyable experience.

Since 1981 Don Duffy has developed long-term relationships with most of his clients. Many have honored us with repeat business, and we are now pleased to be serving many siblings as well as the second generation in several families. We love being called the “family architects”.

We are devoted to the attitude that "no job is too small" and believe that every job requires careful attention to detail and thoughtful planning. Our staff is committed to the changing needs of our clients.

 

Don Duffy Architecture has been featured
in many publications:

  • Coastal Living
  • North Carolina Classic Design Elements
  • Better Homes and Gardens
  • North Carolina Home Book
  • Renovation Style
  • The Charlotte Observer
  • Period Homes
  • The Bark House Book

Honors:

  • Historic Charlotte Neighborhood Awards
  • Remodels council, Excellence in Remodeling awards
  • Numerous NARI awards
  • Homebuilders Association of Hilton Head
    - invited judge for six years for Lighthouse Awards
  • Judge for Remodelers Council and NARI

Highest Honor of all – clients putting their trust and faith in our work!


"Therefore, when we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight, nor for present use alone; let it be such work as our descendants will thank us for, and let us think, as we lay stone on stone, that a time is to come when those stones will be held sacred because our hands have touched them, and that men will say as they look upon the labor and wrought substance of them, 'See! this our fathers did for us.'" - John Ruskin

 

Our People


Don Duffy, Architect, Charlotte North Carolina Don Duffy
don@donduffyarchitecture.com

Don’s 30+ years of experience designing private homes and renovations are a testament to his artistry.  He has spent his career meeting the special demands of single-family residential projects.  His technical expertise and untiring passion for design has created a long list of satisfied clients.  Prior to founding DDA in 1995, Don served clients as a senior architect at Meyer-Greeson Architecture for eleven years.  Don has both a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.  He is a member of the American Institute of Architects and The Institute of Classical Architecture and is a founding member of the Congress of Residential Architecture in Charlotte. Don currently serves as a member of the Charlotte Historic Commission.

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Kraig Magas, AIA, Don Duffy ArchitectureKraig Magas, AIA
kraig@donduffyarchitecture.com

Kraig earned both Bachelor of Arts (1994) and Bachelor of Architecture (1995) degrees from UNCC, and later added the credential of AIA Registered Architect.  With over ten years of experience with Don Duffy Architecture, Kraig’s career has also included two years with Shook Design Group and five with Jenkins-Peer Architects.  His project experience has varied widely, from retail stores and restaurants to nature preserves and university buildings.  His interest in residential architecture developed from working on multi-family projects such as South Dormitory at Queens College and Sharon Towers Residential Tower.   Kraig is now frequently focused on DDA’s mountain home projects. He has served as a juror for the Historic Charlotte Home Awards as well as the College of Art & Architecture at UNCC. 

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Bill Prestwood, AIA, Don Duffy ArchitectureBill Prestwood, AIA
bill@donduffyarchitecture.com

Bill joined the DDA team in 2001.  He earned two degrees from N.C. State University: a Bachelor of Architecture in 1993 and a Bachelor of Environmental Design in 1991.  Bill’s prior work with Little and Associates in Charlotte, Errol J. Warren in Rocky Mount and Umstead-Sigmon Construction in Raleigh provided experience in all aspects of design and construction, from hands-on carpentry to project management.   Bill’s longstanding interest in historic homes and his broad experience in both residential and corporate architecture are an asset to our firm. Bill is also a seminary student at Union Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC.

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Laura Stanley, Office Manager, Don Duffy ArchitectureLaura Stanley
laura@donduffyarchitecture.com

Laura graduated from UNCC with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing in 1980.  She also has an Associate of Arts degree from Mitchell College.  She worked full time as an R.N. for 18 years before joining Don Duffy Architecture.  Her experience in patient care and management in a hospital setting (Head Nurse of Labor and Delivery Carolinas Medical Center for ten years, among other positions) has prepared her well for the job of managing and marketing DDA.  Laura also does the bookkeeping and is a personal assistant to Don.

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Donna Livingston, Don Duffy ArchitectureDonna Livingston
donna@donduffyarchitecture.com

With two decades of professional experience in both commercial and residential interior design, Donna has joined Don Duffy Architecture as our exclusive, in-house interior designer. Donna provides full service interior design to our clients and serves as support for clients already working with an interior designer. Donna opened her interior design firm in the Charleston Design District of South Carolina in 2001. After moving her firm to North Carolina, Donna quickly established herself in Charlotte’s residential design community and expanded her clientele throughout the region. Her unique "Southern Hospitality" style fuses the architectural influence of Charleston with the warm, southern charm of the Queen City to create welcoming spaces with a casual elegance. Donna is a professional, accredited member of ASID and NCIDQ, and she holds a B.A. in Interior Design from East Carolina University.

View Donna's Interior Design website
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Sanyi Olivo, Don Duffy ArchitectureSanyi Olivo
sanyi@donduffyarchitecture.com

Sanyi relocated to the USA back in 1998 after graduating from the Liceo de Arte y Tecnologia in her hometown of Puerto Rico. With more than 10 years in architectural design, she has worked with multiple firms in Florida and New York. Sanyi has collaborated on a variety of projects, including custom residential, commercial and multifamily housing. She has also assisted project architects during construction administration phase. Sanyi is fluent in Spanish as well as English.
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Negar, Don Duffy ArchitectureNegar Iskra


Negar graduated from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona in 1998 with a Bachelor of Architecture degree. Since then, she has pursued her passion for residential architecture and high-end design. Negar’s prior work with Dahlin Group Architecture & Planning and Barry & Wynn Architects took her projects all over the globe and the country. She has worked on numerous custom homes, clubhouses, and with premier builders in Beijing, Shanghi, Dubai, and all across the United States. In her free time, Negar also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity as a project coordinator and helped with building homes. She relocated from San Francisco to Charlotte in 2018, and is the latest addition to the Don Duffy Architecture team. Negar is also a LEED accredited professional and a member of the US Green Building Council.
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