About Our Firm
Our People

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
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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!
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"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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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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