From the beginning, we hoped to find an architect who was able to think outside the box – and we found that ability in Paul Cate.
Our experience with Paul Cate was all about the relationship – our relationship with Paul was strong as he always listened to our thoughts, dreams and ideas. He focused on our family and how we would use and enjoy our home. He was also willing to occasionally challenge our thinking by asking a simple question….”why?” – at the same time, he would pour resources into researching the merit of our ideas, often meeting with representatives of products we wanted to include. From the beginning, Paul developed the relationship with our land – multiple site visits, site selection to protect native plants, capturing views and privacy and most importantly, incorporating passive solar design elements.
Paul remained connected throughout the entire process, from preliminary design to completed project. We were fortunate to have found such a warm, caring and professional architect as Paul Cate. In the end, the relationship was very important.
Dan & Jo Ann Otts
When my wife, Joanne, and I began searching for the perfect architect to design our dream home in Sedona, we wanted someone who could maximize our views, was sensitive to environmental issues, and could help us get the most home for our budget. We interviewed several other architects before deciding that Paul was the best man for the job, and we’ve been totally happy with that decision. Paul’s design and siting of the house has achieved all of our goals, and his detailed plans and attention to detail have almost eliminated the inevitable questions that arise during construction. We overheard several contractors say during the construction of our house that they were pleasantly surprised to be able to work with such detailed plans. Paul’s knowledge of construction methods and materials was an invaluable resource to us as we decided on exactly what we wanted for our home. Joanne and I were very pleased with Paul’s services from start to finish, and we recommend him highly.
Jerry Kendrick
Dear Paul,
An incident occurred to us about two months ago that made us give fresh and recent consideration to the wonderful work that you did when you designed our house almost twenty years ago. Annie required some back surgery, and her recovery required her to use a walker to help her mobility; that in turn forced us to remove our carpets and re-arrange all our furniture. When we did that, we were given an unexpected fresh look at the interior of our house, and we were able to see our house as it looked when we first moved in, and could clearly see, once more, your wonderful work in the design of our house. It was evident to us that you had fulfilled all the tangible qualities that we had asked you to provide, such as feeling of spaciousness and light, as well as having applied your technical skills to adapt the design to the challenging requirements of our building site in Jerome.
We were again reminded of all the benefits we have received by having chosen you as our architect. We have not told you this before, but we selected you after having considered architects from Prescott and Phoenix, and even another architect who was our next door neighbor! But we have never regretted our decision to select you, and we thank you for your professionalism, your skill, and your achievements.
Sincerely,
Annie and Roberto Rabago, Jerome, AZ
We immediately liked Paul and knew we could trust him and work with him. He was ‘low pressure’ and sensitive to our budget constraints. He put emphasis on what we needed and wanted in our home, not what he, the architect, thought we should have. He considered the ‘soul’ of our property; minimal environmental impact is very important to him. He made many trips to our property to ascertain (sometimes via the use of a tall, shaky ladder) the best views and the local topography. He provided us with visual view overlays so we could see, long before construction started, what our different scenic views would be. His planning resulted in the loss of only a couple of trees and minimal impact to the natural habitat. Paul was always there to answer our questions and to address our concerns. All this resulted in extremely satisfied clients living in a wonderful home.
Sherry Shively and Al Fortunato
It has been many years since we worked with Paul on designing and building our school, American Heritage Academy. I often think of the experience of working on such a large project with fondness. My husband and I had a definite dream of a Jeffersonian/colonial design which was far from common in our community. But luckily, our contractor recommended Paul Cate.
Paul patiently listened to us and reviewed our collection of photographs and ideas. Never did he question, make light of, or discourage us from what we envisioned. He would carefully take each idea and draft it into life. He was just as happy to make any changes. I loved his “can do” attitude. He would always give the idea a go to see if it would work.
Paul was as patient as he was skilled as an architect working with us the owners, the project engineer and the contractor. He often was able to mediate for solutions between the three of us. This made the project move along with less hassle and more speed. I don’t believe we would have been able to get the full beauty of the campus if we hadn’t used Paul.
Vicky Jo Anderson
Former owner of American Heritage Academy
Cottonwood, AZ
Paul has a great ability to see in three dimensions. He understands how to work with the natural environment. His architecture is very creative and beautifully harmonizes visual design with minimal site impact. His designs fit and flow with the natural contours, existing vegetation and expansive views.
Derryl Day
Dear Paul,
Thank you again for your friendship, expertise and professionalism during this project. Can’t wait to have you sitting on the deck with us enjoying a cold glass of lemonade!
Warm wishes,
Lynn and Paul Matthews, Sedona, AZ
