“Loofburrow Architects …worked hand in hand with the Zillah School District in providing the community of Zillah with school facilities that we all can be proud of. Loofburrow Architects has worked with the Zillah School District on seven school building projects over the course of the last fifteen years. …Loofburrow designed and oversaw the construction of a new elementary school, gymnasium high school science facility and the remodel of an auditorium for the Zillah School District. As Superintendent during the planning, design, bidding and construction process I worked with representatives of Loofburrow Architects on an almost daily basis. Now that we have completed the work it is my professional and personal opinion that the success of the projects was a direct result of the relationship between the two of us. Loofburrow’s projects with the Zillah School District were well designed, within budget and most importantly met the needs of our students and staff. Their customer service is fantastic and their ability to effectively communicate with all parties involved in the school construction process is what I believe separates them from other architectural firms. As the Zillah School District begins to plan for future school facility improvements Loofburrow Architects will continue to be our partner.”

“...At all times, Principal Architect, Gary Wetch was extremely professional, responsive and efficient. Change orders were kept to a minimum even with the complexity and the timeline that was given.

Mr. Wetch and his team have continued to provide support and excellent customer service as well as on-going consultation for future projects. We intend to continue including Loofburrow Wetch in our facilities conversations and highly recommend their firm for your consideration.”

“In July 2012, we interviewed four (4) architectural firms to design a 9,400 square foot addition to our existing medical clinic in Sunnyside, Washington. We selected Loofburrow Wetch Architects (LWA) to design our addition because of their experience in the medical field and they could meet our time frame.

We had a budget of about $2.8 million for construction/site work. LWA finished the plans, the project went out to bid, and the low bid was about $800,000 under budget. We were able to add an additional 1,200 square feet to our building (10,600 SF). When we had questions, they were on top of it. They didn’t hold up the contractor. Everyone was able to always keep moving towards the end...LWA is just a great bunch of people to work with.”

“Loofburrow Wetch Architects formed a GREAT partnership with our school district immediately upon hiring. Their team worked with our District well beyond the warranty periods and advocated for us on product warranty issues, as well as quality control issues, that failed during warranty period. Both Dick Loofburrow and Gary Wetch held contractor and subcontractors accountable for their efforts throughout the project. They were there when we needed them at every turn, Consequently, we have a showcase facility that is admired by many. I strongly recommend their services to anyone looking for a quality firm that listens and works so hard to meet the needs of their clients.”

“It is my extreme pleasure to submit this letter of recommendation...As the Selah School District Superintendent, I first worked with the firm in 1992 when they facilitated the District’s Study and Survey…Then Loofburrow Wetch was selected to design and oversee the construction of the 92,000 square foot Selah Intermediate School...

I have been responsible for two significant school construction projects. The first was a painful Westside experience...The second Loofburrow Wetch project in Selah was as positive as the first was exasperating. This was due to the level of involvement and service focus provided by the Loofburrow Wetch Architects’ team. I never imagined a $13.3 million-dollar project on an accelerated time schedule could possibly run so smoothly-and it would not have without Loofburrow Wetch’s oversight.

The Loofburrow Wetch team was actively involved in construction oversight, regularly visiting the site and making the District aware of any concerns. During the monthly construction meetings, Loofburrow Wetch represented the District’s concerns, working with the contractor for win:win solutions, keeping contingency costs to less than 1% of the project budget.

...I am pleased to provide Loofburrow Wetch Architects my highest recommendation...The Selah Intermediate School project was completed on an extremely accelerated schedule, $700,000 under budget, and the community is very pleased with the school.”

“Loofburrow Architects was the Architect of Record for the new Chiawana High School in the Pasco School District. Meier Architect and Engineers, Hargis, and Ambia Architects were used to provide engineering and architectural support for this 340,000 square foot building on an 80 acre site.

…Shortly after the project work had begun Loofburrow was issued the challenge to escalate the timeline for design from eighteen months to just twelve. It was remarkable given the size and complexity of the project that the target date for bidding was achieved.

Another milestone was the bid coming in several million under estimate enabling the district to accept all alternates for a total of 72 million dollars including tax. A good cost was partly achieved because this project was designed with sturdy yet affordable building amenities.

A low change order percentage of less than three percent was another successful benchmark of the project. Of the three percent, about one percent was district driven additions. Given the complexity and timeline it would not have been unexpected to have a higher change order ratio.

Another highlight of the project was the successful construction management provided by Loofburrow. Due to our short construction timeline of twenty-two months there were many opportunities for construction delays had it not been for the attention to meeting deadlines with essential information.”

“…I have had the pleasure of working with Loofburrow Architects to complete the [East Valley School] District’s Capitol Improvement Program. During that time we have worked together to successfully complete three construction projects and will complete the fourth project this summer. The staff at Loofburrow Architects work very hard to listen, understand the requirements of each building design and strive to create a design that fully incorporates those desires in the final product. This team is also very cognizant of budget limitations and works very successfully to get the most value out of every construction dollar.

During this period, we experienced unprecedented increases in construction material costs. With each design, the Loofburrow team worked to effectively incorporate methods and materials to provide reasonable first cost pricing, but also took into account the legacy costs associated with future maintenance. Each design has uniquely captured the building environment desired by District staff and has also has been well received by the public. The community is very happy with how the District has been using their tax dollars to complete their building program. Due to the large amount of work within the commercial market during this period, we also saw a lack of interest from construction firms to bid public work. The Loofburrow Architects staff aggressively worked to market our projects and encourage contractors to bid. I believe that their reputation within the construction industry helped us to attract excellent contractors so we were able to experience very competitive bid events. The District was been well served with regard to the total cost of each project and the high quality of the final construction product.”

“Loofburrow Wetch Architects is very experienced in land development, they listen well and incorporate our needs into the guide specifications, they are thorough in completing the design documents to minimize contract document problems, and they have outstanding budget and construction management processes. No matter the size of the project, they always give the same quality and attention to all of our projects. They are also conscientious in following-up and finding solutions for any post-construction problems, it has been my pleasure to write this letter of recommendation for Loofburrow Wetch Architects.”

“I have worked with Dick Loofburrow and his team since July 1997 on two building projects in the Grandview School District. The first project was a 10,000 square-foot addition at Grandview High School. We built a computer laboratory, two science laboratories and three mathematics classrooms... We completed the project under budget and built more square footage than we initially advertised to the public!

The second project...a $17.9 million bond (plus $11.2 million in state match) was approved last year [and] will enable us to remodel and add square footage to the middle school and three elementary schools during the next four years.

Our School Board, staff and administrative team are very pleased with the professional relationship we have developed with Loofburrow Architects. They are responsive to our needs, provide information in a timely manner and willingly come to Grandview to help us with all aspects of a given project. Their long history of designing and building schools has served us extremely well in Grandview.”

“They have proven to be exceptional to work with. They are very accommodating with their time, very receptive to ideas and changes as well as forth right with recommendations for improvements...... Mr. Wetch has worked diligently and meticulously with me on potential properties and costs of projects for my new clinic. He has helped me without judgment to come to a conclusion on best available properties and the financial impacts of each. I have found his incite incredibly resourceful and very much appreciated. It is without reservation that I recommend Loofburrow Architects for any future projects you have in mind.”