Who We Are

About Us

Meet The Architect

RICHARD M. SWANSON, AIA/NCARB

President
Mr. Swanson has over thirty years of experience as an award-winning architect, builder, and developer of numerous successful residential and commercial projects throughout the country. His considerable background in architectural design has been instrumental in establishing an aesthetic conscience for each project while respecting the cultural and environmental aspects of the region. Rick’s architectural training combined with his extensive experience in all facets of real estate development has proven invaluable to achieving the primary objective of balancing the budget with visual style.

Our portfolio

P. Faldo

When first meeting with Mr. Swanson, we provided the usual photos of homes we liked to demonstrate the look we hoped to achieve. We were both surprised to learn that three of those were homes his firm designed. That gave us great comfort and confidence in his skills from the start. As we worked through the creative process, Mr. Swanson’s construction experience offered a practical approach to value engineering of the more complicated design elements of our home. We would strongly recommend Rick to others and in fact, have.

J. Hughes

We interviewed five different architectural firms before meeting with Mr. Swanson. My husband and I made the decision to work with him before leaving his office. It was the first time an architect actually took the time to listen to our thoughts and offer immediate understanding of that vision. He even did hand sketches right on the spot which we did not expect. The process was productive and his ability to respectfully and efficiently address construction related issues was greatly appreciated by both us and the contractor. The end result is a home that exceeded our expectations.

M. Wrigley

Rick does amazing work. We get compliments on our home all the time and impressed with his incredible attention to every detail. We love our home and would not hesitate to use him again if the opportunity were to arise.

N Hadesman

We hired RM Swanson Architects for architectural plans for a new residential house. We worked with Rick Swanson for about a year and had the most wonderful experience with the design phase. Rick is so amazing to work with and feel that his talent is beyond measure. I provided Rick with pictures and a portfolio of my style and taste and he was able to incorporate all of my ideas into plans. Each detail was highly scrutinized, down to the perfect custom base and crown moldings. He is very knowledgeable with all the current materials and innovations in the field. We worked room by room and step by step to design an architectural significant home. We had also hired Rick to oversee the building of the home and were pleased with his input and vested interest in the home. We have had numerous inquiries and comments from not only our friends and families, but all the tradesmen and contractors, about the significant quality and design of the exterior and interior of our home. We not only consider Rick an asset in this whole process, but part of the family. Rick took considerable time and effort in each phase and helped with all the hiccups in the process. Rick’s a true gentleman and has impeccable classic taste and style. We would highly recommend him for any high end project.

R. Lamb

RM Swanson Architects designed and built our custom home on the 8th Hole of Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest Illinois. The attention to detail for each facet of the process was impeccable. Each of the key trades was professional and had the highest standards. Rick Swanson himself oversaw the original drawing phase and was instrumental in adding his insight and expertise to the final plans. Changes and enhancements which always accompany a project of this size were handled with the utmost care and consideration. Open and clear communication was the hallmark of dealing with Rick and each team leader. The result was one of the finest and most spectacular homes in all of Lake Forest…..a community renown for architectural excellence since before the turn of the century. I would unequivocally recommend him and his firm for any home project. A consummate professional. None finer in my experience.

M. Lukas

Rick Swanson Is a very professional, personable, knowledgeable, and talented architect who we hired to design our residence. He drastically modified an existing design to not only bring it up to date but also make it much more livable and suited to our lifestyle in the 21st century. Rick was a pleasure to work with, was very reasonably priced, produced his results when promised (which was very important to us), and drew some gorgeous plans that we are extremely pleased with. We would absolutely use RM Swanson Architects again, without hesitation, and would give Mr. Swanson my highest recommendation.

J. Michaels

We sought out Rick Swanson to do a major remodel of our home because he had done two remodels of our house for the previous owners and we thought those remodels were magnificent seamless architecture, design, and construction. With our remodel almost complete, we could not recommend Rick any higher. He is a superb architect, with the creative gift of design. And as an added bonus, he is one of the finest, most honest, and nicest individuals you will ever meet. You will instantly trust him — with your home, your family, and your dreams. If you want one of the best, most respected, architects in the business, someone who will design and architect your dream home within the budget you provide and the schedule you set, as well as someone you will genuinely enjoy designing, building or remodeling your home with, you should hire Rick Swanson. From the moment that Rick first came to our house to discuss our remodeling project, Rick was not only a friend but a member of our family. He was as personally devoted to, and invested in, our new home as if it had been his own. He made our building project one of the best experiences of our lives. I never thought I would say this after a major renovation but working with Rick was so enjoyable that we would look forward to another project — if Rick would do it for us!

T. Ballard

R.M.Swanson Architects is a company who takes cares of their clients, listen to them and delivers an exceptional project design. I have worked with this company for more than 20 yrs and have never been disappointed with the design, details and specifications included in the drawings. They always support you and work with you on any questions or concerns. I would highly recommend this company to anyone who needs architectural design work done.

L. Stevens

RM Swanson Architects designed our home in 1990. We have added an addition since that time which they also designed. Both projects were amazing and my house is timeless elegance. We selected Rick Swanson because of his unique designs and his roof lines. You can always identify a Rick Swanson house by its lines. The design process was easy and exciting. Rick was able to translate our ideas into a design that far exceeded our expectations. We would highly recommend RM Swanson Architects for any design project.