
John Hovis
Partner
Looking back, a career in architecture seems like an obvious choice, considering John grew up in a family of artists and engineers. He even helped design an addition to the family’s ‘Brady Bunch’ style home while in junior high. The Ohio native went on to study architecture at the University of Cincinnati before working for a small midwest architecture firm where he honed his residential design skills for the next fifteen years. John made his way to the DC area in 2009 and has been designing homes throughout Arlington and McLean ever since.
There are many past and present architects and buildings that influence John’s work but one in particular continues to be the most inspirational. The ancient Roman architect, Vitruvius, wrote that all buildings should have these three attributes: firmitas, utilitas and venustas, known today as strength, utility and beauty. John likes the challenge of successfully combining these qualities with the numerous design goals for each project but perhaps the most meaningful aspect for him is hearing from homeowners how much they are loving their new space.
John and his wife, Donna, reside in Arlington and enjoy the many things the DMV has to offer. The local jazz scene (a favorite is Georgetown’s Blues Alley) local wineries and seasonal events like Christmas in Middleburg are some of their favorites.