+ By Desiree Smith-Daughety + Photos courtesy of ABS Architects

Jay Schwarz is one of three founding partners of ABS Architects, located on Main Street in Annapolis. Its office has been there since its opening in 1996, and it is one of the oldest established architectural firms in the city. When two partners retired four years ago, Schwarz took over as managing principal, with Angela Phelan and Bill Williams moving up to assume the open principal roles. Schwarz is the face of the firm and brings work in, drawing on long-standing relationships with former clients who bring repeat business and provide referrals, along with adding new clients. He and Phelan handle most of the residential clients, and Williams focuses more on commercial clients.
The firm handles a range of residential, commercial, and industrial projects that are located around Annapolis and beyond. Clients hail from Baltimore, Washington, DC, Ocean City, Bethany Beach and Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, and points south such as West Palm Beach, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina. “We like the puzzle—it’s the fun part,” says Schwarz. “Helping clients figure out what they want is very enjoyable.”
Projects include new homes, additions, renovations, and even garages. A hallmark of the company is the team’s love for design and figuring out its related problems—considerations that builders may not think of as part of their work. One example is site orientation and where the sun travels in relation; another is window sizes. “Builders are good at building what they know, and we like to stretch boundaries,” says Schwarz. Where a builder might see a sleeve of cookies with a uniform look, the firm’s architects might visualize something akin to a honey lavender panna cotta, creating unique designs steeped in more esoteric factors, such as the property’s southern exposure that will maximize daylong, interior-brightening light.

The Brock home’s rear exterior on the Eastport waterfront. Expansion and renovation with the contractor Bayview Builders, LLC. Interiors by Sandy Mitchell Design. Photograph by David Burroughs.


While design choices require a conversation with individual clients, trends often influence those discussions. As the COVID-19 lockdown began in 2020, projects weren’t focused on building beach houses. Rather, the firm found that project requests primarily involved renovations and additions to make current spaces compatible with the sudden lifestyle shift; expanded living spaces and new kitchens were the emphasis. Even now, with the lockdown over, people are still focusing attention on their homes.
Schwarz notes that one trend—the open-concept space—has not disappeared. “Growing up, people had dining rooms and a kitchen that was sequestered off. All the space was separated,” says Schwarz. “Now, it’s all much more wide open, with people desiring a view of overall space through which light can flow.” A front door might open onto a sleek, glass-walled living space adorned with modern art and plush furnishings and looking out over a sunlit expanse. The landscape of silvery-blue water against the horizon might cast dancing reflections across the marble floors and splash against a kitchen island.
These sorts of challenges—involving how to make the space fit the needs—are something that the firm guides their clients through. The design conversation with clients generally starts with likes and dislikes. Initially, design ideas are sketched out on paper, which makes it easier to modify as the design evolves. A top consideration is how clients live in their houses. For example, where does the client put the keys? For couples, do they want dual sinks or two bathrooms? “We had one client who had a double shower in the middle, bookended by two half baths,” says Schwarz.
The designs further evolve, from hand drawings that help visualize possibilities to in-house architectural renderings and 3D models. “Working in pencil initially, there’s a thought process that occurs between the brain to the hand holding the pencil,” explains Schwarz.
The firm approaches design as an art form, inviting clients to envision their dream home and share their wildest aspirations. After client conversations, the company obtains numbers from a contractor. “We get the ‘whoa’ budget moment done early,” says Schwarz, pointing out that one can make a beautiful room today and then add the pricier custom details later. Clients are always encouraged to make a list of everything they want, without consideration of costs and codes, and then fine-tune the details.
ABS Architects doesn’t specialize in a specific style but focuses on design. One home may resemble something seen on Martha’s Vineyard, such as a property on the Eastern Shore with sprawling porches and decorative oval-shaped windows, or it could be a more contemporary design, such as a building on Spa Creek that includes Polynesian-style details, like high-pitched roofs and deep, overhanging eaves.
Green and environmentally sensitive design principles often infuse the firm’s projects. One notable commercial project was the Severn Bank Building, which was one of the first in Annapolis to be designed under the city’s local Green Building Code and won the 2007 Green Star Environmental Award. Another was the Pip Moyer Recreation Center on Hilltop Lane. “Using green building codes is more of a standard now,” says Schwarz. “The materials are more readily available—and the construction industry is more accepting, and the team generally understands the process better.”

Whitehall Creek Estate on the waterfront with contractor Pyramid Builders. Interiors by Farnady Interiors. Photograph by Jennifer Hughes.


With sustainable materials, many of those elements aren’t necessarily ones that are visible or obvious, such as the amount of glass installed that results in more natural light coming in, lowering the need for artificial lighting. Schwarz uses the example of a Colonial-era, single-pane glass window that—while beautiful—isn’t effective at keeping out the cold; today, double-paned windows provide that type of energy efficiency.
One of ABS Architects’ recent larger projects is the redevelopment of the old Sarles Boatyard and Petrini Shipyard in Eastport, now the South Annapolis Yacht Centre, a marina village located on Spa Creek. The site offers slips for yachts and will include luxury waterfront residential properties and office spaces for local maritime-focused businesses. Because of its location on a waterway, environmental site design following LEED standards for green building was imperative, including features such as a green roof, rain gardens, and landscaping that uses native plants and grasses, all of which contribute to slowing stormwater runoff and filtering pollutants.
Regardless of the project, Schwarz says, “We don’t do ugly. We work hard to design beautiful homes and, for commercial projects, handsome buildings that are pleasing to the eye. Our projects will be around when I’m long gone.” 

For more information, visit absarchitects.com.

Rendering for the US Naval Academy’s Ricketts Hall expansion.
Drawing and specs for the US Naval Academy’s Ricketts Hall expansion.
View of the Terwilliger Center for Student-Athletes at the Naval Academy from the Severn River. New construction, expansion, and renovation with contractor Manhattan Construction. Exhibit design by Dimensional Innovations. Photograph by Michele Sheiko, Chesapeake Home Images.
The Terwilliger Center for Student-Athletes at the Naval Academy on the Severn River. New construction, expansion, and renovation with contractor Manhattan Construction. Exhibit design by Dimensional Innovations. Photograph by Michele Sheiko, Chesapeake Home Images.
The Terwilliger Center for Student-Athletes at the Naval Academy on the Severn River. New construction, expansion, and renovation with contractor Manhattan Construction. Exhibit design by Dimensional Innovations. Photograph by Michele Sheiko, Chesapeake Home Images.
Whitehall Creek Estate on the waterfront with contractor Pyramid Builders. Interiors by Farnady Interiors. Photograph by Jennifer Hughes.
Whitehall Creek Estate on the waterfront with contractor Pyramid Builders. Interiors by Farnady Interiors. Photograph by Jennifer Hughes.
New guest and pool house on Spa Creek with contractor Bayview Builders, LLC. Photograph by David Burroughs.
New guest and pool house on Spa Creek with contractor Bayview Builders, LLC. Photograph by David Burroughs.
CRAB (Chesapeake Regional Accessible Boating). New construction on Back Creek with contractor Brown Construction. Photograph by Brown Construction.
The Garden Room of Cannon Green, a Charleston, South Carolina, restaurant/event center. Adaptive reuse, expansion, and renovation with contractor Hill Construction, Inc. Photograph by Leigh Weber/Holger Obenhaus.
Cannon Green, a Charleston, South Carolina, restaurant/event center. Adaptive reuse, expansion, and renovation with contractor Hill Construction, Inc. Photograph by Leigh Weber/Holger Obenhaus.
The Brock home on the Eastport waterfront. Expansion and renovation with the contractor Bayview Builders, LLC. Interiors by Sandy Mitchell Design. Photograph by David Burroughs.
The Brock home’s rear exterior on the Eastport waterfront. Expansion and renovation with the contractor Bayview Builders, LLC. Interiors by Sandy Mitchell Design. Photograph by David Burroughs.
The Brock home’s staircase on the Eastport waterfront. Expansion and renovation with the contractor Bayview Builders, LLC. Interiors by Sandy Mitchell Design. Photograph by David Burroughs.
A renovation to Weems Creek with the contractor Legacy Home Crafters, Inc.
Street view of the c. 1780 Acton Hall. Addition and renovation with contractor Realistic Builders.
An addition and renovation to the c. 1780 Acton Hall with contractor Realistic Builders.
Photo by Karen Davies
Photo by Karen Davies
L-R Jay Schwarz, Angela Phelam, and Bill Williams.
Photo by Karen Davies


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