The Firm

Norman D. Askins, P.C., a residential architectural firm specializing in the classical style, is located in the heart of Buckhead (Atlanta, Georgia). Mr. Askins is a NCARB Registered Architect with over 40 years of experience. The firm’s work may be found throughout the United States, Ireland, and France.

“Askins uses his client’s family history as a guide, or he may fabricate a new history for a project and then follow the logical sequence of a building’s life as it responds to a century or more of change. For example, the family’s size increases and a new wing is needed; the original mass of the house may have been built in the eighteenth century when Georgian was the high style; however, the addition is created after the Revolution, so the current design is Federal. Such fictive histories allow Askins and the firm’s other designers to make knowledgeable decisions on details to create a coherent design. Askins work is also known for its fine craftsmanship. Like most traditional designers, he employs a set of craftsmen who understand his preferences and work easily with his as a team to produce exquisite details.”

—Elizabeth Meredith Dowling, New Classicism: The Rebirth of Traditional Architecture.

Norman Askins Personal Profile

A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Mr. Askins holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Georgia Institute of Technology (1966) and a Master of Architectural History from the University of Virginia (1968). He also attended a summer session at Parsons School of Design, New York City (1962) and the Attingham Park Summer School, England, where he studied architecture and the decorative arts of Great Britain (1967 & 1993).

Following graduate school, Mr. Askins served four years as architect and architectural historian at The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation where he received in-depth training in early building technology and the philosophy of restoration. While at Williamsburg, Mr. Askins was fortunate to be assigned to a yearlong special project to redesign much of the interior of the Executive Office Wing of the White House (Cabinet Room, Vice President’s Office, etc.).

Following two years in Atlanta with Heery and Heery Architects, Mr. Askins accepted a position in 1974 with John Milner Associates, West Chester, Pennsylvania, the nation’s largest and foremost preservation/restoration firm. As Director of Restoration, he oversaw a wide variety of preservation projects in the Eastern and Southern regions of the country.

In the fall of 1977, Mr. Askins established his own practice in Atlanta, Georgia, specializing in historic preservation, restoration and residential design. The firm’s scope of services ranges from period residences to vacation cottages, plantations, and innumerable additions to existing homes across the U.S., Ireland, and France.

In addition to his professional career, Mr. Askins has served on various arts/preservation organizations: Chairman, Friends of the Decorative Arts, High Museum; Board of Governors, Rhodes Hall; Board, Cherokee Garden Library; Board, Southern Architecture Foundation.

Geoffrey Yovanovic, AIA, Personal Profile

Originally from Jacksonville, FL, Geoff’s passion for architectural drawing began at age 9 with a series of 100-foot-long city scenes. He formally pursued architecture studies at the University of Miami, where he received a Bachelor of Architecture in 2009. Continuing his schooling, he took naturalistic drawing courses and spent two semesters in Rome, Italy, where he met his wife who was also studying architecture.

Upon receiving a Masters of Architectural Design and Urbanism from the University of Notre Dame in 2014, Geoff moved to Atlanta and began his professional career as a registered architect. For the past 8 years, Geoff has worked with his mentor, Norman Askins, receiving valuable training and experience. Recently appointed as the firm’s first Partner, Geoff has served as project architect for many of the firm’s most recognized projects, including an Atlanta home for which the firm was awarded a prestigious Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA) Philip Trammell Shutze Award.

An active member in the Southeast Chapter of the ICAA, Geoff has served as President of its Guild for young professionals and as a member of its Philip Trammell Shutze Awards committee. Through ICAA, he has also been a Grand Tour Instructor at Christo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School, and he taught a Fundamentals of Beauty in Architecture course at Pontifex University.

Geoff currently resides in Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood with his wife Meggie and their son.