From the first moment that Partap Verma discusses pursuing a custom-building project with local homeowners it is all about the intricate attention to detail.
A multi-award-winning builder and designer, his passion started with sketching floor plans in his composition book in grammar school.
Throughout his distinguished legal and diplomatic career, his dream of designing and building houses stayed strong, culminating with the construction of his dream project in Forest Glen in 2021, which despite fierce competition, earned him a gold medal for Best Custom House in the 5,000-8,000 square-foot- range from the Maryland Building Industry Association.
His company has also earned Reader’s Choice Awards from Potomac Lifestyle Magazine in 2024. Avatar literally means an incarnation or manifestation of a person or idea in Sanskrit, so Verma, believed it was “the perfect name for a rebirth or redevelopment of a site. Whether it is about tearing down an older home and rebuilding a new home or rejuvenating a piece of land that has been barren and building a new home there.”
This success was the catalyst to him becoming a builder and partner in Avatar Design Build with Mike Bousman, a 25-year veteran in the home building world while maintaining his roles as an extremely involved Montgomery County community leader, husband, and doting father of three young children, (five-year-old boy-girl twins and nine-year-old son).
As a father, Verma is eager to impart his uncompromised work ethic. “Exceptional things happen when you are willing to put in the time, the work ethic, and the attention to detail.”
“What I love the most is bringing a vision to life, and doing it for an individual or a family who truly calls it home,” Verma said. “There is a tremendous amount of trust in getting them to the finish line with a budget and timeline. Being able to execute this is so gratifying and fulfilling!”
His career has included high-level work as an attorney in national security and privacy law for 20 years, working as a U.S. Diplomat to India and Turkey, and as a certified mediator resolving more than 100 cases, both locally and nationally, Verma is eager to use all of his diverse skills to the benefit of his custom home clients.
“This is not only about the work product; this is probably the biggest transaction of someone’s life and they want to put their trust into someone they know will get the job done and fill in any gaps of support that are needed.”
Verma has an exclusive relationship with award-winning architects Chris and Andrew Lapp of Claude C. Lapp Architects, LLC. “Partap Verma continually pushes the boundaries. Partap fights for every square foot to maximize a client's investment, while maintaining high standards and quality control throughout his builds,” the architects explained. “The beautiful end product reflects that. We always know that our clients are in good hands when working with Avatar.”
Verma and his company recently broke ground on a 25,000-square-foot mansion in Potomac, with a two-story walk-in closet, 12-foot ceilings in the basement, a lovely guest house, and an infinity pool.
Depending on the size of the home, it takes anywhere from 10 to 36 months to build a custom home. “We don’t rush the process because the more you take time to be in touch with what works for you, and refining designs, the better the outcome,” he explained.
“It can take six months or more to fine-tune the floor plans, elevations, and color schemes. Also, we try to treat that second process of building more organic. After the framing and drywall, you get a much better sense of what works and what doesn’t.” The company is building homes in Montgomery, Howard, Prince George’s, Baltimore, and Anne Arundel counties.
Verma and his family live in the “dream project home” in Forest Glen, a source of pride for the community. It also serves as a model home for future projects so people can see the attention to detail and high-quality workmanship involved.
“Since the house is near my children’s school there is a tremendous source of pride for them and their friends. I am known as the builder in the neighborhood -- and with us breaking ground on two new custom homes this year -- my children proudly point and say, “This is the house our Papa is building!’ ”
For Further Information Contact:
Avatar Design Build
Website: avatardesignbuild.com
Email: pverma@avatardesignbuild.com
Phone: 202-277-0318
Instagram: Avatardesignbuild
Facebook: Avatardesignbuild
Lapp Architects
Website: cclarchitects.com
Email: info@cclarchitects.com
Phone: 301-881-6856
Instagram: LappArchitects
Facebook: LappArchitects
“Exceptional things happen when you are willing to put in the time, the work ethic, and the attention to detail.”