We have never built the same house twice.

Our mission at Great Jones is simple: to design and build high quality custom homes that our clients will love for years to come. We have never built the same house twice—each home is unique, just like their owners. Every project begins with a blank sheet of paper and we work closely with our clients to design a home that is functional for their their family while ensuring it will be beautiful. We are a small team purposely so that we may pay close attention to all details during both design and construction stages. We have a trusted stable of subcontractors, most of whom have been with us for 20 years, and all of whom share our high standards for quality. Our experience and partnerships allow us to take care of every facet of construction, from interior design selections to landscape design and implementation. If your dream home includes a pool or wine cellar, or an outdoor grill and kitchen area, we make sure to incorporate these into the original design—they shouldn’t be afterthoughts. We are extremely proud of the portfolio of homes we have built over the last 20 years, some of which are featured on this website. We are even more proud of the great relationships we have built with our clients over the years, many of whom have become close friends. We would greatly appreciate the opportunity to work with you on the design and construction of your new home.

DANIEL VALENCIC, FOUNDER

After completing studies at the University of NSW in his hometown of Sydney, Australia in 1988, Daniel Valencic embarked on a career in banking for Swiss Bank, UBS in Sydney followed by postings to London and New York. During this 10 year stint, Daniel indulged his interest in real estate and architecture by buying, improving and selling properties in each of these cities. After leaving UBS in 1998 and taking a year-long sabbatical traveling through Central and South America, he founded Great Jones in 1999 in New York City. Great Jones specialized in the restoration of old loft buildings and Brooklyn brownstones. Soon after the birth of their first child, Daniel and his wife Theresa relocated to Theresa’s hometown of McLean, VA to be closer to Theresa’s family. It is here that Great Jones has evolved to become a builder of high quality custom homes. 

JOHN WALLACE, MANAGING PARTNER

For more than 20 years, John Wallace, a Professional Landscape Architect, has been active in the Washington, DC area development market. After receiving a degree in Landscape Architecture from West Virginia University, John joined LandDesign, a landscape architecture and planning firm. There he managed many large-scale residential and mixed-use projects both locally and internationally. His work included site research and analysis, schematic design, master planning, construction documentation/observation and detailing. In 2009 he was fortunate to cross paths with Daniel Valencic and decided to follow his passion for custom homes by joining Great Jones. During this time, John had also been renovating homes. First, he tackled an early 1900s row house in Capitol Hill, followed by a 1920s bungalow in Del Ray, and most recently a 1940s colonial in N. Arlington where he currently resides with his wife, children, and two dogs. John combines expertise from his background with a keen eye for design to bring a holistic approach to the design/build process, and to ensure that your house and site will work in unison.

Great Jones was named after the Manhattan street where founder Daniel Valencic first began his venture into residential design and construction in 1999. 

Valencic worked from the loft apartment he owned and renovated in a building that was a converted screw and fastener factory.  He was struck by the quality and architectural detailing on this and other buildings in the neighborhood in what was originally a heavy industrial area in it’s time. Oversized structural beams, large windows shedding natural light, intricate decorative cornices and facade detailing (on factories!) that has made these buildings to this day, beloved to live and work in, and timeless in their appeal. This careful consideration to architecture, materials, light and detailing is the same spirit with which Great Jones approaches the design and construction of each of it’s new custom homes.

The street has a colorful and interesting past of it’s own. / Map image credit