Company Information | The Banks Development Company

ABOUT BANKS DEVELOPMENT COMPANY

Banks Development is a national award winning custom home builder with an excellent history of homes throughout the Washington DC Metropolitan area. We consider ourselves an architect’s builder, built on a solid foundation of admiration and respect for great architecture and design.

We are owned and run by brothers — Michael Banks and Scott Banks. In 2013, Dave Alokonis joined Banks Development as a Partner. Dave has brought great skill, resources and people to our growing team. Along with our experienced project managers, we personally oversee each project. We are chosen by homeowners and leading architects for our hands-on approach.

The Banks Development Co. is proud to be affiliated with the following organizations:

National Association of Home Builders

Maryland National Capital Building Industry Association

District of Columbia Building Industry Association

Northern Virginia Building Industry Association

US Green Building Council

National Trust for Historic Preservation

Chevy Chase Historical Society

Phillips Park, Estate Home Sites

The Scout Guide

Institute of Classical Architecture & Art

History

Banks and Lee Development, Inc. was a prominent construction and development firm which operated from the mid-1940’s through the early-1980’s. Banks and Lee Development built houses, apartment complexes, office buildings, hotels, shopping centers and schools throughout the Washington DC metropolitan area and neighboring states.

William Strang Banks (named after the Scottish painter, William Strang) was born in Scotland in 1904. At the age of 18, Mr. Banks moved his mother and 3 sisters to Toronto to find work. He later moved to New York where he worked in an architect’s office and learned to manage commercial projects. Finally, he landed in Washington DC where he started Banks and Lee Development with a friend. His sons, Bill Banks and Bob Banks (pictured here in dark suits at the future site of the Holiday Inn Central on Rhode Island Ave, NW DC), were immersed in the construction world at an early age. They began as laborers and worked their way up to superintendents. Upon graduating from Harvard and Washington and Lee, Bill and Bob were given the reigns to the company and continued to build its reputation as a trusted leader and innovator in the development community.

Today, Scott Banks and Michael Banks (sons of the late Robert Banks) focus on building high quality custom homes and small commercial ventures. Scott and Michael have steadily grown their company and are held in high regard in the building community. They are proud to be the third generation of Banks builders.

MEDIA

Banks Development custom house located in Chevy Chase, Maryland featured in Rue Magazine.

Banks Development custom house located on the Chesapeake Bay featured in Coastal Living Magazine.

Banks Development custom house located on the Chesapeake Bay featured on the cover of Annapolis Home Magazine.

Banks Development and Arentz Landscape Architecture are recipients of the 2021 John Russell Pope Award for Excellence in Landscape Architecture — rewarded every 2 years by The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art.

Banks Development is the recipient of the 2020 Palladio Award, National Award for New Design and Construction – Chain Bridge Road.

Banks Development hidden room design featured on Custom Builder Online.

Banks Development custom house featured in the Southern Home Magazine 2018 winter holiday issue.

Banks Development custom home featured in the July/August 2018 issue of Home & Design Magazine. Unique for its large scale windows and an outdoor living zone carved in the center of the house. Full of natural light and clean, intricate, time consuming details – success thru a thoughtful, dedicated design team.

Banks Development awarded the 2017 John Russell Pope Award for Classical Architecture — rewarded every 2 years by The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art. The Award is named for John Russell Pope, 1874-1937, best known as the architect of the Jefferson Memorial and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Period Homes: A Class of Its Own – Craftsmanship and a sense of timelessness are still valued and achievable in today’s age – Cover Story