We simply cannot say enough wonder things about office 42. When other LA deck contractors told us our hillside deck was impossible, office 42 was our last attempt to make our dream a reality. They were cost conscious, professional, hard working and a delight to work with. When the city tried to throw up road blocks the went to battle for us. The few times (very few!) we had to push back a bit on some issues we were always met with a can do attitude and a determination to make our project happen. We would absolutely use them again and recommend them to anyone looking for a fantastic architect! read more

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We selected office42 to design our school and this was easily the best business decision we made. Stephanie and Ben are an amazing team that are incredible to work with. They also surrounded themselves with crazy talent so you are getting the A-Team no matter who you are working with at o42. You typically have some good and some bad in any business relationship, but with o42 I can't say enough good things about working with them. The only bad thing I could remember (and this took a lot of digging) is that Ben doesn't wash his fruit before he eats them. Weirdo. We had an idea and a vision, and Stephanie was able to incorporate all our crazy (cheap-ass) ideas and transform a 70-year-old shanty of a building into a warm, secure, and striking preschool. Everything we wanted, they delivered with the extra added level of attention that can only be produced by people who genuinely care. In addition to the design of our school, the o42 team was also tasked with leading our construction project. Anyone that's ever done any sort of construction knows that nothing ever goes as planned. There are always issues to resolve, landmines to navigate -- something doesn't line up, something doesn't fit, or something just doesn't smell right. Of all the things that o42 does right (and there are so many), this is one area where they really shine. Any time we hit a bump in the road, Ben would take a couple minutes, put on his "hold my beer" face and churn out 2-3 solutions for you; he'll give you the cheapest approach, quickest approach, inspector-approved approach,.... boom boom boom. They've seen it all, and they can handle anything. Our project took several months to complete and they had as much gusto about the project on day 150 as they did on day 1. Not only do they get the job done, they get it done with panache. Hire them. Thank yourselves later. read more

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My husband and I needed a major overhaul for our clothing design/retail office space and warehouse. Stephanie, Ben and her team were great from start to finish. They came to my old office to see how I utilize the space to get a better understanding of how the new space needs to be utilized. They were very respectful of our timeline and budget, we didn't feel pushed in anyway. The entire design team is personable, professional and got the job done to our liking! I love this space! Highly recommend this team. read more

I had the pleasure to come across Stephanie and her office while researching for architects in Los Angeles. Her response to a question/estimate was prompt and courteous. After a few questions and a couple of phone calls I was able to determine that she was a wealth of knowledge and resource. I quickly recommended for for the job, although the client decided to take a different approach, Stephanie was beyond helpful. I will highly recommend her for any future clients. read more

Stephanie, Catherine and all at Office 42 are as good as it gets! Their professionalism and attention to detail saved me. After working with a less experienced interior designer for our retail business, we fast realized we all were over our heads: the specific requirements from the planning department and bureaucracy to get city permits had already cost us months. We then hired Office 42 and they quickly repaired our plans and personally met with the city planner to get everything approved. They communicated with me clearly and frequently so we could go the final mile and start construction - all in roughly 30 days! Highly recommend. read more

This is a few months late, but I thought it was really important to leave a review. After interviewing several architects for our project, we hired Office42 for the job! We were converting an old building into a 14 bed assisted living facility for the elderly. We had an extremely tight budget to work with and many demands for the project. Rather than write us off, Ben and Stephanie agreed to take on the challenge. (We had a few architects and contractors brush... Actually laugh at us when we presented our plans) From the plans to permits to bidding for contractors and to the completion of the project, Ben and Stephanie were both very easy to work with. Ben was our muscle when things needed to get done. Stephanie always listened to our crazy ideas and provided great alternative and options. Together, they helped create our vision into a reality. I would highly recommend them if you are looking for architects with great vision and knowledge. read more

I am a professional residential designer. I have known Stephanie for 6 years. She and her partner, Ben, are exemplary modernist designers. They have a great team that gets jobs done efficiently. It's not enough to be a solid designer, you also need to be organized to bring a project to completion quickly which is essential in commercial projects. They are empathic listeners, another important quality. It takes an organized team to put together solid design solutions within budget while staying on a schedule. Stephanie and Ben have been successful in achieving both. This is evidenced in the growth of their business. They have demystified the design process and made the entire experience seem effortless to their clients. I feel confident referring them for any ground up the architectural project in addition to interior architectural projects. read more

I called to office42 and Stephanie consulted me regarding our project. I had complicated issues related to city permit. There were good chance that I may not process our planned construction. However Stephanie took her time to explain my possible options and gave me great advise. She was very patient, knowledgeable, and professional. I would definitely want to work with office42 if I decide to do the construction. Thank you again, Stephanie! read more

We're about 2/3rds of the way through a design-build style remodeling project with Office 42. Every step of the way, they've been entirely professional, skilled, honest when they don't know the answer or made an error, and great to work with. They offer their professional opinion or advice, but also listen to us and what we want. For example, part of our project includes completely redoing our kitchen. Stephanie (one-half of this husband/wife team) brought up countertop materials, and started discussing natural materials vs. manufactured, greener choices vs. cheaper, and so on. I said, "We want tile." She said, "Well, here's the disadvantages of tile..." I listened, and then said, "Ok, I know that, but we're all right with that and want tile." So the next step was she brought some tile samples and helped us pick colors, size, style, and so on. What is unique about this project is that we're doing it as a design-build, with Office 42 supervising the construction as our agents, rather than hiring a general contractor. We had originally planned to hire a GC, but after more than a *year* of trying to find someone who was available, reliable, seemed to understand the job, and bid a reasonable amount, we were at our wits end. Somewhat hesitantly, the Ragles suggested this different route, and we jumped at it; it immediately made sense. We haven't once had reason to be sorry; the subcontractors they've found have proven to be skilled, fast, and easy to work with, and the job is ahead of schedule and under budget. While their experience at the outset with this style of doing business was somewhat thin, the project has been a learning experience and I can tell they're becoming far more comfortable with the world of design-build home remodeling. Given the dearth of quality, reasonably-priced general contractors for this market, it's a wonderful way to accomplish a project. For the record, our project consists of two parts: in the front of the house, we're converting a bonus room into a master bathroom, and at the rear, we've removed two walls, opening up the kitchen, family room, and office into a more unified space. The house is Spanish style built in 1923, with a major addition/remodel in 1965. We're attempting to keep a lot of the more traditional, classic feel of the original home, while having a more modern floor plan, which is a challenge that Office 42 has met admirably. I highly recommend Office 42 to anyone planning a remodel, addition, or new construction, and looking to avoid the nightmare that is finding the right general contractor. read more

This review is long overdue. Office 42 built our 450 sq ft addition to our home in 2014. I think of them everyday because they have brought such joy to our life by helping us to create the safe and beautiful home we live in today. They are a super accessible, very pleasant, brilliant husband and wife team that each play an important role in the creative and logistical process of designing and building. They stuck with us throughout the construction and were always available to discuss any challenges or ideas that we had. Whenever we do work in the future we will definitely use Ben and Stephanie and team again. Thank you guys !!!!! read more

My wife and I hired office 42 to help us with the interior renovations of our existing 1,200 square ft home plus a 900 sq ft addition. The project was largely finished in late summer of 2012. Simply put, Stephanie and Ben (wife and husband team behind office 42) did an amazing job and we love our new home. We initially hired office 42 for their architectural services, but we ultimately ended up hiring them as our construction manager as well, in lieu of hiring a general contractor. As architects, we found Stephanie and Ben to be very talented and thoughtful in the designs they suggested for us to consider. We particularly liked the fact that they were a team, bringing their own unique strengths and design ideas to the table. We really feel like we got two for the price of one! We are very happy with the design of our house, as they helped us captured most everything we were looking for our home... light, airy, and more space with great flow. We also ended up hiring office 42 as our construction manager, which meant that we were the owner-builders with office 42 acting as our agent, who helped with the hiring and overseeing of subcontractors to complete the construction. Looking back, having office 42 as our construction manager was one of the best decisions we made. We had an excruciatingly tight budget for the renovations and remodel and Ben and Stephanie really went above and beyond to help us manage costs. It was also wonderful to have our architects oversee the actual construction. Their attention to detail during the construction phase was amazing and it was obvious that they cared a lot about carrying out the vision for our house. They seemed as invested in our house as we were! Overall, we're really pleased with the work Stephanie and Ben did for us and recommend them highly! read more

We hired Office42 for a complete remodel of our Atwater Village home. They designed the project and also handled the construction management of the project. We moved into the remodeled house in July and have been loving living in the work they accomplished. We still consider them friends and recommend them without reservation. During the design stage, Ben and Stephanie were constantly sending us new thoughts and new schemes. When we thought we were done, they kept on working on the design to make it just perfect. We were so excited with the unique and efficient design they created. Our goal was to have an open, light, and modern space. Their design accomplished that to a tee. Throughout this process they kept us focused on the goals in mind keeping us grounded on the bottom line. The final design was so beyond anything we could have imagined on our own. Ben and Stephanie (and their family) were completely invested during the construction process. After we completed demolition, it became readily apparent that our actual house was rife with issues. At a certain point in time, Ben turned to me and said, "I am going to take this [mess] and make you a solid home." At one point during the construction phase, rain came. Ben and Stephanie made sure tarps were up and they came on both Saturday and Sunday to sweep away the gathering water. Their daughters were there in tow helping keep our place clean. We actually stayed on budget. Ben and Stephanie kept us updated via a google spreadsheet so we could track costs. Considering our home's unknown pre-existing issues, staying on budget was simply outstanding. Ben and Stephanie always answered our calls and emails without any delay. Any concern was promptly addressed to complete satisfaction. They really did a great job keeping the lines of communication open and talking us through any issues we had. They will still answer any lingering questions that we have about our new place. Ben and Stephanie exceeded our expectations. They did amazing, artistic work with boundless enthusiasm and energy. They are truly wonderful individuals who are a pleasure to work with. If you are looking for architects that are creative, tireless, detail focused, cost effective and approachable - Office42 is for you. read more

Need a good Architect? This is the place! Friendly, Professional, Easy to work with and very knowledgeable. Talk to Stephanie, she is great! read more

I hired Office 42 to build out our commercial restaurant space. Best business decision I made. They are amazing and so wonderful to work with. I would highly recommend them for any architecture work need, commercial or residential. Hopefully this will be the first of many restaurant and I plan on using Office 42 for all of them!! read more

I had Stephanie and Ben build a master suite for my hillside house in Silverlake. It was really an enjoyable experience because they are genuinely good people and are masterful at what they do. They were aware of my budget and saved me money in every way they could think of, and their fee was more than reasonable. Danielle was my site manager and she knew every detail on the plans and made sure the GC followed them. Loved her! Another wonderful individual. Cant say enough about this team, you won't regret working with them. read more

We hired Stephanie and Ben to help us build a 420 sq ft, 2 bed, 1 bath, 2-story addition with roof deck, and a kitchen remodel. The whole project took about a year. I cannot say enough about Ben and Stephanie. They are wonderful to work with, incredible capable, and brilliant architects. The design of our addition maximized the minimal space we had and they facilitated the entire construction process with a high level of professionalism and promptness. The most important quality of an architect for us is good communication and Office42 excels as this. We feel lucky to have had them help us build the perfect home for our family. We would highly recommend them. read more

For the first time in my life I was faced with the pleasure and challenge of designing my own place. I'm not talking about my house but my office. Without prior experience and no instruction manual I reached out to various contractors and architects online. After meeting with all of them Stephanie Ragle was definitely the best choice. She had great design ideas, great contacts and price. In no time she returned with different floor plans, took me to select materials and finishes and put me in contact with a contractor who gave me a great bid. There were a few hiccups along the way, but she handled them seamlessly without delay and surprises. She was professional and accommodating. I liked her enthusiasm and creativity. I was very happy from start to end. The finished product received and continues to receive positive attention, in fact we were scouted for a nationwide commercial! I am very proud to put my name behind this office. read more

Over the years, I've hired Ben and Stephanie for doing various projects including our kitchen remodel and two remodels of my office. They are smart, efficient, innovative and a pleasure to work with. They were extremely creative in helping us stay within budget and were heavily invested in all the projects that they managed for us. I highly recommend them to anyone who needs design and architectural help. read more