We worked with Wagstaff and Eric to design our ADU…read more This was a rebuild of an existing internal space in our main house into an official ADU, so came with significant constraints on size and layout. Eric was great to work with; he was responsive and listened carefully to our ideas. Billing was clear and the final cost came in approximately at or under Wagstaff's estimates, including a number of design iterations. The design process was a partnership and contributions from both sides were crucial to the final product. We provided strong opinions on how the space was to be used and requirements. Eric provided design ideas, and used his good understanding of space, building constraints and opportunities to validate our ideas and turn them into reality (or provide alternatives). My main regret is that we did not use Wagstaff enough! We did our own construction observation, but next time I would ask Wagstaff to take responsibility for that. We're delighted with the result and would use Wagstaff again!

I worked with Eric on a new construction build plan. Overall, I do not recommend this firm…read more 1. We did not align on high level how the flow in the new house should be, and he ended up drawing the detailed plans even if it was not what we wanted. Costed us 10k+ for nothing. 2. Every iteration was more than 5 hours, even if all he did was add a door/bath (no big changes). 3. He optimized for things that made no sense to us. Like he optimized for keeping one of the walls from the current house, even if we said we don't care about the current house (since this is a rebuild). 4. He sent plans to us that were still over the allowed limit 5. He talked to the city to understand the requirements, and understood them wrong. The limit for our lot that he said we need to respect was not correct, even if he talked to the city. 6. He asked us to get an "As built survey" even if we want to rebuild the house fully. Hi another 5k dollars. Overall I do not recommend working with this firm. We paid them way too much money for something that we could not use. Completely useless.

I have never written a YELP review, and generally place little stock in them, but I would be…read moreremiss, and it would be a travesty, if I didn't take the time to thank Stewart publicly, and with all sincerity, for the amazing professional support he provided. It's sadly too rare a thing to find a professional like Stew--passionate, knowledgeable, diligent, and ultra-creative. I wish I had the space herein to tell you all how refreshing and how comforting it was, finally, to have an architect like Stewart take on my project. I was a first time home buyer that enthusiastically jumped into a remodel, and sadly fell into the wrong sort of architect. When I decided to make a change, my contractor recommended Stewart. I will be forever thankful for that turn of events. I will tell you three things I have come to know and love about Stewart: First, he knows his stuff --a skilled and passionate architect that executed my project perfectly on every level. Second, he prides himself on being professional, and considers it an obligation to represent his clients and his industry with integrity and dignity. Third, he's all about customer service. Send Stew an email or leave him a voicemail, and he'll respond promptly (most usually in minutes) letting you know exactly where things stand and what needs to be done. He always meets his deadlines. He's about getting the job done, and making you feel he's in your corner. I really could write pages on Stew, but here's the bottom line: Based on my experience with Stewart, he's my architect. For anything I'll ever do, he's who I'll reach out to first. I would hope there is no better recommendation than that. But for any of you still with questions, I'd be happy to talk with any of you in more detail. I'm guessing Stew can find a way to put us in touch. Happy home-builiding to you all! David L.

Stewart Summers and Steve Murch were invaluable to our home renovation and new ADU build project…read more From overall design to the nitty gritty technical minutiae we had a great experience with SKS. I was able to reply on SKS during the entire process, from wading though the city, county, and State permitting, construction costs, and straightforward talk & solutions to the surprises that come along with any major home renovation. I highly recommend SKS.

The guys at Gehl design team helped design, build and implement a 300 sq ft design Artist studio…read morespace from start to finish, as well as build a small detached storage shed, that also looked contemporary in design. Mike and his team helped with every aspect of this project, from initial brainstorming, conception and design, to implementation -- I can't recommend them enough!!

We've had a great experience working with Mike Pourzand of Gehl Design / Build…read more Our original project was to replace a dilapidated shed in the backyard of our North Berkeley home with.a completely new structure having an identical footprint. Mike was very attentive and responsive to our objectives, and he developed a number of innovative and cost-effective design ideas to address our needs. We were often impressed by the way Mike's design ideas built on his extensive engineering and construction knowledge -- and vice versa. We also appreciated his efforts to anticipate and navigate city permitting requirements. Based on our very positive experience during the design phase, we elected to engage Gehl Design /Build to oversee the construction of the new shed, as well as to design and manage several additional projects (including a new and expanded driveway, new fences and gates). As part of this second phase, Mike identified and secured bids from qualified contractors he had vetted and worked with previously. His recommendation -- which we ended up going with -- proved excellent. On several occasions, Mike helped explain elements of our plans with our neighbors. He was very respectful and straightforward in his approach, helping to secure their support and goodwill. What made us feel that we were in excellent hands with Gehl Design / Build was not only Mike's extensive experience and his impressive knowledge and skill set. His dedication, patience, responsiveness, and integrity are all exemplary -- and made working with him a true pleasure.

Wanting to do a remodel and having to work with space constraints and HOA compliance, we went to…read moreJustin with our wish list and crossed fingers. This remodel included pushing out exterior walls to enlarge existing rooms, and bathroom and closet remodels so we were very concerned about a successful outcome. Justin came over to meet with us and determine our highest priorities on our wish list. After that was settled, Justin visually assessed the scope of the remodel and took his pix and measurements. He completed the design and drawings and was hands on taking the project through construction. Justin is a very pleasant, professional, and knowledgeable and extremely easy to work with. After we met with Justin, there was no question we made the right choice. He overcame every obstacle to match the remodel with our wish list. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Justin to anyone considering a remodel of any size. Great Job!

I have used Elevate design on several of my projects. I have found Justin to be very in tune with…read moretoday's trends. His plans are clear and easy to understand, and he communicates with you, and listens to what your saying. I also have referred him to others, and they have all had great feed back on how Justin took care of them.

Working with Sam was one of the best decisions we made for our project. He's the rare designer who…read morebalances creativity with genuine care. He listened closely to what we wanted, then brought thoughtful suggestions that made the final result even better than we imagined. He also helped us find and communicate with contractors, which saved us so much stress as it was our first renovation. Sam is kind, patient, and truly invested in his clients' happiness while also being so gifted creatively. We're grateful for his work and would recommend him without hesitation.

I had the pleasure of working with SDL Residential Design for a custom Tubbs Fire rebuild in Sonoma…read moreCounty. Overall it was a very positive experience. Sam produced a great site feasibility document and we spent several months working on a design for the project. I had an initial vision, but Sam really helped me articulate exactly what I had in mind and created an amazing design for my project. He took the time to meet with me on site multiple times and the beautiful design really integrated well with the site and local conditions and would have greatly enhanced my property. He also helped me get in touch with several local builders and solicited initial estimates for the project. Those estimates ended up being above my budget and I decided to delay the build. However, my initial work with SDL was extremely positive and laid the groundwork for me to be ready when the time comes for my project to continue. I highly recommend SDL for your custom home project.

Phil Rossington was the right choice for our home renovation project, which wrapped up in 2023…read more We found Phil after having spent quite a bit of time with another architect and being disappointed with her resistance to some of our key preferences. We checked out Phil's online portfolio before contacting him and saw that it included a variety of attractive elements spread across several different projects we thought could be adapted for our project. After our first meeting with Phil, we hired him to take over our project, which was still in the schematic design phase. His extensive experience in San Francisco was an important consideration, but the deciding factor was Phil's communication style. During the whole journey through design, permitting, bidding, and construction, Phil contributed creative ideas that we incorporated to very good effect. He dove deeply into materials selection and introduced us to suppliers we hadn't discovered on our own ever after countless hours of online search. Critically, when we hit him with unconventional requests, Phil's patient, open, positive, thoughtful responses drove us toward jointly agreeing how best to satisfy them. We interviewed four contractors introduced by Phil, two of whom he had worked with previously on completed projects. We hired one of the two others, who turned out to be a solid professional. Phil's heavy engagement during construction helped immensely in getting the best quality out of the contractor. Our house isn't large, but the renovation was fairly extensive -- five walls were moved or removed, and all electrical, plumbing, flooring, and drywall was replaced. If you have your heart set on building or renewing a home in the Bay Area, don't miss the chance to meet Phil Rossington and talk through your project with him.

We hired Phil as our architect on a large scale remodel and he completely reimagined the space. It…read morewas a challenging footprint to work but his vision transformed our home and we are thrilled with the results! He was masterful in incorporating our needs while bringing innovative ideas and cool design elements we would never have thought of but absolutely love. He is thoughtful in his design choices and created a home that feels unique and comfortable. Phil felt like our trusted advisor helping us navigate the complexities of our remodel. He was involved every step of the way, working closely with the city, the contractors, sub contractors, etc. We really appreciated leaning on his expertise and all the time he spent with us to explain and guide the many decisions we made during the process. He has incredible attention to detail and we are so grateful for the beautiful home he created for our family. Phil is professional, trustworthy, and a joy to work with. We highly recommend Rossington Architecture.

Our first project with Todd Jersey Architecture was twenty-eight years ago on a very large church…read morebuilding. Now we are engaging TJA in a large remodel of our home. My spouse and I find the entire staff of TJA to be very personal, professional and amenable to our dreams and wishes. These are great people who do great work. We are excited!

I am on a bit of a high right now having visited the Richmond Plunge yesterday and admired the…read moremagnificent restoration that Todd Jersey helped lead. I've seldom seen a reconstruction that so perfectly combines respect for the original building with contemporary updates. The Plunge is both a useful civic amenity and a reminder of the Bay Area's architectural heritage. I was very moved by my visit in part because we came so close to losing this magnificent structure (I'd just seen a photo essay somewhere about Penn Station in New York). The loss would have been all the more tragic because the building was -- and is -- a place that's intended for all of us to enjoy, not merely a privileged few. So, having just written a review of the Plunge, I thought I'd give kudos directly to the architect who helped make it happen. I don't have first-hand experience of working with him, but anyone who does such a marvelous job on a building like this deserves at least this small measure of recognition. Thank you!

My mom worked with Chris several years ago on a large project and highly recommend him. I recently…read moreneeded plans drawn out for over 12,000 SQFT of commercial space. I found a few different architects from Yelp and contacted them mainly because Chris was busy. My mom insisted to wait for Chris. I'm glad I did. Chris was great with answering all my questions in a timely manner. He also gave me information on what future contractors would need if we decided to remodel. He pays attention to detail and he knows city requirements well. Thank you Chris!

My wife and I worked with Chris, the owner, on a complex dual bathroom design project, along with a…read moresmall add-on project in our kitchen. Chris is superb at what he does. Not only is he detail-oriented, but he is a pleasure to work with, with tons of great ideas and experience to draw from. Patient, affable, with a great sense of humor, he worked around our difficult schedules and delivered smart, elegant solutions to some challenging space constraints. He is a great listener too, an extra bonus. He is who we will call for any future projects.