As a structural engineer, I have worked with James on many projects. He is a seasoned pro who…read moreunderstands the balance between art and science, which makes our projects efficient and successful. He is fun to work with and a high-quality architect. We recommend him for your project!

We are in the process of rebuilding our home. Jim helped with the design and plans. He probably…read moresaved our marriage. Think Designing for the Sexes. Great guy; great to work with.

After our modular home manufacturer unexpectedly canceled our order, we felt lost and unsure of how…read moreto move forward with building a new second unit on our property. That's when we met Doug -- and everything changed. Our project wasn't simple. The permit required us not only to build a brand-new house but also to renovate and legalize the existing old house. Doug stepped in, redesigned the new unit beautifully, and reimagined the old house so the two complemented each other perfectly. The construction of the new home went incredibly smoothly. Doug's professionalism, craftsmanship, and attention to detail were evident every step of the way. The quality of his work truly exceeded our expectations. The renovation of the old house turned out to be much more complex than expected, but Doug handled every challenge with steady leadership and creativity. He brought the right people together, found thoughtful solutions, and kept the project moving forward steadily through each difficulty. His dedication and calm problem-solving turned a demanding process into a truly rewarding experience. The whole process took nearly five years -- but in the end, we have two beautiful homes that feel cohesive, warm, and full of life. Doug's commitment, honesty, and heart carried us through. We're deeply grateful for his expertise and friendship throughout this journey. If you're looking for someone who truly cares about your home as much as you do, Doug and his team are the ones to call. We can't recommend them enough. Please feel free to contact me if you want the reference. My phone: 408-800-6698. Michael

Douglas Fernandez of Fernandez Design and Builders in San Jose remodeled my entire home in 2007 and…read moredid such an excellent job; my home now is so beautiful and unique & a great fit for my way of life. The good news is that he was so fair and honest; he really watched costs which is so unusual, and in the end, I could be so much more innovative and creative and do so much more than I could have been with any another contracting firm; even more importantly, we had such a good time working together (even the demolition which I dreaded was a piece of cake because of Doug). I left throughout the remodel on many business trips, & there was so much progress and usually a surprising new touch Doug added every time I returned home. Since then, Doug has been there for me on many other occasions. The good news is that Doug is happy with and enjoys smaller remodeling jobs as well. Last year my outside deck came away from its stucco wall & needed a complete retrofit, including adding more structural columns to further support the deck. He loves a good challenge and coming up with great creative and exciting solutions that are brilliant, yet not expensive. Doug's cell is 510-377-9711. Do not hesitate to contact me for further information; my cell is 650-804-8894. Best wishes, Kaaren Powers

I'm going to start by saying I considered a designer to be an optional expense. A luxury that was…read morehard to justify. I was so so wrong and so grateful that my husband thought otherwise. We called shashi even though we already had a design from an architect. My husband just wanted a fresh set of eyes. Shashi improved the flow and layout of our plans so much, even in his very first design. He started by asking us to make a "wish list" and said that we may not fit everything but he managed to do it anyway! He reorganized the rooms in a way that made more sense and even gave us an additional bedroom and bathroom (something that we were previously told wasn't possible). Beyond the initial design, he dealt with the city of fremont, which let me tell you is no joke. They requested revisions which he knew how to took care of promptly (and we definitely didn't know what to do with). he dealt with the engineers etc and ran multiple processes and required tests concurrently to save time... stuff we have no idea about and definitely would have cost us more in time and $$ (wasted mortgage etc) to do ourselves. Fastforward to construction phase. He has an engineering background so it made us more comfortable that he was able to maintain quality control. Every time there was a question or challenge with the process, he drove over and took care of it. He would provide us with updates regularly without bombarding us. Another thing that was really helpful is that he drove me around to select tiles, countertops etc and he knew exactly where to go get good deals. also, there's a learning curve when it comes to materials. I almost picked a shiny tile for the floor and he stopped me because someone could slip on it when wet. I wanted all American-made hardwood and he immediately directed me to the right brands. It would have taken me three weeks to get all the shopping done that we got done in one weekend. And i would have probably paid way more and made mistakes. I truly believe the amount we spent on him is less than the money he saved us and value that he added to my home. Also he is just a really nice, flexible guy. He accommodated our schedules and met us during his evening (after we put our kids to bed). Meeting during business hours was something very difficult for us and he totally worked around it. All in all I could not have been happier with my experience with optimal home design. i am so proud of my house and I love shashis special touches.

When we made the decision to remodel our home, we didn't even know where to start. Luckily, we came…read moreacross Shashi at Optimal Home Designs to helps us through this strenuous process. His designs were not only beautiful, but perfectly represented our vision of what we wanted our home to look like. It was a great balance of traditional and contemporary upgrades. Then came the hard part - he dealt with obtaining permits from the city and managing the contractors, which is a full-time job in itself. Shashi poured 110% of his time and efforts into our home. We couldn't be happier with the finished product and his quality of service. We can now plan to raise a family in our forever dream home!

I hired them for an ADU project. What I loved about them is that they stuck to the timelines and…read moremade sure my queries/concerns were addressed in timely manner.

Eric and the entire team are the best -- professional, extremely communicative, and an absolute…read morepleasure to work with. They went above and beyond at every step, proactively coordinating with our GC and even coming onsite to walk through details together. We couldn't have asked for a better experience and would highly recommend them to anyone planning a remodeling project.

I want to express our gratitude for Zenith Engineers Inc. prompt, professional, and outstanding…read moreservice throughout our remodeling project. From the very beginning, we were impressed with Senthil, Ryan and other members of Zenith team's level of professionalism, prompt response, architectural knowledge and effective communication.This level of service was seamless through our entire engagement with Zenith Engineers Inc., from obtaining the building permit to successfully passing all necessary inspections by the SF Building Department. No one questions their architectural work because they are so good at what they do. We had some initial concerns after reading negative reviews, but as the project progressed, it became clear that those comments were based on personal grievances, rather than valid concerns. The team at Zenith Engineers Inc. has a high level of professional ethics and integrity. Zenith's management team had explained to us early on in the project, the strict adherence to code and compliance was paramount throughout the project. If Zenith compromises to satisfy unsatisfied clients, the building will end up being non-compliant and more importantly unsafe. We truly appreciate Zenith's commitment to quality and integrity, even if it means earning a few negative reviews along the way, which seem rather unfair to them as they are simply doing their job. I am extremely satisfied with the professional and excellent work the team at Zenith Engineers Inc. provided us and will hire them in a heartbeat for all our future structural and/or seismic engineering needs. Thank you Senthil, Ryan and the Zenith engineering team for your professionalism and support. It was our best decision to work with you and experience such high standard of professionalism, work ethic, and integrity.

After having used Zenith for multiple projects in the last few years, looks like it's finally time…read moreto look for someone else for the next one. We started using Zenith because of its responsiveness and effectiveness when it came to structural design. With them as part of our team, we were able to keep up with the City submittal and response timelines we had set. Fast forward to today, and we can't get a hold of anyone. When we do, it's always an excuse for why they didn't respond, without a resolution. We sent them the last City comments 30 days ago and have yet to get anything viable to re-submit back to the city. Given that this is a 30-unit hotel project, going with a different firm now will mean a complete re-design of the project; an absolutely painful exercise that will set us back months. Zenith knows that. So it's absolutely shameful for them to act in a way that would even suggest that our only choice is to get the entire project re-designed by another firm just to have it keep moving forward. So much for "we respond to emails within 30 minutes and always answer phone calls" as outlined on one of their online profile. Knowing how we were treated on this round of City comments and the fact that the entire company seems complacent about what they try to embody in their rhetoric, I would stay away for any future project.

I've been working with Larry for the past year on a tricky kitchen remodel. It involved expanding…read moreout one corner of our two story house and lots of careful planning and engineering to account for significant changes to load bearing structures. Larry worked very closely with me through this planning process. He was very responsive to emails, messages, and phone calls. He went the extra mile to explain the details of what was happening at each step of the process, and helped us make well-informed trade-offs and decisions. We haven't done the actual construction yet because of some personal scheduling conflicts, but I have no doubt that Larry and his team would be just as detailed and thorough in that endeavor as they were with the planning. He and everyone he worked with were very respectful and friendly when coming into our home, and cleaned up after themselves if they had to disturb any walls or ceilings. From a cost perspective, this wasn't the most expensive nor the cheapest firm we considered for this project, but knowing that it would be somewhat complex, we wanted to go with someone who would focus on the structural engineering rather than someone who would just get a job done in the cheapest and potentially hackiest way possible. I think that it was overall a great value given the amount of time that Larry spent with us in considering the details.

I worked with Larry for renovating my home. We added 1 BR/ 1 Bath and extended our kitchen and…read moreliving room. Larry was very helpful throughout the process. He was easily accessible and always explained each step in great details. He is not cheap, but the quality of work is worth the money.

We've been working with Andy for the last several months on our 3rd and 4th story addition project…read morein upper Noe Valley. Communication: Andy is organized, efficient, and clear in his communications with us. He was also upfront with us from the beginning about the potential challenges our project would face, from city building regulations to neighbor considerations, but always presented solutions to the issues. Design: Andy has been able to take our high level requirements and turn them into an elegant and practical design that is above and beyond what we originally imagined. His in-depth knowledge of the city codes has also been reassuring - we really appreciate his focus on the goal of making this a smooth, low drama process. Process and Cost: Finally, Andy's wealth of vetted and reliable industry contacts has helped us determine a working budget early in the process - this has been invaluable for ensuring we're comfortable with the major changes to come. Andy and his contacts have all provided reasonable pricing, considering the scale of the project we are undertaking. We're really happy working with Andy, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend him for any projects in SF!

We've just completed our 2nd Major Remodel with Andy after having the pleasure of working with him…read moreseveral years ago on our 2nd story addition. Our 2nd project with Andy included the main level Kitchen, Family area, Mudroom and Powder Room. We were so impressed with Andy's design talent the first time, that we were certain we wanted to work with Andy to tackle the design challenges for the second go round. Andy again was integral to the success of the project. After receiving an initial estimate from a contractor we had worked with in the past that was higher than expected, Andy was able to offer another contractor more in line with our budget. After listening to our thoughts and concerns, Andy offered several design options, and again we were really excited with the finalized approach. Andy was able to incorporate some specific design details we wanted, and then build upon them and make them a unique feature for our project. When we were facing technical challenges with the millwork detail we incorporated into the project, Andy suggested a solution that the millworker went with to solve the problem. Andy again was great to work with through the design, both listening and offering design options we hadn't thought of. His attention to design detail really made the project. His knowledge of construction and cost were such a great asset to making our project a success. He followed through with the project from beginning to end. We Hired Andy 2x as our Architect, we highly recommend him for your project!

Daniel and his team are top notch professionals and offer clear, consistent, transparent, and…read morehonest results. I was in the complete dark on an ADU project. Daniel was able to navigate me through the process and offer great advice. He is attentive and his team provided the work superbly and in a timely manner. I would recommend this company 100%.

Our contractor recommended Bay Area Design to help with our plans for the remodel. The whole team…read morewas great and took care of the process from start to finish. This is our first ever project for our remodel and Bay Area Design made it easy to apply/submit for our permit.

We found our way to Winder Gibson through our realtor and could not be more grateful. We worked…read moreclosely with Geoff and Daniel to design our dream home. They were an absolute pleasure to work with and took on all details at every stage, including handling a difficult neighbor. At the same time, they were efficient and budget conscious, helping us stay on track both financially and time-line wise. They made what could be an overwhelming process move smoothly and enjoyably. We unreservedly recommend Winder Gibson.

My wife and I had the pleasure of working with Geoff and his team on a full demolition and new…read moreconstruction of a single family home with ADU in San Francisco. We loved our experience and wholeheartedly endorse Winder Gibson to anyone looking for a full service architecture firm. From the outset, Geoff and his team demonstrated an exceptional understanding of our family's needs, which they transformed into a beautiful house design that resonates with our aspirations and lifestyle. We are currently transitioning to the construction phase, and are excited to raise our family in such a thoughtfully designed space. Also, Geoff and team are true experts at navigating the San Francisco permitting process. They efficiently moved us through permitting, both reacting to feedback from the city and helping us manage our neighbors. Honestly, we could not have permitted the house without their guidance. In a city where building homes can be difficult, the one two punch of beautiful design + the knowledge and skill to get it across the line was invaluable. We are so appreciative of Geoff and team.

Thank you JSD for taking on our "small" addition of bedroom extension with full bath. Jessica and…read moreteam were easy to work with and answered/addressed our every concern and request. I provided her with an Illustrator idea plan that she changed into the legal schedules for city approval. Although we did not tap into her interior design expertise we witnessed a detailed oriented creative problem solver every step of our architect client relationship. Cheers!

We were looking for someone to redesign our home. We're renovating a home by adding a second story…read moreand converting our detached garage into a ADU. After speaking with a couple of architects, we decided to go with Jessica. She really listened to what we wanted and came up with a few layout options that aligned with our vision. Jessica was easy to talk to and always responsive to our questions throughout the process. She and her team handled the entire permitting process and clearly set expectations from the beginning. They responded quickly to the city's comments, which helped keep the project moving forward without unnecessary delays. It was a great experience working with Jessica and her team. We're really glad we chose them and would definitely recommend them.