We had a great experience working with zHeight on our ADU project. Vidushi and her team were…read moreprofessional, detail-oriented, and very responsive throughout the entire design and permitting process. The drawings were prepared quickly and professionally. Even though our plans went through many changes and revisions along the way, Vidushi was always patient and carefully handled each update and the City's comments. Their pricing was also very reasonable for the quality of work and support they provided. We really appreciate their help getting our plans through the approval process. I would highly recommend zHeight to anyone looking for ADU design and permitting services, and I would definitely recommend them to friends and family.

We worked directly with Vidushi…read more We came to her with a previously botched project -- existing architectural plans that needed to be rescued and refined. She took it on with minimal back-and-forth, and the plans moved through city review with very few comments. That alone speaks volumes. What stood out most was her attention to detail and her understanding of what city reviewers actually need. She was communicative, proactive, and clearly knew the local codes and requirements inside and out. If you have a complicated or previously derailed project, she is exactly who you want. Highly recommend.

I was feeling nostalgic the other day and looking at some pictures of the old house, including…read morepictures of the thing I miss most about the old house - my master bathroom. When we moved last winter, I think I spent extra time in my master because I knew as moving day approached, I would eventually have to say goodbye to the restroom my hubby and I so lovingly renovated with our architect Marc. (see pics) This review is long overdue. Several years ago when we finally prioritized renovating our master bathroom, Marc was an easy choice for us because we had seen his great work at other friends' homes, his beautiful work at Alexander's Steakhouse in Cupertino, as well as other commercial and office projects (see here: http://dscheme.com/PortProjects.html). Working with Marc was wonderful as he was very attentive to our desires and preferences, sensitive to our small budget, and responsive to our timeline (3 weeks). His no-nonsense approach was refreshing as he gave us very honest feedback on what he thought was do-able with our budget and timeline. He was very efficient at bidding out for contractors and he was able to find contractors that came to work on our home were polite, neat, friendly, and did not delay with their work. Marc gave us great recommendations for places to find materials but in the end we sourced everything on our own through the internet. If our budget allowed it we would have totally gone with Marc's recommendations. At the end of the project, we came well within our budget and finish date. In a nutshell, expect honest, efficient, creative and thorough work from Marc. Feel free to contact me personally if you're interested in more details regarding Marc's talents and services.

A truely superior architecture and design firm. You get More than you pay for with professional…read moreenthusiastic people who go the extra step to ensure a wonderful result. If you're looking for an architect for any reason, try this place first.

We were delighted with the work Topos did for us. Peter is a great listener and presented us with…read moredifferent options, made revisions to the initial mock ups per our requests and helped execute on the option we selected. He helped us find an excellent contractor and his team managed our build. We are very happy with the results and the level of service.

I'm happy to strongly endorse Peter Baltay and his crew at Topos Architects as both a design firm…read moreand as a project management service. When my wife I are were contemplating building a home, we approached Topos as we had seen a previous spec project they had done and loved it. Design elements include maximizing space utilization, minimizing hallways, lots of light and windows, beautiful wood accents, high quality trim and attention to detail all appealed to us. During our first meeting when I complained about not finding any good lots for sale, Peter pointed out a few, including one particular lot that was not yet on MLS. The location was perfect for us and I ended up buying it 7 days later. The take home is that Peter has contacts in the area that give his clients access to info not always publicly available. We interviewed many architects and came back to Topos. I didn't like how some wanted to deliver a set of plans and walk away, leaving the builder to struggle with implementation. I also didn't like how some were 'out-dated' - I wanted computer-based models so I could visualize my home before it was built. As an engineer type, Peter and Topos were a great fit. I also wanted a firm who would help oversee the process from start to end and not and not pass the potato as soon as things went wrong (without paying through the nose for a personal assistant). I knew from previous contractor experience that building a home wasn't a cake walk and I wanted someone with integrity who I would work with through the entire process - Peter gave me that impression. Perhaps most of all, I wanted to know I was paying a fair price. I hated the standard fixed bid way of building houses where you're always combatting the general contractor over quality and price. I wanted complete transparency. Topos was prepared to offer this and had multiple previous projects to illustrate how this could be done and what I should expect. I want to address some of the negative comments in one review on this site directly. Building a house is not like Extreme Makeover where you go on vacation, return home and say 'Move that Bus' and have the house of your dreams. It is a process with literally thousands of decisions and over a dozen sub contractors. Mistakes are going to happen. Some people are going to do poor work some days. The city is probably going to say you can't do something essential to your design. Some tiles look great in the store but don't work in your house. Bad things happen. If you don't like a design element, it isn't Peter's fault, it is your fault. What you want on your team is someone that will work with you to effectively manage these things, prevent them when possible and deal with them when unavoidable. I can't imagine Peter and Topos doing a much better on this front. I'm willing to bet the negative reviewer never gave Topos a chance to fix what bothered her. In our case Peter and Topos were very up-front about what services they offer and where we might consider augmenting with our own consultants. Many people hire a lighting designer, interior designer, landscape design, etc.. We only hired a landscape guy and did the rest with Topos to save money. It is up to you. Look at previous homes and see what meets your standards and what doesn't. Oh, the comment about not working hard is absurd. Peter is there 8-7 most days. And, when things do go wrong, Topos stands behind the job. In our case a tile sub messed up the master bath. Peter made them tear out thousands in tile and redo it from scratch. While the sub provided the labor, Peter paid for all the tile out of pocket claiming they should have caught it earlier. This is someone who admits a mistake and takes responsibility for fixing it. For a bonus-factor, Peter is an amazing diplomat. He worked with some frustrated neighbors to make them advocates for our project, he worked with the city to find a way top get our gutters and design approved, and most of all he worked with me (which is no easy task) for 18 months to build a beautiful home. One other thing I'll add - in retrospect I undervalued the importance of working with subs that are beholden to the general contractor for their next job. While Topos let me select which contractor to use, there is an advantage to going with ones that they have used in the past and will use again. Because Topos builds a number of projects each year, many of the best subs work from one project to the next (provided you elect to go with them). Because of this dependence, they are incentivized to finish through 110% on your project. There were a few cases where a sub has had to come back many times (often fixing someone else's problems) and they have done so without complaint and without additional 'change orders'. They do it because it is right and they want to stay on Topos' good side.

An estate home Architect that can create timeless, yet creative design with integrity is difficult…read moreto locate. Finding an Architect who also can truely listen, and one who a couple really enjoys meeting with.......harder yet : if even possible ! : Steve has created a marvelous home for us. The design creatively incorporates our personal dreams, unique lifestyle requirements yet contains intregity unique to the site. His creative solutions to complex problems has paid for his service many times over and added incredible value to our home. More importantly he was a joy to work with......we looked forward to each and every meeting; unlike several other architects who we have worked with previously . His resources brought into each project are top caliber. His follow through from initial design needs assesment to final close of the project and move- in made the process as stress free as possible. He ensured quality at each step of the way through continual construction management and check ins on the 1 + year progect. When you work with Steve's firm you get very personal attention....not some other employee trying to interpret your needs and carrying a list back to the principal designer. The only disadvantage is sometimes there is a wait to get on his list of clients.........in the bigger picture....great things are worth waiting for . In this instance we could not be happier with our home and the site additions of pool landscape lay out etc.. He has great relationships and respect also from local planing department s which ensures timely acceptance of any review or building code issues. We have done several previous home remodels and real estate projects with other local architects , none with as positive a process or outcome. ( Previously we often needed to change architects in the process due to lack of follow thorough, lack of listening to our personal requirements, underestimating costs, or delays due to design problems unforseen until requesting a permit./) None of this came close to occuring with this more complex project. Working with Schwanke Architecture was one of the more cost effective decisions we ever made !

Chris designed our Los Altos house about 25 years ago, and we are still enjoying it! I made a…read moresimple request: Make me a house that looks like it has been there forever, "instant old". After it was finished the local historical society requested that it be included on their annual tour. I'd have him design another house for us, but we're too happy here!

Chris Spaulding is great to work with, he's very patient, kind, professional, responsive and…read morecharges a reasonable fee. He helped us design a 1,200sq ft ADU that fit perfectly in our backyard with considerations of natural lighting and height for optimal living. His architectural plans was approved by San Jose the first time it submitted and the process went very smooth. He helped us with lighting design, furniture placement and architectural style of the house which is a great value. I highly recommend Chris if you're looking for a great architect for your project, big or small.

Bay Area Drafting Co gave us exceptional service for our residential remodel project. We were…read moregiven a set of drawings with a number of problems and Valerie cleaned up the drawings and prepared them perfectly for our bidding process. She put everything together is a professional and timely manner. We would recommend BADC to any company needing quality and detail oriented drafting services.

We were all set to apply for a permit except for drafting plans. Not many want to work on a small…read moreproject, but luckily for me, when my contractor called Valerie, she had just finished a big job, and immediately got to work on my project. She is prompt, efficient, very patient in trying to make certain that I understood the plans, and very nice. The day after I received her final plan my contractor was able to get the permit for our kitchen extension and remodel. I highly recommend this company. You will definitely get your money's worth.

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.

I have hired this team twice now and have been impressed twice! Very prompt and professional…read morecommunication, detail oriented, perfect design and great with problem solving. I have run into issues with the City but Romain was quick to create a solution, and I have heard other accolades from fellow business owners that have used this firm. Definitely recommend and will work with them again.

Overall, we've found Romain to be very reliable--not only in the quality of his work but also in…read morehis professional attitude. We've had his architectural designs reviewed by friends who majored in architecture as well as several interior and landscape designers. Everyone gave very positive feedback and encouraged me to move forward with finalizing the plan. If there is any "downside," it's simply that Romain moves quickly. You'll want to share your thoughts and feedback promptly, otherwise he may be a step ahead of you. Personally, I really appreciate his energy, fast turnaround, and thoughtful consideration of details. We highly recommend Romain.