Glenn Jarvis designed the re-build of my house in Walnut Creek. I now realize how important having a good architect is. This was my first time using one. The results were excellent in all respects . Glenn was very patient with my various anxieties about the project. The pricing was fair considering the good results. And you really don't want low cost architects. He fully understood what I wanted and put it to paper in a way that exceeded my expectations. read more

We contracted Cindy Chan in the beginning of 2019 for a remodel of our Oakland home. It must have been a busy period because the process dragged on for months. It took ~9 months to draft plans. We wouldn't hear from Cindy for 2+ months after giving a short list with minor feedback. We chose Cindy because we wanted a local architect to help navigate building codes for an ADU. We already had a studio in our backyard, but wanted to make this a legally permitted unit. The Oakland city inspectors were baffled by Cindy's choices regarding the ADU. Specifically, she insisted we were required to have a washer and dryer in the unit (not true) and because of this we ran a gas line to the back of our house based on this information ($$). The inspectors also said they had never seen a gas heating system like the one she recommended in any ADU. But the most expensive issue here was that Oakland DOES requires a separate PGE meter for ADU dwellings and Cindy's plans had all wiring and gas lines connected to one system. I think the worst part of our experience, and the reason I took the time to write this review, is that when I involved Cindy in these discussions with the City of Oakland around changing the wiring/ gas lines, she charged me for every interaction here. I felt like I was paying her to not only fix her mistake but provide her an education around ADU requirements in Oakland. She would send an email to the building inspector to discuss the issues and then send me an invoice for her email. Maddening. Overall, was not happy with the timeline, design, and building code mess. Total architecture fees were $43K (this was several years ago) NOT including permit, structural engineering and as-built costs. read more

Just tried to park in the back parking lot to visit and got kicked out by an old man saying we can't park in the reserved parking area. We literally came here to scope the place... and I told him that.. and he gave a mean look and coldly said "Just park on the street" like ok dude guess we'll just make the 20 minute drive into an exploring Berkeley trip read more

I had a big project (1m budget) so I tried to contact Jarvis. Then I tried again. Then I tried one more time. I made multiple efforts to contact this firm and was ignored every single time. If a 1m remodel won't get their attention then what will? Several other well regarded architects did get back to me. Jarvis proved to be unprofessional. read more

We just wrapped a 9-month major renovation including a significant foundation repair/replacement, landscaping, deck, doors, and more. Jarvis was A+ to work with. Robin P was our lead and Cindy C. leaned in on some outdoor living and landscaping design input. Jarvis surfaced multiple contractors to bid on the project and worked well with our GC throughout to ensure the project execution matched the vision. We did not want to spend the time or money with Architects but we're 100% sure glad we did. The finished project(s) are excellent and we'd recommend Jarvis to anyone looking for a no-ego team player approach. read more

The folks at Jarvis Archtects are a group of outstanding, dedicated professionals who provide top notch service to their customers. We recently completed an *extensive* home remodel and addition to our 1912 Craftsman Bunglalow. Jarvis Architects guided us from initial design through completion! When we initiallly contacted Jarvis we had an idea of what we wanted, but were not set on a specific design or plan. Our only requirement was to maintain the character and charm of the original home - to ensure when our "new" home was complete it did not look like an old home on the bottom with a new box on the top. We discovered throughout the process this is exactly the high standards Jarvis sets - maintaining the "soul" of the home while designing a visually and structurally beautiful space. Thoughout the design phase our architect, Cindy, came up with excellent ideas to preserve the character of our home. Altough she had ideas of her own, she was never stubborn about listening to our input and working with us to come up with a design we truly loved. At times I was utterly amazed at her patience as we fine tuned the design and sometimes changed our minds several times on the same room or area. When we were unsure about what we wanted in a room she would offer suggestions about things to think about that would help us hone in on an idea until we had everything exactly the way we wanted it. Another aspect of Cindy's professionalism was her punctionality for meetings and her timeliness in iterating over changes after we met. The planning and design work for our project was extensive - we completely replaced our foundation, tethered the foundation to the bedrock via helical piers, raised the entire home by a foot due to a spring under our house, converted two bedrooms into a large kitchen/family room, demoed the entire upper story and replaced it with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a laundry room! Once the design was complete Cindy submitted the plans in person to the city and they were accepted the first time. Another way that Cindy in particular, and Jarvis in general, exceeded our expectations was the recommendations they provided for building professionals once the building phase actually started. Not only did they recommend people, but when the building phase started they worked seamlessly with these professionals - the foundation contractor and the general contractor. It was apparent the team of architect, foundation and general contractor had completed many successful projects before. When any complex issues came up they worked as a team, without dissent, to come up with a solution that was always in our best interest. It was never one against each other with us stuck in the middle. It took a leap of faith and a lot of trust to demo our existing home to the studs except for 3 rooms. The trust we placed in Cindy Chan and Jarvis Architects to remake our home into our dream home was deep. Our completed home is above and beyone what we ever expected it could be. We love it and are forever grateful for their guidance and professionalism throughout the project. As I reflect on the lifecycle of our project from start to finish and what was most important and invaluable about choosing the architect we hired, these are the qualities I valued most, and where Jarvis came through with flying colors: 1) Dedication to maintaining the "soul" of the home and visual and structural integration of old and new parts of the house, interior and exterior 2) Quality of completed work 3) Responsiveness to requests 4) Access to high quality builders and other building professionals 5) Team approach between us, the architect and the builders and all involved I very heartily endorse Jarvis Architects! - Susan read more

We worked with Cindy Chan at Jarvis to help come up with a master plan, including landscaping, for our house. Our 1938 home (also on a downsloap with bay views we wanted to maximize) had never been updated when we moved in.... so it needed large revamp and roadmap to bring it up to our times. Cindy came up with beautiful, elegant and functional solutions to our home while honoring its heritage. We've been able to tackle some of the work outlined in our roadmap (a new kitchen and bath!) and are anxious to take on the next project in the pipeline. We could not be happier in our space. read more

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Had a great experience working with Robin. He comes up with ideas and sees things in multiple dimensions of light, space,use, and affordability. When we were talking about remodeling our Oakland hills home (on a 40-degree slope). We asked if we should go up or out. He said neither and we carved into the hillside and kept the shell of the house intact. The lighting and flow is terrific. An ace! read more

The pros: Aesthetically very good and artistically attractive plans. The cons: Had a problem with a functional aspect of the plan and Cost was 30% over project estimate they gave us.. Overall good work just dont count on sticking to a budget read more

A long-time friend recommended Jarvis Architects. We have an old farmhouse and wanted to maintain that character while updating the bathroom. Robin did a great job in responding to our wishes, and at the same time creating a truly different bathroom. My new bathroom exceeds my expectations, and I have completed a number of remodeling projects on our 104 year old home. I would recommend Robin unequivocally. read more

We added a second story to our home a few years back. Working with Robin was the best part of the job. He is a skilled architect, a good listener, and good guy. Highly recommended! read more

We used this architecture firm for a substantial remodel of our home. We encountered many of the usual nightmares with opening up a a 25 year old structure. Most definitely, my wife and I would have gone insane if we had not had these people involved with our project. Robin Pennell is a truly gifted architect. He has no ego, agenda, and never pushed his ideas. His 'mantra' was always what we wanted and how to get there. We had problems with the city, the engineering requirements, tying in the existing structure, etc., etc. But no matter what the issue, Robin always had a solution. He is exceptionally creative, practical, and can communicate in simple terms with easy to understand drawings. Plus, he is easy going, positive, and just a pleasure to be around. During the two years of our project, the one bill we actually enjoyed paying was Robin's. I say this for two reasons. First, the bills were so incredibly reasonable; several times I even questioned whether items were left out by mistake. Second, the work he and the rest of his firm did was absolutely spectacular and literally made our new home. This was our third major remodel. Over the years, we have worked with a number of Architects. Jarvis and Pennell are the best of the best. Literally. I can recommend them without reservation and would be happy to respond to any inquires. read more

We were referred to Jarvis by a friend who had completed her project and was so happy with outcome. Our project was one of those funky, oakland hills canyon 'hodge podge' houses built in the 60's, that needed a massive overhaul......after 10 years of having people ( sic architects, designers) walk in, take a look, and basically walk out with the 'don't call us, we'll call you' attitude, we were almost ready to give up. I called Robin Pennell, who came over for a look see and meet and greet. He walked In and saw what we couldn't and said " this is going to be fun; great space, we can do some really cool things with the it"...... And man, did he ever deliver. Working with him was a delightful process from start to finish. He was ALWAYS accessible should we need him, and when you are in the throes of a remodel, that is a crucial piece. Fast forward to project finish; without exception, everyone who knew our house 'before', has walked in and literally had to pull their jaws off the floor. Truly a talented, yet down to earth guy, Robin took away the 'intimidation factor' that many architectural firms can invoke. Prices are very fair and we felt like he truly walked us through the entire process and made it fun! It was really important that my husband, who had never done more than wallpaper, feel comfortable in the process and not become overwhelmed. I have built or remodeled in my previous life more than a dozen times and I must tell you, this guy is heads above anyone I have ever worked with.......and my husband thinks he is the greatest ! Finally, the entire office team of Jarvis were wonderful, making us realize that the firm is the architectural find of the Bay Area!......if you are considering hiring an architect, there is no better, in our opinion....proof is in the project! read more

We worked with Lisa Trujillo and Robin Pennel on a complex project involving changing our home from a single family residence to a duplex. Lisa came up with an excellent design that captured our unique design tastes while preserving the look of the original residence. Lisa and Robin were very engaging and open to incorporating our ideas. read more

Jarvis Architects was nothing short of amazing in the work they did for our home. Robin Pennell, Cindy Chan and the others involved 'got' our house, its architecture and, most importantly, what we wanted out of our remodel project. We were able to provide them with some of the original plans for the house and other examples of the original architect's work; which is both distinctive in and of itself and an important remnant of the Prairie/Progressive School of Architecture. With that as a starting point, the rest was their inspiration and vision which respectfully carried the original design and built on it with numerous creative touches. What we received in return is priceless in terms of a place that is truly a home and a wonderful place to live. Thank you for everything you have done for our family! read more