We found our way to Winder Gibson through our realtor and could not be more grateful. We worked closely 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. read more

My wife and I had the pleasure of working with Geoff and his team on a full demolition and new construction 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. read more

Geoff came referred to me via family members who had worked with him and his team on a tear down to ground up design and rebuild -- they raved about him -- his expertise, design acumen and communication and my recent experience was the same! Geoff advised me with a common SF problem -- a consult on repairs for my roof and further my roof deck -- he was beyond helpful on giving a trusted, expert opinion on how to handle -- including different levels of repair and improvement for our use, considering design and permitting plus vendors to work with. He's a pleasure to interact with and a consummate professional! read more

My husband and I spoke with Geoff about designing a custom home. Although we have not taken the plunge yet, Geoff has become a valuable resource and consultant in our search for the perfect property, and even a few renovation possibilities. We truly appreciate his patience as we navigate our home journey and we look forward to working together more once we find the perfect land or renovation project. read more

Geoff responded to my Yelp message for a small project I inquired about in August, to install a kitchen island. Unfortunately, my project was too small, so the company had to decline my request. Even though we did not work together, Geoff offered to be a resource for any questions I had. Thank you so much, Geoff. I appreciate you :D read more

Hi Geoff designed our house. It came out very well. Amazing to see the actualization. Incredible to see all the plans and designs realized on the other end of the tunnel. Geoff is a consummate professional and we are forever grateful. Matt read more

I needed a second opinion on a project I am working on. Geoff reached out and offered to help even though its under their minimum. Gave us some valuable insight and ideas and made us feel much more comfortable with the project we are working on. Super easy to tell he has been in this business for some time! If I ever have a project big enough to bring back here there is no doubt I would. Highly recommended even from our short interaction. Thank you so much!! read more

I have a corner lot in SF and want to explore the development opportunities, so I contacted many architects to get me educated. Geoff Gibson contacted me promptly after I sent out the request, and setup a meeting with me to go over the new ordinance for corner lot, the ADU possibilities, questions to ask the city, etc. etc. We exchanged over 50 emails spanning over a week. He knows the local codes really well, actually he told me about the new ordinance, which turned out to be the best option for my lot. He then read through the code for ADU's with me, explaining every details and suggested the development scheme. He is extremely knowledgeable about the city/its codes, yet he is so easy to talk to: professional, get-to-the-point, customer first. I learnt so much from him and am so grateful for all his help. A definite 5-Star! read more

Even though I did not sign with them, but if anything goes wrong with the current architecture firm I hired, I would definitely go with them in a heart beat. They are very busy, but throughout the whole experience they have been very patient and helpful with me. They always make time to answer my questions (I ask a lot!). They never charged me for the site visits, and even though sometimes I made the request on short notice, they have always try to make it work for me. One of the biggest reason they were my number one pick was because they quote you for the whole package, no hidden fee, and no word play. The cost of architect services are budget based, and I got turned down by one architect firm because my budget was too low for them to take. In this case, Geoff from Winder Gibson make it possible for us, and it felt great. The method they proposed in helping to get this project done within the budget is very logical and smart. I would expect that would save me a lot of time and money. For all I know, and what I have experienced from their firm. I can say if you do pick Windor Gibson you are in good hands. read more

Through a lengthy zoning and permitting process, the team at Winder Gibson worked with us hand in hand. We've worked primarily with Geoff and two other team members. They made themselves available to meet with me and our structural engineer on more than one occasion with short notice which is often how these things play out when you're trying to satisfy picky city building departments. If you have a home that needs work before you can move it, you really need to be sure that the people you're putting on your team are going to make your project as much of a priority in their work day as it is in your life. We couldn't be happier with the design choices WG suggested to us during the development process. When our structural engineer introduced elements that really interfered with the flow of one space we were creating, I assumed we'd have to live with it, but Geoff's team made some friendly suggestions of alternate strategies which the structural engineer was able to make work to keep our future living space looking good while remaining seismically sound. Win win! They also came up with some clever ways of making simple framing changes to really improve the traffic flow in our space challenged single bath craftsman home remodel. Win win again! Also, in this day and age, you would think most companies in the building/construction/architecture sphere would be somewhat technically savvy but that's really not the case. Many people who are otherwise technically adept are still using outdated information sharing techniques and struggle with even the challenge of generating a PDF. Geoff and his team were able to supply us with anything we needed on the first request each time, often the same day. My wife and I have been really happy with Winder Gibson and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone. read more

We have been working with Geoff Gibson and his firm for several months now and could not be happier with the process. He knows the city and its codes very well and gives accurate expectations of timelines and what the city will allow. We have a Victorian and are planning on turning the attic into a full floor with two bedrooms and a bath and we need to add a proper staircase to get up there. Geoff and his associates have been great with drawing up plans of different styles (more modern, more Victorian) and working with us on a long-term solution that will be just right for our family. We are now through the Planning Department process and everything has been pretty much the way Geoff predicted. Next up is the process with the Building Department but I expect that to run as smoothly as everything else with Winder Gibson. We're also working on a variance to extend our deck. There are just so many things that can be done when you have a competent partner. Everyone else in this city always makes it sound so impossible and unpredictable to work with the codes but the truth is you just need to work with a firm who knows what they are doing. read more

To be perfectly honest with you I rarely write Yelp reviews. Someone has to really impress me. My experience with Winder Gibson Architects has been so exceptional that I wanted to share my experience. We chose Geoff Gibson after interviewing several Architects. Although any of them could have drawn up a set of plans for us they seemed to lack the vision Geoff showed and the interest he placed on our needs, wishes and budget. From the very start he impressed us. We weren't sure if we should just remodel the kitchen, or perhaps do a little more to help our 1932 house with a challenged floor plan. Geoff began by asking what we envisioned as a perfect living environment, and also how long we planned to be in the home. What was important and necessary for us , and what would be simply be nice to have. Then we talked budget, and not just what we could afford to spend but also what he felt was the upper limit to invest in our neighborhood. That impressed me, and I appreciated his concern. He brought us 4 very unique floor plan options. His creativity was inspiring. It was hard to imagine the home that we lived in having all of those possibilities. We pulled what we liked from each option to create our own vision of the perfect living and entertaining space. We are presently 3 months in to a 9 month renovation down to the studs. On schedule. And on budget !! How often does that happen ? Geoff has handled the City Planning Department, interviewed contractors, and is helping us design cabinets, select plumbing and lighting fixtures, and even helping us with the color palettes for the rooms. Truly remarkable ! Geoff has proven to be honest, insightful, creative and very responsive to our needs and concerns. This has been a great relationship. The best experience yet with a remodel and I've done a few. I would never think of building or remodeling again without Geoff's help. read more

As a redeveloper and homeowner in SF, I've had the good fortune to work with Winder Gibson over the past 3 years on not only two professional projects but also my own home. They are easy to work with and responsive and don't drive up my architecture budgets to insane levels while still delivering great designs for both more traditional and contemporary designs. My main point of contact has been partner Geoff Gibson and it's been a pleasure developing an on-going relationship with him - even referring him to other clients of mine who are looking to redo their own homes. He and his team have been focused on delivering to my goals and expectations and have demonstrated a remarkable easygoing lack of ego. They're happy to incorporate ideas and design elements discovered on Pinterest or Houzz or that other architects have done if they improve the project and help it deliver better on the clients goals. It's not all about them. I've worked with them through four projects (3 of my own + 1 client project) and wouldn't hesitate to bring them in again on future projects. Five very solid stars. read more

Our experience with the architectural firm of Winder Gibson has been exceptional. We hired Geoff Gibson to draft plans for a change of use for our building. His work has been prompt, professional, and altogether excellent. Geoff has exceeded our expectations and provided valuable insight into the many obscure processes of city permitting. We are very happy with his work and would recommend this firm to anyone who needs a quality architect. read more

We are very happy to have met and worked with Geoff Gibson on a remodel of our Bernal Heights Victorian. We had a challenging floor plan to work with -- one where multiple previous changes to the layout had left the house feeling chopped up and unintuitive. We wanted to completely redo the layout to be more open, make more functional spaces, and find a better place for the kitchen. Geoff did an incredible job finding creative ways to use the space, and in the end, he sketched some options we never even imagined were possible, one of which we are now happy to live in! He helped us every step along the way -- navigating the tradeoffs regarding the seismic impacts (which were plentiful), recommending contractors, cabinet makers, and building materials that were within our budget, and helping us make decisions and keep the project on schedule. Overall we really enjoyed working with Geoff and will do it again if we ever have the opportunity. Drew read more

Can't speak highly enough of this firm. We have done two major house renovations since buying a house in 2010. The first time round we decided to engage a contractor ourselves.The process was stressful to say the least. The second time round we decided to find a good architect to help us with the process. We spoke to several architects but on a neighbor's recommendation we contacted Geoff Gibson of Winder Gibson. We felt he had an immediate understanding of what we wanted to do. There were certain period features of the house which we wanted to preserve and not design something which clashed too much with the rest of the house. Geoff got it straight away. Working with Geoff and Marla was a pleasure all round. We were completely redoing our downstairs area and we wanted to make sure it felt like it seamlessly remained part of the house. Geoff had some great ideas to integrate a completely redesigned internal stairwell, new master bedroom, en suite bathroom and walk-in closet. After the initial visit Geoff presented 3 different design concepts of which we were able to choose one and integrate ideas from the other concepts as necessary. The whole process of arriving at final designs was a pleasure and all I can say is that there was a meeting of minds - Geoff (and Marla) both got what we were trying to do and it almost seemed like they were reading our minds in advance at times. Permitting was handled expertly by Geoff and the selection of contractor was also relatively stress free because of several relationships Geoff had with a bunch of contractors. We had a fairly tight budget and once we had received the contractor bids Geoff was able to help us with value-engineering to get the best pricing. We had to make a last minute change to the plans as my work circumstances had changed and Geoff was able to respond immediately to make changes to the plans to ensure the house would be as salable as possible should we have to move. Geoff helped us with the selection of all the tiles, lighting and bathroom hardware, coming with us to the stores to help us choose. He had regular meetings with the contractors during the work and was always available should we or the contractors have questions as the project progressed. The final result was outstanding and met all our objectives. In summary, you cannot go wrong using this firm. read more

Geoff expertly helped me with a remodel of the single-family home I recently purchased in San Francisco. Working with him was great, and based on this experience I would without hesitation recommend him to anyone who needs an architect for a project of this type (and other types, I'm sure!). Geoff's help started before I purchased the home, in fact. I looked at many properties before buying and knew that I'd be doing some remodeling post-purchase. On the occasions I found something I liked, Geoff visited the home with me, helping me imagine the possibilities of how the spaces in the house could be reworked to align with my goals and priorities. He really has a knack for this kind of vision. He helped me rethink the possible flow of spaces by imagining a wall removed here, or a door or window moved there. And, of course, he had the technical knowledge to back it all up. For example: this wall *can* structurally be removed; this one *cannot*. Code will let you do *this*, but not *this*. It really helped me see exciting things that could be possible, but also not to get my hopes up for things that just literally could not be done. When I acquired a house, we dove into more detail to flesh out the possibilities we'd imagined for that house before the purchase. I was again impressed by Geoff's skills as he spent more time with me in the space, talking through my goals for how I'd use the space and starting to get into my design preferences as well. From here, he came up with a few proposals, in two phases. Phase one had a few possible directions for the kitchen / living room remodel that I planned to do immediately, and phase two had some options for an expansion that I hope to do in the future, independently of phase one. The options in each phase all made a ton of sense, and through some more discussion we decided on a direction for phase one. I was really happy with how this was going. Next came the detailed plans, and the hundreds of decisions one always needs to make when remodeling. Geoff guided me through this, helping me reference my priorities and design preferences to decide on things like cabinet layout, configuration and style, counter tops, tile, and more. He also helped me find a general contractor, getting bids from several and evaluating them with me. All of this had seemed pretty daunting to me before setting out on the project, but relying on Geoff's deep experience in the field took so much of the stress away. We moved forward! While the remodeling was in progress, Geoff was in close contact with the contractor and me, meeting with me and/or the contractor at the site for guidance and questions. As the work progressed and various inspections happened, everything went smoothly. I knew I was in good hands. Now that phase one is complete, I couldn't be happier! The results are both functional and beautiful. I'm always absolutely delighted to spend time in this home. Thank you, Geoff! read more

We worked with Geoff Gibson when we remodeled our San Francisco apartment. He is very talented, very knowledgeable and has a great attention to detail. It was a pleasure working with Geoff and the team at Winder Gibson. We are very pleased with our remodel and would definitely use Winder Gibson Architects again. Sudnya read more

As Matt M. mentioned in his review, Geoff's manifestation of our family home was beyond expectation. We did not know until the end result what impact his design would have on our life's daily experience. Geoff steered us through a tear down and new build of our dream home with utmost professionalism and patience. That being said, the experience of our home continues. Each day we feel the space, air, and light that moves through our rooms as a result of exemplary design. Those qualities enhance the experience of our daily lives as they fill the very space we move through. Geoff's homes photograph beautifully, but their true treasure is in walking through and (if you're lucky) living in them. read more

I did not have a positive experience with this firm. I did not hire them. I am a next-door neighbor to one of their projects. I write this review to share the experience of their communications with neighbors. To start, we did not receive notice of the construction, which seemed odd given we are arguably the house most affected by the major remodel of their project. Once we saw the posted material about the remodel, we contacted them to try to work out issues of light and privacy. We invited this firm and their clients into our home. I regret inviting them in. While Geoff attempted to smooth over the issues, he appeared to be unaware of the SF Planning Department design guideline affecting rear view cottages like ours, which we pointed out to him. Moreover, in talking about the deck his clients planned to build that would be right outside our upstairs bedroom skylight windows, we mentioned that the noise and sightlines would impose on our privacy. His response was the the loud noises my husband I might make during sex in our upstairs bedroom could disturb his clients while on their deck to be built. I found this very insulting and inappropriate. As a neighbor who had to deal with Geoff and his team, I would not recommend this firm. read more

It is a pleasure to recommend Geoff Gibson and Winder Gibson Architects. Geoff is an outstanding architect. More importantly, he is an amazing guy. My wife and I took on a project this summer and found Geoff on Yelp. We screened him along with three other architects and he stood head and shoulders above all of the others. The reasons we chose to work with him are also the reasons we ultimately are recommending him: * Absolute transparency: Geoff explains his pricing in a manner that is very simple, clear, and no nonsense. His fees are a 'not to exceed' ceiling which means he is assuming the risk of budget overruns, but you get the benefit of under-runs. If the project takes less time, you pay less. If it takes more, you don't pay more than the cap. * Deep expertise: It's immediately clear that Geoff is an unquestionable authority in his trade. And his expertise spans the soft and squishy (things like 'feel' of house, 'flow' through the space, etc.) to the highly technical (think complex engineering and technical architectural nuance or sub-sub-sections of building codes.) * Creativity: Geoff likes a good challenge and thrives in tricky situations and highly constrained environments. * Excellent communication: Geoff does a really nice job of explaining technical concepts in layman terms. He has the emotional intelligence to recognize when we don't understand something and uses metaphors and analogies to convey. * Meticulous detail orientation: Geoff is incredibly thorough and removes all of the guesswork from his projects. The specs that he provides to your contractor remove all guesswork and uncertainty. He makes it impossible for contractors to cut corners. * Emotional intelligence: Geoff has the empathy to recognize when you need more time (e.g. decision fatigue) and when you need to speed things along. He also has an uncanny knack for situationally adapting his style. My wife and I think and operate very differently (I'm impulsive and impatient whereas my wife moves more slowly, cautiously, and deliberately) and Geoff worked well with both of us and gracefully had us working together effectively. * Service orientation: Since we were purchasing property in a hot market, we had several instances where we needed Geoff's advice on a moment's notice so we could make a bid. Without fail, we had him on the phone same day. * Selflessness: on multiple occasions, Geoff talked us out of doing something that he didn't think was in our best interest, but would have resulted in higher fees for him. We were always completely confident that he had our best interests at heart. It is also worth noting that in the early discussions, he actively encouraged us to meet with architects to make sure we found the right fit. * Honesty: Geoff doesn't over-promise and under-deliver. On at least two occasions, we were pushing for something that was unrealistic and he set us straight. One related to timelines (how quickly we could realistically expect the project to complete) and the other related to project scope (what we could realistically achieve given our building constraints.) He was very candid about managing our expectations. In short, we unwaveringly recommend Geoff without reservation. He is an amazing architect, a highly responsive and innately service-orientated professional, and a very honest, nice guy. Construction projects are stressful and problem-fraught. Working with Geoff removes this from start to finish... read more

We met Geoff Gibson through a mutual friend and initially reached out just to get some ideas for creating a second full bathroom in our Victorian/Edwardian flat (typical San Francisco with the long hallway and big turrets). Geoff was very nice to do a detailed walk-through with us, and it turns out he had also done the plans for a similar project in the unit right above us--small world! We weren't even sure we were going to hire an architect but long story short, we ended up engaging Geoff's team and embarked on a larger remodel than originally envisioned. On the pro's, Geoff was very clear about his costs/contract terms up front, gave us numerous layout proposals (including some really creative ideas), and was always very responsive on his communication. I also really enjoyed chatting with his assistant architect who came to do the detailed measurements. They seemed like an all-around pleasant team. What could have been better (and this may have been something I needed to ask for as the client) was the lack of a more detailed "creative" discussion early on about our parameters for this project. Geoff kind of did his creative work first, producing various renditions, and then we gave feedback and iterated. I think it would have been a better use of time and energy to have hacked out upfront our must-have's and not-interested-in-having's. We had never worked with architects in the past and were naive as to why you would keep them engaged into the construction phase. So unfortunately when walls came down, some of the room measurements were quite different than anticipated and this caused a lot of tension with our contractor (as it impacted pre-negotiated costs, etc). I don't know how, but I definitely wish that could have been avoided. The not insignificant underestimation of the wall thicknesses was the only "mistake" in the plans per se. In sum, Geoff takes his job very seriously and is likely to give your project the focus it deserves. He focuses his creative juices and is diligent about what he delivers. Everything came on time, in budget, and was delivered with more detail than we expected. I was very touched that on his own time, he asked at the end of the project if he could stop by to see the finished product. He clearly takes pride in his work, and I feel lucky that we got to work with him. As a final note, my favorite part was always the walk-throughs, the before and after of getting to go through the space with him and talk about what is/could have been possible. It can be a lot of fun working with an architect (which I would, oh, probably never say about contractors, who must have cost me months off my life)! And this was a great first taste into that world. read more

We have really enjoyed working with Geoff. We've owned our house since 2002 and had always wanted to change it somehow so the kids could have their own rooms. We spent 9 years thinking of different configurations. When Geoff entered the picture, he designed a layout that was totally different than anything we had imagined, yet so clearly the best, most sensible design that we could not believe we had not thought of it ourselves. He happily incorporated a couple of suggestions we made. Each time, he came back with a new design that wasn't estimated to be any more expensive but included our wishes. (He was also darn close on that estimate---no "it cost double what we thought!") I think his taste runs toward modern, but we wanted our addition to be in character with the rest of our 1907 house. He did an excellent job in that regard. I believe he said he is willing to make drawings and do nothing else, but we asked him to meet with us and the contractor fairly often. At the beginning during the heavy construction, he came once a week. Now we see him less because we are almost done. Also, he's a nice guy---fun to work with. read more

We had purchased our home in 2006 and knew at some point that we would need a major remodel to meet our growing family needs. From personal and professional recommendations, we contacted Geoff at Winder/Gibson and we were so glad that we did! They came up with ideas that were innovative, compelling, yet practical. Throughout the remodel process, Geoff was available and engaging with our plans and wishes. He made the entire process smoother than we could have imagined. Having the experience of Winder/Gibson certainly made us feel that we were in more than capable hands. Between Geoff, Marla, and John, someone was always there to hold our hand throughout all the decisions and to lend an opinion when we wanted one. Geoff was also able to guide us throughout the General Contractor selection process and even introduced us to one of his personal recommendations who we eventually went with. His knowledge of our needs linked us with the perfect contractor. If you are looking for experienced experts for any of your architectural needs, we couldn't recommend any one more than Winder/Gibson Architects. read more

We've worked extensively with both John Winder and Geoff Gibson on substantial internal (taking our Sea Cliff home down to the studs) and external (decks and landscaping) projects. They have been terrific on all fronts. They are talented designers and communicators, and they live up to their commitments. John has been working with us for eighteen months now to resolve a permit issue caused when our general declared bankruptcy and disappeared with a lot of our original work cards, and he has remained diligent and focused on helping us complete the work. Truly valor above and beyond the call of duty. Both my wife and I would recommend these guys again in a heartbeat. (In fact, that's what I'm doing right now - ) read more

Winder Gibson is truly an all star firm. (For context, I have done very few reviews and never given an all star rating). We reviewed three firms. All would have been ok. Winder Gibson won the bid because their ideas were the most compelling. They weren't the cheapest or most expensive firm. They are simply better. Geoff Gibson managed a remodel on my 1916 built home in SF. They gave us three wonderful options for the remodel, which made it pretty hard to choose the best one. Once it got started, we uncovered all kinds of unforeseen issues - it's an old house! But Geoff's firm distinguished itself in every way. They were responsive, ultra-transparent about everything. They managed to a deadline. And while the unforeseen issues made the remodel take longer than expected, it still was done well within the window they forecasted. Thumps way up! read more

My wife and I have been working with Geoff for about 6 months and could not be happier. He listens to what we say and brings his experience to make our good ideas into great ones. He has also been very good at helping us understand the process of construction in San Francisco. We are planning to move out of the house and my wife said that "...I would trust Geoff to see the entire project thru, even if we we're in NYC (which may actually might be the case during the project) . He just totally understands our style and vision." I would recommend Geoff and Marla without hesitation...they make a fabulous team. read more

We recently completed a complicated residential addition and remodel. Beginning with the city variance process and throughout design and construction Winder Gibson did a great job. Geoff solved problems and paid good attention to detail. I would definitely recommend them. Charles J. San Francisco read more

Top notch firm with great attention to detail and a level headed approach to a very complex world-the interaction of client, design and construction. And they have the Listening Gene! Hard to do better. read more

We have just finished work on a complete refurbishment of a historic 2-unit building in Noe Valley. As builders, we are cost-conscious both in terms of money spent on professional services and on the overall construction project. Winder Gibson was able to work with us to create a fee structure that suited everyone and did a good job keeping construction costs in line with expectations. More importantly however, in every project we look for opportunities to add new value to the property. Geoff Gibson was able to work up a design and chart a course through the twists and turns of the permit process that allowed us to recapture valuable living space and expansive views. We are highly pleased with Winder Gibson's work and will certainly hire them again. read more

Geoff Gibson is a phenomenal architect with an outstanding team. We are currently several months into a major remodel of a 100+ year old house in Cole Valley with many age related problems wedged in between two large overbuilt houses. I had put off the project many years fearing a remodel would destroy the character and charm of the old place. I had visions of what I would like but felt it would be difficult for me to translate that to an architect. Luckily I found Geoff through Josh Mogal at eco+historical. Geoff did a walk through, listened to my ideas and concerns, and immediately "got it". He presented 4 different plans, all of them right on and incorporating ideas that I had never dreamed possible. It was difficult to choose one, and when I did, he expertly fitted in my ideas sparked by his design. His contract and pricing are clear cut and very reasonable. The City Planning Department, without notice of how the house was situated, wanted to make major changes to the project and Geoff stepped in with an exceptional letter, additional drawings, and satellite photos to show precisely our concern. City planning relented and OKed the original plans. (I understand it is a rare event for Planning to reverse a decision). As a complete novice at remodeling, Geoff has led me through each step of the way so far and is a delight to work with. He listens carefully to his clients and is a great resource. I look forward to our continued working relationship and have complete confidence that the completed project will far exceed my original expectations. Five stars is not enough to express my satisfaction. read more

my wife and i were very interested in a single family home that needed a substantial remodel in order to meet our needs - turning an attic into a full floor and re-arranging the main floor floorplan and building out the garage level and deck. we were introduced to Geoff over email by our fantastic agent, Val who had clients who had worked with Geoff before and had a great experience with him. Geoff was super-responsive and gave us a detailed initial assessment via email on the feasibility of the project. a few days later, we toured the house with Geoff and he was great at listening to our vision and ideas while giving his informed and insightful feedback on it and offering his own ideas. Geoff helped us assess each major component of the remodel, from the perspectives of design, engineering, construction, permitting and neighbor impact, and helped us ballpark the projected duration and cost of the project. Geoff was a true pleasure to work with, answering our many questions and being very generous with his time. we really liked Geoff and we were sold on going with Geoff for the remodel. unfortunately we did not win the bid for the house, but we found a great architect that we would love to work with on a remodel for the house that we do end up winning the bid for. read more

I've had the pleasure of working with Geoff and his team on several projects, ranging from an interior remodel to a full scale gut/expansion/renovation of a single family home in San Francisco. From our very first meeting I got the sense that Geoff really understood my goals and design aesthetic. Upon working with him, it became evident that not only is he skilled in designing beautiful spaces, but he is also very experienced in dealing with the complex permitting process here in the City. Having him on our team to navigate that process was invaluable. Most importantly, Geoff and his team were very easy to communicate with and always made themselves available when we needed them. The responsiveness and professionalism on their end made everything that much easier. I would highly recommend Geoff and his team to anyone looking for architectural services. read more

Geoff at Winder Gibson Architects was absolutely amazing at building our down-to-the-studs remodel and addition. We love our home more and more each day, and it is so much due to Geoff and his ability to listen to what was important to us--and sometimes not listen to us! By that I mean, I had it in my mind that we did NOT want a reverse floor plan for our home. I told Geoff that when we first met. When we met to go over 3 proposed floor plans, I wasn't happy to see a reverse floor plan in the mix. As Geoff went through the options, and finally the reverse floor plan, I was thrilled he put it together! He did that because he listened to what was important to us and our family, and in order to accomplish what was most important to us, he designed that option the way he did. I guess it's better to say that he knew what we wanted before we did because that was our favorite design. That was just the beginning of the amazing thoughtfulness and attention that Geoff put into every detail in our home. He worked with me tirelessly as I went through questions and ideas of how I wanted to live in our home, and he listened to my requests and always came up with wonderful ideas for us to consider. I have many friends and acquaintances who have gone through the design/build process with other firms and NONE of them have had as good of an experience as we have--especially when it came to how quickly everything came together. We purchased our home in September and by December, Geoff had our plans completed and submitted to the city. Geoff was diligent in following up with our permit application and when the city LOST (!!) some sheets from our drawings, Geoff's team was there the same day with new drawings for their review. Our home is more perfect for our family than I ever could have dreamed. It is all thanks to the creative talents, and great communication of Geoff and his team. I recommend these wonderful people any chance I get. read more

If you considering remodeling your house then I would highly recommend Winder Gibson Architects, they are professional, creative, responsive, and good listeners that helped create an amazing space for our family. They listened to my wife and I, whom have different desires of a house, to design an extremely functional and beautiful living space for 2 adults, 3 kids, and 2 dogs! They were excellent communicators when it came to the whole design, permit, and build process where we would comment that is what they said this might happen as well as resolving questions from Planning department and contractors to help keep the process progressing. They also helped us find a contractor to do the work within our timeline, budget, and find an amazing project foreman who knew the vision, detailed orientated, and kept everything on schedule. Searching for an architect to design a house or remodel is like looking for a partner for the next 6 month to 2 years and we are grateful we partnered with Winder Gibson Architects, whom we would partner again and again! read more

Geoff and his team just finished a project with my company, a major commercial renovation in Nob Hill. Geoff and team were amazing to work with. I wasn't involved in a lot of the pre-planning and designs so I was very impressed and surprised with the outcomes after we finished construction. Geoff was able to really understand our concept and grasp what we were trying to accomplish. When issues came up with the building department, Geoff was quick to respond and was always really thoughtful in his responses. We had a great experience with Winder Gibson and would highly recommend them and work with them again. read more

Five stars for Geoff Gibson. He helped me remodel my Ashbury Heights house. When I went to sell it, buyers drooled over his work. He has amazing taste but is super practical. He tells you where to splurge and where to hold back (if your budget is not unlimited). For smaller spaces, he is super creative in utilizing "dead space." The bonus is that he is a great guy. read more

Geoff Gibson totally reimagined our split level home in Burlingame into a mid-century inspired modern home which is now on the verge of completion. It is even more fabulous built than on paper. Geoff built so much value into our home through excellent design and attentiveness to the way our family lives. His professionalism helped us sail through the city planning commission with virtually no changes to our design. Geoff is a no-stress, collaborative partner who also happens to be an architectural wunderkind! read more

I've worked with Geoff on two different residential projects and each time was very impressed with his knowledge of the very complicated and cumbersome process of building in San Francisco. Apart from his technical knowledge and obvious depth of experience, what impressed me most about Geoff was the professionalism with which he and his team members conduct themselves. This is very important to me in working with anyone and especially with an architect on my own home. He was attentive to our challenging timeline and met every deadline. read more

Confession, I have never written a yelp review before...but I couldn't possibly write a strong enough review for Winder Gibson Architects. We met Geoff Gibson over 2 years ago, by a reference of a friend, when we were just contemplating kicking off a new construction project in the Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose. Geoff came down to walk the property with us and we had a great first meeting. He was engaged, thoughtful and asked such insightful questions that we were flat out impressed. Just as importantly, he was an overall good guy that we felt like we could really work with. Over the following year we interviewed several other firms, with a broad budget range, but we never felt the same connection with any of them. So, a year after our first meeting, we came back to Geoff and said 'let's go' and we have never looked back. My husband and I are both engineers and felt that we were going to be a handful as clients with our noses deeply planted in the project. (I am talking really obnoxious clients...I had sketched dozens of potential floor plans before we had even picked an architect) We knew we needed someone to take our ideas, apply a vision and take it all to the next level...but keep it all within our budget comfort zone. Geoff was more than up to the task. What has amazed me more than anything has been the impeccable communication between Geoff, me and my husband. I say all three because between me and my husband we have two very busy careers and 3 boys under the age of 7...throw in a house project and you can probably imagine what I am talking about. Geoff has managed to completely capture the vision of the project and then marched us through all the phases of design. This included managing us as well as all the other contributors that go into the project. In the end, we have had such a keen sense of collaboration throughout the entire project, above and beyond all expectations. Permits were just submitted about a month ago, we cannot wait to make our shared vision a reality! read more