3,777 Orinda, CA Architects

A well-chosen architect can design a home that is specifically tailored to your family's lifestyle. Highly competent and professionally-trained designers, many architects in Orinda, CA also use sustainable design principles to maximise the site and materials used, so your home uses less energy and saves you money in the long term. More

Not sure where to start? Let Houzz match you with local professionals for these projects:

Featured Reviews for Orinda, CA Architects

SDG Architects

Orinda, CA Architects

3 August 2015

“Jeff Potts at SDG designed us an incredible, award winning guest house! What I particularly like about Jeff is his open and approachable style. We've worked with many architects over the years and many simply don't want to listen to the client. Jeff listens and then delivers a design beyond your expectations. I would highly recommend working with them.”

Saikley Architects

Orinda, CA Architects

20 May 2015

“We worked with Alexandra for a rebuild of our home, upgrading it from a 3bd/1.5 bath to a 4bd/3.5bath while adding a second floor and changing the layout of the house dramatically. We chose Alexandra based on two critical expectations: that she would be good to work with (after all, you spend countless hours with your architect on a very expensive project), and that she would share our philosophy regarding the importance of combining form and function in house design. We were very lucky to have chosen her. Alexandra indeed spent countless hours with us. She paid careful attention to our wishes and needs. She worked patiently through every detail of the house, helping us maximize not only our living space but also important functional aspects of the house. From beautifully located and proportioned stairs to storage for kids backpacks under an entryway bench and built-in cabinets to roof segments and their slopes, everything was thoughtful, detailed, and practical. Alexandra also showed great professional and personal skill in navigating the permitting process, developing a good relationship with the city’s planning department that allowed us to enjoy all the benefits of the zoning code. She was always ready to help and mediate successfully when issues inevitably came up with our contractor. She followed through with everything she said she would in an even, friendly, and professional manner. We are delighted with our home and, truth be told, also take joy in the many compliments we get from anybody who visits our home or even passes by it. Alexandra was wonderful and we can’t recommend her highly enough.”

CB Architecture + Design

Orinda, CA Architects

17 April 2015

“Megan transformed a tired 1960's ranch-style into a beautiful home. We had struggled for many years with how to replace an outdated railing separating a long hallway from the sunken living room. Megan came up with a shelf design that was both beautiful and practical. She turned a dark panelled kitchen into a light, airy heart of the home. Megan brings architectural savvy and a fine attention to detail -- the style and position of every light, the type of plumbing fixture, the loveliest tile and backsplash, the handles on the kitchen cabinets, the most durable and beautiful wood floor. She accompanied us in selecting these items. Most of all, Megan is a great -- and fun!--person to work with. She listens, provides options, is always on time and stays within budget. She helped us develop the criteria for selecting a contractor, assisted us with interviews, all of which enabled us to select a contractor who fit our needs and budget. In summary, Megan is not only a skilled designer, but a highly effective project manager.”

Mark Molinar

Orinda, CA Architects

4 May 2016

“We worked with Mark to design our new home. He spent the time with us to understand what we wanted. He incorporated our needs and requirements into various plan options and provided us with information on costs, pros and cons, etc. We had a very complicated project - Mark took the initiative to lead us through the planning a design process, acting at times as a project manager and presenting the plan to the city, other engineers and representing us when needed. He was very easy to work with and very professional. Building a custom home has significant challenges - Mark's help was instrumental in getting the project completed on time.”

Koch Architects - Joanne Koch

Orinda, CA Architects

29 January 2014

“I just completed a complete remodel of my San Francisco Edwardian flat and build out my basement. Joanne and her staff did a fantastic job. It started out as a kitchen bath remodel, but once the design process started expanded to include every room as we discussed how different spaces would be used and what I didn't like about the current space after living with it for 20yrs. Might as well do it right! Joanne's attention to detail, listening, and high ethical standards are unmatched. She would listen in the meetings and ask questions then come back with some ideas and sketches to get my reaction. She knew what I wanted without me even knowing it. She was also sensitive to the project budget which was important. I was able to complete the project within my budget. She was also key to working with the general contractor. She brought with her experience in projects of my scope / scale and working with different contractors and even her own remodel. This helped immensely. I look forward to the opportunity to work with Koch Architects again.”

Dotter & Solfjeld Architecture + Design

Orinda, CA Architects

1 November 2012

“We worked with Dotter & Solfjeld most recently to design an Italian villa on a hillside in Saratoga, CA. This was actually our third project together as they worked on an expansion and remodel of our previous house in Palo Alto as well. As soon as we bought the lot in Saratoga Russ and Wencke, of D&S, began studying the landscape, spending significant time at different points in the day to intimately understand the light, the views and the flow of the hillside. Russ and Wencke are experts at both exterior and interior architecture and design, and they are an amazing team! Once they felt they knew the property, they spent time with us to understand what we liked and disliked and then began designing our house based largely on Italian building principles of thick walls and simple, yet elegant, construction. D&S involved us in every step of the process and ensured we were completely comfortable with each phase of the design before moving forward. They totally went above and beyond the call of duty by diligently working with our planning department and even one neighbor. They were our advocates with the City and were clearly extremely well respected by everybody they interfaced with. During the building process, D&S worked closely with our contractor and foreman to ensure that the project ran smoothly and stayed on budget. Often times, there is tension between architects and contractors, but our contractor loved working with D&S. Some of our friends have also used D&S to design ultra modern homes...D&S is super versatile and we unequivocally and enthusiastically recommend them.”

Mikiten Architecture

Orinda, CA Architects

30 August 2014

“We hired Erick Mikiten as the project architect for a major kitchen remodel and some ancillary work on the entrance porches to the house in 1994/95. We wanted to expand the kitchen, remodel the interior to include new cabinets and an island, provide a new seating area in an addition at the rear of the house, and improve what was then an awkward connection between the kitchen and a rear bedroom. Erick came up with a very creative solution to the space constraints in the existing kitchen that resulted in a much more spacious kitchen with a larger island than we had anticipated. The addition on the rear of the house not only provided a seating area with views into the rear garden that we use on a daily basis, but included a very attractive raised ceiling and exterior architecture that continue to receive admiring comments from friends and visitors almost 20 years later. Erick's firm also recommended a new color scheme for the exterior of the house, which we adopted. Even now, from time to time complete strangers stop by to ask about the specifications of the paint colors because they find it so attractive and are considering doing something similar. Throughout the project Erick made great efforts to understand what we were looking for and present alternative options to achieve this, going through multiple iterations of the design as we refined the concept together, then producing a final design that satisfied our budget constraints. During construction, Erick visited the site on a regular basis and worked closely with the contractor to make sure that the work was being done in conformance with the design.”

Barry & Wynn Architects, Inc.

Orinda, CA Architects

21 March 2016

“Barry and Wynn are talented, visionary architects who create beautiful works that both blend with the surroundings but also stand on their own in terms of individual character and timeless beauty. They have completed two commercial projects for me, one having one the prestigious Gold Nugget Award.”

TEAC Structural Engineering

Orinda, CA Architects

7 May 2020

“I have known and work with Perry Tabor from TEAC for about 20 years know and we have worked on various projects over the years. Perry will come out to a project early on and help with design solutions and how these solutions impact the project from a structural (and therefor cost) perspective. Many engineers would not do this until they are hired and even when they are hired by the client might charge extra for this. I have also worked with various other engineers at TEAC that Perry has hired and they have all been exceptional also showing Perry's talent as a manager as well. I look forward to working with him on many other future projects!”

John Newton-Design & Development

Orinda, CA Architects

5 October 2015

“John helped plan and did drawings for a small residential renovation. His plans meshed well with seismic design undertaken at the same time. He was helpful in space planning, and drew several alternatives. He shared electronic files (not all architects are willing to do this), which was super helpful.”

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Next Page

List your business here for free - Learn More

If your renovation is more than a simple benchtop replacement or roof re-tiling job, then it may be time to find an architect in Orinda, CA who can manage your project from start to finish. Depending on the architecture firm you hire, the scope can span from planning sustainable design into your renovations, to selecting furniture and even interior finishes.

How do I find the right architect for my home design project?

An architect is often the first person you hire for your project. Before taking steps to find an architect in Orinda, CA, ask yourself what you want to achieve from your renovation or home construction. Do you want to improve the liveability and sustainability of your home, or simply expand? What style of architecture do you prefer? Once you have established your motivation, research architects that have completed similar house designs in your Orinda locale and within a comparable budget to yours.

Undergoing renovations, house extensions or building a new home entirely can be stressful. For this reason, it’s important that you and your chosen architect get along and share the same values, especially if you require an architect to help you refine your brief. To establish this rapport, you may need to meet several times with the architects on your shortlist before making a final decision on who you hire. The relationship you have with your architect is very personal, and will involve discussions of your habits, hobbies and tastes, so you want to ensure you have picked someone you feel comfortable in sharing this information with.

Most importantly, you need to trust that your architect will manage your home improvement or house design within budget, while working with site constraints, and coordinating the relationships of all parties involved in the project.

Ideally, your Orinda, CA architect will be involved in all phases of the design process, from the initial concept to the completed construction. Your architect may be needed to select and hire California subcontractors (e.g. builders, engineers and landscape architects) just as they may need to negotiate contracts with stakeholders. A good client-architect relationship will ensure they are your biggest advocate along the way during construction.

Finally, remember that the most well-known or established architect may not provide the right architectural services for your needs. It all comes down to the individual project.

Questions to ask prospective residential architects in Orinda, CA:

What is your fee structure?

What does the cost include?

Do you have professional liability insurance?

What types of renderings (3-D, video, illustrative) will you produce?

What is your experience with similar projects?

When do you expect to start and be finished with the project?

What do your services include?

What happens when the cost exceeds the budget?

Would you say your work has a defining style? (The architect's personal style could interfere with your vision.)

Will you help with hiring a project manager and subcontractors?

What do you estimate the cost will be?

What will I need to provide?

Do you foresee any complications with this project?

Find residential architects on Houzz. To find the best Orinda, CA architect for your home design project, narrow your search to find professionals in Orinda, CA. Then browse their latest projects and read reviews. You can also look through photos of projects to find an interior architect or designer who has worked on a project similar to yours.

Find architects near me on Houzz

Before you hire an architect in Orinda, browse through our network of 3,777 architects. Read through home owner reviews, check their past projects and then request a quote from the best architects near you.