“We worked with Steven on our whole-house remodel and rear addition project.  We appreciate that he listened carefully to our goals, discussed with us different use scenarios for our house (e.g. when guests visit), and provided a number of creative design options to find just the right arrangement of rooms and the exact room dimensions to serve our needs and goals.  He also discussed with us items that we could address to save on his fee, handled the permit approvals process efficiently, helped us select a general contractor, and visited regularly during construction to check on the progress and quality of work and to keep us updated.  The project had many, many details to address, so having Steven’s attentiveness throughout the project was very valuable to us.  Now, a few years after the end of construction, we continue to feel as we did at the end of construction: We wouldn’t change anything about the design!  We highly recommend Steven for architectural services.”

-Rosanna and Michael A.

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“Steven was the first architect I’ve ever hired myself, though not the first I’ve worked with, and I couldn’t have asked for better. We began a large project, which Steven helpfully broke into several phases, and which ended up lasting the course of around 5 years. His consistency, follow-through, and visioning guided our remodel project through clear and bumpy times. His planning and execution are impeccable, a much-needed stabilizing force, which met our vision that turned our fine-as-is home into one with better flow, consistent design, and in compliance with City codes and regulations, which continued to change over time. Steven brought a novice, such as myself, through the complexities of San Francisco building codes, with vision and simplicity, though the project was never simple. His network of contractors and planners facilitated the plan to fruition with ease. Our house is now a home.”

-Chad S.

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“My wife and I hired Steven to provide us architectural plans for a complete interior remodel of our flat located in the Cow Hollow District of San Francisco. Steven was extremely helpful, considerate and responsive to our needs. In fact, before we even began the project, we expended literally months with Steven as he helped us put our vision of what we wanted our home to reflect into a beautiful set of plans.

Once the plans were approved, Steven diligently worked with my wife in selecting the various finish materials used to complete our home. To this day, we cannot get over how beautiful our home turned out. We are completely satisfied with the services of Steven and would eagerly refer him to anyone who needs an architect.”

-Leo M.

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“My project was complicated and required an extensive approval process, including a variance. Steven worked closely with me to create an elegant design solution, and he diligently navigated the maze of required approvals. I was particularly impressed with his tactical and thorough approach; he received written approval from the building and planning departments on key aspects of the proposed work prior to developing his drawings. This foresight proved critical when a plan checker challenged an aspect of the design — and was overridden by the prior written approval. I also appreciate that Steven participated in the project from start to finish and that he was flexible with his design, skillfully adapting it to changes during the process. The quality and extent of his services in relation to his fee was a tremendous value. I’m very grateful that Steven was my architect for this project and I wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone in need of architectural services.”

-Greg J.

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“Our experience with Mr. Whitney spans about 12 years, beginning with a comprehensive rehabilitation of our 1908 home that included a substantial addition pushed out in the rear of the home. He then designed a bathroom remodel sometime later, then finally a tile design for the kitchen that had been pushed out in the rear of the home. Mr. Whitney was knowledgeable about what is permissible to be accomplished with a vintage San Francisco home so as to always find polite ways to counsel us regarding what we could find practical success with, with the San Francisco Planning Department, but to still approximate our wishes as best as possible, and always finding creative ways to satisfy our wants. For example, he found ways of preserving the existing Late-Victorian-transition-to-Craftsman-period details but while accomplishing a complete and utter, yet “under-the-skin”, thrust of our home into the 21st Century (e.g., CAT5 throughout, modern plumbing and electrical services, etc.). We would otherwise have been lost in locating sources of the exact materials to accomplish this, as well as introductions to craftsmen who went about the rehab with skill and who he helped to finish the work in a timely fashion. Now, several years later, we remain thrilled with Mr. Whitney’s designs for our home and, therefore, completely unmotivated to make any more changes. We’ll stay in this home forever as we know it, and much of our satisfaction is due to Mr. Whitney’s extraordinary architectural, “people” and managerial skills. We recommend his services without any reservations.”

-Nancy Z. and David N.

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“My partner and I hired Steven to do a feasibility study for a top-floor addition for our house.  We began the process by familiarizing him with the property through a detailed walkthrough.  The walkthrough included a discussion of the sloped floor of our living room and the cracked 10′ retaining wall on the downhill side of our sloped property, and Steven suggested prioritizing the repair or replacement of the retaining wall and the possible foundation work prior to going forward with the top floor addition, to safeguard our house.  We took his advice and got a structural engineer, a soils report, and eventually a contractor.  The retaining wall was in worse condition than it appeared and significant problems were avoided for us and our downhill neighbors by replacing it when we did, the new foundation was designed for the possible future top floor addition, and the repairs included leveling our living room floor.  Our goal of a house addition wasn’t lost in this process: we ended up doing an interior remodel of the front portion of the ground floor, which was previously an under-utilized garage area for storage and utilities, to add a bedroom, bath and laundry closet.  The whole process involved many brainstorming sessions with Steven, at each stage he invited our feedback, and together we decided which ideas would be integrated into the next project step – a true collaboration.  He was very creative, careful, and helpful throughout the entire process.  My partner and I are so happy that we found Steven, we couldn’t be happier with the finished project, and we feel indebted to him for his meticulous work.  I would eagerly refer him to anyone who needs an architect.”

-Phil G.

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“I worked with Steven on the remodel of the lower level of my home in San Francisco.  Top-line:  Steven is creative, superlative in his craft, thorough in his research and planning, and a joy with whom to work.  For my project he provided several options for maximizing the use of the space and suggested other important improvements for structural integrity and moisture-prevention.  Steven’s network is expansive and high-quality.  Through his network I found the contractor for this project and several projects that followed.  I’ve gone back to him time and time again for advice.

I’ve also had the pleasure to visit a friend’s home that was fully remodeled based on Steven’s designs and plans.  Throughout the home I saw creative uses of the space and enjoyed the overall beauty and flow of the home.”

-Michelle C.

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“Steven Whitney is the best architect we’ve ever worked with, and we’ve worked with others on other projects. We redid the facade of our house and converted some outside space to inside living space. Steven is great because he consults with you every step of the way. He knows how to work with the city, and is good at managing all the parties involved.

Steven guides you and constantly consults with you while also coming up with a unique design and vision. He is thorough and balances design with practicality. As an example, we wanted a certain look to our facade. He worked with us on selecting materials and windows that would withstand the elements, while at the same time being mindful of our budget. He helped us select items such as house numbers and even a mailbox, and gave his feedback on what aspects to consider in selecting each item. Steven will consult with you and get as detailed as you need him to get.

Steven also worked with the San Francisco city planners and came up with a solution that avoided triggering a variance. Our project involved converting outside balconies into inside living space, and the design was such that in the end city agreed to not require a variance. This saved us time and money in permits and extra approvals processing.

Finally, Steven works well with contractors and all parties involved to ensure that the project moves forward. Our contractor had feedback during the construction process, and Steven worked with him to adjust certain aspects of the plans to move our project along without compromising the design.

We are happy with our remodel, and we now live in a nice and more comfortable house thanks to Steven. We highly recommend Steven Whitney and will work with him again.”

-Roberto A.

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“Steven somehow manages to translate what you want into physical form, without hassle and with great economy. He is the master of the elegant solution.”

Annette M.

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“I very much enjoyed working with Steven Whitney. I added a deck to the back of my house and installed large sliding doors to create an indoor-outdoor living space. Steven had exciting input on the project and improved my ideas in every step. He was very familiar with City codes and regulations and made the approval process a lot smoother. Most of all he is a great communicator and is able to coordinate the work with the different parties involved and as such avoiding many headaches for me.

I have never worked before with an architect so dedicated to his work. He answers to emails within a few hours, and often within minutes. That includes weekends. He is in ongoing communication with you about process of the project and continues to give valuable input during the construction phase.  He knows a lot of professionals in the City and that can make a huge difference when you run into obstacles, and can help with selecting materials as he is familiar with the vendors landscape in the Bay Area.

Steven is very detail oriented. Initially I found this overwhelming – but as I became more familiar with building regulations in San Francisco, I certainly enjoyed his dedication to my project and the small details he pointed out which in the end contributed a lot to the beauty of the finished project.

He is very mindful of pricing – another aspect I found most helpful. He pointed out early on, what costs would be if I decided to change designs, like decreasing the number of support columns for the deck. He helped in getting quotes from contractors and outside inspectors and when he found them too high, and helped negotiate costs.

I am very happy with every detail of the work and will hire him for my next project. I can highly recommend Steven Whitney without any reservation.”

-Fritz B.

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