Discuss it further with your architect. Find out why they are recommending a residential elevator over a commercial elevator. Is it because of cost? Is it because of their experience with only residential elevators?

Product reviews are sometimes just sour grapes and do not accurately reflect the actual quality of the product. Talk to people you know with elevators in their home. Talk to people you do not know with elevators in their home. Talk to i.nstallers that install different makes of elevators if you can find them

@cpartist built a house in FL a few years ago and included an elevator in her home. Hopefully she will see this and give you her opinion.

Another research option is to tour residental sale properties with elevators.

@cpartist has been off Houzz and MIA for a while. Fully devoted to her art and family: )

There are a ton of pneumatic elevator companies in LA the issue of course is right now how many are actaully there with all those horrible fires . Probably not much being done on your home front right now so you have time to check out sources.

Thanks everyone. We are considering either a hydraulic or traction elevator without a machine room. Not pneumatic

Thanks BeverlyFLADeziner but this will be a true elevator (at least if you are in the US). Our remodel is essentially a new build so we are building the space to include an elevator. It will be housed in something that looks like a closet.

https://arrowlift.com/blog/fitting-a-home-elevator-in-a-closet/

I live in Pittsburgh and built a townhome almost five years ago with an elevator. It has four floors so stops on each floor. This has not received heavy use, but it has been fine since we moved in at the end of 2020. https://www.accesselevator.com/symmetry-home-elevators-pittsburgh-buffalo-rochester/ . I think the brand is Symmetry. I'm assuming there is a local vendor in LA for these.

Get a fireproof elevator.