--- title: "Turkel Design — Architects & Building Designers | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/turkel-design-pfvwus-pf~1736454364 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~1736454364.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Turkel Design" category: ["Architects"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/ad73196701647164_9957-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "Sonoma, California 95476, United States" latitude: 38.2849 longitude: -122.4696 phone: "(877) 710-2518" website: http://www.turkeldesign.com rating: 4.5 review_count: 6 best_of_houzz_awards: 1 followers: 82 last_updated: 2026-08-09 --- # Turkel Design Original Houzz profile: [Turkel Design](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/turkel-design-pfvwus-pf~1736454364) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Architects - **Location:** Sonoma, CA - **Serves:** Canada, Select international countries, USA - **Houzz rating:** 4.5 out of 5 (6 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 1 award (2020), for Service. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Recommended on Houzz - 1,000 Ideabook Saves Turkel Design is a residential architecture firm, specializing in high-quality custom homes, that offers a streamlined process for both planning and construction. Turkel Design guides a global clientele through an interactive design experience, while leveraging the predictability of prefabricated building systems to control the cost, quality, and timing for the execution of inspirational custom homes. Turkel. This way home. For more information, visit www.turkeldesign.com or call (617) 868 - 1867 ### Services Provided - Architectural Design - Building Design - New Home Construction - Sustainable Design - Energy-Efficient Homes - Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) - Green Building - Guesthouse Design & Construction - Universal Design - Multigenerational Homes - Handicap-Accessible Design - Prefab Houses - Custom Home ### Areas Served - Canada - Select international countries - USA ### Typical Job Cost $1.7 million - 10 million The cost of your home will depend on the finishes and specifications you select, where you will be building, and how much you choose to modify the design—if you are starting with one of our standard models. Turkel Design homes start at $1.7 million. Visit our FAQ page to learn more about how it all works. https://www.turkeldesign.com/how-much-does-it-cost ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Turkel Design | | Address | Sonoma, California 95476, United States | | Phone | (877) 710-2518 | | Website | http://www.turkeldesign.com | | Followers on Houzz | 82 | **Social profiles:** - Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/TurkelDesign/ - X (Twitter) — https://twitter.com/TurkelDesign - LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/company/turkel-design-llc - Blog — http://turkeldesign.com/ ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Turkel Design](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/turkel-design-pfvwus-pf~1736454364) - **Website:** http://www.turkeldesign.com - **Phone:** (877) 710-2518 ## Credentials **Certifications & Awards** - -Lake Muskoka Boathouse: Honorable Mention, Residential Design Awards, Architect Magazine, Dec. 2023; Highest Honor, Wood Design & Building Awards 2023 - -Mulmur Hills Farm: House of the Month, Architectural Record, Dec. 2022 - -Axiom Desert House: Modernism Week 2019 Featured Home - **Best of Houzz:** 1 award (2020), for Service. **Affiliations** - [The American Institute of Architects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/schools-and-organizations/the-american-institute-of-architects-pfvwus-pf~1350720471) ## Reviews **Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5 — 6 reviews** ### All 6 reviews **★★ — Michael Cordisco, Dec. 2019** > Great designs, unfortunately, unprofessional business practices, dysfunctional communication and poor project management. Discontinued working with Turkel because they failed to deliver what they promised. **★★★★★ — R. L., July 2019** > My husband and I had tried working with another architect before Turkel, but we did not get beyond the planning stage as there were too many disconnects regarding budget, scale and timetable. With Turkel, however, the process was streamlined, with reasonable certainty regarding cost and timetables. The Turkel team paid attention to how we planned to live in the house and crafted solutions that really work for us. For example, they added a spiral staircase from my closet to my office which allows me to wake up hours before my husband and get to my office without waking him, as well as a hidden service kitchen which allows us to enjoy the day-to-day benefits of our open plan main kitchen and living area, while also having a more private prep space when we are entertaining a crowd. Our local builder was dubious at first about panelized fabricated construction, but he quickly became a convert when he saw the Turkel team’s speed and precision. In short, we love our new home and feel so fortunate that we actually get to live here. **Comment from Turkel Design:** > Thank you for sharing your experience! We're glad to hear that the process felt streamlined and predictable and that you're happy with your custom elements. We would love to hear how you're enjoying your new home after you've settled in. > -The Turkel Design team **★★★★★ — Laura Van Ham, June 2019** > Joel Turkel, Jake Wright and their team at Turkel Design helped us through the process of designing a home we love. They were great to work with, detail oriented, experienced and design beautiful and livable homes. We've lived here more than 5 years, and highly recommend them for your project. **Comment from Turkel Design:** > Laura, > It's great to hear that you enjoyed working with our team throughout the process of designing your beautiful home. We hope you continue to enjoy it for many years to come! > -The Turkel Design team **★★★★★ — Maggie Carpenter, April 2019** > We love our Turkel house. The building process was fun and even after 5 years, I really wouldn't have done anything differently. Visitors are constantly amazed. When it snows, it is like living in a snow globe and I no longer mind the rain as the many windows keep it from ever getting gloomy. The overhanging prevent unwanted sun in the summer and allow more natural light in the winter. We still pinch ourselves that we get to live here! **Comment from Turkel Design:** > Maggie, > Thank you for sharing some of your favorite details of your snow globe! We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the design and building process and that you still love your home every day. We hope it continues to bring you joy through all the seasons. > -The Turkel Design team **★★★★★ — Susan Malloy, Dec. 2018** > When my husband and I decided to build a second home in Greenville, SC on Paris Mountain, facing the Blue Ridge mountains, we were instantly drawn to Turkel Design. Paris Mountain is a designated ecologically sensitive area, so minimizing the building impact was very important. Turkel Design’s use of precision fabrication was the perfect solution, with walls built offsite and then set in place. Turkel Design arrived on site and began working with us with the placement and orientation of the house. They graphically showed us how light would enter the house throughout the changing seasons, adding clerestory windows on the back to allow the sun to stream in during the winter. Winds flow up the valley, and they strategically placed windows to capture that flow throughout the house. Their design placed the house into the hillside so that it blends seamlessly in the mountain and inside temperature stays consistent all year long. The team even guided us with interior choices, including cabinetry and fixtures. The end result is a house with breathtaking views that blends organically on the mountain. **Comment from Turkel Design:** > Susan, > Thank you for sharing what you enjoyed most about the design process! We enjoyed working with you to design your home to fit naturally into the beautiful mountain landscape and are honored to hear that you're happy with the results. > -The Turkel Design team **★★★★★ — Verdisian LLC, Nov. 2018** > “I worked with Turkel Design on three projects in upstate New York, which were entirely designed and facilitated remotely via online design tools and screen-share meetings—making the design process smooth and accessible from wherever I was located. I appreciated their systems approach, and how they pushed the boundaries of the systems in order to achieve inspiring spatial conditions. When working with them to design my most recent home, the goal was to be mindful of the environment without sacrificing lifestyle or good design. They helped me achieve this. In fact, one of the homes became NAHB Emerald Certified in New York and was the 2012 recipient of the NAHB Building Systems Councils Best Green Built Home Award.” **Comment from Turkel Design:** > It's great to hear that our remote design process was what you were looking for. It was an incredible opportunity to work with you on your three projects. We particularly enjoyed designing with energy-efficiency at top of mind and are happy to hear that you felt the same way. > -The Turkel Design team ## Selected projects - [Mulmur Hills Farm by Turkel Design](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/mulmur-hills-farm-by-turkel-design-pj-vj~7104032) - Location: Mulmur, ON - Photos: 12 - Description: Relying on locally sourced wood, concrete, stone, and blackened steel accents, the multi-generational home honors the site’s agricultural heritage while enhancing the family’s modern lifestyle. Innovative materials such as cross-laminated timber reduce waste and promote sustainability. The communal living spaces are refined and rustic, simple and open, and overlook agrarian buildings, pasture, a pond, and the nearby pine forest to bring nature into everyday living and holiday gatherings. - [Wine Country Retreat by Turkel Design](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/wine-country-retreat-by-turkel-design-pj-vj~6926946) - Location: Sonoma, CA - Photos: 8 - Description: With a nod to the warm modern architecture of the Sonoma Valley, the home has clean lines, exposed structure, and natural materials. The great room offers a central place of gathering that can be completely open to the outdoors. Indoor space ensures privacy by separating the primary and secondary bedroom suites while providing panoramic views of the site. Operable wooden screens glide along the façade of the home for protection from the sun or additional privacy. - [Desert House - Modernism Week Featured Home](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/desert-house-modernism-week-featured-home-pj-vj~5644927) - Location: Palm Springs, CA - Photos: 16 - Description: Featuring the Turkel Design signature post-and-beam construction and an open great room breezing out to a private courtyard, the 2,110-square-foot Desert House draws from the lifestyle and culture of Palm Springs—seamlessly blending indoor and outdoor living while incorporating sustainable and energy-efficient products and systems throughout. Inspired by some fundamental tenets of midcentury modernism, Axiom Desert House is a modern oasis that offers seamless transitions between indoor and outdo… - [Town Cove Retreat by Turkel Design](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/town-cove-retreat-by-turkel-design-pj-vj~5898449) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 13 - Description: A home designed for sites with expansive views, this design was customized to work seamlessly with the surrounding landscape, while addressing the specific needs of our clients. Filled with light from all directions and beautiful natural materials, the home is a bright and welcoming retreat for its family. The kitchen is a notable favorite space for all. The hub of the home, it’s connection to the public spaces is further enhanced by the direct views out toward the trees and diffuse light from a… - [Muskoka Cottage by Turkel Design](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/muskoka-cottage-by-turkel-design-pj-vj~5247811) - Location: Muskoka Lakes, ON - Photos: 15 - Description: Designed to celebrate magnificent lake views from the moment of arrival, Muskoka Cottage is wide open on both sides, with expansive windows, an open floor plan, and two 24-foot-wide retractable walls of glass that tuck into pockets—connecting the double-height space with its natural surroundings and elevating views among the tree canopies. Our clients wanted a space that would be conducive to entertaining, so we designed a large kitchen that’s open to the dining room, living space, and screened… - [SoHo Loft by Turkel Design](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/soho-loft-by-turkel-design-pj-vj~5438402) - Location: New York, NY - Photos: 9 - Description: This 4,500-square-foot SoHo Loft, a conjoined space on two floors of a converted Manhattan warehouse, was renovated and fitted with our custom cabinetry—making it a special project for us. We designed warm and sleek wood cabinetry and casework—lining the perimeter and opening up the rooms, allowing light and movement to flow freely deep into the space. The use of a translucent wall system and carefully designed lighting were key, highlighting the casework and accentuating its clean lines. Photos… - [Grange Lake House by Turkel Design](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/grange-lake-house-by-turkel-design-pj-vj~211698) - Location: Palmetto, GA - Photos: 5 - Description: Built in a community that embraces sustainability, the home meets the innovative EarthCraft House standards which ensure a residential building is sourced, constructed, and designed to reduce environmental impacts. In addition to resource-efficient building materials and systems, an inclined butterfly roof draws rain water through a central scupper along a cantilevered spillway into a retention pond, creating a dramatic plume of water. Clear sight lines run through the house and draw in the dogw… - [West Neck House by Turkel Design](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/west-neck-house-by-turkel-design-pj-vj~1988160) - Location: Shelter Island, NY - Photos: 5 - Description: Custom designed for a multi-generational family, our West Neck House features several distinct en-suite pods, each with its own bath, sitting area, and outdoor terrace. It is ideally configured for family gatherings—with a large outdoor terrace, screened room, family room, centralized kitchen, and dining hall—while also providing ample privacy to ensure each member has space to breathe. - [Howe Sound House by Turkel Design](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/howe-sound-house-by-turkel-design-pj-vj~211668) - Location: Gambier Island, BC - Photos: 8 - Description: Sitting atop a steep hillside of fir trees overlooking the Sound below, this is a cedar-and-glass home whose challenging location required us to ship the materials to the site by barge, followed by a particularly precise siting. The wide open living space shares breathtaking views and natural light with the kitchen, dining room, and loft—with seamless flow between indoors and out, thanks to large lift-and-slide doors. In order to extend use throughout the seasons, we created a partially covered… - [Thunder Road Reaches](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/thunder-road-reaches-pj-vj~7620350) - Location: Wilson, WY - Photos: 15 - [Aspen Valley Home by Turkel Design](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/aspen-valley-home-by-turkel-design-pj-vj~7574704) - Location: Aspen, CO - Photos: 10 - [Carmel Valley Retreat by Turkel Design](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/carmel-valley-retreat-by-turkel-design-pj-vj~7574694) - Location: Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA - Photos: 16 - Description: Carmel Valley Retreat rises gracefully to the challenge presented by its location: a very steep slope on conservation land with stringent planning restrictions. It responds by elegantly integrating into the slope—maintaining a modest profile and seemingly retreating into the hillside slope. In a community where the regulatory environment is prohibitive to most, the design works with the land to preserve and augment a rare and beautiful natural setting. Sheltered by a large stand of mature coasta… - [Teton Mountain Home by Turkel Design](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/teton-mountain-home-by-turkel-design-pj-vj~7376107) - Location: Wilson, WY - Photos: 8 - Description: Nestled in among the trees, this mountain retreat is home to a young, active family. The peaceful yet majestic setting called for a simple approach that captures the rolling views and mirrors its calm. Walls of glass wrap the double-height great room, opening the home to breathtaking views, both near and far. This connection to the surroundings is felt from every room, each with its own unique vantage point—whether settled low next to the fire, or from the perch of the loft. None, however, is qu… - [Silicon Valley Home by Turkel Design](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/silicon-valley-home-by-turkel-design-pj-vj~7574596) - Location: Palo Alto, CA - Photos: 9 - Description: This family home brings the serenity of a rural retreat to bustling Silicon Valley. Approaching from the street, experience the warmth of the wood façade, and notice how it obscures all but a glimpse of the interior. Only upon entry does the home reveal views near and far via a glass-walled great room. These views, along with the infusion of natural light, lend a feeling of expansiveness to the carefully proportioned spaces. Follow the crenelated rear façade to discover a series of outdoor terra… - [Las Palmas Retreat by Turkel Design](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/las-palmas-retreat-by-turkel-design-pj-vj~7574684) - Location: Palm Springs, CA - Photos: 10 - Description: Palm Springs is an enclave city in which homes serve as buffers between the public street and completely private rear courtyards. The street-facing walls of these homes are a critical component of privacy-making: the wall controls both physical access and visual privacy, but also mitigates the intense heat and light of the desert climate. The shade and thermal mass provided by the walls are vital to modulating temperature. This notion has led to many examples of beautiful breeze block walls that… [See all 15 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/turkel-design-pfvwus-pf~1736454364) ## Community Q&A **Q: Is all the flooring concrete including outdoors?** *(in Photo Questions)* Flooring A: Hi, we used polished concrete for the floors in the Desert House, but there are limitless options. Feel free to call me direct at 617-934-2105 if you would like to discuss in greater detail. Thanks, Rob Gray - Turkel Design **Q: No question. I just wanted to say this is BRILLIANT!** *(in Photo Questions)* Very clever A: Thanks, Karen Rob Gray Turkel Design - 617-934-2105 **Q: What are the cabinets made of? Mahogany? Or?** *(in Photo Questions)* Please reveal the beautiful details of those cabs? A: Hello, Thank you for your interest in our kitchen design. The custom cabinetry, which we design and have manufactured in a stabilized factory environment—and provide it as part of our package—has a number of optional finishes. The finish in our Axiom Desert House is a reconstituted poplar that has been dyed to resemble an engineered teak (a lower price point and more sustainable). -Turkel Design **Q: what color is on the wall?** *(in Photo Questions)* A: Hello - It's "White Picket Fence" from Dunn-Edwards. Let us know if you have any other questions about the design or architecture of our homes. Our email is info@turkeldesign.com. --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-08-09.*