--- title: "John Barton Architect — Architects & Building Designers | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/john-barton-architect-pfvwus-pf~722135126 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~722135126.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "John Barton Architect" category: ["Architects"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/8a93786b03b1958e_1341-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "Fremont, California 94539, United States" latitude: 37.5176 longitude: -121.9287 phone: "(510) 290-9007" website: https://jbarch100.houzzsite.com rating: 4.9 review_count: 41 best_of_houzz_awards: 5 followers: 144 last_updated: 2026-08-17 --- # John Barton Architect Original Houzz profile: [John Barton Architect](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/john-barton-architect-pfvwus-pf~722135126) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Architects - **Location:** Fremont, CA - **Serves:** San Jose, Fremont, Hayward, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Livermore, San Ramon, Redwood City, Mountain View, Milpitas, Pleasanton, Union City, Dublin, Palo Alto, Campbell, Menlo Park, Los Altos, East Foothills, Sunol, Lake Tahoe - **Houzz rating:** 4.9 out of 5 (41 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 5 awards (2015–2021), for Service. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Houzz Influencer - Recommended on Houzz - 1,000 Ideabook Saves - Best of Houzz winner - Online consultation - 28 years in business John Barton Architect is a leading residential design studio serving generations of Bay Area Families. We help clients explore the possibilities for their lifestyle to develop the appropriate solution for their home. John Barton is personally in charge of all projects within the studio. Your project will never be "handed off" to a junior designer. Our design philosophy is that houses have gotten bigger than we really need. We prefer to collaborate with clients who appreciate that a well-designed, more appropriately sized home is preferable to a "bigger is better" approach. We strive to incorporate sustainable design into all of our projects and have found that starts with size. Quite frankly, we believe that a smaller well designed home is more sustainable than oversized homes... ### Services Provided - Architectural Design - Building Design - Home Remodeling - Architectural Drawings - Custom Homes - House Plans - New Home Construction - Home Additions - Home Extensions - Kitchen Design - Sustainable Design - Kitchen Remodeling - Floor Plans - Energy-Efficient Homes - 3D Rendering - Bathroom Design - Green Building - Space Planning - Universal Design - Multigenerational Homes - Pool House Design & Construction - Home Restoration - Structural Engineering - Mudroom Design - Site Preparation - Laundry Room Design - Construction Drawings - Permitting - Represent Clients at Design Review - Represent Clients at Planning Commission Review ### Areas Served - San Jose - Fremont - Hayward - Sunnyvale - Santa Clara - Livermore - San Ramon - Redwood City - Mountain View - Milpitas - Pleasanton - Union City - Dublin - Palo Alto - Campbell - Menlo Park - Los Altos - East Foothills - Sunol - Lake Tahoe ### Typical Job Cost $50,000 - $1,000,000,00 Typically a fixed fee however open to other arrangements ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | John Barton Architect | | Address | Fremont, California 94539, United States | | Phone | (510) 290-9007 | | Website | https://jbarch100.houzzsite.com | | License Number | C-15,326 | | Followers on Houzz | 144 | **Social profiles:** - Blog — http://jbarch100.houzz.com/ ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [John Barton Architect](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/john-barton-architect-pfvwus-pf~722135126) - **Website:** https://jbarch100.houzzsite.com - **Phone:** (510) 290-9007 ## Credentials **Certifications & Awards** - Former Chairman of the City of Fremont Site Planning and Architectural Review Board. - Lake Tahoe Mountain Home Award Winner - **Best of Houzz:** 5 awards (2015–2021), 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: 4.9 out of 5 — 41 reviews** ### Reviews **★★★★★ — HU-408076761, Jan. 2020** > John has done a Fantastic job, Very Professional. Everthing was done on a timely manor. I heard allot of stories about home projects,( be careful who you hire..just negitive)Not John, always a Professional approach! **★★★★★ — Priya R, Jan. 2020** > We wanted to add a guest suite and remodel/rework some of the interiors in our house in Fremont, CA. We approached John with our requirements. He visited our house and talked to us at length and really understood what we were looking for. He also educated us on the permit process with the city and explained the cost and time of the different addition sizes. Once we decided what we wanted, he set to design and very quickly presented us with a few different options. His design made the extension seemlessy integrate into the existing structure, appears like it was always meant to be. He reworked the interior to work better for our needs and took care of the permit process with the city and had a working approved plan within 3 months. After construction started, when we needed an evaluation from him for a foundation issue, he was able to quickly evaluate the issue, find a resolution and get that approved by the city. John has a good reputation and standing with the city planning commission and he is highly respected. He is open to our suggestions, input and constraints and factors that effectively into the design that he comes up with. It was a pleasure working with John and would highly recommend him. **★★★★★ — Conrad Kong, Sept. 2019** > Hired John for a complete rebuild project in Albany, CA. > John is very good at what he does and very professional. Before hiring John, I had another professional to design they house and had lots of issues with the cities regarding the design. John took over the project, his experience really showed. He was able to redesign the house that addressed all city and neighbors concerns and quickly got approval. Project was all smooth sailing after John took over. John can also do structural engineering as well. This saves both time and money. The house turned out great as we could see from the pictures. I would love to work with John in my future projects. **★★★★★ — Rodney Pierre-Antoine, Sept. 2019** > John Barton is an exceptional architect. We contracted with him on the renovation of our 2-bedroom, 1-bath house in Alameda, CA. He invested time to connect with us early on to understand our vision for our forever home and was attentive to our needs throughout the planning process. John has a wealth of knowledge and experience and made valuable recommendations and suggestions that enhanced our plans. We were incredibly impressed with his collaborative spirit in partnership with us, our contractor and the city of Alameda. Throughout our renovation project, John proved to be timely and responsive. With gratitude and confidence, we strongly recommend John Barton as a highly-qualified architect for whatever architectural design needs you might have. **★★★★★ — Sally Kester, Sept. 2019** > We are fortunate enough to be working on our second! John Barton home. John designed our home just over 20 years ago in the Bay Area. His ability to create our vision was spectacular and we had a home that we loved. > Four years ago we moved to the Sierra Foothills into a family home that was in much need of revitalizing and even more so, in need of light (it was such a dark house!). We hesitantly called John (hesitant only because we are now about 125 miles away from him) and he was more than willing to make the long trip and again design a spectacular home for us. When he suggested taking down a rock wall we said, "we can do that?" and he knowingly said yes. We are just over half way through this project. The builder calls John for confirmations or clarifications and within minutes work continues. John has worked with our county building department to secure the necessary permits and has provided engineering expertise to replace three load bearing beams/posts with steel beams that are now unseen. > John is so very easy to work with and we are so wonderfully lucky to now be working on our second John Barton home. **★★★★★ — Tom Hayes, Sept. 2019** > We wanted a first-floor master suite added to our home and a complete renovation of the ground floor, including an open-concept kitchen-dining-great room. We are absolutely thrilled with John’s design. He also incorporated a covered patio off the kitchen that is spectacular. The neighbors all agree that the house has been transformed from cookie-cutter to completely custom, one-of-a-kind. **★★★★★ — Badsah Mukherji, Jan. 2018** > This is a long overdue review of John Barton. We hired him as our architect for a master bedroom addition and partial home remodel. John was courteous and professional, and patiently answered all of our questions. This was our first major project on the old house, so we required a lot of education. John was a helpful guide throughout the process. He was prompt with his deliverables at each stage, and if we caught an error, he would fix it quickly. While our project wasn't the most complicated (nor very big), John contributed some interesting ideas that made our small addition unique and allowed us to maximize utility of limited space. We were pleased with our final design and configuration, and our friends think the house looks great. John also provided us with a list of contractors with whom he had worked in the past and trusted. We ended up taking bids from three of them and hired one. When we needed John's input during construction, he made himself available and gave valuable feedback. Finally, I should mention that John's rates were reasonable for the services he provided, as compared to the market. He offered us a flat rate structure for the designing and planning stage, and charges hourly for additional services during construction. I highly recommend John Barton Architect to anyone interested in doing new construction or a remodel. **★★★★★ — Jonel Jackson, Dec. 2017** > We did a major remodel, addition, and refurbishing of our home about 10 years ago. John did an excellent job of translating our goals and desires onto paper. After listening to us he came up with 3 rough sketches for us to consider. He then miraculously blended them together into a perfect plan for our lifestyle. > I think designing a remodel is more difficult than starting from scratch because you have to work with an existing structure and make it blend with the new additions. John made that happen for us. You'd never know it wasn't all built at the same time. > We are eternally grateful and will happily stay in our home for many more years. **★★★★★ — Matthew V., Sept. 2017** > Our project is a medium-sized remodel. We are adding 150sq feet to the front of our house, adding a new roof (for vaulted ceilings), and giving the rest of the house a general facelift. > > We found John on houzz, and originally chose him because of his stellar reviews. We are very happy that we chose him! From the onset, John was extremely knowledgeable, taking time to educate me on the processes involved in our remodel. He has made a stressful process much more bearable by be responsive to questions, thorough in his designs and answers to our inquiries, and he's handled the communication with the city for us. John's work is high quality and punctual. We highly recommend him. **★★★★ — Aaron Chesterman, Jan. 2017** > John completed the plans for a re-model including a small addition and some structural changes - he was very easy to work with and created a great set of plans. We have not gone through construction yet, but I expect it will go smoothly with the clear plans. Starting from a napkin sketch of mine, John brought his ideas to the table and helped guide the project in a direction that we are very excited about. We would not have thought of the way he approached it, and we look forward to working with him during construction a bit more. **★★★★★ — jkaurw, Dec. 2016** > I contacted John about a small renovation project at our house in Fremont last summer. > He was very professional and personable. John quickly understood what we were trying to achieve, and was able to assist us with the project in a timely manner. **★★★★★ — Terrence Carraher, Dec. 2016** > I was referred to John by a friend, and I am completely satisfied. Knowledgeable, articulate, and on time with plans for our addition. His understanding of the ins and out of working with the City and on its processes really helped make the process smooth, and the design he provided in the end worked out really nicely. He was willing to work on changes to the plans as our understanding of space and requirements evolved and impacted the design, and we were always met with a smile. ## Selected projects - [Los Gatos Rebuild](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/los-gatos-rebuild-pj-vj~2248230) - Location: Los Gatos, CA - Photos: 8 - [Newark Custom Home](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/newark-custom-home-pj-vj~597374) - Location: Newark, CA - Photos: 1 - [Carmel Cottage](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/carmel-cottage-pj-vj~2251239) - Location: Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA - Photos: 3 - [Mountain Home](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/mountain-home-pj-vj~594431) - Location: South Lake Tahoe, CA - Photos: 7 - [Fremont Second Story Addition](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/fremont-second-story-addition-pj-vj~596193) - Location: Fremont, CA - Photos: 1 - [Fremont Facelift](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/fremont-facelift-pj-vj~596235) - Location: Fremont, CA - Photos: 2 - [Second Story Craftsman Addition](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/second-story-craftsman-addition-pj-vj~763555) - Location: Santa Clara, CA - Photos: 5 - [Ranch to loft](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/ranch-to-loft-pj-vj~620104) - Location: Fremont, CA - Photos: 6 - [Fremont Kitchen Addition](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/fremont-kitchen-addition-pj-vj~597334) - Location: Fremont, CA - Photos: 3 - [Menlo Park ranch to loft](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/menlo-park-ranch-to-loft-pj-vj~651895) - Location: Menlo Park, CA - Photos: 6 - [Fremont Remodel](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/fremont-remodel-pj-vj~597365) - Location: Fremont, CA - Photos: 1 - [Glenmoor Remodel](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/glenmoor-remodel-pj-vj~597357) - Location: Fremont, CA - Photos: 1 - [Los Altos Hills Remodel and Addition](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/los-altos-hills-remodel-and-addition-pj-vj~940640) - Location: Los Altos, CA - Photos: 2 - Description: A small addition (approx 200 sf) to an 1950's ranch house in Los Altos Hills...The project did completely renovate the existing house and focused on integrating the house with the exterior spaces. The Family Room opens out to the front yard patio while the Living Room focuses on the exterior view of the San Francisco Bay... This is the second project of what will be a three phase project. - [Exterior Renovation](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/exterior-renovation-pj-vj~678374) - Location: Fremont, CA - Photos: 1 - [Tahoe Cabin](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/tahoe-cabin-pj-vj~681120) - Location: South Lake Tahoe, CA - Photos: 2 - [Fremont Upper Floor Addition](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/fremont-upper-floor-addition-pj-vj~596240) - Location: Fremont, CA - Photos: 2 [See all 16 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/john-barton-architect-pfvwus-pf~722135126) ## Ideabooks - [Wish List](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/157894432/list/wish-list) — 2 ideas [See all 1 ideabook](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/jbarch100) ## Community Q&A **Q: Pls: what brand gas cooktop? And what are in drawers beneath?** *(in Photo Questions)* A: Sorry it took me so long to respond...I believe the cooktop is a Wolf and the drawers below are pull-outs for the pots and pans... **Q: Table** *(in Photo Questions)* Great table and chandelier! A: Yes...Owner was very involved in those decisions and fortunately she has a very good eye form mixing different elements **Q: Love the paint color. What is it?** *(in Photo Questions)* A: Its a Kelly Moore color but it has been so long, I don;t have a record of whish one it is...Glad you liked it though... **Q: Need help with main floor plan** *(in Design Dilemma)* Here is our main floor plan as it is now. The bedroom \#5 and ensuite need to stay the same as they are for our son with special needs. Actually, the ensuite could be changed as long as it had the same elements and enough floorspace to accommodate a wheelchair. It would actually be preferable for the tub to be opposite the door as he will be using a lift on a track to get him from the bedroom to the tub. The stairs also need to remain the same. The walk-in closet could be modified if needed as he doesn't need a closet that big, it just worked in the space. Other than that, we can change doors, windows, etc. We need to have a powder room, kitchen, living room, dining room, and laundry/mudroom. The rooms are where we want them, but I feel like it's an awkward layout and doesn't flow nicely. We've been tossing around ideas for awhile now and still not making much progress. Walls are going up this week so we need to decide lol. We'd like to maximize kitchen workspace and cabinet space. We also need a fair bit of kitchen storage for large items such as flour, sugar, appliances, etc. We would love an island, even if it's on the small side. If possible we'd like room for seating at the island. The living room will have built in cabinets around the fireplace. The dining room will have an 8 person table as well as either a buffet or built in cabinets. In the laundry room, we'd like the washer/dryer and sink with cabinets above, as well as some kind of mudroom/bench area. We thought of maybe putting the laundry in where the closet is now and then having the mudroom in where the laundry currently is marked in. I would LOVE any ideas on how we should arrange things so everything works well together. I like things symmetrical and tidy and it just seems like everything is a bit off in the current layout. Thank you! A: I would see if the pantry could be relocated to the "dead space" between the kitchen and family room. That would allow more counter space. Then I would get rid of the peninsula between the kitchen and the living room. You could then locate an island (running front to back). Good luck!! **Q: Need help with exterior updates** *(in Design Dilemma)* What would you do to update the exterior of this house? A: The first thing I would do is remove or relocate the bushes that obscure the windows on both sides of the front door. Those were intended to be focal elements and the landscaping should complement them. Instead, the placement if those bushes is competing with the architectural elements... **Q: vinyl siding over stucco for curb appeal?** *(in Design Dilemma)* We are finally almost done with the changes in the interior of our house and I wanted to tackle the exterior as well. We live in a hillside and we have to put up vinyl fencing for safety due to the 4 feet drop from our front yard as I have small children. What else can we do to update the curb appeal on this house? I don't really want to paint the stucco as It was just painted two years ago when we purchased this house and I feel like stucco is what the rest of the neighborhood has already. My style is more industrial/ranch/barn---i know, it's a lot-- I may have a confused style. Inside the house is more modern industrial but I feel the outside feels blah? We are also planning on keeping the brick and having the driveway paved or laid with concrete to match the brick. TYIA! --fyi, the signage is not there anymore, it was from Thanksgiving and my kids thought it was fun to put a banner up :) A: I agree that vinyl siding would be the last thing I would do. I like the idea of some vibes draping over the retaining wall. Hard to tell from the picture if the windows have any exterior trim but if not, you might try adding some detailing around the windows. If you are going to keep the stucco the grey color, you might try doing an overlay stain on the bricks to give them a tint that would be more compatible with the stucco. Try a few samples on some spare bricks to make sure you are happy with the result . Good luck!! --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-08-17.*