AJS Architecture | Planning

Tony Sarboraria designed a 2,000 square foot shop with an upstairs in-law unit. At the onset of the project I wanted to maintain the farmhouse character and charm of our home. I also had concerns about a large addition keeping in scale with the existing house. The in-law unit had to be designed for easy access and family interaction for my mom while giving her own private space. Tony’s design achieved all the project requirements and surpassed my expectations. His design for the connection of the addition to the existing structure was creative pulling elements from the house and our backyard pergolas to mask part of the addition. The connection to the house was also extremely functional incorporating an elevator and private entrance to the in-law unit. Working through the design was a positive and collaborative process I enjoyed. Tony is very knowledgeable about different building materials and construction methods. At each of our design review meetings Tony always addressed all the comments and questions from the previous meeting. The design was always evolving forward at each meeting as we solidified key elements. Tony was great working with my wife and mom helping them understand the design and getting their feedback. I’m a construction project manager for commercial buildings so I would often have technical questions about the design, construction methods and permitting process. Our collaboration during the technical conversations were always good and insightful. Having the opportunity to work with several architects throughout my career, I would say without any doubt working with Tony was one of the top experiences I have had.

Tony Sarboraria designed my 2,000 square foot home. He performed miracles in giving us everything we wanted within the space limitations that we defined. Tony combines a real sense of he practical with a honed spirit of aesthetics. Our home is not only wonderfully functional, it is also quite beautiful. We have been in the home now for three years and I still find myself saying…"I can't believe how beautiful this house is. I can't believe it belongs to me." I give Tony my highest recommendation.

As first-time remodelers, we weren't sure whether we should consult with an architect or that we could even afford one. We discovered Tony through a mutual friend. Before we met with Tony, we had pared our wants down to the following three items: * Work-from-home office space * Updated & expanded kitchen * Media room to provide our growing kids their own indoor space Our expectations had been boxed in by our 1969 tract home. Tony not only exceeded those expectations, he blew us away with an innovative design that at once met our needs, freed our curbside frontage and interior experience from the tyranny of the cheap tract box, and met all the practical requirements of budget and city regulations. Tony held our hand and supported us through the permitting process. His adaptability and responsiveness saved us thousands of dollars in permit fees. Tony's contacts led us to the perfect builder/contractor. Schedules and budgets were never in question. The few inevitable gotchas and change orders were taken in stride and didn't blow up our budget. In short, we enjoyed our remodeling experience largely because of Tony's influence. We've lived in our new space for 3 years now and we're still happy. Tony was the best thing to happen to us and our remodel.