Architect Andrew Morrall

We’ve been working with Andy on the design of our new custom home in San Carlos. We are through the design phase and have recently submitted our design to the San Carlos planning department for design review. There have been a lot of moving parts to the project so far, and we anticipate more to come. So far Andy has been great to work with, capturing our vision in a beautiful modern home. Andy listened carefully to the fundamentals of what we wanted, building upon these to create a stunning design. The main pavilion living space is positioned on the 2nd floor while being positioned away from the adjacent downhill neighbor to create privacy. The house is designed to wrap around a landscaped pool and feature expansive window walls with both views of the pool and the panoramic bay beyond. Unique to the home is that each room has both the expansive bay views and views and access to the more intimate and private landscaped pool. Andy has worked every step; meeting with the San Carlos Planning staff early on, scheduling pre-reviews of the design with planning staff; interacting and engaging with the building contractor during the design phase to develop a working budget, going through several iterations of documents and estimates; Engaging with the Landscape Architect to give insight how the Architecture of the home can blend seamlessly with the landscape design and pool; working closely with the structural engineer to create a cost effective structure and design. We’re excited to be working with Andy on our new modern home from the ground up. We highly recommend Andy as your Architect.

We were referred to Andy by a friend who finished a similar entire home remodel several years ago. We've been highly appreciative of Andy's candid approach upfront with the possibilities and limitations for our project, along with realistic expectations of the budget early in the process. We are a two-story condo above two other condos in a five story building. In spite of all the structural and technical challenges that were presented with such a project, Andy was able to come up with some very exciting and creative designs that will completely transform the space, while still protecting the elements of the home that we liked. We couldn't be happier in choosing Andy as our Architect for our two-story entire home remodel!

We've just completed our 2nd Major Remodel with Andy after having the pleasure of working with him several years ago on our 2nd story addition. Our 2nd project with Andy included the main level Kitchen, Family area, Mudroom and Powder Room. We were so impressed with Andy's design talent the first time, that we were certain we wanted to work with Andy to tackle the design challenges for the second go round. Andy again was integral to the success of the project. After receiving an initial estimate from a contractor we had worked with in the past that was higher than expected, Andy was able to offer another contractor more in line with our budget. After listening to our thoughts and concerns, Andy offered several design options, and again we were really excited with the finalized approach. Andy was able to incorporate some specific design details we wanted, and then build upon them and make them a unique feature for our project. When we were facing technical challenges with the millwork detail we incorporated into the project, Andy suggested a solution that the millworker went with to solve the problem. Andy again was great to work with through the design, both listening and offering design options we hadn't thought of. His attention to design detail really made the project. His knowledge of construction and cost were such a great asset to making our project a success. He followed through with the project from beginning to end. We Hired Andy 2x as our Architect, we highly recommend him for your project!

The best compliment I can give Andy as an Architect is that after completing a successful entire house remodel and addition project several years ago, we hired Andy again for our second phase Rear yard Deck and Roof Deck Addition. Andy has again developed a design we are thrilled with. Andy has creatively solved both from the design aspect and also in dealing with the San Francisco Planning Department and the permit submittal process. Before starting again on the process, Andy was upfront with what the permit submittal process would be, and the estimated cost of construction. We look forward to working with Andy Again on this major project. We enthusiastically recommend Andy as your Architect!

I have been working with him for a while. He is prompt and very knowledgable. And Friendly!! Project we are working is complex. I highly recommend him.

We hired Andy as our Architect for our Glen Park Remodel project in San Francisco. From the very offset, Andy identified key issues of the existing conditions and effectively incorporated these into the final design. He was also very upfront regarding the project construction cost and schedule. Andy listened to all of our design goals and clearly communicated ways to achieve these while taking into account the construction budget. He provided multiple design and cost options, so we can choose based our budget and goals. Andy's design process covered all aspects, right down to the finish and fixture selection for the remodeled Baths. Part of the design process is Andy bringing in a contractor who has worked on his past projects to provide preliminary estimates before starting the permit process. This gave us the opportunity to review the budget and make any adjustments needed prior to starting the permit process. Andy is very conscientious of costs to us, he actively negotiated with the vendors to steer us toward lower cost fixtures to achieve the same design goals. We couldn't be happier with Andy's skill and talent as an Architect. He was able to take us through the design every step of the way, manage our expectations and obtain our building permit in one day!

After interviewing several Architects we Hired Andy as the Architect for our house addition and remodel in the Lakeside Terrace Neighborhood of San Francisco. We’ve found Andy very professional and knowledgeable. He was enthusiastic in solving the design problem and presenting 2 very creative and effective solutions to choose from. Andy listened to all of our concerns and ideas and was very thorough in explaining and responding to our questions. Andy’s design is keeping with the style of the original home while opening up a portion of the existing Kitchen and Dining Room. Andy’s design features a unique solution of a cathedral ceiling for the ground level addition that ties in with the Main level of our split level home. One of our concerns was safety for the new ground floor addition. Andy proactively offered several practical solutions. One will allow for a large stacking sliding glass door with a retractable rolling screen for security. A main concern for us was cost and budgeting of the project. We appreciated Andy’s candor and honesty when assessing the construction budget early in the project. A unique way Andy works with clients is that he will invite contractors that have worked on his past projects to develop a working budget during the design phase. Andy has been an invaluable asset, especially during covid, for all of the submittals and dealing with the planning and building department. He is enthusiastic in being our advocate while dealing with the planning and building department. He is willing to negotiate, and where needed push back. We have very much valued Andy’s skill, talent and attention to detail throughout the project. We enthusiastically recommend Andy as the Architect for your project! The remodelling project is still being reviewed by the SF City Planning Department with which Andy continues to communicate and interact on our behalf. DWTsang

Andy’s professionalism and enthusiasm for our projects has really shown through. He’s been with us every step of the way. We interviewed several Architects for our major ground level addition due to his attention to detail and creativity. We had a concept and idea of what we were wanting to achieve. Andy consistently was able to take our ideas and offer creative ideas and options. A significant improvement Andy was able to offer was a 2 story bay window addition in our rear yard. Due to Andy’s thorough knowledge of the planning code and permit process we did not need to go through any lengthy neighborhood notification or lengthy wait for the exterior addition. The main staircase will be featured in the design, Andy devised an ingenuous solution to overlay the new stair with the existing. This will allow expansive light from a large skylight to filter through the entire home and down to the lowest level being excavated. Andy enthusiastically and consistently offered significant nips and tucks to the design concept. When the original scope of the project came in over budget, Andy again enthusiastically offered solutions to bring the project back within budget. We highly recommending Andy as your Architect!

A friend recommended Andy as our architect for our whole house remodel in the San Francisco Richmond District neighborhood. We have been very happy with Andy’s skill and talent as an architect during the design phase and have subsequently referred him to our upstairs neighbor. During the design phase Andy really listened to our ideas and concerns and presented some very creative solutions to the design problem. One design concern that we shared with Andy was how you enter our home. We liked the idea of a more open kitchen, yet I did not want to be immediately presented with the kitchen as you enter. The existing kitchen is situated right next to our entry with a full height wall obstructing the view of the kitchen. Instead of struggling with the existing location of the kitchen, Andy presented the bold solution of moving the location of the kitchen entirely. This allowed us to open our home more and take advantage of the two large bay windows at the front. Now as you enter, you are presented with an open formal dining room (where the existing kitchen once was) flanked by custom detailed millwork. By moving the kitchen, Andy took advantage of our two large bay windows that allow copious sunlight to flood the kitchen, living, and dining, and extend all the way towards the rear hall. Andy was able to incorporate more custom millwork to create window seats with cabinetry below. This ties in the whole design concept. The result is an exciting, more open concept with the right amount of definition for each room, featuring custom millwork throughout the home. We are now starting construction of ours and our upstairs neighbor’s project, after being guided by Andy through the design phase, pricing estimate, detailed drawings for permit and construction, contractor bidding and permitting phase. We found Andy great to work with throughout the process. His highly professional and detailed method of work took us from general ideas and design concepts to a well-defined design, (after being presented several ideas and options) to detailed design and construction documents, pricing estimates, and to final selection of a contractor. We are excited now to work with Andy as the architect during the construction of our project. Andy’s bold design ideas, creativity and enthusiasm for out project has really made the difference for us. His attention to detail, thorough approach and willingness to be honest when presented with tough questions and situations is helping to make an overwhelming and complex project a success. We would definitely recommend Andy.

After carefully listening to me, Andy was able to solve a challenging design problem with utmost creativity and deliver exactly what I requested. The project was a complete gut and remodel of a top floor unit in a 3 story 2 unit building that had been poorly remodeled around 4 decades ago. The existing layout was chopped up and not much thought, if any was put into the existing layout. Andy had the vision and creativity to offer several design solutions, taking a poorly designed 2 Bedroom 1 Bath unit with poor light and small spaces and turning it into an airy light-filled 3 Bedroom, 2 Bath Unit with a grand open concept for the Dining, Kitchen and living Room. Now as you enter the unit, ascending the stairs, you are greeted with a grand space that extends the building from front to back, flooding the grand space with light. Andy's design features the open Kitchen at the center of the open space with a series of skylights centered over the Kitchen Island. Space was tight, Andy's design makes use of every inch, incorporating cleverly a slightly curving Kitchen Island and wall that allows for proper clearances, while providing a unique design feature. Andy was able to position the new Baths back to back in the vicinity of the existing plumbing, a cost saving measure. All 3 Bedrooms provide ample space while allowing full size queen and California King beds and furniture. I could not have been happier in the way Andy approached the design problem and solved it with such skill and creativity! Andy's Architectural services include a complete scope of services, and he brings in a contractor who has worked on his projects, and a Structural Engineer early during the design phase. This develops a strategic team approach that is able to problem solve early in the project, providing pricing estimates during the design phase to keep the project on track. I was impressed with Andy's candor, and his knowledge and command of the building codes and permit process. He shared with me early and throughout the project where potential issues could come up and provided solid solutions on solving them. Andy brought up early in the project a poorly designed Ground Floor Entry from the previous remodel that did not meet current egress requirements, and provided a simple cost effective solution. He also brainstormed with the Structural Engineer when issues came up during the permit submittal to come up again with a simple and cost effective solution. Included in Andy's design services is the complete interior design of the Kitchen and Baths. During the design phase Andy introduced me to vendors he has used to build his own projects and assisted in the finish and fixture selection. Included in Andy's services is a bidding and construction phase, where he manages, reviews and aids in the selection of a qualified contractor, and is available during the construction to review the progress and problem solve during the construction if issues come up. Our building permit has been awarded, (after Andy's dogged persistence), the contractor has been selected and construction is set to start! I could not have been more impressed with Andy's skill, talent and performance, and would highly recommend him as your Architect.

We hired Andy as our Architect at the start of last year. We are now nearing completion of construction of our entire house remodel and rear yard addition in the Potrero hill district of San Francisco. We could not be happier with Andy’s design skills and technical knowledge as an Architect. The main floor was previously remodeled back in the 70’s and left Andy with a challenging circuitous floor plan with a lot of nooks and crannies with wasted space. Andy was able to deftly reapportion the existing space and develop a design with a serpentine Kitchen island that will become the new focal point of our home. This concept was the key to providing us with a much larger Kitchen, dramatic Entry and all of the items on our wish list. Now as you enter the Main floor you are greeted with a properly proportioned Entry. The serpentine island faces the Entry, and is the first design feature you are presented with. The large Kitchen island leads your eye towards the Living Room window wall featuring a panoramic view of the San Francisco skyline. Our lower floor level is now where the new Master Bedroom addition will be. Andy’s space planning skills allowed us to keep a large portion of our Garage as storage. Andy opened the existing Stair to the floor above which allows light into the ground floor from a skylight above. Andy was attentive to design details such as providing a soundproof window transom that will allow light into an interior Family Room. Our Master Bedroom includes all of the items on our wish list and a much larger Master Bath and closet than we were anticipating. Early in the design phase Andy flagged a small portion of our rear yard addition that did not quite fit the planning department’s required rear yard setback. Through a series of project review meetings with the city and some back and forth with the planner, Andy was able to negotiate an administrative variance with much less submittal requirements than a full variance. Our variance was approved in a matter of weeks and we were able to submit for our building permit on schedule. Andy was able to walk through all 40 sheets of drawings and documents and receive the building permit over the counter in a matter of days. Andy then coordinated a competitive bid phase with 3 contractors, one of the contractors being referred by Andy. Andy provided detailed bid instructions and a set schedule for all of the contractors to ask questions and submit their bids. The comprehensive detailed set of bid documents assured we were able to compare the 3 bids accurately. The contractor Andy referred us to had worked on Andy’s past projects. He also us with a detailed preliminary pricing estimate during the design phase. The contractor Andy referred us to ended up being the contractor we chose to build the project. During construction Andy has made site visits at the end of key milestones and has provided invaluable design ideas for further detailing. Andy has been able to work with the contractor to answer questions and problem solve for existing conditions that were uncovered during demolition. We are so excited about our project nearing completion. Andy as our Architect has been the key to our project’s success. We enthusiastically encourage you to consider Andy as your Architect.

After months of working closely with Andy Morrall, Architect, we are almost ready to submit plans for building permits and begin construction! In the dynamic and complex construction market for the greater San Francisco – Bay Area, we were very fortunate to have Andy’s skill and expertise to bring our project to this point. Our home burned to the ground in the 2017 wild fires in Santa Rosa. Our previous house was a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1750 square foot, ranch-style house built on a hillside site located on one side of a wide ravine. The house was used by us as a getaway and weekend retreat for ourselves, our family and friends. Out of our loss, we wanted to rebuild a home that took advantage of a great location situated in the hills between Santa Rosa and Calistoga while incorporating our personalized wish-list of functional and aesthetic features. At the top of the list was for a modern, architectural style within a 1750 square foot layout. Next, we wanted to achieve a highly energy efficient design. We engaged Andy after visiting the home and studio he designed and built in the Oakland Hills. While we knew many architects from personal and professional contacts, we asked Andy to work with us because his own home reflected the elements we were looking for. Of course, it helped that he has a very professional manner, and a large portfolio of completed projects. We were confident that Andy could help us design a home that we would be proud of. Andy took our wish-list and prepared several design solutions which very much met the objectives of our wish-list. For our favorite design, he cleverly used the contours of our hillside site to create an angled design that separated the sleeping quarters and living areas between two wings. Subsequently, a roof deck was added over the great room on the main level that further extended the views to the south. Thus, the overall design had three levels. The main level focused on living, dining, cooking, and entertaining while minimizing stairs for the future as we aged in place. A great room wing was comprised of a living room, dining area and kitchen. The bedroom wing had the master bedroom on the main level and guest rooms on a lower level to provide a degree of privacy for our guests Each of the bedrooms will have access to individual decks. An office was situated above the main level and also served at the access to the rooftop deck above the great room. Andy offered a dramatic element and solution to accessing the roof deck by designing a three-story staircase tower, situated at the nexus of the two wings of the house. The staircase tower will connect the roof deck, main level, and the guest suites on the lower level. A stunning view of the steps in the tower will greet everyone entering the house. Another aspect of the design we are excited about is how effectively Andy has engaged the outdoors, bringing them into the home. The great room has a nearly 30 foot sliding door/glass wall that maximizes the dramatic vistas to the south, while leading out to a main level deck with a jacuzzi doubling as a water feature. The deck flanks the main living space. The stair tower is clearly in view on the third side of the deck near the jacuzzi. This created an interior main living space with expansive outdoor vistas. The 2 storied bedroom wing was oriented along the steeper contours of the site which captured some views of the opposite hillside. The configuration also reduced costly excavation and retaining walls. Andy successfully guided us through a process of design which was followed by cost estimating exercise with a third party contractor to help us weigh the relative importance of features we wanted against the eventual cost to build. Andy’s experience as a builder for his own home was invaluable to our process. For example, one tradeoff to note was that we requested high ceilings throughout the house. Andy counseled us to a build a slightly lower ceiling to balance the scale of the great room and other spaces which was more cost effective and architecturally appropriate. Another example occurred during our first visit to the building site, Andy suggested a change in the placement of the new home on the site and a shift in orientation of the house to capture the dramatic vistas of hilly wine country. Andy also worked with us as we wove through the complexities integrating sophisticated green energy options to achieve an all-electric home. As we completed the design phase, Andy prepared rendering to visualize the appearance of the spectacular design as it would look from several perspectives and sunlight angles across several seasons. One of our architect friends complimented the massing on the site and good use of overhang awnings. Judicious use of overhangs over the many windows and doors will give the house an openness to the outdoor environment while assuring that heating and cooling demands will be reasonable within the constraints of an all-electric home. We enthusiastically recommend Andy to work with you in creating your dream home.