Design Services NW

Oscar Torres with Design Services NW was wonderful to work with. Our ADU project was complicated and very specific, and Oscar really took the time to listen to what I wanted rather than trying to fit our project into a standard solution. He worked closely with us through the details, helped problem-solve when things got complicated, and made sure the design reflected what we were actually trying to accomplish. I especially appreciated that Oscar and the Design Services NW team were willing to advocate for us when we were being asked to make changes that didn’t seem necessary or make sense for the project. I also expected professional design services to be much more expensive than they were. The cost was very reasonable, and looking back, the help, guidance, and advocacy were absolutely worth it. Having someone who understood the design, listened to us, and was willing to stand behind the reasoning for it made a huge difference. I would absolutely recommend Oscar and Design Services NW, especially for a project that requires creativity, attention to detail, and someone willing to work through the complexities with you.

Excellent communication and timely design work at a reasonable price. My ability to answer questions from the County Building Dept was nonexistent, and fortunately this was handled by Design Services. This isn't my first time using Design Services, and I will use them again.

The best in the area. Very professional and easy to work with. We spoke our vision and they made it come to life. We love our home.

Design Services NW did an outstanding job creating the plans for our home on Liberty Lake in Washington State. The drawings were thoughtful, detailed, and exactly what we needed to move forward with confidence. Oscar was especially helpful, working closely with us and our builder to navigate the complex permitting requirements that come with lakefront property. His knowledge and responsiveness made what could have been a difficult process much smoother. We could not be happier with our home’s design and function, and we highly recommend Design Services NW.

Design Services NW is more than a house designing company. Oscar Torres is more than a house designer. Oscar and his team are problem-solvers. Our “problem” was a 6+ acre parcel of land situated on the east side of Lookout Mountain in north Spokane County. Only 1/2 acre was suitable for a building site. The remainder was covered by Douglas fir, Larch, Vine Maple, Paper Birch, and a host of dense shrubs and bushes. These woods were bisected by a ravine and a spring-fed creek, home to deer, moose, owls, and other critters. Having just moved to the area, we were recommended to Oscar by our general contractor. Our relationship began in Oscar’s office and continued on-site throughout the two-year design and build process. In the words of Don Koberg and Jim Baneall, teachers at California Polytechnic State University’s School of Architecture and Environmental Design, “Design can be defined as the process of creative problem-solving, a process of creative, constructive behavior. Designers are people who behave creatively relative to problem situations; people who generate uniquely satisfying solutions to such situations.” (The Universal Traveler: a Soft-Systems guide to: creativity, problem-solving and the process of reaching goals.) This describes Oscar to a “T”. We spent hours with Oscar stating our initial intensions, analyzing the ins and outs of our site, incorporating local building codes, defining our specific goals, creating and considering alternative solutions. And after exploring everything from solar angles to soils, together we selected the best way to go. The end result is a house that has become our home, uniquely situated and nestled into the mountain-side with wonderful, spirit-refreshing views of hills, valleys, the Selkirk Mountains and Mt. Spokane. Ours was a design journey with Oscar and his team that we would recommend to anyone who wishes to create their “forever home.”

Outstanding design and worked our budget. Oscar is talented and a delightt to work with. I couldn’t articulate what I wanted. He created a unique and beautiful home based off photos I sent him.

The design was for a new home on the waterfront. The team was pleasant and dependable. They were very knowledgeable about regulations and helped mitigate issues.

I have had the pleasure to work with Oscar Torres from design services north west. Oscar listens to his client’s needs, wants, budget and time line. He is very involved in his projects, he take pride in his work, and it shows in the final product. Another thing that sets him apart, is his software that he uses to create the plans, as you can be anywhere in the world and he can share his screen to show you the changes in real time, and make changes while you share the screen. I would recommend Oscar to any of my clients, and I look forward to working with him on more projects to come. I always say, you pay for what you get, so pay for a good set of plans up front, to save delays and change orders through out the project.

We hired Oscar to design our dream home. Oscar spent the necessary time to work with us to give us what we wanted in our dream home. Oscar even took the time to meet with our builder to really get the most out of our design while keeping our house within budget. Oscar is an individual with a great deal of integrity. We have recently broken ground with our new home and in a conversation with our builder, he stated that he has never worked with an architect that produces the quality of work that Oscar has done. Not to mention, our builder stated that our home is not a simple design. Our builder is very well respected in our community and it took us a year for us to wait for our builder start our home due to the high demand of his services in our community. I strongly recommend Oscar to anyone that is looking for quality architect. As a couple when you look to build your dream home, you are really nervous trying to pick someone that you can trust. It did not take my wife and I long to realize that Oscar went out of his way to deliver what we wanted. In the end, Oscar exceeded our expectations and we are so grateful that we chose him. Thank you Oscar.

Oscar and his staff have been wonderful to work with on designing our home. They have been very open to changes that we made during the process. Oscar was very creative when having to design around a couple of situations that arose. We have been told that "construction is fluid" and Oscar definitely can go with the flow.

We could not be happier with the designs that Oscar drew up for our house extension. He has worked with us on a previous small bathroom closet remodel that went really well, and so we returned for him to draw up plans for a massive extension to the front of our house. We have a small bungalow from 1926, and we so keeping the feel of the house and neighborhood was very important to us. We also needed to maximize our space to allow for our growing family. Oscar did that on the first draft! He delivered us plans that were excellent, and with a few tweaks we were ready to get permitted. He also has been available and responsive through the building process, talking with me and my contractor as questions come up. I would highly recommend him - for remodels, extensions, and new builds. His insight into design and how to utilize space will pay off greatly!

It was pleasure working with Oscar and his professional team. Oscar is knowledgeable and well connected with people in the community. Our build was a bit of a challenge due to the location but Oscar's articulate communication got us through the process. He provided 3D images so we could better visualize the end result, though once complete we are still in awe. Incredibly pleasant and patient personality who works well to compromise husband and wife visions!