Norman Sanchez Architecture

My husband and I highly recommend Norman Sanchez and Associates. We worked with them for 3 years on a down to the studs, total remodel of our home. Norman is a skilled architect and had great ideas that made our home beautiful and functional. He worked well with the City of Alameda and came up with cost effective ideas and solutions acceptable to all. He is very organized, accurate and fair. If we were going to attempt another project we would not hesitate to call him.

We interviewed many architects before deciding to work with Norman Sanchez Architecture on a large extension and remodel of our home. From our very first discussion Norman showed a depth of knowledge that made him stand out from other Architects. Not only does Norman have great creative ideas, he deeply understands the whole construction process from permits all the way through different materials, finishes and construction processes. Norman developed a beautiful plan for our new home that felt incredibly natural. It respected the original style of our Craftsman home, while also achieving our vision of indoor/outdoor living through bifold doors leading from our family room to a large patio deck. Most importantly, his design seamlessly connected the old and new parts of the house which was a critical and challenging part of this remodel. Just as our project commenced, we unexpectedly moved to the east coast for a temporary job opportunity. We hired Norman to project manage the entire process from start to finish as we would not be on site to supervise. Covid hit soon after which might have been a perfect storm if not for Norman’s steady oversight, perseverance and excellent working relationship with our General Contractor. We had full confidence that he made good choices in our absence while including us in the bigger decisions. Norman and his team kept us informed every step of the way via Zoom, FaceTime and email. We absolutely adore our new home. The remodel satisfied all our initial aims with many additional touches that we love. We highly recommend Norman for any project and would happily work with him again.

Norman helped us build out our basement space to add a bedroom, bathroom, laundry and family room in our 1910 bungalow. The original space was unfinished, with a low ceiling. The project included excavation, new foundation with drainage, framing, drywall, utilities and finishes. Norman was the most patient, knowledgeable, and even-keeled guide that we could have asked for in the project. Every decision that he advised us on throughout the project turned out superbly. From the floorplan design, to the arrangement of the HVAC, plumbing and electrical details, and especially the final finishes, we are thrilled with every piece of advice Norman offered us. We started the project with great plans, but Norman’s construction management was where our appreciation grew further. Norman's knowledge of the local requirements and his ability to work with the city saved us on a couple of major issues. His constant engagement with the contractors was a huge weight off of our shoulders and it ensured that the final product made us happy. We’re so thankful that he worked with us all the way until the last coat of paint was dry! We regularly recommend Norman to friends and neighbors. We went into our project afraid of the horror stories of other people’s renovations. With Norman’s help and guidance from beginning to end, we had a great experience, and we continue to enjoy our added space!

Norman managed our project of renovating two bathrooms, which became a nine month renovation of many parts of our house. It has now morphed into managing our office renovation as well, because Norman is such an amazing architect and so easy to work with. Norman is extremely professional, responds quickly to all questions with concrete and well considered recommendations, was always available to sort out issues with the onsite project manager and has an outstanding sense of detail and design. His calm demeanor and ability to defuse any situation with aplomb (of which there are always many in a construction project) helped to create a smooth functioning and efficient environment for the entire team. We have now hired him to do more work for us and have recommended him to our friends. We are absolutely delighted with the our bathrooms- thank you Norman and Sara!

Norman did an outstanding job on our recent home remodel and addition. We are thrilled with the results. Norman's presence from initial consult to the final walk-through gave us the peace of mind that our project was proceeding as planned, on time, and on budget. Norman listened closely when we described our ideas for the space and translated that information into beautiful and functional design that captured every element of our vision. While we shopped for a lot of our own materials, Norman and Sara were always available to offer their opinion and expertise. Norman is an excellent communicator and it was no surprise that he established a great rapport with our contractor. Together they ensured that our project was everything we hoped it would be. We have already recommended Norman Sanchez Architecture Inc. to our close friends for their upcoming project. Norman and his staff are simply top notch.

First hired him for remodel and second story addition for our 1920's Spanish Style home in 2000. Result was fantastic. The second story addition was seamless, new neighbors did not know it was addition. Interior floor plan had a great layout. We loved the floor plan so much we hired again in 2003 to build a new home (only reason we moved was our 3 young kids needed a better school district). His knowledge and professionalism was great. The plan contained all the details needed by the tradesmen to build the home.

Norman was the architect for our big house remodel, seen here on Houzz. We bought a 1864 Victorian which had a historic (dysfunctional) floor plan, and Norman helped us work it into an amazing modern home. We took it from a 5BR/1.5 bath to a more functional 4BR/2.5 BA. This involved major changes, like relocating stairways, moving exterior windows, etc, but he helped us design it with our budget in mind. Since we live in the small town of Alameda, he helped us every step of the way, which was KEY in getting through planning, getting permits, etc. He also worked with us on GC selection, looking at bids, and the whole 9. If you live in Alameda, I highly recommend Norman for your remodel -- he knows his stuff and will support you through the whole process -- and believe me, the process is not easy! Note that we also used an interior designer, Anne Norton Dingwall, who helped us with the specifics of kitchen layout and furnishings. The two of them worked together seamlessly and we were very happy.

Norman Sanchez helped us with the remodel of our large but unwieldy master bathroom (176 square feet), creating a wonderful, still large bath, a beautiful clothes closet, and a laundry closet. Along the way, we decided to put a skylight in the hallway and he worked with us to design the perfect lay light that looks like it is original to our 1927 home. Throughout the project, Norman (and his wife Sara) were responsive, patient, and full of ideas, but never pushing their solutions on us. The project ultimately came in ahead of schedule (a first in our experience) and close to budget (ditto). We wholeheartedly recommend Norman for any homeowner who needs a skilled, kind, thoughtful architect.

We worked with Norman to convert an existing attic space into a master suite. Norman's expert knowledge of similar homes as well as working with the local building department was invaluable. Norman helped us create the modern space we desired, but still retain the original charm of the nearly 100 year old house including matching trim and matchstick flooring. We couldn't be happier with the final result. We hired Norman for design development through permitting phases - but he was graciously helpful and available throughout the project. While we did most of the work ourselves, Norman had great recommendations on subcontractors - including Amber Flooring - who did an amazing job matching the original flooring in the house which was a critical aspect of the project. I would happily work with Norman again, and would highly recommend him for similar projects. I cannot imagine a better owner-architect relationship.

Norman helped us transform our outdated and not very functional house into a home we will treasure for a long time. The project consisted of a master suite addition and kitchen redesign. Although the new construction added only a few hundred square feet, it completely transformed the look and feel of the entire house. Guests who visit consistently comment on how beautiful and open it is. Norman is exceedingly good at his profession. He's great at presenting a multitude of options, evaluating the pros and cons, and being open about his opinions. He's a great listener and always took the time to make sure that he understood what we were saying and wanted. He has a talent for making complex issues comprehensible and we always felt like he supported us in making the hundreds of decisions that come up during a construction project. Norman drew up very detailed and careful plans at each stage of our project. He works quickly, as does his team. He was great as our interface with the city for all the permits and even with our contractor when more technical issues arose that needed his expertise. We were out-of-state for a sizable portion of our remodel, and Norman made sure to visit the project frequently to ensure that everything was on-track. During some of the more exciting phases (like framing up the walls), Norman videotaped a walk-through and emailed us clips so that we could see our house taking shape. This was such a delightful gift, and it reflects Norman's genuine care for his clients. The proof is in the pudding, as the expression goes. Norman helped us totally transform our home into a very beautiful and functional space. And while I imagine no construction project is stress-free, Norman's thoughtful project-management skills eased much of our anxiety. We highly recommend Norman Sanchez Architecture for any new construction or remodel. You'll be in the hands of a true professional during one of life's more challenging phases.

Norman is a LIFE-SAVER. We would have been lost without him during our home renovation project. He not only acted as our architect, patiently redesigning with every crazy idea we came up with, but as our counselor and project manager. I can't tell you how thankful we were to have Norman on our side. We love our house; it is everything we hoped it would be!

Norman Sanchez is a skillful and talented architect. He stands apart because he didn't stop at just drafting our construction plans to create our perfect space. He saw our project through to completion, managing every last detail with the engineer, contractor, and subcontractors, including their hiring. Throughout our second story addition and complete first story remodel, he was our architect, project manager, interior designer, negotiator, "translator" and last but not least important, friend and sometimes even therapist. Norman is creative with his ideas and solutions, extremely organized, and professional. Right from our first meeting, he wanted to understand our lifestyle and home vision. He drew up our plans, adjusting them as the project required, worked with the necessary officials in our city for permits, and navigated us through the stressful process of choosing a contractor and negotiating a bid. He "translated" dialogue with our contractor's men and helped us design and choose everything from the largest to the smallest of items (stair rail down to doorstops). He understood so perfectly the space, look, and feel of the home we were trying to create that we trusted his advice implicitly. His firm is busy, but we always felt like his only clients when we communicated with him which was most days, multiple times. No conversations were rushed, he was readily available, he reassured throughout many a stressful situation, and was our willing advocate when necessary. His amazing team at his office allowed him to give his full attention and dedication to us. It was because of his tireless efforts for the last 20 months that our home, which we moved into two months ago, is close to perfection. We highly recommend Norman Sanchez!