Saikley Architects

Alexandra was awesome gift when we had been challenged between many architects and contracts in our path t rebuild our home after a fire. She guided us through many challenges with a historical home, city guideline and limited budget. Out home is a gem and to this day everybody stares as they drive by. It was a challenge is so many ways with Alexandra as our trusted navigator and visionary. Her valuable experience and relationships when far past designing our new home from the ground up. She help us anticipate challenges, receive multiple review approvals and deal with cost estimation. She foresaw risks other professionals that participated did not and help us complete and return to our home within budget. Alexandra's team is extremely competent and patient as well need help in understand and in cases changing the design to meet our family and financial needs. She is awesome

Our experience working with Alexandra for our house rebuild was truly fantastic, and we highly recommend her as an architect and guide through the process of designing and building a home. She helped us evaluate the scope of our project, and if we should remodel or rebuild. She thoughtfully and carefully understood the goals and values we had, and used her architectural expertise to turn those into an elegant and effective design — full of light and balance. She led interactions with our local jurisdiction to get permits approved, and helped guide our selection of a contractor to build the project, introducing us to various options and providing insight and advice.

We lived in our home for 11 years before doing a remodel/addition to our 1940 bungalow. I researched and interviewed several architects and I'm so very glad I decided to work with Alexandra and her firm. My family has been living in the finished product for almost two years now, and I'm constantly aware of how lucky and privileged we are to have the beautiful space that is custom-made for our needs. The scope of the project was no problem for Alexandra's firm. The house was originally a modest 3bd/2bth with vinyl siding and a bit of lava rock on the front. We redid the entire exterior in stucco. We added about 950 sqft, including a second story housing an office and primary suite. We also reconfigured the back of the first floor, which included relocating the kitchen. We took significant portions of the house back to the studs, and Alexandra designed updated HVAC, drainage and electrical systems, and worked with an engineer on structural work so we could add the second story and make sure everything was prepped for earthquakes etc. She also helped me interview and select a contractor, and we ended up going with her recommendation (Lema construction), which ended up being an excellent decision. For the design, we wanted to make sure that design was true to the character of the original house, but updated with a modern sensibility. The designs that Alexandra did for our home beautiful and thoughtfully functional. She helped me narrow down the priorities on our wish list to the constraints of the project, and offered options that I never would have thought of. She saved me from myself multiple times. I was very engaged in the design process and she took and integrated input and ideas and remained professional and helpful throughout the time we worked together, always keeping an eye out for places where certain decisions might trigger delays or other problems down the road. It was so very helpful to have an experienced person to help us through the zoning and permitting process and just generally help me keep my sanity (as much as one could doing a major project like this during COVID). I also worked with an interior designer from Alexandra's team during the finishing stages, which was very helpful. The designer played more of a consulting role because I liked finding and selecting everything myself, but again, it saved me several times to have an experienced pro and thought partner to point me in good directions and steer me away from some decisions I'm sure I would have regretted. In the end, I truly have my dream house and I'm grateful to Alexandra and her team for getting us there. I'm very happy to recommend Saikley Architects to anyone looking to reimaging their home.

What truly sets Alexandra apart is her meticulous attention to detail and commitment to client satisfaction. From the initial conceptualization to the final execution, she exhibited a high level of professionalism, ensuring that every aspect of the project met or exceeded my expectations. The choice of materials, the thoughtful consideration of the surrounding landscape, and the incorporation of sustainable design elements showcase Alexandra's dedication to creating not just a deck but a harmonious and enduring addition to my home. I wholeheartedly recommend Saikley Architects to anyone seeking an architect who can transform visions into remarkable, functional spaces.

Alexandra Saikley and her team at Saikley Architects are highly competent, collaborative professionals. We can always count on their attention to detail, clear communication, proactive approach to problem-solving and consistent good cheer. They create beautiful design work and provide strong project management, always making their clients happy. We look forward to continued projects together and recommend Saikley Architects without reservation. Christian Buestad, General Contractor, Buestad Construction

Such a pleasure working with Alexandra. She is creative, artistic, and thoughtful, supported our interests every step of the way, and was crucial to creating our dream home. We had an 100 year old Craftsman bungalow, Alexandra made it contemporary while retaining its old-world charm. Alexandra started our work together with a consultation; we wanted a lot of light, an accessible outdoor kitchen, and a charming master bedroom upstairs. She then designed all of this for us, and more, working through the process iteratively, patiently, and thoughtfully. After the plans were designed and approved, she linked us with the best and most reasonable contractors in the area, kept tabs on construction, providing us with informed decisions every step of the way. The end product is stellar and we still enjoy it and admire it every day. Highly recommend working with this experienced architect

Saikley Architects did an outstanding job designing a remodel for our 1895 Queen Anne Victorian in Alameda, CA. The main house was brought up to modern day standards while still maintaining the character of a beautiful Victorian home. Additionally, a stunning Accessory Dwelling Unit was added to the basement which blends perfectly with the overall look of the home. Alexandra and her team are so easy to work with! They listen, are responsive to your concerns, and are able to turn a homeowners' vision into a reality. I highly recommend them for any design project!

Alexandra helped turn an ugly, nasty old kitchen into one that has become my favorite room in the house. She was able to take my jumble of ideas and turn them into a cohesive whole that worked, without ever making me feel like she was pushing her ideas in favor of mine. And the nook. The nook! I love sitting at my new kitchen table and looking out over the new deck at the birds and flowers in the backyard. It's a great way to start the day.

I interviewed 5 architects before selecting Alexandra and her team. I had sent out an RFP, and she sent back a very detailed list of reasons why she would be perfect for my project. We had a great interview, and it was her knowledge of traditional architecture that sold me. We were required to fit with the neighborhood which had many Victorian houses. While I couldn’t afford to build a Victorian style house (who can these days!), she created something that neighbors say really fits the neighborhood. I’m so proud of my new house! I had a narrow vacant lot in West Oakland. We built a new ground-up house with extra spaces for rental income. The work included installation of water, gas, electricity, and a new driveway with off street parking. I had a long list of wishes, and my intentions for what I wanted to create. A house that could be convertible to 4 studio apartments. I was on a VERY tight budget, and Alexandra worked with me incredibly on that. During construction, Alexandra often stepped in to help everything go smoothly. I found her and her assistant who helped draw the plans very knowledgeable, detail oriented, and great advisors. Alexandra never lost her cool, always stayed calm and helpful. Whenever I talk about my house project, I’m always saying how grateful I am that I had an amazing architect who designed what I wanted and supported me throughout the whole process. I cannot recommend her highly enough, and I miss working with her!

My partner and I were at a loss of where to even start when we wanted to do renovation work on our kitchen. We called Saikely Architects, who treated us fairly despite our ignorance on virtually every subjects, helped walk us through the project, and were even willing to meet with the contractor and handle that process for us. They made what seemed like a daunting and impossible task as painless as possible, making sure that we knew what decisions we had to make, and when we had to make them, and ensuring that they were in line with the original goals we had in mind. I would recommend (and have recommended) them in a heartbeat.

Alexandra’s vision and skills helped me remodel my house to include lots of light, better traffic flow, connection to the garden throughout the house, and special details in each room - all without changing the essential character of my four-generation family home. Before I started my remodel I had read every one of the Minnesota architect Sarah Susanka’s Not So Big House books, and I knew that I wanted to use my limited budget to build in beautiful and functional details, not to enlarge my space. Alexandra’s plan added only 65 feet (the original exterior front porch was made part of the interior entryway), but changed a series of small rooms into beautifully connected kitchen, dining, and living rooms and private areas. It was a delight to work with Alexandra! In the beginning stages of our work together, she sent me articles about basic architectural principles such as Christopher Alexander’s sitting circles, indoor-outdoor rooms, and sunny places (aka cat-sunning spots). She listened carefully to my ideas and the final plans were a combination of her ideas, my ideas, and timeless historical concepts - exactly what I wanted. I currently live in my garage-turned-cottage and rent the house to families who come to Stanford University for their sabbatical years. The house remodel has made it a home with flexible spaces, good for families with children of varying ages, as well as for many visiting relatives. I've been enjoying my house this way too, as the patio common areas that Alexandra built in to the remodel are a delightful interface for my renters and me to meet for a chat and a cup of tea.

We worked with Alexandra on the ground-up rebuild of our previously 3 bedroom, now 4 bedroom home. Alexandra was wonderful to work with. She listens carefully to what you as the client want and to your initial design thoughts. She's very creative in terms of generating ideas and suggestions while remaining flexible and open to ideas you may have throughout the process. Alexandra strives to create practical, well-conceived designs that make for bright, warm, livable spaces. Alexandra creates a good working partnership with your contractor, which helps to surface problems early and minimize negative surprises. She’s versatile: while much of her time is spent working on the larger-scale details, Alexandra is also exceptionally helpful when it comes to thinking about materials, fixtures and paint colors. We found her to be very knowledgeable and helpful about how to best manage the building constraints of our city and she helped make the city review much less painful than it otherwise would have been. Alexandra is patient, has awesome attention-to-detail and is very easy to work with - really important qualities as you work through your remodel dealing with the inevitable challenges that arise. Lastly, cost-wise and in the way the contract was structured we felt that Alexandra was very fair and not overpriced. We really enjoyed working with Alexandra and do not hesitate to recommend her.