Architects, Architecture Firms, & Building Designers in North Glendale

“I grew up with a father who is a master contractor. In my adult life, I have been involved in countless home renovations, so I've always thought architects are a waste of time & money. They always seem to be writing checks with the customers' money, and have no basis in reality or practicality: they seem so frivolous. Hubby and I bought a mid-century modern home that had been turned into a tuscan style by the previous owners. (can you imagine?) We needed help getting approval from the local city planning board who are a NIGHTMARE to deal with (average of 8-10 plan checks, most cities do 2-3!?) We hired Glen with EZPlans to help us. Glen handled acrimonious city officials, seeming design impossibilities (and even a few vastly different design ideas between hubby and I) with tact, professionalism, and good humor. Dealing with EZ Plans was a breeze. I am so impressed with their vision, their professionalism, and the very talented, creative (and practical) architects they hire. They are exceptional communicators, and are as intuitive as they are talented. EZ Plans turned a simple contractor grade design we could have come up with ourselves, to a design that respected the mid-century bones of our home, and brought it to the practical standards we needed the home to suit. The design they came up with easily increased the value of our renovation tenfold. the only direction they had from me was "I want to respect the home's bones with materials in their natural element, nothing frivolous, but we need the house to be super specialized for our dogs." (maybe that's a bit frivolous....) They took this and ran with it. Incidentally, they are AVID dog lovers (almost as nutty as hubby and I are, ) so they came up with such cool suggestions that will make our old dogs' lives (and our lives) easier. As someone who has scoffed at the need for an architect, (come on, my dad is a contractor!) I can assure anyone: the design of a talented architect is worlds apart from what a contractor, or even designer, could come up with. They take things to another level. Glen increased the value of the renovation by making the design in line with architectural design elements, not current trends that would be outdated quickly after installation. More importantly, they made changes to the home to fit OUR lifestyle and needs, instead of us changing our needs and lifestyles to accommodate the home. This is the difference: architects build homes, contractors build houses. Hubby and I are so pleased with our experience at EZPlans. They make incredible planning, design and architecture...easy. :)”

“My wife and I hired Jeannette Architects to assist us with a major remodel (interior/exterior) of our 3,500 sq. ft. ranch style home in Newport Beach. The task: incorporate warm contemporary design into our 1970's "woody cabin." As a real estate developer and because it's our third major house remodel there were many design elements we knew we wanted but many more that we needed help with. As capable as Jeff (Jeannette) is with his design sense, we believe that it's his ability to listen to his clients, understand client goals, how we will live in the space and how that fits into our budget is what sets Jeff apart from other architects. The Jeannette team met aggressive time constraints, produced a thorough set of construction documents, were always quick to provide clarification and answers to our questions and were great resources for product and material options and information. True professionals that we would use again and confidently refer to others. Our project is nearing completion and I can't wait to share photos.”

“Our project is still in progress, but Gina has been wonderful to work with. She's come up with ideas that we'd never considered that we love.”

“Aaron has been helping me build my dream house for the past 3-4 years. He has been a crucial part in getting the design right, the plans approved, all the way down to the final finishes and door knobs. His design sense honors a healthy balance of progressive ideas and functional living.”

“Greg Crawford has designed and construction managed two residential, and three commercial remodels for my husband and I since 2006. We like Greg for his imaginative design, thoughtful use of materials, meticulous attention to detail, efficient and unflappable management skills, and responsive followthrough. An example of Greg's thoroughness is he begins a project design by physically spending time both day and night studying the site's light and breeze patterns, the feel and flow of the space, and it's surrounding environment. This important step helps determine for example, window, skylight, and door placement that cannot be accomplished by relying solely on computer models. This extra attention to detail sets Greg apart and contributes to the success of his buildings, and to the ultimate comfort and enjoyment of it's occupants. Another huge plus working with Greg is his adroitness at navigating the murky waters of city bureaucracies. For example, in catching a city map error, Greg saved us weeks of time avoiding unnecessary and costly code requirements. It is a genuine pleasure to work with Greg, and to enjoy the quality results he provides.”

“We engaged Tracy Stone for a multi-phase remodel in 2010, completing construction on the first phase in mid-2011. It was a wonderful experience. Tracy and her team have always been remarkably easy to work with, open to input, and a font of good ideas. We are currently working with her on finalizing plans for subsequent remodel phases and can't wait for the results.”

“Joe came out and did an entire inspection of my house at no cost. He gave my wife and I specific advice on what we could do to give ourselves more space. Joe gave us absolutely no pressure about making the improvements that he discussed. As it turned out, we didn't make any changes, but Joe was very helpful, and when we do need to add to or change our house we will definitely talk to Joe again.”

“Koffka Phakos designed our 3,400 square foot home from blueprints to finish. They were with us every step of the way. We believed them to be collaborative, creative, helpful and such nice people. We are thrilled with the way our home turned out and thoroughly enjoyed the process of working with Adrian, Cynthia and their staff.”

“We started with a nice house in the Hollywood Hills then GLYNN made it shine; GLYNNdesign was stellar! Their taste, advice, and counsel are second-to-none. If you want a job done well, not some Home Depot-like spit and shine, consult then hire this talented team! There were several issues with my job, but they worked their way around the problems to magically create a masterpiece. Excellent work. I am thrilled with the house, the quality of the job, and the compliments I get. They morphed my average house into the best home in the block! Thanks!”

“Mark Teale is one of the easiest architects to work with in the area! You will not find a better architect or architecture firm that will listen to your ideas and thoughts and illustrate it the way you didn't know you wanted it. They listen, suggest and create your masterpiece just for you. I am asked constantly about who I would recommend to draw up plans and the answer is ALWAYS Mark Teale! You won't go wrong here.”