J. Kretschmer Architect: Art & Architecture

We've used Jennifer two times now ; first time for 2 bedroom addition, second time for a kitchen remodel. Great ideas and is very knowledgable about all the specific city codes and made it easy for our contractors, pleasant to work with. A++ If we have another project, we will definitely try to get on her schedule.

“J. Kretschmer Architect: Art & Architecture has my full endorsement as an outstanding architecture firm. My company has been involved in hundreds of construction projects over the past 19 years and we have worked with many highly regarded architects. I have had the pleasure of working with Jennifer on 3 projects over the past 2 years. In all instances, Jennifer has been incredibly responsive when it comes to providing detailed drawings and information to support the project. Jennifer is very organized, extremely intelligent and has an amazing eye for all design. At each turn of the construction process she has an informed answer to our technical questions, which allows the project to drive forward without delay. Access to this type of information is instrumental in the success of a project from a GC's perspective. Jennifer has the depth of knowledge and experience to lead a project from pre-construction planning thru to completion like very few others. From a builder’s perspective, our success can often rely on the architect's support & collaborative involvement. J. Kretschmer Architect: Art & Architecture provides us with timely answers and architectural details as issues come up in the field. I also attribute the success of our past jobs to Jennifer's ability to bring out the best in the project team - from the engineers, vendors, sub-trades, GC ... even the clients. Under Jennifer's lead, everyone is motivated to put their best effort forward for the common goal of making the project a success. The bay area does not suffer from a shortage of architects, and in a crowded field, only a small group of firms stand out in my opinion. I consider J. Kretschmer Architect: Art & Architecture to be one of the very best."

Did a great job. Pleasure to work with. She was the architect for an in-law unit we build. We did not use a general contractor and this was our first building project. One of the reasons we choose Jennifer is that her experience working with owner-builders. She was willing to let us do as much of the design/draft/getting permits as we could (to save $), but was there to help when we needed her. We wanted a place for my elderly parents now. We wanted it to be easily modifiable in 10 years for a college grad moving back home (if necessary). We wanted the place to be our design (we went in with a lot of drawings, floor plan,...) And of course it to be code compliant. Jennifer did a great job. Hoping to work with her again (when we save enough money to build a vacation house)

Total pro....would hire her again......converted my single level to a partial two story.....was worried it would look like an obvious add on, but what Jennifer designed made it look all original....cant say enough great things about her......

Jennifer did a wonderful redesign of my 1950's ranch. She was great to work with, always accessible and understood what I was looking for. I would certainly use her expertise again.

Jennifer is one of the most hardworking and dedicated person I know. She gives her best to every project she works on. Her attention to detail, strong sense of organization,control on all aspects impacting projects and above all her professionalism is what stands out for me. She has been my true mentor which speaks volumes about a professional. You are in safe hands with Jennifer!

After living in our house for a little over three years, my wife and I realized what we didn't like, but we lacked the vision to correct it. Enter Jennifer, who designed our complete kitchen remodel and also came up with a wonderful preliminary design for a future second story addition (making sure that we won't redo everything we did in the kitchen when we finally get to phase 2). Jennifer was a pleasure to work with, and had great vision for our space starting from the initial consultation. She really recognized our desire for improved flow throughout our home and into the backyard. It's hard to even remember what our home was like before because the new layout is so much better. Jennifer stayed involved even after the initial design, connecting us the contractors that we used (who were great) and working with them to make sure they understood the design plan. I would wholeheartedly recommend Jennifer to anyone looking to start a project but not knowing where to begin. (Our project is listed under "San Jose Kitchen Relocation and Remodel")

Jen was an absolute sweetheart and great to work with throughout, especially when we had to fire one contractor and hire another. In fact she was so kind, she recommended someone else. She worked with us throughout on the design of our Master Bed and Bath, together with Master Balcony construction. She went above and beyond in working with the Engineer to re-architect the truss roof after the first contractor cut the truss and was flexible and patient with us as we tried to get our house back. The end result was an absolutely gorgeous bed n bath and the views from our balcony are spectacular across the San Jose skyline. We would definitely use Jen again and recommend her to anyone who might be contemplating a remodel.

Jennifer was our architect for a remodel that included adding a second story and change layout of existing home. Working with Jennifer was a pleasure. She was always willing to listen to what we wanted and bring that in the plans. She is very knowledgeable and her recommendations were very helpful as we went through the planning process. I would highly recommend her!

My project consisted of adding a master suite and living room addition to a 100+ year old cottage. I had a good idea of what I wanted but needed an Architect to make my vision a reality. Jennifer was able to do that plus a few added bonuses. Jennifer and her team were professional throughout the process. She had a good understanding of the codes and requirements of my city (which resulted in a quick permit process), was easy to work with, listened to my ideas and in the end, created a design that was seamless with the original house. Overall, I am very pleased with the end result.

I have worked with Jennifer as a General Contractor on two projects. I recently remodeled a house designed by her in Los Gatos and the outcome of the project was great. Jennifer is easy to cooperate with, responsive and knowledgeable. Our communications were always transparent which helps tremendously in staying on track and meeting project's timelines. I highly recommend Jennifer's services.

The goal of our project was to change and improve the curb appeal of our previously ranch-style house; this included a new covered portico to replace the prior open porch as well as replacing windows, siding, roof, plus new driveway/sidewalk paver and landscape layout. After considering several architects we chose Jennifer; now that the project is finished we congratulate ourselves for our decision and we are absolutely satisfied with the end result. Jennifer has a warm manner and we were able to establish rapport with her immediately. When we contacted her we did not have a very clear, specific idea as to what we wanted. However, thanks to her excellent communication skills we felt she was not only really listening but also able to interpret and even clarify what was in our minds, often contributing ideas and useful suggestions to design, layout, structure, materials and color. She was instrumental in mediating the diverse ideas and opinions that accompanied this process. After explaining to her what we wanted, she and her architect colleague Lakshmi Subramanian came up with two different designs; one for a lower and another for a higher budget. After a discussion a third sketch evolved which best reflected our vision. Jennifer and Lakshmi were very available throughout the project, helping us with difficult decisions. They were consistently punctual and prompt. They were very easy to work with, and their cheerful and positive attitude made the project go smoothly and seem less painful than it could have been. They also had an excellent relationship with our contractor and all people involved during the construction process, periodically visiting the worksite. They are very knowledgeable about, and experienced with, the city's planning procedures and building codes and took care of the entire city approval process. We highly recommend J. Kretschmer Architect: Art & Architecture to the entire Houzz community with no hesitation. Thanks to their work we now see our hopes transformed into a concrete, beautiful reality. We plan to post photos of the completed project on Houzz in the future