Commonhouse Design

We loved working with John. We started with the Equinix design and worked together to customize it to our needs. He was responsive, professional and we felt like we got a custom build for much less than starting from scratch. We've been in our house now for a few years and couldn't be happier - his focus on making a useable, efficient, beautiful space totally came through. And now we get to appreciate his focus on those things every day - we couldn't be happier!

John designed our home in 2019 and we have just recently moved in. We love it. He is a very talented fellow and a real pleasure to work with. He was so quick with ideas and output from his 3D model that he made the whole design process a lot of fun. The house is chock full of thoughtful details and is scaled just right. We get tons of compliments from our neighbours and it is always John's details which have caught their eye. The house has already become a home and we are just so so satisfied.

We came with a piece of property and hopes and dreams and John designed our fabulous home! With exceptional care and attention to detail, John made our ideas reality. The design process worked us through from requirements to ideas and then a cohesive architecture that captured our vision. John worked seamlessly with our builder and interior designer ... that collaboration led to stunning results. Could not be happier in our piece of west coast heaven.

When our Interior Design firm was hired, John Gower Design had completed the architectural plans for our client's contemporary dream home. The building lot was difficult and his plans were detailed, taking advantage of the fabulous ocean views and outdoor living spaces. His Google Sketchup renderings allowed the client to visualize their new home. He was open to new ideas and materials and we collaborated with him throughout the project. Since the completion of this residentail project, I would highly recommend his services! The project won a 2016 VIBE award.

John incorporated our desires for what we wanted and needed our home to be and created a beautiful design that more than met our expectations.

John and his design team have completed an incredible set of plans for our getaway home in Ucluelet. We recommend John to work with you in designing your home. The Gower design team will work hard to exceed your expectations.

Following the initial scope review of the project with our General Contractor he referred us to John Gower Design. Our project involved a complete redesign and renovation of the existing 1980's Comox beach front home. John's design kept and enhanced architecturally attractive elements of the existing home while maximizing the waterfront views and modernizing the layout of both the indoor and outdoor living spaces. We have been more than happy with all aspects John's work and the outstanding finished product. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend him for similar projects.

John and his team were great to deal with. They did a very good job of turning our ideas into a comprehensive plan, and incorporated many subtle details that have made our house a joy to live in. Project plans were complete, delivered on time and budget, and detailed enough that there were no problems through construction related to scope changes or need for plan clarification.

We were very pleased with the design services provided by John Gower for our new home. We approached him with little experience, a small budget, big ideas and significant design challenges. John’s approach was consistently collaborative and educational; he provided practical information and helped us through tough decisions. We are very pleased with the outcome – a design that is energy efficient, elegantly simple, immensely livable and considerate of our budget.

We hired John Gower Design to provide building plan drawings and architectural design for our new energy efficient home in Cobble Hill. We love our modest house with 1200 square feet on the main floor, and have received nothing but positive feedback from the more than 100 people that have had "the tour". We are cozy warm in the winter, and cool in the summer with no need for air conditioning in spite of being at the edge of a field with broad Southern exposure. With the addition of solar panels over the last 2 years, we may achieve our goal of "net zero" energy consumption this year. We have given John Gowers' name out to many who have asked about sustainable home building and will continue to do so. David and Kelly Slade Cobble Hill BC

John was awesome to work with. He understood what our wants were. Even when presented with a very challenging lot, John was able to design a house that still thrills us every time we walk in. We would highly recommend John Gower Design. J&B Robson - Nanaimo, BC

We are so appreciative of John Gower's expertise, creativity and communication skills. The process of designing our new home was very collaborative and enjoyable. His communication skills were especially valuable because we lived out-of-province and much of the planning was done with creative use of email, the internet and an interactive architectural program. He took the time to help us develop an inspired vision for what this home could be for our family. He then designed a great plan for how it would integrate with the natural environment on a complicated site. His creative spark added a beauty to the interior spaces beyond what we had imagined. Part of that beauty is the functional, multi-purpose use of space, and the knowledge that energy efficiency was a core value for the home. He had a great working relationship with our builder, which helped maintain the integrity of the plan through to completion. We would highly recommend John and his work to anyone considering his services.