Mark Brand Architecture

I worked with Mark Brand and his firm on a recent home remodel, and the experience exceeded my expectations. I had an awkwardly shaped addition to my home and was unsure how to make the space functional. Mark presented several layout options, each creative and highly considered. He took the time to walk me through his thinking and clearly outlined the pros and cons of each approach, which made the decision process straightforward and collaborative. We ultimately chose a design that transformed the space into both an additional bathroom and a highly practical utility room. I was especially impressed by his ability to turn such a challenging footprint into something both beautiful and functional. He also handled the San Francisco permitting process seamlessly, which allowed our contractors to begin work without delays. The finished rooms are stunning, and the entire process was smooth and well managed. I would highly recommend Mark to anyone looking for a thoughtful, solutions-oriented architect.

Mark Brand's architecture team did an incredible job making our dream home a reality. Mark made the process efficient and enjoyable, and his excellent communication kept us informed and current about the progress. The team developed a set of realistic plans that made the project achievable, but that could also be adapted to address unanticipated changes. We especially appreciated Mark's design sensibility and his ability to anticipate customers' needs. In addition, he selected very professional subcontractors who were also a pleasure to work with. The project was completed on time and within budget, and the experience far exceeded our expectations. We were privileged to work with Mark and his team, and would gladly work with him again on our next project. We can wholeheartedly recommend Mark Brand Architecture.

We hired Mark and his team to design an addition to our home. They did an excellent job creating a beautiful and practical design which incorporated our stylistic preferences. We were also impressed by their ability to blend the new structure with the current structure. The team was very attentive and easy to communicate with and were always responsive to our input. Mark's team also did an excellent job navigating a complicated permitting process while preserving design intent, especially given the many constraints our project faced. In the end the project exceeded our expectations and has transformed our little corner of the city.

I've been working on a home renovation that's been a challenge from the start. The most recent issue was finding an architect who could draw up a new plans that resolve the issues the Planning Dept had with this project, Mark Brand, who I retained as the architect, understood the urgency of this matter, provided updated plans that addressed the issues then navigated his way through the Planning Dept and obtained an Over the Couinter permit in a short period of time. Thank you Mark and Jacob.

Mark Brand is awesome. You can't go wrong if you hire Mark for your next project. He's efficient, client-oriented, and great at details. -Matt (Sensitive Information Hidden) Compass

We hired Mark to design an addition to our home. He did an excellent job blending our stylistic preferences into a beautiful and practical design. Mark's team also did an excellent job navigating a complicated permitting process while preserving design intent, especially given the many constraints our project faced.

We hired Mark Brand Architecture to address several problems with our 1939 big-five home in San Francisco. We contemplated redesign of the lower floor, an update of the façade, and the entire re-envisioning of the terraced backyard, it’s connection to the house, and flow between the living spaces inside and out. Mark and his team were a joy to work with. His knowledge of and experience with San Francisco’s Building and Planning codes and the department made him a perfect partner for our project. He provided us with several novel solutions, and he walked us through each one -- carefully validating his designs with our desires and our budget. For the lower floor, he ‘found’ space we didn’t think we had. For the façade, he created a look that was fresh yet integrated beautifully with the neighborhood. The topography of the backyard was particularly challenging. It was a hassle to move from the main floor to the backyard, frustrating our joy of outdoor living. Mark’s solution resolved conflicting elevations between the building and the backyard elegantly, making egress to the backyard a pleasure. For this, he was instrumental in selecting and working with a structural engineer to figure out challenges of incorporating some very high retaining walls. We loved his solution. We would hire Mark again in a flash. He is a pleasure to know and a pleasure to work with.

I've been planning my kitchen remodel for several years and went through multiple iterations of the design in my head. Mark was referred to me by a fellow architect friend. After an in-house consultation, he was able to translate what was in my head to several different floor plans for my consideration. I was able to select/revise the perfect one for my dream kitchen vision. This was a complicated process since I wanted to remove a mid-load bearing wall and swap the location of the kitchen and dining room while dealing with all of the unexpected issues in a 50+ year old condo. All of the planning and discussion meant that my remodel went exceptionally smoothly. Even when we discovered that the original plan for the steel beam needed to be altered, he was there to talk directly with my contractor and work with the structural engineer to get me revised plans in record time. I really enjoyed working with Mark - he understands what you want but is also good at making gentle recommendations when needed. Thank you for leading me to the right cabinet decision! I highly recommend working with Mark and his team if you have any home remodel needs in the San Francisco Bay Area!

Mark Brand Architecture was a great partner on the design of a whole-house renovation in San Francisco. They were creative and responsive. Their architecture and detailing is top notch. I love collaborating with them and our clients loved them, too. High marks for communication and coordination efforts.

Mark Brand asked all of the right questions and worked tirelessly with the city permit department to make sure everything we wanted to do would be approved. Beyond being amazing on the phone with the city, his design fit with our mid-century home and anyone who has seen it is amazed at the transformation of our small back yard. We started this project with Mark in 2019, long before COVID-19, and completed the major construction in October of 2020. The actual construction began in May 2020 with demo, to completion in October 2020. Mark and his staff were with us through the entire process, communicating with our Contractor and Pool installer and keeping everyone in the loop and on track. I had never worked with an architect before, and feel grateful that my first experience was with Mark Brand and his team. Fees are explained up front, and although the fees were a healthy part of our budget, I know I got what I paid for! Communication with email and phone calls, as well as site visits were always timely, with any issues explained and problems worked through and resolved to avoid delays.

It's been a (long) journey. Very glad that we picked Mark and his team as our partner for this complete overhaul of our primary residence, which lasted 1.5 years. Our goal was to turn our unique but outdated 70's colonial home nested in the woods of Pleasanton ridge into an elegant and modern living space. Mark and Tyler helped us to make our dream a reality with their extensive experience in design and attention to every details. Though the project was over time and budget - not something that Mark's team would have control of - the result turns out to be amazing. We imagine our family living in this beautiful new house for years to come. Thanks Mark!

Mark provided helpful tips, feedback, guidance, and advice as we made our decisions as first-time home-owners and renovators. He is knowledgeable about building codes and had great ideas about design, lighting, and maximizing square footage. We discovered about 20 square feet of unused dead space hiding behind a wall thanks to his plans! We did run into some issues with responsiveness and occasional lapses in quality of work, but we would attribute this to some staff turn over that Mark experienced in the course of our job. He quickly revised our bill when we aired, and he agreed with, our complaints. We are happy with the plans he developed and are thrilled as we see them become a reality.