St Clare of Assisi Architecture

Claire was a joy to work with. She was open, flexible, and highly collaborative. She worked closely with us until we had plans that worked for our lifestyle and family, and as we've been back in our home we've realized how perfectly the plans fit for us. Claire's work is beautiful, clean, functional, and fun.

I used Claire for a large remodeling project in my house. I could not be more pleased with the outcome. My house in Berkeley was built in the early 1900’s and I wanted the remodel to be faithful to the style of that time. That’s how I came to choose Claire; pictures I saw of some of her projects showed she has the esthetic sensibilities to make the new blend with the old and make the result look wonderful. She gets the details for the time period right, like the kind of crown molding, the ceiling medallion for the living room ceiling lamp, the black and white tile with chair rail in the bathrooms, the arched kitchen window and the elliptical archway in the hall next to the kitchen. The result is beautiful and graceful and not at all a jarring juxtaposition of new next to old. I think whoever built my house in 1904 would be pleased with Claire’s additions. Claire was great to work with. She listened to what I wanted to achieve and created multiple designs to that end. The process was iterative, her drawings enabling me to imagine myself in the space, my comments steering her revisions. The result is that I got something wonderful that I never would have been able to conceive of without her expertise. Claire always considered my budget when proposing designs. Typically, she offered revisions at low, middle and high cost targets. I often mixed and matched elements from each for the next revision and she made it work. Claire oversaw the construction too. She has an extensive network of contractors she works with. Everyone she recommended was very good. She even put me in touch with a rental concierge service when it was time to find a tenant. They found a wonderful tenant who appreciates the architectural touches and really wants to live there. I couldn’t have asked for a better tenant. Claire is also very familiar with the vagaries of the Berkeley building code and knows how to get the necessary regulatory things done. Overall, I am so happy I decided to use an architect instead of just dealing directly with contractors. And Claire was undoubtedly the best choice for this remodel. I would use her again in a heartbeat.

Claire drafted front and rear elevations/details for a 3-building apartment complex that needed structural repair work. I contacted Claire by email and phone and she responded right away. Claire listened carefully to my needs and drew up the plans precisely and quickly at a fair price, enabling me to present the plans to the building department and getting them approved on the first pass. We have worked together for more than a year (delays due to Covid) and she has been responsive and helpful throughout the entire process. I would definitely hire Claire again, and would like the opportunity to work with her in a more creative process sometime in the future. Brian Victor Victor Construction Company

It was an absolute pleasure working with Claire. Although a standard backyard shed, my wife wanted to ensure that it blended with our home. Claire proposed shaped rafters similar to the ones we have in our home. She also recommended wood siding, even though our house is stucco clad. By proposing these 2 items, Claire designed a shed that is congruent with our home without necessarily being identical. Her design exceeds our expectations and we will definitely be working with her again in the future. We highly recommend her.

I loved working with Claire and would definitely work with her again on future projects. She helped us take a humdrum bathroom and make into a space our kids can enjoy using. I appreciated that she did not impose her preferences on us but listened to our ideas and then used them to give us several options, with some ballpark figures of cost included so that we could make an informed choice. She is organized and responsive and a joy to work with. These pictures don’t do the bathroom justice....

Claire worked with us in capacity as design/building oversight over a 15 month period and we found her to be a consummate professional in all respects. Our project was seemingly of small scope at initiation but complications developed as we sought permit approvals and, later, Building Department sign-offs. She handled all manner of sensitive conversations with our contractor and the City officials - using skills including problem-assessment and technical solution-forging. She was present on the jobsite frequently and we always felt that she represented our interests to the best of her ability.

We were extremely fortunate to have had Claire accept our project through Houzz. She is a wonderful and kind person that made a potentially overwhelming and anxious process, managable and, in the end, enjoyable. As a family that was new to the remodel process, she was patient and insightful throughout, encouraging questions, and always there to clarify. This was paramount for us, especially having to be displaced during the entire renovation. She not only brings the highest level of skill and integrity, but also an inclusivity that allows a homeowner to be confident that their wants, needs, concerns and ultimate vision are always the priority. Being held to a tight budget, she brought viable options that didn't compromise the end result, which included competent and reliable trade professionals (contractors, engineers, material and fixture suppliers, etc), while still remaining open to our, or other people's, suggestions. This fluidity or adaptive characteristic is easier said than actualized, and Claire's ability to be colloborative versus directive minded, made all the difference in getting something we are not just happy with, but proud of and want to be in forever. This is an incredible attribute, and also was in integral in working seamlessly with our contractor and his subs, as she was in constant communication with them in order to avoid miscommunications and costly mistakes, allowing us to stay on time and within budget. We wish we had a bigger project (and budget) to showcase all of her talent, because her attention and appreciation for details is remarkable, and would not hesitate to utilize her for any future projects.

For my Wine Country home, I hired Claire for a large bathroom addition that involved reconfiguration of several rooms. In connection with the same project we also built an outdoor shower that Claire designed and planned. Claire handled the entire project from initial conversation, through rough drawings, to construction drawings, through County permitting, and finally, working with the contractor for quality control. She is extremely intelligent, friendly and service-oriented. She is very responsive and does an excellent job keeping a project on schedule...there were no delays or long waits. Given the quality of her design and supporting work, she brought considerable value to our project. By hiring her, my project cost less than it would have otherwise, and the quality of the design and final product exceeded our expectations in every way. The finished addition looks far better than we thought possible. I look forward to working with Claire again in the future.

We got in touch with Claire when our accessory dwelling unit project had hit a complete standstill with Berkeley's permitting office. Claire seamlessly coordinated with multiple contractors on our project to identify any code requirements we were missing, while fully preparing and submitting our permit application and drawings to the City. Claire closely coordinated with the City to avoid further resubmittal needs or challenges with plan checkers. After the permit was approved, Claire helped with questions and further needs with inspectors. Throughout the process, Claire was incredibly responsive and quick with revisions.

Clare and I have worked on several projects together over the years. I found her design and approach to be clean and functional while still keeping with the character of the home. I feel her attention to the small details that many overlook sets her apart from others designers and architects. She is quick to resolve the issues that pop-up during the course of a project and had great communication throughout our projects… Start to End.

Claire did a great job guiding us through a million design decisions with humor and grace. We encouraged her to go bold and were impressed with her ideas and good taste.

We worked with Claire on a project about 4-5 years ago and loved it. She always had great ideas and followed up quickly on anything we brought to her. On top of that, she's fun to work with and we'd definitely love to work with Claire again.