Universal Designers Near Spokane

“Design Services NW is more than a house designing company. Oscar Torres is more than a house designer. Oscar and his team are problem-solvers. Our “problem” was a 6+ acre parcel of land situated on the east side of Lookout Mountain in north Spokane County. Only 1/2 acre was suitable for a building site. The remainder was covered by Douglas fir, Larch, Vine Maple, Paper Birch, and a host of dense shrubs and bushes. These woods were bisected by a ravine and a spring-fed creek, home to deer, moose, owls, and other critters. Having just moved to the area, we were recommended to Oscar by our general contractor. Our relationship began in Oscar’s office and continued on-site throughout the two-year design and build process. In the words of Don Koberg and Jim Baneall, teachers at California Polytechnic State University’s School of Architecture and Environmental Design, “Design can be defined as the process of creative problem-solving, a process of creative, constructive behavior. Designers are people who behave creatively relative to problem situations; people who generate uniquely satisfying solutions to such situations.” (The Universal Traveler: a Soft-Systems guide to: creativity, problem-solving and the process of reaching goals.) This describes Oscar to a “T”. We spent hours with Oscar stating our initial intensions, analyzing the ins and outs of our site, incorporating local building codes, defining our specific goals, creating and considering alternative solutions. And after exploring everything from solar angles to soils, together we selected the best way to go. The end result is a house that has become our home, uniquely situated and nestled into the mountain-side with wonderful, spirit-refreshing views of hills, valleys, the Selkirk Mountains and Mt. Spokane. Ours was a design journey with Oscar and his team that we would recommend to anyone who wishes to create their “forever home.””

“Dan Olson, crew and subcontractors were great to work with and did quality work. We were involved in every step of the project, given ideals and options. Project involved a kitchen/bathroom remodel - moving walls; changing walls, plumbing, electrical and vents and adding an upstairs laundry. Project was done within schedule and within budget. Staying within budget was a concern of ours as our house was built in 1957 and a substantial remodel would not necessarily translate into increased market value.”

“We hired Fusion Architecture to design our custom home on our river view lot. Our house is designed to accommodate every detail of how our family lives while maximizing the view of the river from nearly every room of the house. Architect Rex Anderson was great to work with from start to finish. He captured our wants, needs and style into the design of our house which resulted in a home that is uniquely ours. If you are looking for a positive architectural design experience, I highly recommend Rex at Fusion Architecture.”