DESIGN DRAW BUILD - ARCHITECTURE in Oakland

Review №1

2024-01-13 18:04:57

We hired DDB to redesign our home which was severely damaged by fire. Tyler and team were professional, fun to work with, and most important, full of good ideas for how to optimize the space. We were totally inexperienced and thrown in to the situation, but they guided us step by step through the process to get the right plans in place (including structural changes) which is what we needed for the permitting process and our contractors. The finished product is beautiful. Highly recommend.

Review №2

2024-03-22 00:14:22

As a California Bay Area business owner, I needed a retail space that would reflect our brand and meet our unique needs. Design Draw Build did an outstanding job in designing and building our commercial buildings. Their attention to detail and creativity brought life to our space, making it an inviting and functional place for our clients and employees

Review №3

2024-01-24 23:18:21

I had a subpar experience with this architecture design build company. The execution of their projects fell short of expectations, lacking attention to detail. Communication was inconsistent, causing delays and misunderstandings. Overall, I wouldnt recommend their services.

Review №4

2021-04-14 19:37:00

I worked with Design Draw Build on a tenant improvement project for a small retail space in downtown Oakland, the new home of Rock Paper Scissors Collective. After pursuing multiple contractors over the course of about six months, the best match was Design Draw Build. It was important to us to work with a contractor based in Oakland, part of the local business community. We were also looking for a true collaborator to help us figure out the best way to realize the vision and provide realistic, professional advice along the way. We had a strict budget, and DDB worked with us every step of the way to complete the project within that budget. We started the concept design of this project with a third-party architect, and then we brought in DDB to review the design for pricing, facilitate the permitting process, and fine tune the design throughout the construction process. As is almost always the case with construction projects, especially during a pandemic, this took longer than we initially planned. Even so, I consider it a huge success, and it would not have happened without Tyler, Erik, David, and the rest of the DDB team! Come visit the new Rock Paper Scissors Collective location at 2120 MLK to check out the excellent work. We plan to be open to the public by June 2021.

Review №5

2021-02-17 04:06:35

We had a large residential ADU plus major remodel project a couple years back and are absolutely delighted with the work that DDB did with this job from start to finish. We had the plans... they made them real. But the attention and detail they brought throughout the process were excellent. Id occasionally ask the crew about a detail and find out they were going beyond the spec to simply make sure each element was done with utmost quality. Surely werent the cheapest option but we wanted quality and felt that every step of the way and feel the and years later. (My wife mentioned that theyd move so looked them up on Google... thought Id share my experience.)

Review №6

2021-02-09 17:02:02

Be aware of this architect. He is full of self confidence and likes to mention how many projects he is working on but when it comes to preforming his job he fails. We hired him for design built 1. a kitchen/bath remodel in kind, 2.an extension of an existing unit (legality unknown) 3. adding a new bath . He recommended options that would have never passed building inspection as simple things like egress and set backs were prohibitive. He does not know SF code. He in fact recommended we turn the 3rd unit into an ADU without exploring the legal status first. When we reviewed the first set of plans the tenants noted that the space for the w/d in the plans did not actually exist. Not only that, his team missed a whole light well, drew a random closet in, moved walls. His first bid for just labor for the kitchen/bath remodel in kind came in at 139K excluding windows and floors. When we fired him he made us sign a hold harmless agreement to release the CAD files. Our new Architect could not use the files as even the corrected versions were off too much. Tyler estimated 9 months to a year for these projects to have permits in hands. Our new architect started a week after we fired him, determined within an hour that we had a legal unit and did not need to go through the ADU process. We finished the kitchen/bath remodel in less than 3 months for less than half of Tylers quote including labor and material, windows and floors. Our other two projects are permitted and the work has started. In 3 to 4 months all will be history for a fraction of his estimations. He NEVER admitted all the mistakes his team and himself made and not a single apology. I guess his big ego is prohibitive of such professional behavior. Safe yourself money, time and headache and find a more professional source for your project.

Review №7

2021-03-23 18:27:26

Tyler and his team are always quick to respond to any questions and extremely helpful during site visits. Their extensive knowledge of different construction techniques and up-to-the-minute experience of working in this market helps us pin down our costs quickly.