Andrew Morrall Architect

I have had the opportunity and pleasure to work with Andy as the Architect on my projects in San Francisco over the past 12 years. The projects have ranged from Custom Hillside Homes from the Ground Up, 1,000 square foot house additions and entire house remodels down to designer kitchens.

Andy's architectural documentation and detailing are extraordinary and the most thorough and comprehensive I have seen. He backs these up with site visits and a thorough knowledge of best building practices. One greatly appreciated benefit of working with Andy is that during the design and document phase so many issues are completely thought through and solved prior to construction . I most certainly find this the exception and not the rule on projects. When problems do arise during construction – and they always do - He is able to creatively problem solve through any issue and responds promptly, sticking with an issue until it is solved.

Not only have I had the opportunity to work with Andy on some really well designed and beautiful projects, I have had the satisfaction and peace of mind working with an Architect that is well-heeled that really cares about and understands every aspect of a project. Having Andy as the Architect on my projects gives me the highest level of confidence. Things are going to be well thought out, thoroughly detailed and done right.

I always jump at the opportunity to have Andy as the Architect on my projects and so look forward to having Andy on my team. Over the years Andy has been key to successful projects that I can point to as best examples. He is most definitely a prime reason I have been able to build my business over the years and has given me so many countless referrals of my own that are of the highest caliber. For his Creativity, knowledge and professionalism, I wholeheartedly and without hesitation recommend Andy as your Architect.

We hired Andy as our Architect at the start of last year. We are now nearing completion of construction of our entire house remodel and rear yard addition in the Potrero hill district of San Francisco. We could not be happier with Andy’s design skills and technical knowledge as an Architect.

The main floor was previously remodeled back in the 70’s and left Andy with a challenging circuitous floor plan with a lot of nooks and crannies with wasted space. Andy was able to deftly reapportion the existing space and develop a design with a serpentine Kitchen island that will become the new focal point of our home. This concept was the key to providing us with a much larger Kitchen, dramatic Entry and all of the items on our wish list. Now as you enter the Main floor you are greeted with a properly proportioned Entry. The serpentine island faces the Entry, and is the first design feature you are presented with. The large Kitchen island leads your eye towards the Living Room window wall featuring a panoramic view of the San Francisco skyline.

Our lower floor level is now where the new Master Bedroom addition will be. Andy’s space planning skills allowed us to keep a large portion of our Garage as storage. Andy opened the existing Stair to the floor above which allows light into the ground floor from a skylight above. Andy was attentive to design details such as providing a soundproof window transom that will allow light into an interior Family Room. Our Master Bedroom includes all of the items on our wish list and a much larger Master Bath and closet than we were anticipating.

Early in the design phase Andy flagged a small portion of our rear yard addition that did not quite fit the planning department’s required rear yard setback. Through a series of project review meetings with the city and some back and forth with the planner, Andy was able to negotiate an administrative variance with much less submittal requirements than a full variance. Our variance was approved in a matter of weeks and we were able to submit for our building permit on schedule. Andy was able to walk through all 40 sheets of drawings and documents and receive the building permit over the counter in a matter of days.

Andy then coordinated a competitive bid phase with 3 contractors, one of the contractors being referred by Andy. Andy provided detailed bid instructions and a set schedule for all of the contractors to ask questions and submit their bids. The comprehensive detailed set of bid documents assured we were able to compare the 3 bids accurately. The contractor Andy referred us to had worked on Andy’s past projects. He also us with a detailed preliminary pricing estimate during the design phase. The contractor Andy referred us to ended up being the contractor we chose to build the project.

During construction Andy has made site visits at the end of key milestones and has provided invaluable design ideas for further detailing. Andy has been able to work with the contractor to answer questions and problem solve for existing conditions that were uncovered during demolition.

We are so excited about our project nearing completion. Andy as our Architect has been the key to our project’s success. We enthusiastically encourage you to consider Andy as your Architect.