Todd Jersey Architecture

I’ve always admired Todd Jersey’s commitment to environmental sustainability and watched with wonder as the whole Plunge project took shape. Talk about being faithful to the original vision of the builders while bringing the best of contemporary technology into play!
Lately, his additional focus on how buildings affect a sense of community has really been coming to the fore. Todd has a real vision for improving how we all live together; he’s on the forefront of how public and private space will be designed in a world growing less and less dependent on cars and fossil fuels in general. It’s his passion, and it shows.

I’ve known Todd as a colleague for over 20 years. He is a knowledgable, principled architect and citizen. His reputation as a sustainable architect began well before the rest of us knew the word.

I asked Mr. Jersey for references and he said:“Why. Don’t you trust me?” That answer alone should have been my cue that this person is not all he claims to be. I had 3 architects review Mr. Jersey’s work as well as 3 attorneys. The architects were shocked at the work product relative to what he charged and they also had never heard of him. The state’s CAB itself was so alarmed at the work product, they actually advised me to file a complaint as did one of California’s attorney generals. The design work he did for me was nothing special and ultimately, we had to completely re-​do his work as it would not have satisfied planning commission’s requirements re design. During the time I employed his services, I more than once was present for phone conversations he had with clients where clients were clearly having a similar experience (exorbitant charges for 0 to questionable work). In hindsight, I should have paid attention to this let alone all the other warning signs. In the interim, I also met a real estate agent who had hired and then fired Mr. Jersey with same experience — massive overcharging for little work. I now understand why one public entity he had apparently worked for was so noticeably quiet when I questioned them as to their experience. And I later also found an article in a local paper where Mr. Jersey had become involved in a project which the city said would have actually cost them far more than the cost Mr. Jersey had estimated. As a senior living on social security, I feel strongly that he essentially exploited me — justifying this to himself possibly as ‘some crazy old lady who just doesn’t understand bla bla bla.’. It is my sincere hope that by this point in America, we have begun to reject this all too common ploy used in the male-​dominated trades as well as the ploys used by very skilled scam artists. I took my business to a female-​owned civil engineer design-​build firm and I’m very glad I did as much of what Mr. Jersey originally proposed turned out to be ridiculously expensive and unnecessary as well as unacceptable by the area’s planning commission. Anybody can get people to write wonderful reviews for them on Unilocal.This is done all the time. Discounts are given for posting reviews or vendors ask customers to write a review, etc. If you are using Unilocal at all, you probably know this by now. Do your homework. Finally, there are plenty of good architects in the area who have ZERO complaints on record with the CAB.

I am on a bit of a high right now having visited the Richmond Plunge yesterday and admired the magnificent restoration that Todd Jersey helped lead.
I’ve seldom seen a reconstruction that so perfectly combines respect for the original building with contemporary updates. The Plunge is both a useful civic amenity and a reminder of the Bay Area’s architectural heritage.
I was very moved by my visit in part because we came so close to losing this magnificent structure (I’d just seen a photo essay somewhere about Penn Station in New York). The loss would have been all the more tragic because the building was — and is – a place that’s intended for all of us to enjoy, not merely a privileged few.
So, having just written a review of the Plunge, I thought I’d give kudos directly to the architect who helped make it happen. I don’t have first-​hand experience of working with him, but anyone who does such a marvelous job on a building like this deserves at least this small measure of recognition.
Thank you!