Winder Gibson Architects

We met Geoff Gibson through a mutual friend and initially reached out just to get some ideas for creating a second full bathroom in our Victorian/​Edwardian flat (typical San Francisco with the long hallway and big turrets). Geoff was very nice to do a detailed walk-​through with us, and it turns out he had also done the plans for a similar project in the unit right above us – small world! We weren’t even sure we were going to hire an architect but long story short, we ended up engaging Geoff’s team and embarked on a larger remodel than originally envisioned.
On the pro’s, Geoff was very clear about his costs/​contract terms up front, gave us numerous layout proposals (including some really creative ideas), and was always very responsive on his communication. I also really enjoyed chatting with his assistant architect who came to do the detailed measurements. They seemed like an all-​around pleasant team.
What could have been better (and this may have been something I needed to ask for as the client) was the lack of a more detailed «creative» discussion early on about our parameters for this project. Geoff kind of did his creative work first, producing various renditions, and then we gave feedback and iterated. I think it would have been a better use of time and energy to have hacked out upfront our must-have’s and not-interested-in-having’s.
We had never worked with architects in the past and were naïve as to why you would keep them engaged into the construction phase. So unfortunately when walls came down, some of the room measurements were quite different than anticipated and this caused a lot of tension with our contractor (as it impacted pre-​negotiated costs, etc). I don’t know how, but I definitely wish that could have been avoided. The not insignificant underestimation of the wall thicknesses was the only «mistake» in the plans per se.
In sum, Geoff takes his job very seriously and is likely to give your project the focus it deserves. He focuses his creative juices and is diligent about what he delivers. Everything came on time, in budget, and was delivered with more detail than we expected. I was very touched that on his own time, he asked at the end of the project if he could stop by to see the finished product. He clearly takes pride in his work, and I feel lucky that we got to work with him.
As a final note, my favorite part was always the walk-​throughs, the before and after of getting to go through the space with him and talk about what is/​could have been possible. It can be a lot of fun working with an architect (which I would, oh, probably never say about contractors, who must have cost me months off my life)! And this was a great first taste into that world.

Five stars for Geoff Gibson. He helped me remodel my Ashbury Heights house. When I went to sell it, buyers drooled over his work. He has amazing taste but is super practical. He tells you where to splurge and where to hold back (if your budget is not unlimited). For smaller spaces, he is super creative in utilizing «dead space.» The bonus is that he is a great guy.

We worked with Geoff and Daniel on the design, permitting, and construction of our boutique fitness studio located at 1561 California St in Nob Hill. Overall we were highly impressed with the professionalism, creativity, and execution of Geoff and his team.
Geoff started the process by learning our business which included discussions with management and a visit to our existing studio in Palo Alto. He then helped us evaluate potential locations in the city, and was instrumental in our selection of 1561 California. After the site was secured Geoff and his team got to work on several options for floor plans, and worked closely with company management on a series of floor plan iterations to ensure that the design of the space was functional, to code, and optimized our customers’ experience.
Daniel took the lead on permitting and worked closely with the SF Planning and Building Dept to get all the necessary permits. Since the building was around 30 years old we were required to do significant seismic and ADA upgrades. Geoff and Daniel worked closely with the structural engineers (Santos and Urrutia) to ensure that we were compliant with code while still maximizing the aesthetics of the space, and keeping costs to a minimum.
Geoff and Daniel made multiple trips to the site during construction to ensure that the design was being implemented correctly by our contractors.
We were so impressed with their work that we’re planning to work with them again on our next studio.
Highly recommended!

I’ve worked with Geoff on two different residential projects and each time was very impressed with his knowledge of the very complicated and cumbersome process of building in San Francisco. Apart from his technical knowledge and obvious depth of experience, what impressed me most about Geoff was the professionalism with which he and his team members conduct themselves. This is very important to me in working with anyone and especially with an architect on my own home. He was attentive to our challenging timeline and met every deadline.

Geoff and his team just finished a project with my company, a major commercial renovation in Nob Hill. Geoff and team were amazing to work with. I wasn’t involved in a lot of the pre-​planning and designs so I was very impressed and surprised with the outcomes after we finished construction. Geoff was able to really understand our concept and grasp what we were trying to accomplish. When issues came up with the building department, Geoff was quick to respond and was always really thoughtful in his responses. We had a great experience with Winder Gibson and would highly recommend them and work with them again.

I did not have a positive experience with this firm. I did not hire them. I am a next-​door neighbor to one of their projects. I write this review to share the experience of their communications with neighbors.
To start, we did not receive notice of the construction, which seemed odd given we are arguably the house most affected by the major remodel of their project. Once we saw the posted material about the remodel, we contacted them to try to work out issues of light and privacy. We invited this firm and their clients into our home. I regret inviting them in. While Geoff attempted to smooth over the issues, he appeared to be unaware of the SF Planning Department design guideline affecting rear view cottages like ours, which we pointed out to him.
Moreover, in talking about the deck his clients planned to build that would be right outside our upstairs bedroom skylight windows, we mentioned that the noise and sightlines would impose on our privacy. His response was the the loud noises my husband I might make during sex in our upstairs bedroom could disturb his clients while on their deck to be built. I found this very insulting and inappropriate.
As a neighbor who had to deal with Geoff and his team, I would not recommend this firm.

Thank you Winder Gibson Architects! My home is a highly rated historical resource in San Francisco having been designed in 1905 by Henry Gutterson, one of the premier architects in San Francisco at the turn of the century. Our home is located in Pacific Heights, so obtaining approvals for a second floor addition, that would be visible from the street, was incredibly challenging. Winder Gibson designed the addition in a style that blended perfectly with the historical context of the house, thereby preserving its architectural integrity.. Obtaining the approvals required an Historical Resource Report and countless meetings with several departments of the City. As hurdles arose, Winder Gibson crossed each one satisfying both our objectives with those of the City. Ultimately, their design was approved without any changes which is really quite amazing to accomplish in San Francisco I highly recommend their firm, particularly for those assignments that require meticulous attention to detail.

My company worked with Geoff Gibson and his team on a commercial studio build-​out in Nob Hill and I have to say that it was a really wonderful experience. While other people in our team had worked on previous projects, I was new to the game and really appreciated Geoff and Daniel’s ability to explain various options to me in a way that made me feel educated and comfortable. Definitely recommend Geoff & his team!

As a redeveloper and homeowner in SF, I’ve had the good fortune to work with Winder Gibson over the past 3 years on not only two professional projects but also my own home. They are easy to work with and responsive and don’t drive up my architecture budgets to insane levels while still delivering great designs for both more traditional and contemporary designs.
My main point of contact has been partner Geoff Gibson and it’s been a pleasure developing an on-​going relationship with him — even referring him to other clients of mine who are looking to redo their own homes. He and his team have been focused on delivering to my goals and expectations and have demonstrated a remarkable easygoing lack of ego. They’re happy to incorporate ideas and design elements discovered on Pinterest or Houzz or that other architects have done if they improve the project and help it deliver better on the clients goals. It’s not all about them.
I’ve worked with them through four projects (3 of my own + 1 client project) and wouldn’t hesitate to bring them in again on future projects. Five very solid stars.

Geoff Gibson totally reimagined our split level home in Burlingame into a mid-​century inspired modern home which is now on the verge of completion. It is even more fabulous built than on paper. Geoff built so much value into our home through excellent design and attentiveness to the way our family lives. His professionalism helped us sail through the city planning commission with virtually no changes to our design. Geoff is a no-​stress, collaborative partner who also happens to be an architectural wunderkind!

We had purchased our home in 2006 and knew at some point that we would need a major remodel to meet our growing family needs. From personal and professional recommendations, we contacted Geoff at Winder/​Gibson and we were so glad that we did! They came up with ideas that were innovative, compelling, yet practical.
Throughout the remodel process, Geoff was available and engaging with our plans and wishes. He made the entire process smoother than we could have imagined. Having the experience of Winder/​Gibson certainly made us feel that we were in more than capable hands. Between Geoff, Marla, and John, someone was always there to hold our hand throughout all the decisions and to lend an opinion when we wanted one.
Geoff was also able to guide us throughout the General Contractor selection process and even introduced us to one of his personal recommendations who we eventually went with. His knowledge of our needs linked us with the perfect contractor.
If you are looking for experienced experts for any of your architectural needs, we couldn’t recommend any one more than Winder/​Gibson Architects.

Can’t speak highly enough of this firm. We have done two major house renovations since buying a house in 2010. The first time round we decided to engage a contractor ourselves. The process was stressful to say the least. The second time round we decided to find a good architect to help us with the process. We spoke to several architects but on a neighbor’s recommendation we contacted Geoff Gibson of Winder Gibson. We felt he had an immediate understanding of what we wanted to do. There were certain period features of the house which we wanted to preserve and not design something which clashed too much with the rest of the house. Geoff got it straight away.
Working with Geoff and Marla was a pleasure all round. We were completely redoing our downstairs area and we wanted to make sure it felt like it seamlessly remained part of the house. Geoff had some great ideas to integrate a completely redesigned internal stairwell, new master bedroom, en suite bathroom and walk-​in closet. After the initial visit Geoff presented 3 different design concepts of which we were able to choose one and integrate ideas from the other concepts as necessary. The whole process of arriving at final designs was a pleasure and all I can say is that there was a meeting of minds — Geoff (and Marla) both got what we were trying to do and it almost seemed like they were reading our minds in advance at times.
Permitting was handled expertly by Geoff and the selection of contractor was also relatively stress free because of several relationships Geoff had with a bunch of contractors. We had a fairly tight budget and once we had received the contractor bids Geoff was able to help us with value-​engineering to get the best pricing. We had to make a last minute change to the plans as my work circumstances had changed and Geoff was able to respond immediately to make changes to the plans to ensure the house would be as salable as possible should we have to move.
Geoff helped us with the selection of all the tiles, lighting and bathroom hardware, coming with us to the stores to help us choose. He had regular meetings with the contractors during the work and was always available should we or the contractors have questions as the project progressed. The final result was outstanding and met all our objectives. In summary, you cannot go wrong using this firm.

We engaged Winder Gibson for a high profile project for a non-​profit. We had big dreams but also a tight timeline and budget. They blew us away with their concept and approach. Their work was stellar — creative, insightful and extremely professional. I loved the process of working with them and the outcome was outstanding.

It is a pleasure to recommend Geoff Gibson and Winder Gibson Architects. Geoff is an outstanding architect. More importantly, he is an amazing guy. My wife and I took on a project this summer and found Geoff on Unilocal.We screened him along with three other architects and he stood head and shoulders above all of the others. The reasons we chose to work with him are also the reasons we ultimately are recommending him:
* Absolute transparency: Geoff explains his pricing in a manner that is very simple, clear, and no nonsense. His fees are a ‘not to exceed’ ceiling which means he is assuming the risk of budget overruns, but you get the benefit of under-​runs. If the project takes less time, you pay less. If it takes more, you don’t pay more than the cap.
* Deep expertise: It’s immediately clear that Geoff is an unquestionable authority in his trade. And his expertise spans the soft and squishy (things like ‘feel’ of house, ‘flow’ through the space, etc.) to the highly technical (think complex engineering and technical architectural nuance or sub-​sub-​sections of building codes.)
* Creativity: Geoff likes a good challenge and thrives in tricky situations and highly constrained environments.
* Excellent communication: Geoff does a really nice job of explaining technical concepts in layman terms. He has the emotional intelligence to recognize when we don’t understand something and uses metaphors and analogies to convey.
* Meticulous detail orientation: Geoff is incredibly thorough and removes all of the guesswork from his projects. The specs that he provides to your contractor remove all guesswork and uncertainty. He makes it impossible for contractors to cut corners.
* Emotional intelligence: Geoff has the empathy to recognize when you need more time (e.g. decision fatigue) and when you need to speed things along. He also has an uncanny knack for situationally adapting his style. My wife and I think and operate very differently (I’m impulsive and impatient whereas my wife moves more slowly, cautiously, and deliberately) and Geoff worked well with both of us and gracefully had us working together effectively.
* Service orientation: Since we were purchasing property in a hot market, we had several instances where we needed Geoff’s advice on a moment’s notice so we could make a bid. Without fail, we had him on the phone same day.
* Selflessness: on multiple occasions, Geoff talked us out of doing something that he didn’t think was in our best interest, but would have resulted in higher fees for him. We were always completely confident that he had our best interests at heart. It is also worth noting that in the early discussions, he actively encouraged us to meet with architects to make sure we found the right fit.
* Honesty: Geoff doesn’t over-​promise and under-​deliver. On at least two occasions, we were pushing for something that was unrealistic and he set us straight. One related to timelines (how quickly we could realistically expect the project to complete) and the other related to project scope (what we could realistically achieve given our building constraints.) He was very candid about managing our expectations.
In short, we unwaveringly recommend Geoff without reservation. He is an amazing architect, a highly responsive and innately service-​orientated professional, and a very honest, nice guy. Construction projects are stressful and problem-​fraught. Working with Geoff removes this from start to finish…

We have been working with Geoff Gibson and his firm for several months now and could not be happier with the process.
He knows the city and its codes very well and gives accurate expectations of timelines and what the city will allow.
We have a Victorian and are planning on turning the attic into a full floor with two bedrooms and a bath and we need to add a proper staircase to get up there. Geoff and his associates have been great with drawing up plans of different styles (more modern, more Victorian) and working with us on a long-​term solution that will be just right for our family.
We are now through the Planning Department process and everything has been pretty much the way Geoff predicted. Next up is the process with the Building Department but I expect that to run as smoothly as everything else with Winder Gibson.
We’re also working on a variance to extend our deck. There are just so many things that can be done when you have a competent partner. Everyone else in this city always makes it sound so impossible and unpredictable to work with the codes but the truth is you just need to work with a firm who knows what they are doing.

Our experience with the architectural firm of Winder Gibson has been exceptional.
We hired Geoff Gibson to draft plans for a change of use for our building. His work has been prompt, professional, and altogether excellent.
Geoff has exceeded our expectations and provided valuable insight into the many obscure processes of city permitting. We are very happy with his work and would recommend this firm to anyone who needs a quality architect.

Winder Gibson is truly an all star firm.
(For context, I have done very few reviews and never given an all star rating).
We reviewed three firms. All would have been ok. Winder Gibson won the bid because their ideas were the most compelling. They weren’t the cheapest or most expensive firm. They are simply better.
Geoff Gibson managed a remodel on my 1916 built home in SF. They gave us three wonderful options for the remodel, which made it pretty hard to choose the best one.
Once it got started, we uncovered all kinds of unforeseen issues — it’s an old house!
But Geoff’s firm distinguished itself in every way. They were responsive, ultra-​transparent about everything. They managed to a deadline. And while the unforeseen issues made the remodel take longer than expected, it still was done well within the window they forecasted.
Thumps way up!

To be perfectly honest with you I rarely write Unilocal reviews. Someone has to really impress me. My experience with Winder Gibson Architects has been so exceptional that I wanted to share my experience.
We chose Geoff Gibson after interviewing several Architects. Although any of them could have drawn up a set of plans for us they seemed to lack the vision Geoff showed and the interest he placed on our needs, wishes and budget. From the very start he impressed us.
We weren’t sure if we should just remodel the kitchen, or perhaps do a little more to help our 1932 house with a challenged floor plan. Geoff began by asking what we envisioned as a perfect living environment, and also how long we planned to be in the home. What was important and necessary for us, and what would be simply be nice to have. Then we talked budget, and not just what we could afford to spend but also what he felt was the upper limit to invest in our neighborhood. That impressed me, and I appreciated his concern.
He brought us 4 very unique floor plan options. His creativity was inspiring. It was hard to imagine the home that we lived in having all of those possibilities. We pulled what we liked from each option to create our own vision of the perfect living and entertaining space. We are presently 3 months in to a 9 month renovation down to the studs. On schedule. And on budget !! How often does that happen ?
Geoff has handled the City Planning Department, interviewed contractors, and is helping us design cabinets, select plumbing and lighting fixtures, and even helping us with the color palettes for the rooms. Truly remarkable !
Geoff has proven to be honest, insightful, creative and very responsive to our needs and concerns. This has been a great relationship. The best experience yet with a remodel and I’ve done a few.
I would never think of building or remodeling again without Geoff’s help.

We worked with Geoff Gibson when we remodeled our San Francisco apartment. He is very talented, very knowledgeable and has a great attention to detail. It was a pleasure working with Geoff and the team at Winder Gibson. We are very pleased with our remodel and would definitely use Winder Gibson Architects again.
Sudnya

We’ve worked extensively with both John Winder and Geoff Gibson on substantial internal (taking our Sea Cliff home down to the studs) and external (decks and landscaping) projects. They have been terrific on all fronts. They are talented designers and communicators, and they live up to their commitments. John has been working with us for eighteen months now to resolve a permit issue caused when our general declared bankruptcy and disappeared with a lot of our original work cards, and he has remained diligent and focused on helping us complete the work. Truly valor above and beyond the call of duty. Both my wife and I would recommend these guys again in a heartbeat. (In fact, that’s what I’m doing right now —)