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About Us
Working with families and small businesses throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, AT6 Architecture + Design Build embraces the practice of architecture and construction as both developing a product and providing a service. The end product is important to us, but equally so is how we get there.
Our work is modern eclectic. This results from a process designed to engage our clients in a dialogue and provide them with the language to help co-author the design solution. We excel in the technical aspects of construction as well as patiently guiding our clients through the complex process of design, permitting, and construction.
Services Provided
Building Design, Custom Home, Energy-Efficient Homes, Green Building, Home Additions, Home Extensions, Home Remodeling, Home Restoration, New Home Construction, Sustainable Design, Universal Design, Design Build
Areas Served
Alameda, Albany, Belvedere, Belvedere Tiburon, Berkeley, Brisbane, Colma, Daly City, El Cerrito, Emeryville, Marin City, Mill Valley, Oakland, Piedmont, San Bruno, San Francisco, Sausalito, South San Francisco, Tamalpais-Homestead Valley, Tiburon, Lamorinda
Awards
Remodeling Magazine's Big50 member California Home & Design Magazine's influential "Ten to Watch" list
Category
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Business Details
Business Name
AT6 Design Build
Phone Number
+1 415-503-0555
Website
Address
746 Natoma Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Typical Job Cost
$500,000 - 5,000,000
Licence Number
C-28796
Followers
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Write a Review
15 Reviews for AT6 Design Build
Newest first
Average rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars4.7|15 reviews
Work Quality5.0
Communication5.0
Value5.0
Jason and his team with AT6 are a phenomenal design/build team. My wife and I have used Jason for his design/architectural expertise for 10+ years in gradually designing and renovating our home. I originally selected him from almost a dozen architectural recommendations because of his unique background as a contractor prior to pursuing architecture. I think that combination of expertise lends to creative and practical designs and gave me complete confidence and trust that his designs were things that could be easily implemented. Jason has great vision for inside and exterior renovation and he and the team even re-designed our backyard. He and his team are very responsive over e-mail and phone and a pleasure to work with. He's been instrumental in creating the home of our dreams that we will never leave. I know from many friends who have done projects over the past 5 years that finding a dependable architect and contractor is a daunting proposition, which is why I've recommended, and continue to recommend, him and the team to everyone I know. We have had nothing but positive experiences with Jason and the team and I would absolutely recommend him for any renovation or new construction project.
13 October, 2020
Comment from AT6 Design Build:
Thanks, Jason! I'm humbled by your kind words and it's been a pleasure working with you over the years!
Molly Owens
Average rating: 1 out of 5 stars
At-Six was recommended to us by a friend in the industry when we were looking to do an extensive renovation on an older home in Alameda. We hired them for the design on the project and, we assumed, would hire them for construction.
We originally agreed to start design in January and construction in the early summer. We were working away on the design, and progressing (we thought) on the project, but when June rolled around and we asked how close we were to starting the build it turned out that they had started another project without telling us, had made no progress on submitting permits, and now could start at the earliest in September.
We were frustrated but put it down to a misunderstanding and hoped things would improve moving forward. Through the summer we understood they were working on permits, but when they announced in August that they had only just submitted the permit, it became obvious we would not be starting construction in September. Again, I had to ask directly in order to get the news that they had been too busy over the summer to get our permit in on time and would now be able to start, at the earliest, November. We had been in touch all summer and there had been no mention that they were behind.
Our trust in them was breaking down and meanwhile we were still getting large invoices, which we started to take a closer look at, and realized they'd billed us $20,000 more than the original estimate. Jason's explanation was that they had done work outside the initial estimate, and that they were now done with the design and we wouldn't receive any more invoices until construction started. A couple weeks later we got another bill for several thousand dollars.
Given the quality of communication to that point, as well as the fact that everything was being delivered over budget and behind schedule, we decided we need to find someone else to do the construction.
In the process of interviewing new architects and contractors we discovered we had been billed by Jason's firm about double what we would have paid for the same plans done by someone else. This was the consensus of 3 architects and 3 different contractors.
It seems Jason and his team have delivered quality work for other people, but unfortunately, for us, working with them was a major waste of time and money.
9 October, 2019Last modified:11 October, 2019
Comment from AT6 Design Build:
Molly, I’m sorry for your frustration with our service. As you guys are friends of a good friend of mine, I am even more saddened that you had a bad experience with us.
I do feel the need to add context to her side of the story.
Our design process has two phases: The first phase is to develop the schematic design, represented in sketched floorplans only. The second phase includes full permit and construction drawings, including exterior elevations, electrical drawings, working with a structural engineer, etc. This two-part process was well explained at the outset of the project (I thought) and the contract that Molly signed lists in detail the scope of our services for phase 1, which do not include the permit or construction drawings. We never got to that point in our design work.
So why did we go over budget? The original scope of work was to master plan a conversion of two units into one, mainly focused on the kitchens of each unit and combining the entryway. Beyond doing that work, we spent many rounds doing refinements after discussions with Molly, we added a full basement level design into the scope after realizing that the foundation needed replacing, we did extra research with the planning department because the project is historic, and we eventually included a design review permit submittal set of drawings that included drawings full exterior elevations of the building. We explained that the initial extra work we took on – the basement design - would increase our fee beyond the estimate and she was OK with that because it made sense to do that exploration.
I’ll admit that we should have stopped the design work much earlier to reset Molly’s expectations around the original estimate and our expanding scope of services. We didn’t hit her with one huge, unexpected invoice – our services were billed monthly over 8 months - and she paid every invoice without questioning the amount, even after we were well over the original estimate. We felt that since she was directing us on every design iteration and paying our invoices without question, she was aware of and it was ok with her that we were over the original estimate. We mis-read this silence as validation that we were on the right track, even though we were well over the original estimate of fees (and beyond the original scope of services). In retrospect, we should have paused as we were exceeding the original estimate, explained that we were doing more design exploration than originally estimated, and make sure she was OK moving forward. That’s our mistake and we have made it a point to be more deliberate at doing that in the future.
It’s also clear that Molly didn’t realize that our original scope of services did not include generating permit drawings or submitting for permit. That was our mistake in not recognizing our client was unclear on the whole process.
To the point that we billed additional fee after the design work was complete, that was for preparing permit documents and shepherding them through the planning department. This was explained to Molly as out of our normal sequence of services, but she wanted to get the permit submitted as soon as possible so we did the work prior to getting into a phase 2 contract.
We clearly had a fundamental miscommunication with Molly on this project and I take the blame for that. We made assumptions we shouldn’t have. We have already taken steps and put processes in place that ensure our clients are very clear at every step where we are with the fee and where we are in the overall design process. We take our customer service very seriously and are disappointed that we let Molly down. One of our core values is “constant improvement” - we have learned from this and will be better in the future.
I do feel the need to add context to her side of the story.
Our design process has two phases: The first phase is to develop the schematic design, represented in sketched floorplans only. The second phase includes full permit and construction drawings, including exterior elevations, electrical drawings, working with a structural engineer, etc. This two-part process was well explained at the outset of the project (I thought) and the contract that Molly signed lists in detail the scope of our services for phase 1, which do not include the permit or construction drawings. We never got to that point in our design work.
So why did we go over budget? The original scope of work was to master plan a conversion of two units into one, mainly focused on the kitchens of each unit and combining the entryway. Beyond doing that work, we spent many rounds doing refinements after discussions with Molly, we added a full basement level design into the scope after realizing that the foundation needed replacing, we did extra research with the planning department because the project is historic, and we eventually included a design review permit submittal set of drawings that included drawings full exterior elevations of the building. We explained that the initial extra work we took on – the basement design - would increase our fee beyond the estimate and she was OK with that because it made sense to do that exploration.
I’ll admit that we should have stopped the design work much earlier to reset Molly’s expectations around the original estimate and our expanding scope of services. We didn’t hit her with one huge, unexpected invoice – our services were billed monthly over 8 months - and she paid every invoice without questioning the amount, even after we were well over the original estimate. We felt that since she was directing us on every design iteration and paying our invoices without question, she was aware of and it was ok with her that we were over the original estimate. We mis-read this silence as validation that we were on the right track, even though we were well over the original estimate of fees (and beyond the original scope of services). In retrospect, we should have paused as we were exceeding the original estimate, explained that we were doing more design exploration than originally estimated, and make sure she was OK moving forward. That’s our mistake and we have made it a point to be more deliberate at doing that in the future.
It’s also clear that Molly didn’t realize that our original scope of services did not include generating permit drawings or submitting for permit. That was our mistake in not recognizing our client was unclear on the whole process.
To the point that we billed additional fee after the design work was complete, that was for preparing permit documents and shepherding them through the planning department. This was explained to Molly as out of our normal sequence of services, but she wanted to get the permit submitted as soon as possible so we did the work prior to getting into a phase 2 contract.
We clearly had a fundamental miscommunication with Molly on this project and I take the blame for that. We made assumptions we shouldn’t have. We have already taken steps and put processes in place that ensure our clients are very clear at every step where we are with the fee and where we are in the overall design process. We take our customer service very seriously and are disappointed that we let Molly down. One of our core values is “constant improvement” - we have learned from this and will be better in the future.
Nate Williams
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
I've noticed a downturn in the quality of construction in the last few years and so have been very appreciative of the relationship I have with design-build firms like AT6. I've found that our work as a team makes a huge difference in both the process and the quality of the final product.
10 August, 2018
Chau Koltun
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
I highly recommend AT6 Architecture. Jason and his team are professional, thoughtful, knowledgeable and organized. They are great listeners and they work hard at incorporating our vision while providing quality design. We appreciate their careful attention to the budget and keeping us apprised of the changes in the budget on a regular basis. Before we hired AT6, we talked to two of their former clients and saw both prior projects. Similar to their former clients, we have only positive remarks for Jason and his team.
27 February, 2018
Comment from AT6 Design Build:
Thanks, Chau! You guys have been a pleasure to work with, as well, and make our job easy!
Bryn Jedlic
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
AT-6 was our contractor for a full remodel of a single family home in San Francisco in 2016. Jason and his team were always professional, and easy to work with. Overall, we were very happy with the quality of the final product and the price we paid (which, including change orders, was affordable by San Francisco standards). We intend to work with Jason and his team on our next project.
11 February, 2018
Comment from AT6 Design Build:
Thanks, Bryn! It was an absolute pleasure to work with you, too, and we look forward to the next project!
Bryan Carter
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Great team. They care about the project and are easy to work with. Depth of creativity yielding an efficient and aesthetically consistent design.
9 May, 2017
Nystrom Design
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
I've collaborated with AT6 Architecture on several projects, and it's always been a positive experience. Their knowledge in both the architectural and the construction arenas is extremely beneficial to any project. They've got a great design sensibility, and the technical expertise to turn a design into reality. I know that I can count on the AT6 team to help figure out construction details that will affect the interior design, like finish transitions, cabinet details, and cost implications. They are pleasant to work with and very professional.
26 August, 2016
Jason is a wonderfully skilled architect. I would highly recommend his services to anyone looking for a creative architect with fabulous ideas.
27 October, 2015
whoffmanjr
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
I’ve had a lot of experience over the years working with different architects, both for my own home remodels and for commercial rehab projects. Jason Langkammerer is my all-time favorite. He has excellent design sensibilities, he listens to clients, he’s a pleasure to work with, and he has really excellent judgment and a wonderful touch in dealing with the byzantine and sometimes arbitrary denizens of the San Francisco DBI.
Our project with Jason was small but crucial. We had an Edwardian condo on Russian Hill with an ancient roof deck, blessed with an absolutely spectacular view. The deck had probably been built without permits ages ago, but had been there for at least 50 years and 10 years ago the City had approved mapping it as part of the top floor condo. We needed to re-roof the building so we decided to remove the old deck, redesign it, and replace it on the new roof.
To our astonishment, DBI took the position that its own inspection was defective when DBI approved mapping the deck as part of the condo, so we were told that DBI would not allow replacement of the deck. We hired another well known SF architect, but her proposed approach to DBI seemed completely wrong to us. A friend suggested Jason. He was indispensable. He was brilliant at steering us past the many roadblocks that various DBI staff threw at us. He had a great sense of what different staff members wanted and what they might accept. Jason not only saved our deck, he managed to get approvals to replace it in its original location, closer to the building edge than now allowed. His design solutions for the deck were aesthetically very pleasing – clean, simple, but interesting.
We thought that Jason's experience in construction was a real plus. He had a very practical orientation and was always conscious of the construction costs of various solutions. DBI staff seemed to do what they could to add expense to the project. For instance, DBI required the roof be completely opened up and extensive reinforcement to be added from below. Jason came up with an elegant and cost effective solution to these requirements. The cost of meeting the DBI requirements was nontrivial, but to keep the deck we would have paid considerably more if we had to, and we think Jason saved us money. His fees were very reasonable and well worth every dollar. He has our highest recommendation and our thanks for great work.
23 September, 2015
Jason and his team did a major renovation of our home in San Francisco. We used AT6 for both the design and build portions of the project. We created a master bedroom, a second bathroom, two closets and created a new entryway and laundry room. The work is very high end, everything still looks good (now 4 years later) and he continues to be helpful with follow-up questions. Most importantly, the more contractors I work with for other types of work the more grateful I am for Jason's communication skills and attention to his customers. He was VERY responsive during the entire process, very honest and very hard working.
The only negatives were as follows: at that time I was slightly underwhelmed by their willingness to include eco-friendly items (such as LED lighting for the stairs). I had to push and research these items myself to have them be included. Also, his business was growing so fast that a few design decisions didn't get included due to short staffing in his office.
Everything else about working with AT6 and Jason was pleasant, professional and successful. His budget and invoices were very clear. His staff and subs were quality choices. Jason's design ideas for our new rooms were strong and he presented good options during the design phase of the work. We love the results and plan to work with him again in the future.
12 August, 2015
Comment from AT6 Design Build:
Thanks for the review! I would make one comment and that is, although at the time we may have lacked a pro-active stance on eco-friendly items, I hope we didn't come across as unwilling to include them. We have a much more robust (and pro-active!) process on green building items now.
Jason Langkammerer was great. I felt like we had a good partnership on design, with him accepting many of my ideas, being extremely patient as I figured out what I wanted, and most important, understanding and incorporating my aesthetic. His taste level and design choices were great: a dark brown column of cabinetry to contain the refrigerator, anchoring the kitchen and creating space to post kids' art; white cabinets to unify the kitchen within an open floor plan, widening doorways to create a sense of spaciousness, a small wall to create a sense of enclosure for the dining room and shielding the bathroom, using large rectangular tiles in the bathroom and kitchen to create the illusion of a larger space, retaining period features of a 1920s bungalow, suggesting grey for the fireplace and front door to unify the overall color palette, and much much more. He also seemed to have a good working relationship with the contractors, who also did a very nice job. People who walk into my home -- which is basically a minimalist and modern yet warm and fully functional approach, invariably comment on how beautiful the interior is. I would strongly recommend Jason!
8 July, 2015
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