Keith James
Before working with Ben at Manzanita Design Build we had worked for a short time with an architect I had previous experience with many years earlier working as a general contractor in Berkeley. Early on we assumed I would do our remodel/addition myself by hiring carpenters and subcontractors. It started to become apparent to both my wife and me that our architect wasn’t listening to us and didn’t seem to have much energy or enthusiasm for our project. It was difficult for us to end the relationship after having some time and money invested but we knew it would be for the best. We found Ben after doing our research and quickly it became apparent that Ben had the energy and creativity we were looking for. I personally liked that Ben was a builder having had some frustrating past experiences working as both a carpenter and contractor with architects unfamiliar with some of the realities of building. Quickly we became convinced to just let Ben design and build our whole project and we’re glad we did. Ben always listened to the ideas we had and working together we always improved upon them. Ben also had a practicality about things that made it easy to go with his suggestions. Our project was fairly involved and all of Ben’s employees and subcontractors were skilled and very easy to get along with. I’d have to guess that compared with most clients I was probably more difficult and given to micro managing because of my building background, but Ben and his crew made it feel like a collaborative experience. In the end we’re very happy we chose Ben and are extremely happy in our amazing remodeled house with our marriage intact!
