Arketype architects

David and his team helped my sister rebuild her house which was lost due to the Thomas Fire in Ventura. The home building process can already be a stressful experience, add another layer of complications with dealing with anything Thomas Fire (delays with permit, insurance, Covid-19, new requirements, etc.) There were so many unknowns and the only thing that we can count on for sure was David and his team's support. David especially was understanding of our need to balance budget and executing on the design that he and my sister collaborated on. He was available on numerous calls with the insurance company and our adjuster, providing the numerous documentation requested by the insurance company. With every challenge, David provided the calm and reassurance that everything will work out. His Project Manager Suky Ho is top notch. Prior to this build, I did not understand the role of the project manager. Now I do and I'm glad that she was our Project Manager. She was there to work with the sub-contractors, doing the detail work such as reviewing/doing the inventory of materials, ensuring that everything is accounted for. We love how the house turned out. We are especially grateful that David incorporated eco-friendly, sustainable features into both interior and exteriors of the house. We highly recommend David and his team.

Our family had never built anything from the ground up before. We had lots of grand ideas but barely knew where to begin. We discovered arketype by searching on Houzz for a "green"-friendly, experienced architect firm with a modern vibe, an understanding of local permitting challenges, a willingness to work within our strict budget, a commitment to our vision of sustainable building, the creative eye needed to tackle design challenges unique to our site, and a sensitivity toward the historic character of our neighborhood. Arketype listened carefully to our ideas, stayed within budget, stood by our side when we faced local political and permitting hurdles, and delivered a project that not only has been celebrated in local media but is a home that's pure bliss to live in. We wouldn't change a thing.

We chose Arketype and David Ferrin to design our home renovation and addition after we had seen his work on a friend’s house. David was able to maintain some of the charm of our mid-century bungalow, using its original elements (like the carport) to guide the design of the second story steel, glass and wood features. We love color and David took it up a notch: the combination of the stark steel and glass with bright blues and greens is beautiful. On the interior, we think David designed one of the most beautiful staircases ever, with reclaimed 1950s wood from the walls taken down as part of the renovation. The butcher-block design (executed by David Furst of Furst Woodworks) is striking and, because it is such old wood, it is very warm to the feet. After the design, we also chose David to manage the construction project. The Arketype team (David and John Fenske) kept subcontractors on time and ensured their work met or exceeded standards. It isn’t always easy, but they worked smoothly with another contractor we hired independently, Kitchen Places in Ventura. We have heard horror stories about renovations but it just didn’t happen to us. Can’s say enough good things about our experience and the end result.