Sven Lavine Architecture

I haven’t hired Sven for a project but just got off of the phone with him to ask about one. He has a larger budget minimum than is necessary for my project but took a good amount of time to explain variances and whatnot and also recommended two architects that would be a good fit. He was polite, personable and the sort of person that I would definitely hire on another project.

Sven is an excellent Architect as well as a resource. I used Sven for a pretty big addition (adding about 1,000 sq ft to a 1,500 sq ft house) in Bernal Heights. He is knowledgeable, patient and more than affordable. I shopped around a bit and he was among the least expensive but the quality of his work and knowledge of the SF building and planning departments was invaluable.
I know more than enough to be a pain in the butt as I tried to draw plans and submit them myself. This didn’t go so well and this is where Sven stepped in. He drew up the plans, held my hand through the process and answered many questions as I badgered him over the months.
Whether you’re a bit of a DIYer or would prefer the less stressful route of having a professional handle the many issues throughout the arduous process, Sven is an excellent choice and I couldn’t recommend him more highly.

We loved working with Sven. He’s smart, insightful and easy to work with. We were your typical annoying customers with all sorts of ideas, but Sven was very patient with us and worked to incorporate all our needs. Would given him 5 thumbs ups! –Mark A.

Sven helped us remodel the upstairs master bedroom, bath, can stairway of our Bernal Heights home. He we amazing to work with, coming up with great ideas for small spaces and adding lots of light and beautiful detail. We like to get very involved in our projects and Sven was great about working with us and listening to our ideas. He is very easy going and fun to work with. Best of all, we get tons of compliments on our remodel and my bedroom is now my very favorite room in the house. I very highly recommend him!

We worked with Sven over a two year period as we converted a 2 unit building
in Russian Hill into a single family home. The job couldn’t have been done
without Sven. I don’t know if another architect could have worked so well
with the building and planning departments to make a nearly impossible
project a reality. We took the building down to four exterior walls
converting two 1500 sq ft flats into a 3600 sq ft home with a three car
garage and roof deck. Sven’s drawings were accurate and highly detailed and
his architectural creativity and style is awesome. He worked through a
number of architectural, code and budget challenges to design a great and
useful layout.
I have worked with 5 different architects on over a dozen commercial
projects and despite the complexity of this project this was the smoothest
one I have worked on.

Sven helped me bring my tiny 1970’s-era condo into the modern age. It ended up being basically a down-​to-​the-​studs remodel – there just wasn’t much worth salvaging from the old place. New bathroom, kitchen, electrical, plumbing, sheetrock, lighting, floors, all-​new finishes, and even moved a couple walls around. Sven recommended an amazing contractor, and I’m totally happy with the finished product now. It’s so much more livable and comfortable. Sven is easy to work with and professional. I would recommend Sven to others, and would definitely use him again myself – although I don’t expect to have to since I love my home now!

We hired Sven for the addition of a dormer window to one bedroom and to consider all the options for the windows and balcony of another bedroom. He was very helpful in giving us a wide range of choices and explaining the ramifications of each decision. He also was very patient with the our high-​maintenance combination of being opinionated about particulars, but being pretty much ignorant about design.

Speedy Architect. He does a great job at a fare price.

We needed to add a master bathroom to our house and Sven worked with two people (me and my husband) with pretty different tastes and helped us come together to create something beautiful. Wonderful to work with!

Our condo needed to tear down and replace our 3 story decking and stairs. We worked with Sven to design new stairs and decking. He Was great to work with, accommodating the viewpoints of all the parties involved. He supplied us with many different designs, refining them as new issues arose. When it was time for the build, he worked well with the contractor we chose and with the city and inspectors. This last point should not be overlooked as an intricate knowledge of getting plans through the city in a timely manner is a real boon to any project.