Thompson Naylor Architects

Allen Construction recently completed our design for a wonderful 2500 s.f. residence and 600 s.f. accessory dwelling in the Mesa neighborhood. The owner was a student at UCSB and he has returned to the region with his family after a career in the Bay Area.

People can romanticize the process of designing and building their dream house or even renovating their existing home. But going through either one is a stressful process, and it can be especially hard on a couple’s relationship. Construction projects that involve aesthetics, money, and time can trigger the weak spots in a relationship. After working with couples on remodeling their homes for over 40 years, I have a few tips that might help reduce the stress and keep the ...relationship as happy as it can be! (We’re not miracle workers, but increasing happiness should be part of an architect’s skillset!) 1. During the design process, I have often found that one member of the couple is surprised at the other’s ideas or priorities. This can waste time and money and can be avoided by up-front joint soul-searching. Before hiring design professionals, the couple should discuss and gain agreement about Program (list of desired outcomes and spaces), Image (what you want it to look like), and Budget (how much you’re willing to spend). You may have to prioritize your Must haves, Would be nice, and Can do without items. 2. While working with design professionals, make sure that you have a clear process for communication and decision-making. Typically with my clients, one person is the lead advocate for the project and speaks for their partner. (I won’t mention which gender that person usually is.) 3. Be prepared for the construction process to take longer and cost more money than you expect. Unfortunately, this is almost always the case, except for very experienced clients. Never go into the project having only the amount of money predicted by the designer or builder. It is important to have a contingency line, especially in the case of remodels. 4. If you are going to live in the house during construction, be realistic about what you can tolerate. I worked with one couple who cheerfully agreed to stay in the house while it was torn open during the winter, but they soon got tired of living in their parkas, gloves and knitted caps! 5. Finally, be gentle with each other as you navigate the process. The range of decisions that need to be made will take time away from your social life and recreation. Give yourselves a reward once in a while, like a weekend get-away or dinner out or with friends. And remember that, most likely, a year after the remodel or new home is completed, you two will have forgotten the painful parts of the process as you enjoy your beautiful new home! See more

Great progress has been made on this home in Ventura which we designed. The owner's home was lost in the Thomas Fire. They hope to move in the end of this year.

Here is a shout out about the 2019 ArchitecTour- It is this Saturday and the theme is The Art of Architecture. We are excited to have a home on the tour this year; the owner of this beautiful home (upper right photo) has Art everywhere; even the furniture and carpets are art pieces themselves. We hope you will be able to join the tour on October 5. Here is the link for tickets https://www.eventbrite.com/e/architectours-2019-the-art-of-

This modest 1950’s Ranch-style house was transformed into a cool contemporary property, with new retaining walls and patios, new covered outdoor living space, and all new finishes and materials inside.

The theme for the 2019 ArchitecTour is The Art of Architecture. We are excited to have a home on the tour this year; the owner of this beautiful home (upper right photo) has Art everywhere; even the furniture and carpets are art pieces themselves. We hope you will be able to join the tour on October 5.

We have completed design of our first replacement house from the Woolsey Fire in Oak Park, CA. The new house for this young family will have a fresh but classic design, and the fire resistance and energy performance will be far better than the old house. We are proud to have completed the design and submittal to Ventura County in under six months, with the help of our collaborative firm, Christopher Manson-Hing, Architect.

Our new clients inherited an older, rundown house with a great ocean view in the Summerland hills. They asked us to remodel the house as their retirement home, but we soon discovered that there was not enough substantial infrastructure there to warrant keeping the house. With an eye toward simple and economic development, we designed a replacement house that fulfills their needs, meets their budget (we hope) and capitalizes on the great view while fitting into the Summerland Community Plan.

Eleven months after we met our first clients from the Thomas Fire, their new house on Buena Vista Street in Ventura is coming out of the ground! Next fall, they’ll be in their new fire-resistant, energy- and water-efficient home.

There is a new website, LA Architects, which searches out the best Architects, Contractors and Designers in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and surrounding areas. We made their list of the Best in Santa Barbara. Here is a link to their website - - https://www.losangelesarchitects.org//best-residential-ar/

There is currently a great deal of interest in revitalizing Santa Barbara’s downtown by adding new small-apartment housing over the parking areas behind the State Street storefronts. We’re proud that our firm proposed new housing over parking lots in Santa Barbara in 2002! Take a look at our LOTS OF HOUSING proposal from that year.

Our home that just won the Santa Barbara Beautiful award for Drought Tolerant, Low Water Use Landscape is featured in an article titled Farm Fresh, Santa Barbara magazine, Special Issue 2018. The article features the Interior Designer, Jessica Risko Smith.