“We worked with Mike and Alex on renovating a house we had just purchased. We completely redid our living area, opening up the space and tripling the size of our kitchen. Mike has a great talent for using space in both a very efficient and visually pleasing way. Mike and Alex helped us design the space by having us think through how our family would be using each area of the house. Alex's recommendations for color, materials, style were practical and perfect to achieve the overall look we were seeking.”

Andrew & Victoria Perry — Daly City, CA

“Mike and Alex helped us to build our dream home. From architecture to design, they were with us every step, providing creative solutions and innovative ideas that helped to make our dreams into a reality.”

Dave Hawley & Meghan Keough — San Francisco, CA

“Mike and Alexandra were very supportive of me personally as we went through a very difficult permit process. The planning commission had turned me down twice- it was Mike’s appeal to them that did the trick! He made me feel like a valued client and was an advocate for my project. Additionally, they are authentic craftspeople. They helped me bring my vision to life yet kept the integrity of the building.”

Traci Teraoka — San Francisco, CA

“Working on building your life’s vision and heart’s desire is hard. Working with MCAI+ is an opportunity to do so in a safe and sustained way. Their approach is to know your hopes, know your vision, and know your limits and work with them. If and when you are ready to create, MCAI+ is absolutely the right partner to create with.

We look forward to the opportunity to work with them again and again.”

Amy Critchett and Lynn Woolsey — Petaluma, CA

“Alex is an incredible partner in both design and architecture, I have worked with her to design my commercial office, project manage a very intense structural remodel of my hillside home and design of my current home. With her design work, she is able to visually translate what was in my heart yet I was unable to verbalize. After just a couple of conversations she presented ideas that I never would have thought of that gave me exactly the feeling that I wanted in my home and office. Alex can visually create the feeling a person wants to have in their space, using the budget they have. She makes it easy, creative, fun and will sticks to budgets.

As an architect, her skill is just unmatched. My home is on a hillside and was structurally unsafe, it had to have major construction. Alex & Mike handled the entire project, coordinating the engineers, the contractors and a very frightened and stressed homeowner. In the process, we had to solve some historical permit issues with the city I live in and I have never been more impressed in a meeting with a vendor. Her ability to solve the city’s challenges with creative thinking and make them feel a part of the project was mastery. She also had a profound idea to add one small improvement to my home during the reconstruction so it felt to me emotionally after all of the upheaval, that my life was improved in some way. We reworked an awkward stairwell and laundry room so my life was easier, without adding much cost, it made the project feel so much better to me. I cannot recommend Alex enough for her design and architectural prowess. You will not find a better partner in this work.”

Christina Harbridge — Brisbane, CA

“Alexandra has been my go-to for two restaurants and my home, three extremely different projects. With each one she was a collaborator, problem solver, and visionary. Each project turned out much better than I could have imagined it. She came to each with a vision, or took vague ideas from me and nudged them, refined them, or patiently suggested alternatives that always turned out to be the right answer. She’s down to earth and easy to work with. One of the restaurants was a historic San Francisco soda fountain from the 1940s that had to be painstakingly restored while making it more functional and preserving the space’s inherent elegance. The other restaurant was a complete interior gut and transformation into a modern desert roadhouse. Alex handled the technical aspects like making the layout of the tiny kitchen radically efficient, but she also created a stunning and budget friendly interior by taking down the rough cut cedar that clad every wall, planing and refinishing it, then reinstalling in custom patterns against the exposed cinder walls. My home in Joshua Tree was a boring 70s ranch house that she magically turned into a place that I never want to leave.”

Levon Kazarian — San Francisco & Joshua Tree, CA

“After listening closely to our wishes, Mike usually gives us two or three variations and is extremely flexible if we want to incorporate aspects from all three. Not only have we been thrilled with Mike’s creativity but the execution of his designs is excellent as well. Mike works extremely well with our contractor who really appreciates his accurate, precise drawings. He’s on top of the permit process and works well with the planning department. There’s a lot of mutual respect in working with Mike. Our two-flat Victorian had been utterly disrespected by the former owners - its outside was covered with asbestos shingles. Mike restored the building’s elegance and integrated energy efficient windows into the Victorian design. Inside, Mike restored the building’s beauty and authenticity yet made it completely convenient for modern living. One of his strokes of genius was to strategically place three skylights to compliment the high ceilings and supply wonderful light.”

Trish & Jim Lassart — San Francisco, CA

“From initial planning through construction and interior design, Alex’s vision helped me realize my dream of a loft-as-library. She took a raw Emeryville loft space and crafted a warm and inviting home that reflects my habits as a writer and cook. She saw that the loft’s tiny kitchen could be extended into the much larger living space with the addition of a bespoke counter and extra cabinets. Alex also designed custom bookshelves that made use of the loft’s high ceilings and extensive wall space. The redesigned kitchen and bathroom updated the cookie-cutter condo fixtures with new appliances and custom counters and cabinets. She even figured out which light fixtures would soften and warm the environment, helped me choose paint colors, and weighed in on interior design and furniture decisions.

When you work with Alex, you gain access to a stellar group of contractors, craftspeople, and suppliers. This is so important because in addition to knowing the work will be done to the highest standards, you also have the pleasure of working with nice people! It is also cost-effective, as we were often able to source materials using seconds or sale pieces. Alex truly offers a full-service architecture and design experience, and I look forward to working with her and her team in the future.”

C. Hollis — Emeryville, CA