Derek Van Alstine Residential Design Inc.

We are reminded regularly of how much we and others like the design and final results of our remodel. We often find strangers looking at our home, pointing to features that they like and discussing it. After many friends and family members have come to stay, we know that our home design is not only visually pleasing, but also very functional. We love it and appreciate Derek's contribution to our happiness in it.

So happy we changed from our previous home designer! Derek was able to make things happen that no one else could: additional square footage, additional stairs, pop outs outside the building envelope and more. Not to mention the amazing design of the home! He came prepared and stayed one step ahead the entire process. He is able to work within a given budget and is aware of the costs that most home owners are not. Everyone that sees our beautiful masterpiece asks who designed it. Thanks Derek! (more photos when finished!)

Working with Derek takes the angst out of the design process. He is professional, creative and thinks out of the box to address challenging design issues. I would recommend Derek to anyone looking to build or remodel a home!

Derek is a true professional! We had our thoughts and ideas about our new home at the beach, and he took them along with his own and created a beautiful structure. With his familiarity of the building department and their codes, he was able to get the maximum square footage of house on our lot. He utilized an elevator to make the three levels totally accessible without any stairs! I highly recommend Derek for your project!

Derek designed an 800 sq. ft. ADU (Auxiliary Dwelling Unit) building for us on an upper portion of our property adjacent to an existing building (on the right side of attached photo). He provided us with a superb combination of building design and style that optimized interior space utilization and function, exterior setting consideration, and a high aesthetic and appearance value both inside and outside the residence, all provided with a sensitivity to the costs of construction and the realities of any building permit issues and budgetary constraints. Additionally, he recommended several construction firms to consider and checked construction performance while in process. A good listener, experienced and knowledgeable, creative, and personable, I recommend him highly without any reservation at all.

I am infinitely grateful that Derek was at the center of my (non-trivial) historic-meets-modern home renovation. The designs were beautiful, the engineering super-solid, even the process w/the (super-strict) town historical preservation committees went smoothly - and I couldn't be happier with the outcome. I would, hands-down, not hesitate to recommend him as your architect. I've seen several of his projects and he's immensely gifted and agile no matter what the residential style. He's also a joy with whom to work. I'd give 6 stars if I could.

Derek was retained to design and shepherd through the building and permit process, three projects on a 21 acre undeveloped property for my wife and I. The house is a mediterranean style built around a courtyard with a guest casita. A separate barn/garage was designed to compliment the style of the house. Most important to our grand children, a tree house was designed to fit in a cluster of redwoods on the property. The project has well exceeded our expectations.

I have referred Derek to many of my clients (Realtor). He does an awesome job. My clients have been thrilled, and the houses he has designed for them have been gorgeous!!! He also did my house, and did a fantastic job. He really knows the ins and outs with the cities and counties he works in. That is a HUGE bonus. Saves a ton of hassle.

Derek Van Alstine is wonderful. He has done 2 houses for us and both are efficient, innovative and visually pleasing. He also happens to be a very nice guy.

Derek is a consummate design professional. He listens carefully and creates brilliant design to suit his client's style, space and desires. He is a pleasure to work with and his staff and associates are terrific. He worked closely with us and developed a brilliant design for our dream house and then worked skillfully with the county which is critical and with our contractor to bring the dream to life. Derek remained engaged throughout the construction, advising on design questions, resources, and details to the very end. We couldn't have made a better choice. (Photos are just from my iPhone and don't really do it justice.)

Derek is great. He and his team designed a new home for us in Santa Cruz County, and he managed the plan approval process through the county planning and building departments as well as through the CA Costal Commission review. As an architect, I think has the perfect balance of the artistic “eye” combined with technical “chops” needed to optimize against the numerous constraints when building on a tiny costal lot. We’re thrilled with both the aesthetic of the house and how much functionality he was able to squeeze into our plan. As a long-term Santa Cruz fixture, Derek is very well connected within the various agencies which really helped streamline our design process as the agency reviews required very little redesign work to finalize. I’d strongly recommend him.

Derek and his team designed and built our house three years ago and we couldn't be happier. At first it all seems so overwhelming, razing a house and building a new one but Derek made it all fun. I can't praise his team enough and would definitely use them again. Particularly Steve our carpenter and Eric who managed it all.