FLOCK ARCHITECTURE

Robert Flock transformed our 1939 clapboard cottage into smart 21st-century villa, preserving the charm of the old while adding the excitement of contemporary architecture. The street facade remains appropriately scaled to the neighborhood, but the house now transitions into dynamic high-ceilinged spaces at the rear, which opens to the back yard through several doorways in the great room and master suite. Half of the new two-car garage also serves as a home office or guest room, and its architecture complements the architecture of the rear elevation of the main house in an interesting way. He also added plenty of storage throughout, using ingenious space-saving ideas that also look very cool. Robert is very easy to work with, listened carefully to what we wanted for the house, and over-delivered in terms of aesthetic interest and "wow factor." We love living in this house, and admire its features every day that we are there.

He designed a complete kitchen remodel and an extensive back-patio roof addition. Very professional, great design sense, self-assured in his design decisions yet did his best to be flexible when faced with a client who sometimes might have her own ideas (me). The quality and completeness of his design documents/drawings were stellar and a couple of my contractors remarked that they were the best they'd ever seen. I highly recommend him and will use his services again on a coming master bathroom remodel.

Robert designed an accessory unit for myself and my husband as a second story on our daughter's family's house in Encinitas. Having moved from a 3000 square foot house overlooking Puget Sound in WA, we wanted something "small with a spacious feel." That's exactly what Robert designed for us. With high ceilings, large windows, and a floor-to-ceiling corner of windows including an 8 foot sliding door meant to be left as an open wall, the room expands seamlessly into the outdoors. There are many special features which also expand the sense of space, including a sleeping loft for our son who visits frequently. We even have an out-of-sight spot for kitty litter under the stairs. Robert pays attention to details and expects high quality work. He is a perfectionist who stays involved in the project until it is completed (to his satisfaction!) In addition to its beauty, our home functions well for our multigenerational living. We have both privacy for each family and easy accessibility when we want to be together. This is accomplished through the design of our entries being on opposite sides of the garage with ours set back from the street with a private patio. Neither family knows if the other is at home, yet we can check easily by running up and down the back stairs which lead to our shared back yard and outdoor kitchen. Robert really listened and understood what we were seeking. I knew he would be our architect when I initially told him we loved art and wanted to have room for our collection. He replied, "Your house will be your piece of art." He was absolutely right. It is beautiful, a joy to be in, and a perfect setting for us, our family and friends. Robert's fees were reasonable although the cost of the project was more than we anticipated. Nonetheless, we couldn't be happier and would do it again in a heartbeat.

When I met for the first time with Robert, I told him roughly what I had in mind, and he seemed to understand completely what I wanted and needed. He quickly assessed what could and could not be done given the constraints of zoning and other requirements. That was confirmed when he came back with a preliminary plan proposal. He has a knack for listening, because he nailed it! I loved his plan. As a bonus, he came up with the idea of a loft because with the new roof line, it was a possibility! I didn’t know I wanted a loft, but he did, and besides the wonderful light that floods into the home, the loft is one of my favorite features. He is a master of light and shadow. Besides the beautiful design of my project, Robert's plans were so detailed that there was no way the contractor could change or reinterpret his intention. He saw it through to the very end, was on the job site frequently, and would not let the contractor do anything but a first class job. He saw the project through every step of the way and made sure the work was done to spec. Robert was extremely patient in answering all of my sometimes dumb questions as this was the first time I had ever done such an extensive remodel. He guided me every step of the way. His creativity and insight was much appreciated by this client. Now I have one of the most beautiful and stunning homes in the neighborhood. Not only that, it blends in well with the rest of the neighborhood. And now that I have lived in it for over a year, I find that the design is also extremely livable and comfortable. I love driving up to it, I love opening the front door, and I am proud to call it my own. I could not have reached this point without Robert Flock. I was so pleased with my home, as a Realtor, I have recommended him to several of my clients, and he has delivered well.

We began working with Robert immediately after closing on our home, realizing it had significant design and space usage issues. He worked closely with us over a period of months to get the concept correct, then ran the permitting process for us and helped us evaluate contractor bids. His drawings are very detailed and leave no questions for the contractor as to what's required. Robert has been more than an architect. He has been on the job site frequently, correcting mistakes and making sure the job is done to a high standard of perfection. We simply could not have done a renovation of this complexity without him. With all of this, his fee was very reasonable. I recommend him most enthusiastically.

Robert Flock has lots of residential and commercial experience, is easy to work with, has many creative ideas and listened to our ideas too. We ended up with a remodel and addition that won an award and is still pleasing to us years later. We changed the exterior of a dated tract home to one that looks modern and is easy to maintain. We were very glad we had his help, especially when the contractor made mistakes.

My wife and I are working with Robert for a total remodel of our home. We tried working with other (very unmotivated) architects before but never met someone with so much passion for his work as Robert. Robert's creativity is unbelievable! Forget about boring square distributions and unmotivated ideas! He is detailed oriented and nothing is left behind, absolutely nothing! Every single detail is accounted for. He is the architect to be hired! You will not regret. The icing on the cake will be when our home shows up on San Diego Home magazine! And the way it is looking, we're sure it will!

Robert Flock did an excellent remodeling my home. It has won awards in San Diego Home and Garden. Robert is not only very professional architect but manage his project as if it were his home. Keep in mind that you do need to keep him in budget which you will always go over.

Robert Flock designed our great room about 8 yrs ago. He was extremely thorough and designed a wonderful open space. He was conscientious and kept our best interests in focus throughout the remodel. We think we have one of the best looking homes on the block.

We hired Robert of Flock Architecture to do a complete remodel of our tract home. We knew Robert's style and it was just what we wanted for our home. Robert took our written brief of what we were looking for and turned it into a wonderful, interesting and timeless home for us. It came out better than we could have imagined. The project needed a knowledgeable contractor, and we found one (Gregg Herman) who could turn Robert's and our vision into a reality. Robert was on the job very frequently, making sure the building went to his exacting standards. We weren't the only ones who like our home, and it was awarded Home Remodel of the Year in 2003 by San Diego Home and Garden Magazine. We would highly recommend Robert for your project. He is highly creative and made us a home that is a joy to be in more than ten years later.

I have worked with Robert of Flock Architecture for over 15 years completing the construction of many of his award winning published designs. I am a general contractor with 30 years of experience working with architects. I hold Robert's work up as the standard of not only innovative designs, but also the most complete and buildable drawings. When Robert hands me a set of drawings I know the level of detail will be unparalleled. I enjoy brainstorming solutions to construction issues with him because he understands the functional and code compliance requirements I have referred clients to Robert when people ask for the design of contemporary, quality renovations.

When we sat with Rob Flock in our plain, cramped tract house, we explained that we wanted him to create areas in our house that would be comfortable places to gather. We were cut off from our garden and we wanted to be able to see it. We told Rob we like the look and feel of wood. Rob's design transformed our house into a wonderful place to live in. He actually added only a little bit more space, but for us our home is far larger than it was because we use and enjoy all of it. When we first spoke with Rob, we had read "The Not So Big House", which helped us understand what defines a space and makes it comfortable to be in. Rob implemented ideas from this book to create five different specific living spaces, all of which we use and enjoy. For example, Rob gave the family and dining rooms wooden ceilings that connect the spaces to the rest of the house, and that also create a sense of boundary. The kitchen was our first concern. Our old kitchen had no view, it was too small, and it was hemmed in by a load bearing wall. Rob moved the kitchen to the corner of the house where a little-used dining room had been, and he added 200 sq. ft. and plenty of windows. Our kitchen now gets us into the middle of our garden. There is plenty of room for cooks to move around each other, a central island where we prepare and eat most of our meals, and a bar on the perimeter which is perfect for serving food and which attracts guests while the cooks do their work. The first photo found its way to the cover of San Diego Home and Garden Magazine as the kitchen of the year. The magazine cover is a great honor for Rob, but what counts for us is that we love being in this kitchen. We had living room that we rarely used. Rob divided it into two spaces, one for music (piano, keyboard, PC), and another for a smaller, cozier and more comfortable sitting space, with a great view into the garden. Rob transformed our old kitchen and nook area into a dining room that connects the kitchen and our family room (see the second photo). Rob designed a large solid oak table for the dining room which serves us as a place for projects and for formal dining. He opened the dining room to the patio with dual French doors and designed a fountain for the patio. Finally, Rob created a cozy family room where we sit and read or watch TV. The family room is surrounded by bookshelves and a fireplace. Rob's accomplishments speak for his skill as an architect, but he does more than design. He listened carefully to us in order to understand what we really wanted. He kept us involved as he designed the project. He sent us many versions of the design, which we looked at with a student's version of his design software. The software enabled us literally to walk through the house on our PC, to see what he was designing, and to get the feel of what it would be like. Rob kept the design process open and collaborative, which made us feel comfortable with a project of this size. Rob then helped us find a contractor who was able to do an outstanding job while keeping us close to our original budget. Rob watched carefully as the work was done. He helped us find solutions to the inevitable problems that came up. The contractors told us they had never seen such detailed drawings. The detail made their work easier. While Rob did little to enlarge our house, he transformed it into a place that for us is twice what it used to be. It has been four years since we moved back in, and we still marvel at how much we enjoy living here now. Thank you, Rob Flock, for what you gave us!