Knock Architecture and Design

We worked with Knock Architecture and Design and were happy with how quickly and effectively we did business. It was a pleasure working with them, would love to do it again.

Working with Ryan has been a great experience. He is skilled at creating wonderful, modern spaces and is very knowledgeable about the intricacies of San Francisco building code. His work is detailed, accurate and clear. He has been great to collaborate with because he is open to ideas, and is a great communicator and troubleshooter. His clients love him because he is always working to ensure their happiness and make sure their goals are met.

As a contractor Ryan is a pleasure to work with and makes my job easy. From his help with info at the budgeting stage to his easy to follow finish schedules and availablity when needed to answer any design detail questions we may have during construction. He puts his personal stamp on each project with a unique approach to using different materials so no two spaces he creates are the same. Paul Kilrea Construction Inc.

Ryan is a great person to work with. As a contractor I see far too many plans that lack clarity & detail. Ryan is on it from the start and is readily available for those questions that do come up. His plans are thorough and the concepts he introduces are well thought out and fun to build. Ryan seems to communicate really well with his clients and to be very attentive to their needs. This helps us operate efficiently and effectively and to produce successful results.

We really enjoyed working with Ryan. He is a great listener but also challenged me to consider alternative options -- something I very much appreciated. Ryan has a keen, minimalist eye and was a great fit for our Mid-Century Modern remodel. I highly recommend considering Ryan for your next project.

Ryan is the consummate professional -- I can't speak more highly about Ryan's creativity and stellar work. From design to plans to recommendations for other artisans, Ryan was a lifesaver. I would recommend him to my best friend - don't even consider anyone else - Ryan does top notch, elite work, at a fair cost. You couldn't ask for anyone better.

Ryan designed a major remodel for our SF home that could be built two phases. The first phase is complete with a new kitchen and bath, which we love. The kitchen is a pleasure to work in, has plenty of storage, and looks beautiful. We're just about through the process of getting city approval for the second phase, a master suite and laundry room that will add a partial 3rd level to the house. Ryan has been great about working within the city codes, moving the plans through the city's incredibly frustrating planning department, and creating a design that reflects our goals and needs. We're excited to begin work on the second phase.

We worked with Ryan on a mid-sized renovation in Presidio Heights, and couldn't be more pleased with the results! Ryan was an exceptional partner throughout the process (our first time going through this), and we are very grateful for his excellent guidance and terrific work. He is super responsive, understands how to get things done with the city, and a pleasure to work with -- 5 stars without any hesitation! Alex & Lauren

I started working with Ryan on March of 2014. I did not know of him but the property I bought had been redesigned by him, so I contacted him to follow up on permits and a few changes to the design. Ryan was super helpful, incredibly professional and a very creative designer. He is the type of architect that does not leave your side until everything is taken care of. Aside from big, bold ideas that completely transformed the space, Ryan has the depth of knowledge to implement them and the expertise to draw all the small details that allow for the proper execution by the GC. In addition, Ryan helped with all the painful permitting process. He knows how to deal with the proper entities to make things happen. Finally, he listens to suggestions and is happy to incorporate ideas from others. In summary, he is a talented architect that added tremendous value to the process of remodeling a 1911 Edwardian home into a stunning building.

Ryan Knock is the principal architect at Knock Architecture. I found him through a friend, and I was pretty skeptical. They described him as "reasonably priced, young, and awesome." I wasn't totally sure what any of those things meant. Here's what it means: 1. Ryan can do any kind of design. "Reasonably priced" means that if you're on a budget, which our friends were (and we were), Ryan can still create something unique and beautiful in your style. If you have no budget and can pay anything, Ryan will design something to the max. He is flexible, has impeccable taste, and he really listens to his clients without letting them make bad decisions (more on that later). Our project was hard because we were building a house from scratch on a hillside that would require a really, really expensive foundation. Of course, I still wanted all the finest materials despite having a tiny budget. He helped us optimize costs by figuring out where to splurge and where to save. For example, we had our floors site finished but used prefinished instead of site finished wood on the dining room ceiling. We wound up getting basically everything we wanted into the design because of smart optimizations like this. 2. Ryan is super professional. And he is FAST. I have loved working with him. He always delivers when he says he will, and more than half the time, he overdelivers. If you tell him that you want to move quickly, he'll move quickly with you. If you take a week to respond, he won't nag you. I got buried in work when we were ready to submit for our permits, and I'm pretty sure I didn't respond to some of his emails and took way too long to respond to others. He rolled with the punches and was very understanding. He never let us get in the way of our own project though, continuing to gently nudge us to make sure our house stayed on track. I'm pretty sure he's the reason why we started construction at all. 3. Ryan has superb taste. You know how I said he can do any design? That's true, but if you know what's good for you, you'll take his advice and not ask him for stuff he thinks isn't in good taste. There were a few times when I wanted something different from what he suggested. He was flexible, but he was also really honest about what his first choice was and what he thought wouldn't work. I trusted him almost immediately, and he didn't let us down. The final design for our house was much more cohesive and elegant than it would have been had he just blindly said "yes" to every idea we had. He was great at steering us toward comparable quality items and materials that would fit within our budget. He is also up on all the new design, from Italian porcelain tile to the latest and greatest in lighting. I loved that he was recommending all these new materials that were really beautiful but also durable, sustainable, and cost effective. Of course, that's what we asked Ryan for. If you want traditional marble instead, he will design something spectacular with traditional marble. 4. Ryan knows his s**t when it comes to getting through design review and the building department. We went from submission to permits in three months - getting all the way through zoning and building departments with no revisions - just a few comments. That happens NEVER. Ryan is that thorough and does his due diligence on the counties he works in. Anyway, you'd be crazy not to work with Knock Architecture. Ryan will knock your socks off (see what I did there?). Just call him. He designed our entire house from scratch on a tight budget and still managed to get us incredible Leicht cabinetry, site-finished floors, silver travertine island, bifold doors, and more. He's a diamond in the rough, and I hope that we will get to design another home with him.

Creating a beautiful house that is easy to live in requires commitment and contributions from many people - the architect, owner, contractor, subcontractors, and craftsmen. It truly has to be a team effort. We have worked with Knock Architecture and Design on multiple high-end remodels and renovations. They provide attention to detail and a great working knowledge on all aspects for both the Client and Contractor. We highly recommend this them if you are looking for a redesign, remodel or to built a custom home.