Dotter & Solfjeld Architecture + Design

Russ & Wencke designed our dream home (review below) and this past summer they designed a stunning arbor which has completed our home. Russ' design is magnificent, simple and just beautiful. His choice of wood and construction was absolutely spot-on. It has created an entirely new, liveable outdoor space which we simply didn't have before. Russ was so great to work with and makes the process so easy. His plans flew through permitting (even with COVID delays) and we were able to begin construction quickly working with Strand Builders. Thank you Russ & Wencke!!

We had several miracles that occurred during the timeframe of building our new house and we count working with Russ Dotter, our architect, as one. He was the most collaborative and generous Architect! And a very creative and accomplished architect as well. Navigating the stringent building requirements of Marin County California is a huge challenge but Russ was with us every step of the way. Our new house, how it lives and looks, is the best testimonial we can give. And more than 100 people walking by have told us how beautiful it is too.

Russ and Wencke are caring professionals who do a great job. They have a wonderful demeanor and are capable of handling everything from concept to design to finishes. In a town that is uber sensitive to neighborhood issues, Russ is a master at staying positive and working with all the parties without compromising architectural integrity. He is easy to contract with and impressively generous with his time. I would hire these guys again in a second.

Russ and Wencke designed and managed the build of our new 4000+ sf custom home from late 2010 thru completion in Spring 2013. After interviewing many firms, we chose to work with Dotter & Solfjeld as: - We liked that we were getting two integrated designers on a home starting from an empty weed lot, where we had broad range of unformed as well as specific ideas. We liked that the two are an experienced team that fully designs and project manages from concept to details, instead of delegating a lot of detailed design to a less experienced project architect. - We wanted our unique style/home that reflected our pragmatic and quirky inputs. Because they had worked such a wide range of client projects and vernaculars, we felt they could help us discover our own unique "California Modern" design, not a lookalike from their or someone else's portfolio. We wanted a modern home that could entertain well but also was a livable, warm and functional family home. With some other firms we sensed a tradeoff between the photogenic vs. livable! - They were easy to work with on fees and process, and understood where and why we wanted to stay on budget and scope and where/why we wanted to stretch. Our experience proved out all of the above expectations.. We were largely on budget and schedule on the design and permitting (with Russ steadily pushing the project thru a dis-organized County permitting process), and only a few months behind on an aggressive construction schedule. The design outcome was fantastic and non formulaic, and what we wanted and imagined both aesthetically and functionally. Of note is how Russ spent a full summer day observing sightlines and daylight on the lot, which resulted in creative siting, views and and indoor/outdoor layout that we cherish every day. The overall design iteration--from outside to interior details--was steady, collaborative and easy. The "Eureka" solutions and adjustments came out of fluid brainstorms between the four of us... and often the good-humored collaboration extended to our pre-picked contractor & landscape architects. I'd recommend Dotter & Solfjeld highly. We'd be happy to provide a reference.

Our house was sorely in need of a makeover - it was old, dark, and had a clumsy out-dated layout, however it had great redeeming feature, it had a great bay view that we wanted to capture that wasn't there when the house was build in 1940. When Dotter & Solfjeld walked in they immediately made suggestions as to how to turn our house around. Within minutes we knew this was the team to hire. Now the house is light, airy, contemporary, flows well and - captures our view very nicely! Dotter & Solfjeld also recommended the contractors, Strand Builders. Their performance was everything that you rarely hear about - they were on time and within budget! Steve Strand gave us a flow chart of when everything would happen, what our deadlines and responsibilities were, and when they'd be finished. He even found time to add little extras that weren't thought off for no extra cost! I would recommend Dotter & Solfjeld to anyone considering remodeling their home.

We began working with Russ and Wencke in early 2014 when we retained them to design our dream home and we’ve been thrilled with them through every step of the process. Russ and Wencke are both thoroughly decent people who care deeply about their work and their clients, and through the journey of building our home they have been a joy to work with. We came to Russ and Wencke with our vision for a 3,000 sq’ custom home to be designed in the style of a modern farmhouse barn. We interviewed many architects and were surprised by how few had the versatility to design a home outside of the conventional cookie-cutter modern style. Russ and Wencke stood out as truly creative, and from the outset they were passionate about our vision and the challenge of making it a reality. Russ’s knowledge of the planning and permit process was invaluable in helping to manage the process, both with local agencies but also with neighbors in our community. As a result we passed planning first time, with no amendments and with the full support of everyone in our neighborhood, which was extremely important to us. In fact, at the conclusion of the city planning meeting each member of the commission took the opportunity to commend the design of our home. As the house began to take shape Russ and Wencke have always been available to troubleshoot questions that come up on site, or work with us on the small design flourishes that define a custom home. The small things that individually seem trivial are, collectively, what create the overall impression of something unique and special, and it’s in these details that Russ and Wencke truly excel. Their creativity, instinct for how things should come together and their impeccable taste have been essential in helping us achieve our dream. Working with a husband and wife team has been a great experience. We are building a dream home where we intend to raise our family, so having an architect team who are married and can relate to us and anticipate the needs of our family as it grows has enabled us to create elements in the house we would have never considered. Building a house has been an intense experience and along the way we have met many different people, but Russ and Wencke stand head and shoulders above them all for their professionalism, creativity, commitment to achieving the best outcome and for being true partners on our journey. Our home is beautiful and beyond what we could have dreamed was possible. If you’re in the Bay Area and considering working with Dotter & Solfjeld you are welcome to visit and see for yourself...just ask Russ and Wencke and we’re happy to host you.

I have known and worked with Dotter & Solfjeld for approximately 10 years now. They have designed two of my homes and were amazing to work with. One project was a completely new house and the other an entire remodel of an existing home. They listened to our needs and were able to translate those into exquisite designs with well thought through & comfortable living spaces. We are repeat clients and have referred them to a number of our friends and acquaintances who are also happy and impressed with their work. Each time they come up with fresh new ideas. I highly recommend you contact them! Diane

Russ and Wencke helped us redo our entire house in menlo park. They were involved from the inception of the process and incredibly helpful in understanding what we wanted to do, and then took the images in our head and created a blueprint out of it. They were always willing to listen , understand our perspective and inform us of the pros and cons of the approach we were taking - and helped steer us away from some changes that would not have been consistent with the vision we had for the house. We highly recommend them. The home we enjoy now could not have been accomplished without their experience and close professional collaboration with our contractor.

Dotter & Solfjeld Architecture does great work! Russ is a dedicated professional who throws himself into your project like it is his own house. He gives his designs a lot of thought and is really good at listening to what the client wants and then coming through with a great design for them.

Total makeover of our 60 year old country home with fantastic results. Expanded from 1600 to 2800sq feet, opened up the formerly cramped living/dining/ kitchen to bring them together and give a great sense of space. Walls gave way to numerous french doors which give access and a visual connection to our large yard. Guests, workman and most everyone who visits comments on the house, how unique it is and how much they like it. Architects were very responsive to our needs and questions and a pleasure to deal with. Our contractor was positively impressed by their design and seemed to get along very well in his interactions with them. Used them more recently for an upstairs screened porch which turned out great and are now having them design an outdoor Scandinavian style structure with a sauna and changing/sitting room for the backyard. I recommend them highly.

From start to finish it is always a real pleasure to work with Russ Dotter and Wencke Solfjeld. They listen carefully, and always deliver creative designs and solutions to problems. We recently asked them to design a guest cottage for us in a space others declared unbuildable. Russ came up with a clever design that meets the site constraints and is efficient, attractive, and integrated with the environment. Our first project with Russ and Wencke was designing a home for a long, narrow lot. Before we even bought the property, we asked Russ to take a look at the property to assess the feasibility of designing a home on a lot that was 75’ wide with 20′ setbacks. Russ carefully studied the site and was able to come up with a design that we loved. The local Planning Department and Architectural Site and Review Board for the town are notorious for being difficult to work with; throughout the design process, Russ worked closely with the Town Planning department staff to understand the local ordinances and design requirements. This up-front effort paid off, our design moved easily through the review process. Our first set of plans was unanimously approved by the ASRB. We received many compliments about how the design really suits the rural character of the neighborhood, and several other people hired Russ and Wencke for their projects after seeing the design they did for us. Over the course of many years and several other projects, including extensive remodels, Russ and Wencke, they have always been sensitive to our budget constraints and helped us come up with cost effective solutions. They really listened carefully and were able to incorporate everything we wanted and more. In addition to architecture, Russ and Wencke helped us select tile choices, paint colors, fixtures and even furniture layouts, which saved the expense of hiring an interior designer. Russ and Wencke are creative, fun, and easy to work with. We have referred them to several people and they have all been equally delighted. Karen & Ross Werner

We worked with Dotter & Solfjeld most recently to design an Italian villa on a hillside in Saratoga, CA. This was actually our third project together as they worked on an expansion and remodel of our previous house in Palo Alto as well. As soon as we bought the lot in Saratoga Russ and Wencke, of D&S, began studying the landscape, spending significant time at different points in the day to intimately understand the light, the views and the flow of the hillside. Russ and Wencke are experts at both exterior and interior architecture and design, and they are an amazing team! Once they felt they knew the property, they spent time with us to understand what we liked and disliked and then began designing our house based largely on Italian building principles of thick walls and simple, yet elegant, construction. D&S involved us in every step of the process and ensured we were completely comfortable with each phase of the design before moving forward. They totally went above and beyond the call of duty by diligently working with our planning department and even one neighbor. They were our advocates with the City and were clearly extremely well respected by everybody they interfaced with. During the building process, D&S worked closely with our contractor and foreman to ensure that the project ran smoothly and stayed on budget. Often times, there is tension between architects and contractors, but our contractor loved working with D&S. Some of our friends have also used D&S to design ultra modern homes...D&S is super versatile and we unequivocally and enthusiastically recommend them.