"My husband and I had the life changing experience of having our home designed and built by Wheeler Design Build. I quickly became aware of Ezra's intense passion and keen insight into architectural design and its importance on aesthetics in daily life. I recall he began his process by analyzing sun angles and air currents and considering ways to maximize their benefits in the design of our home. Daily, I appreciate a beautiful sunrise over a seasonally changing wooded hillside, viewed through a mosaic of windows specifically designed for that purpose. Further enhancing the connection to nature we slide back the double glass corner doors, which erase the transition from inside to out, and walk out onto a spacious deck that is nestled in the branches of a large Live Oak tree.
We are also very proud of our home's energy efficiency. Ezra's forward thinking encompassed a number of green features, which included using an earth bermed lower level, geothermal for heating/cooling, rain water collection, solar energy panels and lowest-flow toilets. The home also has an insulated reflective roof that buffers us from the heat of the relentless Texas sun. All of these features add up to lowering monthly utility bills dramatically.
The process of creating and building a home can be a formidable challenge. We never doubted Ezra's dedication to quality and his intelligent design principles that to this day benefit and enhance our everyday life."
Michele and Kyle Holder
Austin, TX.
"We had two problems to fix in our small condo, lighting and more storage/organization space. Ezra designed a great and functional solution for lighting which made our place feel much larger, in addition to adding the light that it needed. For our storage needs he designed and built a custom-made, floor to ceiling cabinet in our corridor, a beautiful piece of furniture that we use as a pantry and office storage; he even built in a convertible desk (a modern take on the secretary desk) as part of the cabinet piece.
If you want a high quality job, I absolutely recommend Wheeler Design Build for your next project."
Jorge C.
Oakland, CA.
"Ezra Wheeler is the most talented and professional architect/designer and builder we have ever worked with. His vision for creating a phenomenal blend of beauty and functionality is truly amazing, and doing business with him and his brother and business partner, Leon Wheeler, restored our faith in remodel and design. They are both unique in their honesty, integrity, professionalism, and genuine concern for our satisfaction and happiness with the results of their products. As much as we are glad to have all the tools out of the house :-), we miss having them around, and marvel every day at the master bath, shower room, and hallway they created for us. Ezra designed and built a luxurious walk-in shower, as well as a beautiful, meticulously hand-crafted vanity - they truly look like works of art and are both practical, comfortable, and very easy to use; the hallway redesign and lighting are equally beautiful and enhance our living space. Unbeknownst to anyone at the onset of the project, we had some highly challenging structural problems (electrical, plumbing, support beams) that Ezra masterfully resolved. We always felt reassured with them onsite. We recommend them with the highest rating possible. Anyone would be lucky to have them on board!"
Shelly F.
Oakland, CA.
"This was our first remodel, the process of reading designs and working with an architect and contractor was 100% new to us both. What we appreciate about the experience with Wheeler Design Build looking back is how we felt from the start, like we had a team who listened well. We were also very confident in their extensive knowledge of the various options they presented to us--from color choices to material recommendations. WDB guided us, answered our questions and operated consistently, from a spirit of trying to coach us through the many decisions and options available to us, based on our needs and budget.
WDB patiently helped us understand and articulate what wasn't working about our space. This was very helpful to us. We never felt rushed and as more of the point person, I felt comfortable asking what often felt like basic questions. They really take pride in their work and the quality is impeccable. We appreciated that subcontractors were not left alone in our home without permission. We have two young children, and WDB took extra steps, it seemed to us, to clean up each night and to keep the busy workspace as organized and debris-free as possible. It's a point not to be minimized when major work is being done in a space with kids and where you are living. When it comes to designing and building, you want people with opinions sure, but in our experience, the most valuable help comes from people who know which questions to pose, to help you get to the root of the problem you seek to address. We had a terrific experience with WDB. Already, we've begun thinking about projects we hope to work with them on in the future.
Again, trust is a word we have used to share our experience with WDB, time and again."
Helena Brantley
Oakland, CA.
"Wheeler Design Build completed an extensive remodel of the upstairs of our 100-year old home in Berkeley. The project included two offices, a full bath, a laundry/bath and a work/storage room. We began the remodel with a contractor who proved to be a disastrous choice and Ezra stepped into the project when it was about half completed and replete with problems. In short, he rescued us.
Ezra combined a knowledge of architecture and an appreciation of old homes with the expertise of a contractor and the skills of a craftsman. He proved to be the most careful professional with whom I’ve worked on home remodel projects. I am a perfectionist myself but his standards for himself easily surpassed my own. It was particularly challenging for him to come in behind someone whose work was so far below standard. However, he consulted with me regularly and we decided together on priorities for correcting the problems. The results were quite wonderful.
We have lived with the remodel for over a year now and daily appreciate the improvement it has made in the quality of our life. I certainly wish that we had begun the project with Wheeler Design but am grateful we found them when we did. I would recommend them to anyone who wants professionals who are collaborative, creative and knowledgeable. Moreover, Ezra, Leon and their staff are delightful people, thoughtful about minimizing the disruption of a remodel and completely trustworthy. They were just generally a pleasure to have around. I highly recommend them."
Susan Springborg
Berkeley, CA
"My husband and I had the life changing experience of having our home designed and built by Wheeler Design Build. I quickly became aware of Ezra's intense passion and keen insight into architectural design and its importance on aesthetics in daily life. I recall he began his process by analyzing sun angles and air currents and considering ways to maximize their benefits in the design of our home. Daily, I appreciate a beautiful sunrise over a seasonally changing wooded hillside, viewed through a mosaic of windows specifically designed for that purpose. Further enhancing the connection to nature we slide back the double glass corner doors, which erase the transition from inside to out, and walk out onto a spacious deck that is nestled in the branches of a large Live Oak tree.
We are also very proud of our home's energy efficiency. Ezra's forward thinking encompassed a number of green features, which included using an earth bermed lower level, geothermal for heating/cooling, rain water collection, solar energy panels and lowest-flow toilets. The home also has an insulated reflective roof that buffers us from the heat of the relentless Texas sun. All of these features add up to lowering monthly utility bills dramatically.
The process of creating and building a home can be a formidable challenge. We never doubted Ezra's dedication to quality and his intelligent design principles that to this day benefit and enhance our everyday life."
Michele and Kyle Holder
Austin, TX.
"We had two problems to fix in our small condo, lighting and more storage/organization space. Ezra designed a great and functional solution for lighting which made our place feel much larger, in addition to adding the light that it needed. For our storage needs he designed and built a custom-made, floor to ceiling cabinet in our corridor, a beautiful piece of furniture that we use as a pantry and office storage; he even built in a convertible desk (a modern take on the secretary desk) as part of the cabinet piece.
If you want a high quality job, I absolutely recommend Wheeler Design Build for your next project."
Jorge C.
Oakland, CA.
"Ezra Wheeler is the most talented and professional architect/designer and builder we have ever worked with. His vision for creating a phenomenal blend of beauty and functionality is truly amazing, and doing business with him and his brother and business partner, Leon Wheeler, restored our faith in remodel and design. They are both unique in their honesty, integrity, professionalism, and genuine concern for our satisfaction and happiness with the results of their products. As much as we are glad to have all the tools out of the house :-), we miss having them around, and marvel every day at the master bath, shower room, and hallway they created for us. Ezra designed and built a luxurious walk-in shower, as well as a beautiful, meticulously hand-crafted vanity - they truly look like works of art and are both practical, comfortable, and very easy to use; the hallway redesign and lighting are equally beautiful and enhance our living space. Unbeknownst to anyone at the onset of the project, we had some highly challenging structural problems (electrical, plumbing, support beams) that Ezra masterfully resolved. We always felt reassured with them onsite. We recommend them with the highest rating possible. Anyone would be lucky to have them on board!"
Shelly F.
Oakland, CA.
"This was our first remodel, the process of reading designs and working with an architect and contractor was 100% new to us both. What we appreciate about the experience with Wheeler Design Build looking back is how we felt from the start, like we had a team who listened well. We were also very confident in their extensive knowledge of the various options they presented to us--from color choices to material recommendations. WDB guided us, answered our questions and operated consistently, from a spirit of trying to coach us through the many decisions and options available to us, based on our needs and budget.
WDB patiently helped us understand and articulate what wasn't working about our space. This was very helpful to us. We never felt rushed and as more of the point person, I felt comfortable asking what often felt like basic questions. They really take pride in their work and the quality is impeccable. We appreciated that subcontractors were not left alone in our home without permission. We have two young children, and WDB took extra steps, it seemed to us, to clean up each night and to keep the busy workspace as organized and debris-free as possible. It's a point not to be minimized when major work is being done in a space with kids and where you are living. When it comes to designing and building, you want people with opinions sure, but in our experience, the most valuable help comes from people who know which questions to pose, to help you get to the root of the problem you seek to address. We had a terrific experience with WDB. Already, we've begun thinking about projects we hope to work with them on in the future.
Again, trust is a word we have used to share our experience with WDB, time and again."
Helena Brantley
Oakland, CA.
"Wheeler Design Build completed an extensive remodel of the upstairs of our 100-year old home in Berkeley. The project included two offices, a full bath, a laundry/bath and a work/storage room. We began the remodel with a contractor who proved to be a disastrous choice and Ezra stepped into the project when it was about half completed and replete with problems. In short, he rescued us.
Ezra combined a knowledge of architecture and an appreciation of old homes with the expertise of a contractor and the skills of a craftsman. He proved to be the most careful professional with whom I’ve worked on home remodel projects. I am a perfectionist myself but his standards for himself easily surpassed my own. It was particularly challenging for him to come in behind someone whose work was so far below standard. However, he consulted with me regularly and we decided together on priorities for correcting the problems. The results were quite wonderful.
We have lived with the remodel for over a year now and daily appreciate the improvement it has made in the quality of our life. I certainly wish that we had begun the project with Wheeler Design but am grateful we found them when we did. I would recommend them to anyone who wants professionals who are collaborative, creative and knowledgeable. Moreover, Ezra, Leon and their staff are delightful people, thoughtful about minimizing the disruption of a remodel and completely trustworthy. They were just generally a pleasure to have around. I highly recommend them."
Susan Springborg
Berkeley, CA