Single Family Residential Design Review Consulting

Arnold Mammarella has been providing design consultation on single-family homes for almost three decades. While most services have been provided to designers and property owners through city design review programs, direct consultation to private sector clients is sometimes provided. He has been the City of Palo Alto’s Consulting Architect for Single Family Neighborhoods since 2001 and has been providing design review services to Palo Alto’s Planning Division since 1998. He also helped draft and illustrate Palo Alto’s single family design guidelines and has provided review services for residential properties with historic status within Professorville and throughout the city in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior Standards.

Arnold also provided design and zoning review services on at least 1,500 homes in Oakland Hills Fire Area from 1992 to 2005, along with being program manager for planning services related to the rebuilding process from 1992 to 1995 and program advisor from 1995 to 2005. Large homes on small and often extremely steep hillside lots, many with dramatic views, characterized the Oakland Hills.  Hundreds of homes were dramatically redesigned in the process to improve their architecture and fit better hillside conditions.

Sketches and quick design studies are often used to augment written comments and direct consultation. Rapport building and an educational style are used to build relationships with architects working in the community and to help homeowners understand community goals and regulations. He brings extensive knowledge of historic and contemporary residential architecture in California and expertise designing on hillsides to the consulting process.