Nicknamed the “Gem of the Valley,” Murrieta is a suburb located in Riverside County and noted for being one of the fastest-growing cities in the state. Residents enjoy excellent city planning and infrastructure and a stellar public school system. It is also well-known for its great weather and its convenient access to both Los Angeles and San Diego.
Our editorial team has put together this list of the ten best residential architects in the area, the minds behind some of the area’s best homes. We chose these architects after reviewing their various backgrounds, experience, and their excellent portfolios.
Artoo Design S2dio
6277 Hereford Lane, Eastvale, CA 92880
Headquartered in Eastvale, Artoo Design offers a complete and comprehensive range of architecture and engineering services. The firm assists its clients throughout the entire process and offers them an excellent and complete construction documentation package. The firm’s services also encompass structure, civil, and electromechanical engineering services and master planning, feasibility studies, programming, and construction management. Our editorial team was highly impressed by its outstanding conceptual design because of its particular methods, in addition to its exceptional evaluations, selections, and conceptual renderings.
The firm is personally led by its founder and principal architect, Ramy Ibrahim. He offers the firm’s clients over two decades of industry experience. He is well-versed in the residential and mixed-use, multifamily, hospitality, and commercial development sectors. Before establishing Artoo, he first worked as design director for various architecture firms throughout the US and the Middle East. He also holds Bachelor’s and Master’s of Arts Architecture degrees.
Composium Group Architects
685 Grant Court, Vista, CA 92083
Founded in 2000, Composium Group Architects extends its services throughout San Diego and the areas surrounding it. It has had the opportunity to work in some of the best and most sought-after neighborhoods of Oceanside, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Del Mar, Poway, Oceanside, and Rancho Santa Fe. The firm specializes in commercial and residential projects and assists clients with everything, from conception to completion. The firm can take on spaces regardless of size or scale: its portfolio includes 200-square-foot additions and 12,000-square-foot new homes. Composium draws inspiration from over three decades of prior experience and is personally led by its owner and founder.
John Kavan, owner and lead architect, discusses each design project in detail with the company’s clients. He has extensive personal residential project experience with various levels of complexity. That experience includes both ground-up construction and remodeling. As for his commercial resume, he has also worked on restaurants and various tenant improvements.
Bob Ybarra Building Designer
PO Box 9382, Moreno Valley, CA 92552
Bob Ybarra Building Designer is the brainchild of its namesake and president. Before his establishment of the firm, Ybarra gained experience working on various home projects before taking shop classes in high school and eventually attending SCI-Arc in Los Angeles. Under his leadership, the firm follows a hands-on, transparent process. Our editorial team was impressed by its clear and straightforward costing estimates, in addition to its computations and minimum fees. The firm also provides extensive and detailed how-to’s regarding the entire design and construction process on its page. The project below best embodies the firm’s work.
Completed in the heart of Riverside, this home showcases the company’s talent and expertise for Spanish Ranches. It features excellent marble arches coupled with clay terracotta roofs. We also loved its modern touches and we were impressed by how the firm handled the challenging site.
Xavier Design Group
11595 Autumn Sage Ave, Mira Loma, CA 91752
Founded in 2005, the Xavier Design Group operates out of its office in Mira Loma and specializes in residential design, including new construction, complete home renovations, room additions, and interior home alterations. Our editorial team was impressed by the outstanding reviews the firm has received throughout its years in business. Additionally, we loved how it further bolsters its design process with a stellar range of related services to give its clients and homeowners the best possible experience. The firm uses what it calls a “fixed-fee” approach. This includes detailed 3D exterior models, an unlimited plan and 3D model iterations during the initial schematic design phase, comprehensive construction documents, and assistance with bidding.
The firm also specializes in accessory dwelling units. These are secondary housing units of single-family residential lots complete with their kitchens, bathrooms, and sleeping areas. These units are often subject to various other regulations, regulations the firm’s team has had a great deal of experience with.
Broeske Architects & Associates
4344 Latham Street, Suite 100, Riverside, CA 92501
Broeske Architects & Associates has been in business since 2005 and takes great pride in its range of architectural, design development, and consultation services. The firm services the counties of Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, Los Angeles, and San Diego and is experienced in every phase and aspect of the building process. Drawing inspiration from over four decades of industry experience and expertise, Broeske Architects also takes on projects outside residential markets. Its portfolio includes several libraries, churches, union offices, and condominiums.
Each of the firm’s projects is overseen by its principal and namesake, James L. Broeske. He meets each of the firm’s clients personally to assure better coordination throughout the project. He is a specialist in building codes and provides sensible and innovative solutions to otherwise challenging, complex projects.
Empire Built
41667 Ivy Street, Suite A, Murrieta, CA 92562
Headquartered in the heart of Murrieta, Empire Built is a full-service custom home builder and designer. It extends its services throughout San Diego, Riverside, and San Bernardino County. The firm assists its clients with everything, from land and lot analysis to custom design and construction. Its team also provides several financing options to choose from and has established partnerships with some of the area’s leading lenders. At the firm’s helm is its founder, Bruce Meyer. He first gained experience working for a national homebuilder and experienced every phase of the process. He is especially well-known for his value engineering and oversees pre-planning, land acquisition, entitlements, development, purchasing, construction, sales, and customer service.
The project above is a stellar example of the firm’s expertise. Located in the prestigious area of Lake Mathews, this home overlooks a beautiful lake and is a lovely iteration of the modern Spanish colonial style.
Gary Daugherty Architect
24829 Hollyleaf Lane, Murrieta, CA 92562
Operating out of its office in Murrieta, Gary Daugherty is a full-service architectural design firm. The firm is especially well-known for its designs, planning, feasibility, and drawings. It also assists its clients when obtaining building permits and oversees construction administration. The firm has been in business since 1980 and has had the opportunity to work on over a hundred projects, projects that include an impressive range of sizes and scales. The firm is also experienced in a wide range of architectural themes. Our editorial team was impressed by the firm’s custom residential projects, home additions, multi-family builds, and commercial spaces.
The firm is led by its namesake, Gary Daugherty. He is licensed in four other states and has completed projects in over 11 states. Under his leadership, the firm maintains relationships with some of the area’s leading specialists and consultants.
Allenbach Architecture
29333 Via Espada, Murrieta, CA 92563
Allenbach Architecture specializes in both commercial and residential projects and operates out of its office in Murrieta. The firm is a full-service company, and those services include programming, design, and overseeing construction documents. We were also impressed by its excellent construction administration, new construction projects, remodels, and extensive tenant improvements. Otherwise known as AA, the firm provides its work at highly competitive prices. The firm has been in business since 1996 and adheres to the highest standards. The project below best embodies the firm’s work.
Labeled in its portfolio as the Lanni residence, this project is located in Arlington Heights. It spans 4,200 square feet and overlooks Riverside. Its living areas and master bedrooms are situated on its second floor and depict grand sweeping stairs on each side of the entry foyer.
Creative Heights Designs
41856 Ivy Street, Suite 111, Murrieta, CA
Founded in 2001, Creative Heights Designs provides a comprehensive range of services. It assists its clients with everything, from residential home design and remodeling to various public facilities. The firm extends its services throughout Southern California and is proud to be locally and minority-owned. Our editorial team was impressed by its excellent additions and tenant improvement. Its portfolio includes a great range of commercial, residential, and public spaces. The firm’s work can best be seen in the photo below.
A great example of the firm’s work is the Bear Creek Custom Home. This project spans 5,500 square feet and two stories. Our editorial team loved the Tuscan touches coupled with its stucco exteriors and custom finishes.
