architecture for people | places | possibility
Based in Oakland, Plenum Architecture serves the San Francisco Bay Area. We provide architectural services tailored to your goals, schedule, and budget, with a commitment to the safety, health, and beauty of our communities.
From early planning through construction, we can guide your project from start to finish or provide focused support when you need it.
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Listen, understand the site, and define your next steps.
Starting at $225 per hour
Meet with an architect to discuss your goals, review existing conditions, and identify opportunities or constraints. The visit may include preliminary measurements and photos.
A conceptual floor plan may be prepared for an additional minimal fee and shared with builders or general contractors to help provide preliminary construction costs.
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Understand your project before committing to design and construction.
Packages starting at $1,900
A tailored Discovery Package helps define your project's scope, preliminary budget, schedule, design and permitting process, and the team needed to move forward.
Make informed decisions before a larger investment—including whether to proceed with your project.
* This is not a design consultation. Minimal planning included for pricing.
**See "Discovery" below for more detailed information.
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Evaluate development potential before making major commitments.
Fee varies by project
Plenum assesses zoning, density, building limitations, parking, infrastructure, environmental considerations, and approval requirements to determine what your site can realistically support.
When needed, we coordinate with engineers, planners, and other specialists to identify risks and explore development options.
Deliverables may include a feasibility report, conceptual development scenarios, entitlement strategies, and recommended next steps to support acquisition, financing, or development decisions.
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Get specialized architectural support when you need it.
Rates vary by scope and expertise required.
Get focused help with a specific project phase, permitting issues, building code research, construction detailing, conceptual design, or 3D visualization.
Whether you're a homeowner, business owner, or contractor, Plenum can provide targeted expertise or additional capacity without requiring full-service project delivery.
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Move from project vision toward a permitted, buildable outcome.
Fees vary by project.
Plenum provides coordinated architectural services from early planning through construction, tailored to your project's needs.
Depending on the scope, services may include feasibility, architectural design, permitting, consultant coordination, construction site observations, submittal review, and contractor support.
Our collaborative approach helps keep your project aligned with its goals, schedule, and budget.
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Understand building performance and plan practical upgrades.
Fees vary by project.
Plenum evaluates building conditions and major systems to identify opportunities to improve energy efficiency, comfort, resilience, and electrification readiness.
Assessments may include insulation, windows, doors, ventilation, heating and cooling, water heating, and electrical systems.
Our Energy Audit & Electrification Report outlines recommended improvements, implementation considerations, and potential pathways toward electrification—helping property owners prioritize upgrades and plan future investments.
discovery
Plenum leans on current industry resources, 35 years of experience, and a strong network to compile all the information you need to plan your project.
You will walk away with a Discovery Package packet specifically tailored to your project that will be indispensable as you move forward, or even help you decide not to move your project forward, which could be priceless.
…the perfect place to start!
We will help you clarify your scope of work, establish a budget, outlay the design and permitting processes, identify the pre-construction/ construction team, and establish the total cost of your unique project.
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Up to $1,900 depending on the project.
Our entry-level discovery package is a great place for anyone to start, especially if you have never completed a construction project before.
We will provide you with the following:
• Conduct a Site Visit where we will understand your needs/ wants and define your scope of work (SOW). We may take some overall measurements and photos at this time or carry out an Energy Audit.*
• Prepare a Planning and Zoning Summary that describes the development potential of your property.
• Provide your Path to Planning Dept. Approval based on the SOW we defined during our site visit. We will outline the process needed and provide an anticipated schedule.
• lx Virtual check-in
• After our check-in, we will provide your Pathway to a Building Permit which will include the process outlined and anticipated schedule, as well as the projected jurisdictional/ City fees associated with your SOW.
• Provide a rough order of magnitude (ROM) for the Architectural services needed to complete your project based on the information above.
• Provide a list of the other pre-design consultants needed to complete your project.
• Provide Discovery Package packet deliverable and 1x call to review.
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Up to $2,500
This package builds on Tier l and helps to understand the full cost of your project leading up to Construction. We will provide you with the following:
• Plenum will work with you to create a budget that considers the real estate value of your property.
• Plenum will share your project with expert consultants/ engineers who will be needed to complete your project. Each of these will provide a ROM for professional services. Other assessment services may be carried out to understand the impact of design on structure and other building features.
• Plenum will also back-check assumptions/ schedules with consultants and make refinements to your Discovery Package packet if needed at this time.
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Up to $3,000
This package builds on Tier 2 and is helpful to understand the full cost of your project, including all construction costs.
• Plenum will share your project with trusted and appropriate contractors. They will provide a construction estimate and estimated construction schedule based on your scope of work.
• Where possible, General Contractors will provide additional comments to help you complete your project, which may include phasing the work, planning around weather, etc.
“Bridget and Omar went above and beyond in clarifying their services, outlining the steps a business owner like me should take to secure a physical location in the future, and answering my many architecture-related questions.
As someone who is a novice in their field, their guidance made me feel secure, at ease, and supported.”