Website proposal
For James Novosel & Andrea Chelotti

Forty-six years of East Bay architecture deserve a website to match.

Since 1980, The Bay Architects has worked on Berkeley housing, commercial buildings and landmark restorations. Here is how a new bayarch.com could present that record.

Established
1980 · Berkeley, California
Studio
1840B Alcatraz Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94703
Studio phone
(510) 420-1484
Karina Carillo Prepared by Karina Carillo · Brandcore Client Success & Outreach
The Bay Architects map emblem The Bay ArchitectsBerkeley · Since 1980
02 · The Foundation
What the studio already does

Berkeley already lives, gathers and works inside your portfolio.

Founded in 1980 by James Novosel, the studio serves residential, commercial and institutional clients in the East Bay, from new apartment buildings to landmark restoration.

  1. 01

    Multi-family housing

    The Fidelity Apartments · Telegraph Bays · 2628 Telegraph Condos · Stadium Place · Hearst Commons · Allston Oak Court

  2. 02

    Historic preservation

    Church of the Good Shepherd · Francis K. Shattuck Building · Corder Building · Aurora Theater · 2567 Shattuck

  3. 03

    Commercial and residential

    1952–66 University Avenue · 2501 Telegraph Avenue · Wright’s Garage conversion · Cedar Street · Edwards Cottage

Interior of the Church of the Good Shepherd with timber roof arches and stained-glass windows
Church of the Good ShepherdHistoric project
Francis K. Shattuck Building on a corner in downtown Berkeley with green-trimmed bays and a cupola
Francis K. Shattuck Building2108 Shattuck Avenue
Awards as published by the studio
  • 2015 · Church of the Good ShepherdCalifornia Preservation Foundation Rehabilitation Award, BAHA Restoration Award and Berkeley Design Advocates Design Award.
  • 2006 · Telegraph BaysBerkeley Design Advocates Award of Excellence for a new 20-unit apartment building.
  • 2005 · Corder BuildingDowntown Berkeley Association Excellence in Design Restoration Award.
Source: bayarch.com/awards. Shown as the company’s published claims.
The Bay Architects map emblem The Bay ArchitectsBerkeley · Since 1980
03 · The Current Website
Public pages on bayarch.com · collected Oct 2026

Your work is strong. The site’s first impression is not.

Four specific things we found in the pages themselves, each one something an owner, developer or review board meets first.

Also: the menu entry labelled “2567 Shattuck” links to /2562-shattuck, and page addresses such as /residential-test-1 and /garza2 show working names.

01First impression

Shared links and search results say “Staff”

The home page title is only “The Bay Architects”, its description tag is empty, and its social-preview description reads “Staff”.

Source: bayarch.com home page code We write a real summary for every page.
02Portfolio

Projects open as four small thumbnails

The home page offers four photos as thumbnails, each followed by the same “Read more” link. The Residential image is only 350 × 275 px at source.

Source: home page image and link code We lead with one large project and clear sector paths.
03Inquiry

The Contact page has no way to start a conversation

/contact repeats the address, phone and email as plain text: no form, no tap-to-call link, no email link, no map.

Source: bayarch.com/contact page code We add tap-to-call and a project inquiry.
04Awards

The award record is a long text list with a drafting note

/awards runs from 2015 back to 2000 as running text, and one 2000 line still reads “Aaron Brothers: Arts and Framing, (need address)”.

Source: bayarch.com/awards page text We turn it into a filterable record.

No project photo is set as a CSS background on the home page; its imagery is the logo plus the four thumbnails above. The site’s external stylesheet was not collected for this review.

The Bay Architects map emblem The Bay ArchitectsBerkeley · Since 1980
04 · The New bayarch.com
A working concept

A portfolio that lets the work lead.

Built only from what bayarch.com already publishes. Try the sector filter, the awards record and the inquiry draft.

  1. 01

    Real project first

    Original photography opens each project, with the published facts beside it.

  2. 02

    Find work by sector

    Four filters replace four small thumbnails.

  3. 03

    A clear next step

    Tap-to-call and a project inquiry that opens an unsent draft.

bayarch.com · proposed concept
The Bay Architects emblemThe Bay ArchitectsBerkeley, California
Telegraph Bays, a four-storey apartment building with gabled rooflines on Telegraph Avenue
Telegraph Bays · 2616 Telegraph Avenue · 2006 BDA Award of Excellence

Architecture · Berkeley & the East Bay

Forty-six years of East Bay architecture

New housing, commercial buildings and landmark restoration — designed in Berkeley since 1980.

The studio’s work

Featured project

The Corder Building, a four-storey yellow corner building with a pharmacy at street level
Historic

Corder Building

2300 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley

    How a project starts

    1. Talk with the studioShare your project, site and goals.
    2. See the relevant workReview the projects and awards closest to it.
    3. Plan the next stepThe studio confirms scope and timing with you.
    The Bay Architects

    Architecture · Berkeley

    Projects by sector

    • HistoricCorder Building · 2300 Shattuck Avenue · 2005 award
    • Multi-familyTelegraph Bays · 2616 Telegraph Avenue · 2006 award
    • Commercial2501 Telegraph Avenue · 2007 award
    • ResidentialCedar Street · from the studio’s projects page
    Call (510) 420-1484 Email the studio

    Phone detail: the same sectors, awards and studio contact in a readable list.

    Concept uses text and project photography published by The Bay Architects
    The Bay Architects map emblem The Bay ArchitectsBerkeley · Since 1980
    05 · Our Approach
    Before and after · United Facilities Group (ufgworks.com)

    Same company, a clearer first screen.

    A homepage comparison from our own work, shown so you can judge the approach: clearer service hierarchy and a focused inquiry path. Your site would be built around your own projects.

    ufgworks.com · previous homepage Before
    The previous United Facilities Group homepage
    BeforePrevious homepage
    ufgworks.com · Brandcore redesign After
    The United Facilities Group homepage after the Brandcore redesign
    AfterBrandcore redesign: sector routing and an inquiry path
    The Bay Architects map emblem The Bay ArchitectsBerkeley · Since 1980
    06 · Proposed Plan
    Proposed plan · scope and dates agreed together

    Strategy, then build, then support.

    A proposed sequence, not a promise of dates. Timing depends on how quickly photos, wording and approvals arrive, and we confirm both scope and schedule with you at kickoff.

    Phase 01 · StrategyProposed · about 3 days

    Choose what the site leads with

    A working session with James and Andrea to pick the projects, photographs and award wording that open the site.

    • Project and sector priorities
    • Page plan and photo list
    Phase 02 · BuildProposed · about 7 days after content approval

    Design and build bayarch.com

    A custom site around your real projects and the studio at 1840B Alcatraz Avenue.

    • Sector-filtered portfolio and awards record
    • Tap-to-call and a project inquiry
    • Layouts for phone, tablet and desktop
    Phase 03 · SupportProposed · 60 days after launch

    Keep it current

    Hands-on help after launch, with the exact scope written down before we start.

    • Project and award updates you approve
    • Review of the studio’s Google Business Profile
    • Direct phone and email access to Karina
    1scope and fees
    agreed in writing first
    2photos and wording
    supplied or approved by you
    3dates confirmed
    together at kickoff
    The Bay Architects map emblem The Bay ArchitectsBerkeley · Since 1980
    07 · Let’s Talk
    Your Brandcore contact

    Let’s give the studio’s portfolio the website it has earned.

    We prepared this concept for James Novosel and Andrea Chelotti from the pages bayarch.com already publishes. Fifteen minutes is enough to walk through it together.

    Karina Carillo
    Karina Carillo
    Client Success & Outreach · Brandcore

    I would welcome the chance to show James and Andrea how the studio’s own projects and awards could open bayarch.com.

    Brandcore.io San Francisco Bay Area Sales Solutions
    15-minute walkthrough

    Let’s compare notes.

    Pick a suggested time or enter your own weekday time. Pacific time.

    Open an unsent email draft
    Opens an unsent email draft for you to review and send. Karina confirms by reply.