OPINION OF OUR CLIENTS
KAREN & KENT ALTARAS
We liked working with Luis Camarena. During the design phase Luis listened to us and incorporated our needs and desires into the plan. He wants to understand your lifestyle so as to create a house that fits you and your personality. He has a genuine enthusiasm about his work. During the construction phase we were impressed with Luis’s attention to detail. He creates a final product that is up to his standards, which are quite high. We had a great maestro for our project and the subcontractors were first class.
EVAN BERNSTEIN
Working with Luis Camarena to design and build my home in San Miguel de Allende was a dream come true. After over 10 years of research, his name always came to the forefront as having an exemplary reputation for integrity and his interpretation of modern Mexican design was exactly what I was looking for. He was and is everything I had hoped for and much more! A true Renaissance man, architect, builder, artist, writer and a gentleman to boot, Luis Camarena was a joy to work with. Entrusting him with this project while I was living in the USA, and only visiting three times during the entire process from start to end, turned out to be a perfect experience. His weekly detailed emailed photo updates with precise descriptions of the work completed were wonderful for keeping in touch with the progress and enabled me to make any changes along the way if desired. We worked together very well, bouncing ideas off one another and the end result was everything I wanted and more! Plus, his immediate follow up for any issues, whether construction related or not, even after completion, is absolutely remarkable.
PAUL & HELEN DICKSON
In 2015, we purchased a derelict narrow lot (approximately 6 meters x 26 meters) in Centro, San Miguel de Allende with the intention of building a contemporary home, something we had never done before, let alone in a foreign country.
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After having seen a friend’s home, which was contemporary in design, we were keen to meet the architect/contractor who turned out to be Luis Camarena. At our initial meeting with him we took a basic idea of a footprint we envisioned and it was very comforting to see the vision and passion he showed. Over a number of weeks’ plans were drawn and altered on numerous occasions until both parties were satisfied. Following that a comprehensive budget program was produced and city approval obtained to commence the demolition and construction.
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During the whole process, which took 14 months from demolition to completion, Luis was open to adaption and changes. We were kept informed throughout with regular meetings at his office and onsite as we watched in amazement our dream turned into reality.
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It was our first experience in building a home in a foreign country and was somewhat daunting, but Luis being bi-lingual was extremely important to us. Luis’s perception and interpretive skills gave us what we wanted and more. Our involvement has continued, post-project with his maintenance team being available for work, but more importantly we have no second thoughts in recommending Camarena’s Architectural business to anyone wanting a thoroughly professional approach to building their dream home.
LINDA FELTON
Working closely with Luis Camarena to design, collaborate, and build our home was an excellent experience. He listened carefully to our ideas and needs and executed plans to build our house which exceeded all our expectations! Even after 4 years I walk around the house and marvel at the magnificent craftsmanship and attention to detail he and his crew provided. Luis and his crew were readily available during and after the construction was completed to deal with any issues that occurred. His work is impeccable and his ability to conceptualize our dream and create our home to our specifications made the project stress free. His professionalism is outstanding.
BRUCE JANKLOW
My wife Ilene and I are very happy with the renovation we did in collaboration with Luis Camarena. He listened to our needs very carefully and the design he came up with completely met or exceeded our expectations. It is not an easy thing to do an extensive renovation of an existing house and effectively combine the old and the new. His design did exactly that. Then his ability to manage the construction and deliver a finished product that met the quality of the design was truly appreciated. The couple of times when we ran into issues where the original construction of the house were a problem, we were pleased with the ability to work together with him to solve the problems.
JOSEPH KENT
I have worked with Luis Camarena for a little over fifteen years. During that time, Luis has designed and built a brand new house and completely designed and gutted three other properties for me. In all the projects, he has shown himself to be an excellent designer as well as an excellent contractor. I am an American architect and one might think that that would create a certain amount of conflict. However, our relationship has proven to be extremely cordial and respectful.
I have absolute confidence in Luis’ design and construction capabilities. In fact, our first project together occurred while I was still living in San Francisco. He did a wonderful job even though I was absent for most of the construction process. Luis also accomplished all the approval processes in a very timely manner even though all of the projects were in the Historic District.
I couldn’t recommend Luis Camarena more highly and in fact intend to use him on every future project. If you wish to have any further information, please feel free to call or write me.
DAVID LIEBERMAN
My wife and I engaged Luis Camarena to design and build a modern house for us in San Miguel. Instead, we received a work of art. I am regularly taken aback by the beauty, functionality and elegance of our home. It was a pleasure to work with Luis. He does not let his ego get in the way of listening deeply. Between our (few) good ideas and his many stunningly creative ones, we have a home that embraces our needs and lifestyle, brings the outside in, and is a joy to be in.
WENDY Y RICHARD MASON
My husband and I had the pleasure of working with Luis Camarena on a major renovation, (and I mean major!), of a house that we had purchased in Guadiana. We had heard so many horror stories of difficulties working with various architects and contractors in San Miguel, but working with Luis was easy, fun and exciting. His creative vision was perfect for our needs and yet he was open to our creative input as well. As a contractor, his team was well managed, well organized, and finished the project on target. The result is a house that ten years later gives us great pleasure every day as we go about our lives in it. We highly recommend working with Luis Camarena.
DOUG ROBINSON
Construir una casa de ensueño en México fue una experiencia importante en mí vida, y mirando hacia atrás, no hay duda de que gran parte del crédito se la debo a mi arquitecto y contratista, Luis Camarena.
Cuando pienso en él, me vienen a la mente tres palabras: creatividad, colaboración y profesionalismo. Me encantaron sus ideas, que fluyeron de principio a fin; Mi entonces esposa y yo teníamos ideas muy claras de diseño: Luis agradeció nuestros aportes y de alguna manera los integró en su visión; Jamás estuvimos en la oscuridad acerca de los costos, los materiales, la mano de obra o el tiempo de finalización: fue muy organizado y nos proporcionó un calendario mensual de costos que enfrentaríamos antes de que se iniciara el camino.
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La casa terminada terminó siendo una obra maestra, en mi opinión. Cómoda, funcional y elegante. Un comentario adicional sobre su capacidad de adaptación a nuestras necesidades: Luis nunca antes había construido un estudio de grabación, pero aprendió lo suficiente como para usar los materiales y convenciones de diseño correctos.
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Hay muchas historias negativas acerca de lo que es construir en México. No creo que esa haya sido nuestra experiencia. Él es el mejor.