01
Second story additions
A new floor over the garage or the existing house, tied into the roof, the stair and the systems already there. The hardest version of this work, and the reason most of our clients find us.
Design. Interiors. Build.
Not a remodel.An elevation.
A custom design and build practice for Orange County families who have outgrown the house they are standing in. Thirty years of architecture behind every set of drawings, and one team from the first sketch to the last light fixture.
- 30 years of architecture
- Design, interiors and build in-house
- Garden Grove, serving Orange County
- Vietnamese and English
Before and after
The same house.
A different life in it.
Drag the handle. Every one of these started with a structural question nobody wanted to answer, and the answer is what made the finished room possible.
Westminster
A single story they had outgrown, given a second floor over the garage.
The original roof over the garage became the floor of three new bedrooms. The stair was placed so the downstairs plan kept every room it had, and the new elevation was drawn to look original to the house rather than bolted on.
Representative of the work, not a specific client project. Replace with Sunrise’s own photography once the first shoot is done.
The work
One practice. Drawings,
interiors and the build.
We are an architecture practice that builds its own work. Drawings, engineering, interiors and our own crews all sit in-house, with no chain of subcontractors marking up each other along the way. That is how a genuinely custom build arrives without the premium price tag usually attached to one.
02
Custom new construction
A house from the lot up, designed around orientation, light and the way your family actually moves through a day.
03
Whole home transformation
Down to the studs and back, with one set of drawings governing every trade so the framing and the finish schedule agree long before anyone starts.
04
Interior design
Layout, materials, cabinetry, lighting and furnishing, drawn by the same hand that drew the walls. The interior is not decoration added at the end.
Already have plans, or already have a builder?
We take both halves separately. We will review a set you already own and tell you honestly what we see in it, or draw and engineer a project for a builder you trust.
Everything under one contract
From the first measurement
to the last light fixture.
Architecture, engineering, permits, construction and interiors sit with one team. Six disciplines that usually live in six different offices, each adding a margin to the one before it, all carried here under a single contract.
01
Feasibility and zoning
Setbacks, height limits, lot coverage and what the existing structure can carry. The honest answer first, including the times the answer is no.
02
Architecture
A complete set drawn in-house. Plans, elevations, sections and details, resolved far enough that a builder can price them without assuming anything.
03
Structural engineering
Beams, posts, footings and shear coordinated with the drawings, so the engineering and the architecture never contradict each other at inspection.
04
Permits and plan check
We submit, we answer the city's corrections, we return. You are not the one driving to a counter in Garden Grove or Santa Ana.
05
Construction
Our own crews on the critical work, with the architect still on the job. The person who drew it answers the questions in the field.
06
Interiors and finishes
Cabinetry, stone, flooring, lighting and hardware selected against the drawings, months before anyone needs them, not three weeks before move-in.
The practice
Two names on the work.
No layer in between.
Nearly every project we take comes from someone who lived through one of our builds and told a friend. You deal with the architect and the builder directly, from the first conversation to the final walkthrough.
Hai at the drafting table, then on site
Portrait plus two working frames. This is the face of the practice, so it gets the most camera time.
Hai
Architect, co-founder
Thirty years an architect, first in Vietnam, where he founded and ran his own design firm before moving to California and starting Sunrise. He draws every project himself. When something in a plan does not make sense, he will tell you why rather than quietly build it.
Brayden on an active site with the crew
Portrait plus hands-on build footage, so the design and build halves both have a face.
Brayden
Construction, co-founder
Runs the build, the crews and the schedule. He makes sure what gets framed matches what was drawn, and he is the one you call when you want to know what is happening at your house this week.
Every project is drawn once, for one family, on one lot. We build homes for people to live in, grow into and enjoy, not houses to fill a footprint.
How we work
Six stages. No surprises.
You will know what happens next at every stage, and what it costs, before you commit to it.
Conversation01 / 06
- 01Conversation
Tell us the address and the ambition
Fifteen minutes. What you want, what you own, and whether the idea is realistic. Vietnamese or English, whichever is easier at your table.
- 02Site visit
We walk the house with you
The architect reads the structure, the lot and the way you live in the house now. You leave with a straight answer on what is possible and roughly what it costs.
- 03Design
Drawings worth building from
Plans, elevations, interiors and engineering, reviewed with you until the layout is right. Design fees run $7 to $15 per square foot depending on scope.
- 04Permits
We carry it through the city
Submission, corrections and resubmission handled on our side. Timelines vary by city and we tell you what to expect for yours.
- 05Build
One team on site
Our crews build what we drew, with the architect still involved. A schedule, and a weekly point of contact, instead of silence.
- 06Handover
Final walkthrough and sign off
Inspections cleared, punch list closed, and a finished home that matches the set you approved.
Selected work
Homes across
Orange County.
Every project here was drawn and built by the same two people. No two were drawn twice.
Second story addition
Westminster
Primary bath
Garden Grove
Terrace and pool
Huntington Beach
New construction
Villa Park
Kitchen and dining
Fountain Valley
Whole home and new wing
Irvine
Representative imagery for this concept, not photographs of completed Sunrise projects. Replaced with the practice’s own work after the first shoot.
Questions
What people
ask us first.
What does the design cost?
Design runs $7 to $15 per square foot, depending on complexity. It is a separate fee from construction, and it buys a complete, engineered, permit-ready set. We do not give drawings away to win a build contract, because the drawing is the part that protects you.
Can you tell me whether my house can carry a second story?
That is the first thing we look at. Foundation, framing, lot coverage and height limits decide it. You get a real answer after a site visit, and if the answer is no, we will tell you what the property can do instead.
Do we have to move out during construction?
For a second story or a whole home transformation, usually yes, for part of it. We tell you roughly how long before you sign, so it is something you plan rather than discover.
I already have plans from someone else. Will you build them?
Yes. We review the set first and tell you honestly what we see in it. If it is sound, we price it and build it. We also do the reverse, drawing a set for a builder you already trust.
How long do permits take?
It depends entirely on the city and the scope. Garden Grove, Westminster, Santa Ana and Fountain Valley each move at their own pace. You will get a realistic window for your city at the consultation rather than a number designed to sound good.
Where do you work?
Orange County is home, and most projects sit within a short drive of Garden Grove. We take work in San Diego and Northern California when the project is the right fit.
Do you speak Vietnamese?
Yes. Design meetings, drawings and construction updates happen in Vietnamese or English, whichever your family prefers.
Private consultation
Tell us about
the home you want.
Hai reviews every enquiry himself and responds within one business day with a straight read on what your property allows.
- You speak with the architect, not a salesperson
- A real answer on feasibility before you pay for drawings
- Vietnamese and English
Call or text
(714) 555-0168Studio
Garden Grove, CA
Mon to Fri: 8 AM to 5 PM