Arte Architecture

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Arte Architecture Award-winning architectural firm with over 25 years experience in residential and commercial projects.
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Arte Architecture is an award-winning design firm serving Houston, Texas and surrounding areas. President and lead designer, Sergio Astorga, is a highly experienced professional with over 25 years of experience. Our services include design for residential remodels, additions, and new construction as well as commercial projects including lease space build-outs, retail, and office buildings. We use state of the art computer 3D software to design your project so that you know exactly what your project will look like and help you make more informed decisions. We communicate in both English and Spanish to serve our clientele and we strive to provide simple and stylish elegance with personal attention to ensure that you are satisfied with you project design.

A curved stair. A circle framed into the ceiling above it. Two stories, now standing, finally becoming a home.We decided...
10/06/2026

A curved stair. A circle framed into the ceiling above it. Two stories, now standing, finally becoming a home.

We decided every room in this custom home on paper first, when changes are cheap and the vision is clear. Swipe through the framing stage to see the two-story volume and the arches that started as lumber.

Framing is where a plan stops being a drawing and starts being rooms you can walk through. We'll keep sharing progress as the project takes shape.

Planning a custom home? Book a consult to get started. Link in bio.

If your building is in unincorporated Harris County, there's no such thing as a Certificate of Occupancy.The county does...
09/28/2026

If your building is in unincorporated Harris County, there's no such thing as a Certificate of Occupancy.

The county doesn't issue one. It issues a Certificate of Compliance.

Same job. Different document. And under Texas law, you can't occupy the building until you have it.

Two addresses a few miles apart can need two different pieces of paper. Worth knowing before your opening date is a week out.

https://arte-architecture.com/certificate-of-occupancy-vs-certificate-of-compliance-houston/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=certificate-occupancy

New Residential ProjectThree stories, 2,657 sq ft, 3 bedrooms, and 3½ baths, with the kitchen, dining, and living areas ...
09/25/2026

New Residential Project

Three stories, 2,657 sq ft, 3 bedrooms, and 3½ baths, with the kitchen, dining, and living areas open across the entire second floor for a more spacious way to live.

Living upstairs is deliberate on a tight Houston lot. That is where the light, the volume, and the views are, and the roof deck sits above it, giving the house its best moments.

Built ready for a future elevator, so it can be added later without opening up the house, preserving flexibility over time.

See the full project and explore more of the Nolda House: https://arte-architecture.com/local-architectural-design/residential-architects-houston/nolda-house/

The drawings are done. The permit is submitted. Then nothing seems to happen for weeks.In the City of Houston, that quie...
09/17/2026

The drawings are done. The permit is submitted. Then nothing seems to happen for weeks.

In the City of Houston, that quiet stretch is the review queue. It's roughly two weeks before a reviewer even opens the file.



From there, permitting runs in a loop. The city sends back comments; we respond to each in a written letter, and we resubmit until the project is approved. Based on Sergio Astorga's own submittals, expect about two rounds on a residential project and three on a commercial one.



Our new guide walks through every step, including who handles what and when permit fees get paid.

Read the full guide here: https://arte-architecture.com/from-submittal-to-approval-what-actually-happens-during-the-houston-permit-process/?



Almost nobody asks: Who issues the permit?It's not a small detail. It can delay your opening by weeks, and in some cases...
08/28/2026

Almost nobody asks: Who issues the permit?

It's not a small detail. It can delay your opening by weeks, and in some cases, it determines whether what you want to build is even allowed.

We put together a comprehensive guide explaining how permit jurisdiction works across Houston, The Woodlands, Katy, Cypress, and the surrounding counties. Learn what changes from city to county, why Katy often confuses property owners, and the statewide rule many people don't discover until it's too late.

If you're considering a commercial site, read this first. 👉 Link in bio.

Full guide: https://arte-architecture.com/houston-area-permit-jurisdiction-guide/

Every builder has lived through this once. You buy the lot, you know your numbers, and you hire someone to draw it. The ...
08/20/2026

Every builder has lived through this once. You buy the lot, you know your numbers, and you hire someone to draw it. The plans come back beautiful, then the framing bid comes back $40K over, and the roofline you liked is gone anyway.

The failure isn't the design. It's the sequence.

Bring the architect in at concept, and the budget shapes the design instead of deleting parts of it later. One four-house development saved $50,000 by changing a driveway material while the plan was still on paper. One developer found out in week one his site was in a flood zone and kept his entire design budget.

Read the full blog 👉 https://arte-architecture.com/architect-for-builders-and-developers-houston/

We love bringing our clients' dreams to life! 📐✨At our firm, we now use smart AI tools to upgrade our design process. In...
08/13/2026

We love bringing our clients' dreams to life! 📐✨At our firm, we now use smart AI tools to upgrade our design process. Instead of waiting days for a single rendering, we can test ideas and show rich, realistic visuals right away.This means you see your future space clearly from day one. You can try different materials, lights, and room layouts in real time.Better visuals mean better communication. Let us design your next project today!

Your neighbor built a beautiful addition. That tells you nothing about what your lot allows. 🏡In The Woodlands, the rule...
07/30/2026

Your neighbor built a beautiful addition. That tells you nothing about what your lot allows. 🏡

In The Woodlands, the rules that govern your property — setbacks, hard-surface limits, maximum living area — aren't published publicly. They're lot-specific, and they can differ from the house two doors down.

Which means the design you fall in love with may not be legal on your land. Homeowners find that out mid-application, after months of drawings. There are also two separate approvals here — the RDRC and Montgomery County — and clearing one doesn't clear the other.

Pull your lot's criteria first. Design second.

📖 Full guide — link in bio

https://arte-architecture.com/building-or-adding-on-in-the-woodlands-tx-what-homeowners-need-to-know-before-starting-a-home-project/

Before you sign a Houston commercial lease, check the parking.Your required parking isn't set by the building — it's set...
07/15/2026

Before you sign a Houston commercial lease, check the parking.

Your required parking isn't set by the building — it's set by what you do inside it. Office, retail, and restaurant uses carry very different requirements. Same square footage, different obligation.

If the site can't meet the minimum for your use, the City won't issue a permit. No interior design fixes that — and by then, the lease is signed, and the rent is running.

Read the full guide 👉 https://arte-architecture.com/the-commercial-tenant-build-out-in-houston-what-business-owners-need-to-know-before-they-sign-the-lease/

Questions about a specific space? Call 832-422-6282.

A warehouse with a glass-front office isn't an office-warehouse. It just looks like one. Houston businesses are consolid...
06/30/2026

A warehouse with a glass-front office isn't an office-warehouse. It just looks like one.

Houston businesses are consolidating office and warehouse under one roof — but most of these buildings are designed around a generic product, not a specific operation. The result? Offices you can't hear yourself think in, wasted cubic footage, and an entry that undercuts the brand before a word is spoken.

Our new blog covers what separates a building that works from one that merely functions.

Link in bio.
https://arte-architecture.com/the-office-warehouse-formula-how-houston-businesses-are-designing-hybrid-industrial-spaces-that-actually-work/

Address

10101 Southwest Freeway, Ste 410
Houston, TX
77074

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+18324226282

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