Nalu Architecture Inc. is a California licensed architecture firm founded in San Diego in September 2017. This is a small-firm practice by design — every project runs through a single licensed architect of record.
California Licensed Architect (License #C-36569). Founder of Nalu Architecture Inc. and principal on every project the firm takes on. The SB 326 practice grew directly out of the firm's multifamily and HOA work — balcony law compliance became a specialty because boards kept asking who was going to handle their inspection.
Nalu Architecture has served over 30 HOA communities across Southern California with SB 326 and SB 721 inspections, invasive testing coordination, repair drawings, permit packages, and construction administration. Total elevated elements analyzed: more than 1,500 balconies, decks, walkways, stairways, and railings.
Boards that hire large national engineering firms often get the senior name in the pitch meeting and a junior staffer on the roof. Nalu is different. Chris Schumm performs the inspection, writes the report, prepares the drawings, and runs the permit. There is no handoff to a junior team member you have never met.
Faster proposal turnaround, direct access to the licensed professional of record, and a written scope from someone who has actually walked hundreds of these decks. No account manager layer, no bait-and-switch on staffing, no third-party sub who shows up unannounced.
Primary service area: San Diego County (Del Mar, La Jolla, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Coronado, Chula Vista, and greater San Diego). Extended service radius: Orange County, Los Angeles County, and Inland Empire multifamily and HOA properties.
Coastal HOAs benefit from a nearby licensed architect who knows how salt-air exposure and marine-layer humidity accelerate wood-framed elevated element degradation. Inland HOAs benefit from clean, straightforward inspection reports without the coastal premium.
This site is the specialist entry point for HOA balcony law work. The full firm — naluarchitecture.com — also handles commercial tenant improvements, multifamily and mixed-use projects, custom residential and ADU work, and land-and-passive design. Same California-licensed architect (Chris Schumm, AIA, C-36569), same studio, same principal on every project.
Board members who also own a small commercial building, an investment duplex, or a coastal property can use the main firm for that work without starting over with a new relationship. See Multifamily & Mixed Use, Commercial, or the full 2026 guide library.
Written proposal, direct phone number, no sales team. Two business days from inquiry to proposal for most Southern California properties.
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