Insights

Every smart home remodel article you'll find online starts in the same place: the ecosystem (HomeKit, Alexa or Google) and the gear list. Including compatible lighting, thermostats, speakers, cameras, and. Smart locks. The implication is that if you bolt enough...

I look around my neighborhood, and I just can't imagine living anywhere else. From the parks to the Pacific and the accessibility of culture and technology, San Francisco has it all. Part of loving it here really has to do with living here. And the home environment...

Most people approach this decision backwards. People usually start with a web search, narrowing things down based on a gut reaction based on portfolios and how much the web design resonates.  They schedule a few calls, get a feeling, and go with whoever seems the most...

How much does an architect cost in San Francisco? It's a fair question with an answer based on the permutation of architects, projects, scopes, locations, and more. But I know you’re here to get some straightforward answers so that you can plan your whole-home remodel...

Let's talk about the best day of your renovation: the day you decide to do it! You're standing in your home that was designed before you were born, imagining some of the things you’d like to change. Maybe opening things up. You've got a Pinterest board, tons of saved...

You've been planning your whole-house remodel for months. You've saved the capital. You've got a vision. And then, just when you’re about to kick off construction, you discover the designs violate setback requirements. Permits are denied. Your "lowest bid" contractor...

What home renovations add the most value in the Bay Area? Great question. And it's all relative. "Value" is one of those linguistic Rorschach blots that can mean many things to many people. At my architecture firm in San Francisco, there are two ways to really talk...

When you're planning a whole-house remodel in San Francisco and someone hands you a budget breakdown with hard costs vs. soft costs listed separately, it's easy to assume the hard costs are what really matter and the soft costs are just... overhead? Nice-to-haves?...

The shakes over the last few days got the phone ringing in our office about residential earthquake safety strategies, renovations, and seismic retrofitting. If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, earthquakes are a fact of life. It’s the elephant in the room that...

If you're planning a whole-house remodel in San Francisco, you've probably heard this complaint from your friends: “OMG, the construction process takes forever!” Permits drag on. Contractors disappear mid-project. Design changes pop up months into construction because...

If you've heard the rumors and the whispers about Billionaires Row in San Francisco and wondered where exactly it is, the answer is simpler than you might think. Billionaires row is three blocks of Broadway between Divisadero and Lyon streets in Pacific Heights,...

Trying to determine what home remodels cost in San Francisco is an answer-dragon with many heads. A generic pricing band of $500K-$5M puts numbers on the table, yes, but is otherwise pretty meaningless because there are so many details that go into an accurate budget....

I love it when clients go deep into the architectural process. It's really exciting to be able to share some of my favorite San Francisco architects as a source of inspiration and education. This city has a profoundly rich architectural history and while most don't...

If you think you know San Francisco, think again. There's way more to this city than sourdough, cable cars, and The Fisherman's Wharf. If you're considering a move here, ditch the flower in your hair and get ready to experience a few little-known secrets about how...

If you’ve found this page searching for an “architect near me” in the San Francisco area, it likely means that you’re already aware of how tough it can be to build here with someone who doesn’t have what it takes.  Incredible designs, accolades, and great customer...

If you've spent the last six months scrolling through Pinterest boards that all start to look the same, you're not alone. The algorithm shows you what you've already liked, which means you keep seeing variations of the same aesthetic over and over. White kitchens....

Contemporary architecture is a term used almost synonymously with “modern architecture,” and while for many conversational purposes, this fluidity works. But at the heart of it - these are two different terms and understanding the simple nuance can be really helpful...

Custom residential architecture in San Francisco is either buildable, or it isn't. This is one of the hardest things I see when a new client comes to me, midway through the pre-construction process, with their hands up in despair because their first architect missed...

What does biophilic mean in architecture, anyway? I’m getting asked that question more and more these days - usually about once a month, from a tech client who's read something about Amazon's spheres in Seattle or Apple Park's interior courtyards. They want "something...

Every morning, coffee in hand at my kitchen window, I'm reminded why San Francisco creates such extraordinary opportunities for residential design. The interplay of hills, water, and human creativity reveals new possibilities waiting to be uncovered. I love living...