UPDATED 3/25/21: The pandemic continues, however, there is light at the end of the tunnel. More and more of us are getting vaccinated and the economy is slowly opening up. I have received the first vaccine, and the second is scheduled. By the 1st of May, 2021, I will be […]
This project in San Francisco has been underway for quite a while. But we received our Certificate of Occupancy not long ago. In San Francisco, if you voluntarily upgrade a masonry foundation, you are allowed to add a new unit to the building within the existing envelope. Check out the […]
I’ve been working on this accessory dwelling unit (called a Secondary Dwelling Unit in Oakland) for a while now. We ran into problems with the pandemic supply chain, and labor shortages and PGE hookups and any number of other things, but it is now habitable. The only thing that remains […]
I recently fulfilled a childhood dream: I am now the owner of a Rolls-Royce; a 1986 Silver Spur. These cars are ostentatious, pretentious, bougie, and more than a little bit classist. But they are stunningly beautiful, astoundingly well crafted, hand built from the finest materials, the ultimate in luxury. It […]
The house project in Benicia is progressing along nicely. Things slowed because of weather, but they are picking up again. In this video, shot last week, you can see how things are coming along. The designer for the project is Oregon Architect, Nir Pearlson. I am the local, California Architect […]
Last year, I made a video answering the question, how much do architectural services cost? It is my most viewed video from last year! I guess it gets to the first question most people have about hiring an architect. Two basic questions have shown up in the comments to that […]
How do you design a kitchen for entertaining? Well, it depends on the type of entertaining. For this condo refresh project in Sonoma, the clients wanted to be able to entertain friends and family for wine tastings, cocktail parties, and small dinners. With the many great restaurants on the Sonoma […]
How was 2020 for you? If yours was anything like mine, you are glad it’s over and looking forward to 2021. I’ve got plans for 2021! I will be wrapping up client projects that were started in 2019 and 2020; moving forward with projects from 2020; and I look forward […]
The studio will be closed for the holidays from December 23, 2020 until January 4, 2021. This is my annual closure to rest, relax, reflect, and renew. 2020 has been a challenging year for all of us. I will be looking back at the year, what was accomplished, and what […]
The new house project under construction in Benicia is coming along nicely. I visited the site with the client and the builder on Wednesday of last week. It was a beautiful autumn day, and the house looked great. All of the cladding is up and the doors and windows are […]
Are you looking at your home differently than you did pre-pandemic? Has working from home and schooling your kids from home made you reconsider how spaces in your home might work? Are you worried about the in-law unit in your house that was built without permits? These are all questions […]
2020 has been quite the year. It started out with great promise. We were all excited to the back end of 2019 and looking forward to a fresh, new year. (2019 doesn’t look so bad, now. LOL.) That changed in hurry. The international pandemic has taken us all in new, […]
This project recently came into the studio: A condominium refresh up in Sonoma. I don’t usually take work so far afield, but I know the client and am considering opening a Sonoma satellite office. So I figured, it looks like fun! It is a roughly 1000 square foot 2bd 2bath […]
The Benicia house project is coming along! The last time I was at the site, the house was still being framed. No roof structure was in place. Now, roughly six weeks later, the roof is up and insulated. The walls are up and insulated. The contractor will be starting to […]
Oy. The pandemic is lasting longer than I had expected. If you are like me, you are getting tired of the isolation that goes with working from home. Not to mention a little bit too much togetherness with the family? Maybe? A little? There was a recent news report that […]
Continuing documenting the construction progress for this accessory dwelling in the Oakland Hills, I paid a visit to this project again this month. Things have kind of slowed down. The city is taking their time reviewing the fire sprinkler permit application. And the folks at EBMUD (the water utility) are […]
The pandemic is going to extend into 2021 or longer. It is possible that the thawing permafrost will release as yet unknown viruses on mankind. What can we do today to make our homes safer? There is one thing that you can today, with very little effort, to make your […]
In this video I explain how I see our current situation and why I think the virus is here to stay. I also talk about why some people will be able to retreat to the country. I predict that this will mean an increase in vacation home sales – and […]
With this post I am introducing a new series of posts about the possible affects the Covid-19 pandemic may have on house design. As much as we would like things to return to “normal” – normal being the way it was before the pandemic – an argument can be made […]
This video summarizes my architectural Creed. It is the foundation for all my work. The full version of my Creed can be found here. If this statement resonates with you and you are looking to start a project, maybe we could work together. Reach out to me via email at […]