If you own a home in San Francisco, Oakland, or Berkeley, there’s a good chance you have—or have considered adding—an in-law unit. Many of these units were constructed decades ago without proper permits. Perhaps it was intended for a family member or as a rental. Now, you’re faced with the […]
San Francisco
31 posts
One of the most common questions I get asked by potential clients, and others when I say I am an architect, is “What style do you design in?” I used to have a hard time answering this question because if I say “Modern” that conjures up images for people of […]
If you are like many homeowners in San Francisco, you may have an existing in-law unit in your San Francisco home that was built without the necessary permits. Don’t panic! You have the opportunity to legalize this additional dwelling unit and bring it up to code. In this post, I […]
Here’s hoping that 2023 will be a good year for you and yours. The rain here in the Bay Area hasn’t dampened our mood. Here in the studio we’re ready to attack the year’s work with vigor and enthusiasm. We are continuing to work on projects we’ve started in previous […]
There is an old addage: When is the best time to plant a tree? Yesterday. When is the next best time to plant a tree? Today. It is similar with architecture projects: new homes, new ADUs, remodeling, additions – in every case, given how long it takes to design a […]
2021 Random Photo Series As a way of rounding out the year, I have decided to share 3 random photos from my phone each week, along with a discussion about why I took the picture. This might give you a sense of how I think and who I am. Random […]
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 […]
At the moment we are looking at a serious pandemic of a virus called Covid-19, aka the Cornona Virus. It spreads very easily and has about a 2.5% mortality rate. As a consequence, sporting events and performances are being cancelled or postponed. Schools and universities are switching over to online […]
It is autumn! My favorite season. That means, fall foliage, sweater weather, and, of course, updating the website with project pages for projects I worked on in the past year. I’ve added five new projects to my project pages. 4 new residential projects and 1 new commercial project. I encourage […]
In this business, we talk a lot about whether or not something has been “built to code”, or that we must do something because it is “required by the code”. In this post, I want to step back a little bit and examine this issue of code compliance. The building […]
What are the steps you need to take when starting an architecture project? Building in the Bay Area is an expensive and time consuming process. You don’t want to just jump into something without laying the proper groundwork first. Whether you are thinking about a house remodel, addition, new house, […]
I was flipping through my sketch books looking for something, and found this page. I paused to look at it. I don’t recall sketching these ideas out. Given the title of the page, I was clearly just getting an idea out of my head and on to paper. Some times […]
The American Institute of Architects (AIA), one of the professional organizations for architects, has a program they call “look up” to encourage non-architects to look up at the buildings around them to see what architects do. I recently had reason to visit the San Francisco City Hall, to record a […]
It isn’t all accessory dwellings and roses here in my studio. I also take on some other types of work, including Accessibility consulting. Right now I am helping a client complete the audit forms for San Francisco’s Accessible Business Entrance Program. The Accessible Business Entrance Program is San Francisco’s way […]
Currently, there is a lot of interest in building accessory dwellings. Accessory dwellings are smaller cottages or apartments built on a property that already has one dwelling. They are also known as back yard cottages, in-law units, granny flats, and a host of other names. In the last few years […]
The foundation replacement project in San Francisco that includes adding a new accessory dwelling is moving along. The contractor, MEMGC, is moving along with the staggered removal and foundation of the existing foundation. Because the building needs to remain occupied during construction we are NOT lifting the house and removing […]
You may have heard about accessory dwelling units – sometimes referred to as ADUs, Secondary dwelling units, or in-law units – and you’ve been wondering if you could build one at your property. But you don’t know where to start. Here’s what you can do: Call your local Planning or […]
I can’t recall if I’ve written about this project or not. Years ago, I did a project for these clients in this house, enclosing a carport to be a garage. That was successful. But the owners soon had to relocate for work, and the house was rented out. They’ve returned […]
“Gas meter locations! Be still my heart,” I hear you saying. I can just imagine you are trembling in anticipation of this gas meter location story! What excitement! Not really. Right? Well, this is the reality of construction. Sometimes it is the most plebeian of things that make life, shall […]
2017 has been a busy year. As the year wraps up, and before we head into the holidays, I thought I’d share just some of what has been going on “behind the screen” here in the studio. I wrote and published a book: Working With An Architect was published in […]