Background
Since I opened my office in 1984, I have designed well over 250 buildings in the Bay Area. I am a University of California at Berkeley graduate, and a licensed Architect.

Getting Started
The process begins with a consultation where we get to know each other. I will show you photographs, renderings and models of my work. I review your ideas and discuss the creative possibilities for your project. Next I write a proposal outlining my architectural fees.

Designing Together
Designing a building is a true collaboration between the Architect and the client. We start with what you need: what types of rooms, their sizes and how you live in them. We then discuss the feeling or character you want the overall building to have, as well as the ambiance you desire for the interiors.

Site Analysis
Every site is unique. Each building needs to be designed to take advantage of the land’s assets and mitigate its problems. Some properties may have beautiful views, while others conversely need privacy from their neighbors. Houses on the Northern California coast usually need to bring in a much sun and solar heat as possible, while buildings in hot climates need more shady areas. Buildings in urban locations need to fit with the neighboring buildings, where houses in the country are designed to integrate with their natural surroundings.

Quickly Sketching Ideas
I love to draw. There is something magical about putting pencil to paper and sketching an image that captures the essence of a building. At the start of design, when we want to explore a wide variety of possibilities in a short amount of time, I will prepare concept drawings. These Floor Plans, Site Plans and Perspective sketches allow us to study the overall concept without working out all the details. These sketches aid me in studying the overall appearance of the structure and allow the client to see what the building will look like. My clients then decide the best options for them and we work together to develop the design.

Architecture is Functional Sculpture
When designing, I manipulate the different spaces seeking to find the right relationship of the rooms to each other; studying proportions of the interior volumes while at the same time evaluating how the sum of these parts form the overall building. I must sculpt the exterior at the same time I layout the interior spaces.

Computer-Aided Design
This is a great time to be an Architect. The innovations in computer software allow us to draw our building three dimensionally. We draw the Floor Plan while simultaneously extruding the Elevations. Then we can generate pictures from many different perspectives. Working on CAD (Computer-Aided Design) drawings greatly increases speed and accuracy. For example, the information we draw on the Floor Plan is also used to generate the Electrical, Mechanical, and Structural Plans. Our CAD library of pre-drawn details also passes on substantial savings to our clients.