At a Glance

We are a very small architecture and design company located between San Francisco and Sacramento in the heart of the California Delta. We work out of an old 2-story building in a laid-back culture based on concentrated work, intermittent play, and heavy community involvement and volunteerism. 

Our roots were established in small-town farming operations and shop fabrication, with a good amount of time spent working and playing outdoors. Not coincidentally, many of our clients sport similar backgrounds. There’s a strong connection to the land here and for those whose roots extend for generations, a sense of pride and usefulness that comes with it. Durability, strength, respect for the past, and a desire to harness the natural resources available on site are ever important program requirements here.

Much of our work is adjacent to levees, elevated above the flood plain, in Class 4+ wind zones, and isolated from municipal services. We find this to be an endless yet satisfying mix of opportunities, obligations, and constraints. Over time we’ve come to better understand this place and also its unique land use regulations. Consequently, much of our work begins securing special entitlements others find difficult to obtain. We design everything from houses and small retail projects to water towers and barns. When we’re lucky, we get to do a little planning. Our work is often simple and utilitarian but then again, so are we.

We’ve  literally and figuratively sailed these waters for over twenty years now and in the process, have developed a real concern for its future. Long-standing, complicated water wars and the decline of the estuary’s ecosystem have made us take a hard look at how such a precious and irreplaceable resource is used in our projects. Avid sailors, we’re also particularly sensitive to this reliable regional wind source. Passive cooling and ventilation systems are important aspects of our work.

Pursuing our other interests outside the office requires us to be extremely efficient in the office. Surprisingly, we’ve found varying levels of BIM to be invaluable even on small projects. We’re anxious to see what our future holds as we perfect this technology to further suit our needs. Stop by and have a beer with us if you’re ever in the Delta. We’re just a couple doors down from Fosters’ Bighorn. Cheers!

 Give us a call or swing by the office to learn more about us.