Welcome. We are an architecture and interiors studio that believes in the power of thoughtful design to better connect us to the built environment, the landscape, and each other. Our process is equal parts creativity and pragmatism –so that our work draws out the strongest potential of any site, the resources at hand, and ultimately, the experience of our clients. Design is both a process and an adventure; we see ourselves as both your partner and guide. We look forward to hearing from you.

Box on the Rock:
A name helps keep us focused on keeping it simple>

The affectionately named ‘Box on the Rock’ is a response to a difficult site –with shallow underground waterways popping up in unexpected and unwanted locations– which needed relatively expensive pier foundations. Given this challenge, we minimized the number of piers by creating a compact footprint to build a new ‘ground’ / platform perched on the rocks with the home on top. From there, we carved out protected outdoor spaces and customized the home’s overhangs to have outdoor options for sun and shade throughout the day. Viewed from below, the home appears to be a lone outpost settling the higher ground of the undisturbed natural site –a box on the rock.

Green House

The original home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s protégé, Aaron Green and built by Echler Homes in 1966, is a modern masterwork in Palo Alto, California. Remaining preserved in time by its original owner until 2019, its new owners, a young couple with two young children and one on the way, needed additional space and amenities. But how to update and extend Green’s low-slung complete thought for a new era and new growing family?

S^A Studio:
Family, food, and furry friends bind our creative studio together>

Given the intensity of our work in the studio, we are lucky to enjoy the company of each other so thoroughly. Outside the studio, our Fine Wine Fridays (FWF) have a no-work discussion policy. Our Summer Fest and S^A Holiday Party are epic cooking throwdowns –competitive sushi rolling to cookie bake-offs, cassoulet to fried chicken.

In the studio, at our monthly Culture of Design (COD) workshops, we find images using randomly selected prompts that combine a building element, a quality of space, and a sensation ­–stair, open, moist– that then spawn often-rollicking conversations about our design and process. Even our Culture of Practice (COP) sessions evoke passionate and hysterical debates about office standards and technical detailing. Of course, there is also Beyoncé, true-crime dramas, the Warriors, and reality TV to banter about every day at 4:00 pm.

 

Wyatt A. Arnold, Architect:
Principal

Wyatt has been a mainstay of S^A since 2005, arriving soon after receiving his Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Arizona. While attending the U of A, Wyatt received the M. L. Tophoy Scholarship for excellence in architecture with a focus on the construction trades. Wyatt’s capstone work focused on emerging prefabricated typologies for construction. Wyatt has been involved in every aspect of the practice, becoming a licensed architect in 2013, Principal in 2017, and part owner in 2021.

Our summer party was one for the books — paella on the grill, oysters shucked fresh, and future architects on the run. Cheers to good food, great vibes, and an even better team. #SummerVibes #ArchitectLife #WorkHardPlayHard #bestteam #shindig #paella🥘 #summerwine #workouting #modernistdesign #midcentury #customhomes #bayarea #bayareadesign #architectsinthewild #architectsarchitecting
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