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.

Leit House:
Blackened volcanic rocks, surprising in their lightness, inspire the distinctive roof of this Sonoma fire-site home>

Millions of years ago, the fiery volcanoes of Sonoma Valley spewed hot magma across the landscape. As the lava cooled, the eruption’s gases became trapped, forming porous cavities instead of crystallizing into dense stone. In 2017, fire transformed this landscape again, revealing the ancient igneous rocks still strewn across the burnt, yet strangely beautiful and resilient, landscape.

Work ^ In The Landscape
Noe Valley Home:
: An oversized sculptural stair unlocks potential in a constricted urban home>

The stadium-style staircase at the heart of this home on a tight urban site made clever use of the otherwise unusable space above the ceiling of a new ramp to the garage below. We then took inspiration from this slyly monumental move –in the middle of a narrow home– by allowing the stairwells at each level to take on their own character and shift location as they meander up and down the house. Our goal was for the staircases to unite the home and make it feel far larger than its actual square footage.

Work ^ In The Grid
Dovecote Details:
A personal space inspires bespoke details>

This highly personal and customized project by the architect-owner became a site for exploration and play. We followed every intuition about details that might contribute to the space, hoping to stay just this side of ‘too-much.’ What unites the disparate details of this addition is a sense of movement, craft, and nature.

Work ^ In The Studio
Christopher W. Baile, Architect:
Principal

Christopher, a licensed architect in the state of California, has been with S^A since 2015 after completing his Master of Architecture at the California College of the Arts, where he has since served as a guest instructor and juror for graduate architecture studios. His thesis work –Raum-Fiction– focused on architectural representation as a lingua franca between those in –and out of– the know. Christopher is originally from Indianapolis and holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Ball State University, where he was a fellow at the Institute for Digital Intermedia Arts and an employee of the Institute for Digital Fabrication.

Practice ^ Team
Thrilled to preview this new, environmentally friendly and energy-efficient home taking shape in Pacific Grove (Monterrey Bay) California. Formally inspired by the spatial qualities of diving in the nearby kelp forest, this project employs sustainable wood rain screen siding, wool insulation, passive-house certified windows/doors, and a top-of-the-line heat recovery ventilation system (among many other things) to achieve our clients’ footprint and energy goals. More soon! Architect - S^A | Schwartz and Architecture Contractor - @wayfinderdevelopment Structural: @framework.eng Energy - @lukemortongreenbuilding #modernhome #moderndesign #modernarchitecture #customhome #bayarea #bayareahomes #architecturedesign #modernhouses #architecturephotography #moodboard #photooftheday #design #designinspiration #view #design_only #architect #exterior #californiahomes #indooroutdoorliving #material #homedesign #homedesignideas #woodconstruction #underconstruction
Instagram^