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.

Paradox House:
Paradox House

The clients for this new 4,500 SF home in Sonoma, California’s wine country are a wonderful paradox as a couple: one raised in Iran and the other in South Africa; one fiery, one cooler; one drawn to order, the other to serendipity; one operating in shades of grey, the other in bold colors.

Out of these fascinating character dialectics came opposed intuitions for the siting and design of the home: one wanted a multistory structure high above the ground to capture distant mountain views, the other gravitated towards a single-story firmly grounded in the landscape. One’s priority was a formal lawn and a pool to plunge into from their bedrooms, while the other’s was meandering paths through smaller gardens and outdoor spaces.

Work ^ In The Landscape
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?

Work ^ In The Grid
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.

 

Work ^ In The Studio
Neal J. Z. Schwartz, FAIA:
Founder + Principal

Neal completed Master of Architecture and Master of Public Policy dual degrees at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and Kennedy School of Government. He graduated with Distinction in Architecture, received the Thayer Award for Meritorious Scholarship, the Sheldon Traveling Fellowship, as well as national awards from the Urban Land Institute and American Planning Association. His capstone work included a critical look at the design of juvenile detention facilities –“Points are Earned; You Start the Day at Zero”– and a policy manual for a non-profit advocating for affordable housing for people with disabilities in Massachusetts. This unique combination of design and policy is the foundation of Neal’s practice –a commitment to creative excellence combined with a devotion to rigorous management of the entire process through construction.

Practice ^ Team
Introducing “The Paradox House” featured in the latest edition of Residential Design Magazine! We are thrilled to announce our newest project, located in Sonoma CA, The Paradox House attempts to find fodder in the creative power of paradoxical thinking. Check out our website to learn more. Architecture - @schwartzandarchitecture Contractor - @dkg_construction Landscape - @arterralandscapearchitects Pool - @oxbowpoolandlandscape Cabinetry - @millwork_mgmt #paradox #customhomes #modernhome #architecture #winecountry
Instagram^