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.

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
Twist and Turn Screen:
Leaning into a material’s latent desire to twist and turn yields unexpected beauty>

We love it when a client asks, “Have you done this before?” and then trusts us to keep going when we say, “Never!” After fretting over how to keep this wood screen ‘perfect,’ we finally leaned into the potential beauty of the imperfect. Instead of fighting nature’s latent desires, we gave into the screen’s impulse to crook, cup, bow, and twist.

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
Happy Holidays from the S^A Team! we are so grateful for our wonderful clients, knowledgeable collaborators and everyone in our community who supports, follows and cheers us on here- we couldn’t do it without you! #customhomes #designmind #bayareaarchitecture #midcenturydesign #team
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