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
Wyatt A. Arnold, Architect:
Principal

With over 20 years of experience, 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.

Practice ^ Team
Team Highlight: Christopher and more importantly, Buffy! (Our newest office puppy!) 🐶 Christopher is a Partner here at S^A, bringing sharp design instincts, creativity, and plenty of jokes to the office. As lead of our marketing team, he had a talent for graphic design and thinking outside of the box. Outside of the office, you can find Christopher and Buffy hiking the Marin hills or heading out on camping adventures together. Thanks for everything you do, Christopher (and Buffy)!
Instagram^