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.

The Lichen House:
Draping veils of lace lichen enfold a site’s massive oaks and inspire a home>

Sometimes the distinctive feel of a site forces us to look more closely to fully understand its sway. Here, at the top of a Sonoma ridge, we found a knoll of massive oaks draped in Ramalina lace lichen, also known as Spanish Moss. Beautiful, but also inspiring to us as architects because of the deeply dappled outdoor ‘rooms’ the veils of lichen create.

Work ^ In The Landscape
Onomatopoeic Space: I Make My Own Name:
A poetic device becomes an architectural one>

Some words take shape directly from the expressiveness of the sounds they name –WHAM! POW! SPLAT! Poets often use these onomatopoeic words to engage us with the images they hope to create in our mind’s eye. This idea –that the construction of a word could be intimately tied to the image it evokes– made us wonder if there might be a corollary in architecture. In other words, a kind of space directly formed by the artistic impulses it houses –a space in which art, artist, community, and environment are as expressive as the words BAM! BANG! BOOM! –an Onomatopoeic Space.

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
“This innovative design incorporates nesting boxes for mourning doves into a small addition, uniting environmental response, poetic formgiving, and spatial drama.” We are honored to be a recipient of AIA California’s 2024 Merit Award for Residential Design, and for the jury’s thoughtful comments. See link in bio to our website to learn more about how the pandemic, the passing of loved ones, and the realization that this house would become a forever home, all inspired the atmosphere and details of this chapel-like dovecote/studio addition –that, and the comfort of hearing soft, drawn-out coos of Mourning Doves sounding like laments just outside. @aiacalif Architect - S^A | Schwartz and Architecture Contractor - @cutrightconstructioninc Photography - @douglassterlingphoto Lighting - @pritchardpeck Landscape - totem_landscape_services #modernhome #moderndesign #modernarchitecture #customhome #bayarea #bayareahomes #architecturedesign #modernhouses #architecturephotography #moodboard #photooftheday #design #designinspiration #view #design_only #architect #exterior #californiahomes #indooroutdoorliving #material #homedesign #homedesignideas
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