Design is the journey.
Home is the destination.
Each project is a journey, and my role is to guide you through it—to help you make confident choices, feel comfortable with your investment, and get genuinely excited about building something great.
Designing and building a home is a major undertaking in terms of time, cost, and complexity—especially here in the San Francisco Bay Area, where construction costs, materials, and labor are at an all-time high. Building codes and planning regulations continue to evolve, and navigating them can be challenging. Yet, these changes also bring exciting new opportunities for homeowners.
I take a different path. The design process should feel clear, guided, and enjoyable.
Your Emotional Journey Through a Project
A translation of the AIA Phases of Architecture*
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[1] Bordem 🥱
Let's start with the truth: we're going to laser-scan your house in excruciating detail. While you're dreaming about your new kitchen, we're measuring that weird half-wall nobody understands with lasers. Lots of lasers. And lidar. And tape measures as backup because we trust nothing. It's tedious, but architecture built on assumptions is just expensive guesswork.
*1.0 - Pre-Design: necessary, not exciting.
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[2] Excitement 😁
This is when it gets fun! Ideas are the most important part of this phase—lots of them. We brainstorm, iterate, and explore as many different layouts, visions, concepts, and techniques for your perfect house. We're thinking big, broad strokes here. By the end, we'll carefully select the ideal design direction together.
*2.0 - Schematic Design: where dreams start taking shape.
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[3] Intrigue 🤔
Wait, what? It's gonna cost how much?! Don't panic, though. I already know your initial budget, and this is just an estimate. During this phase, we refine and hone in on your primary goals, then present the project to a few key players: the contractors. By the end, we'll weigh costs against desires and find the right balance.
*3.0 - Design Development: a reality check with a side of creativity.
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[4] Anticipation 🫤
This is where I get unreasonably excited about flashing details. Every line, note, and specification tells the builder exactly how to make your house beautiful and built to last. It's less glamorous than Schematic Design, but honestly? This is where good architecture actually happens. Are we done yet?
*4.0 - Construction Documents: detail obsession is a feature, not a bug.
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[5] Impatience 🤨
Permits: the black hole where time stands still. Plan reviewers are checking every single detail—stair heights, energy codes, whether that cool modern thing you want violates a rule from 1987. Every city is different. Every reviewer has opinions. We're shepherding it through, and while we wait... let's go shopping!
*5.0 - Permit Processing: controlled chaos we can't control.
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[6] Warm & Fuzzy 😊
Hand-oiled walnut floors that feel like butter. Stone slabs with dramatic colors and texture. Pendant lights you're scrolling at midnight. Italian tiles that cost more than your first car. Your house stops being lines on paper and becomes real. This is why we do what we do.
*6.0 - Interior Design: proof that materialism can be deeply meaningful.
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[7] Dread 😩 → Exhaustion 😰
Life is chaos. You're living in a rental. It's been three months since demo day. The contractor needs decisions you don't understand. Grout colors by Thursday. Did anyone order bathroom hardware? Decision fatigue is real. That voice saying "what have we done?" is very real. But this is temporary. Self-care is survival right now. You're at mile 20 of the marathon, and you're going to make it.
*7.0 Construction Administration: it gets worse before it gets SO much better.
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[8] Absolute Bliss 😎
One year later. You've experienced every season in your home. Morning light in winter and summer. Holidays. Your kids art on the walls. The perfect toothbrush holder (only took eight months). The house isn't new anymore—it's yours. The moment you walk through the door, you feel it: you're home. And suddenly, all of it was worth it.
*8.0 Occupancy: where you remember why you started.
My design process follows the standard AIA architectural phases, but I’ve tailored them to be more approachable and understandable for homeowners who may be new to architecture. During our initial meetings, I take the time to get to know you and to map out your project’s journey. Along the way, you’ll have opportunities to explore options, make creative choices, and participate in a process that feels engaging—never overwhelming.
