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- ARGONAUT | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects
SAN FRANCISCO | Master List ARGONAUT SAN FRANCISCO When Argonaut, a SF based ad agency, decided to move their offices from the Avalon Ballroom (Nob Hill/Van Ness) to 140 New Montgomery, they were trading 30,000 SF of expansive, high ceilinged multi-floored space for 12,000 SF on a single floor in the coveted historic, Miller and Pflueger designed, Pacific Telephone and Telegraph building at 140 New Montgomery. After walking into the building’s restored-to-glory lobby, you arrive at the Argonaut office–immediately greeted with a 35-foot “fireplace”. An incredible part of this floor is the relationship it has to the historic facade; the main entrance’s 3-story leaded glass window crests on the floor fostering a necessity to engage with the original 1920’s architecture. The building’s history inspired our commitment to the history of the architecture, informing the detailing of the brick fireplace surround, lime paint finishes, antique mirrors, board and batten details, even in plan through symmetry, axis, and hierarchy. Given the hybird nature of the office (designed during the COVID pandemic), Argonaut experimented with design ideas that would encourage people to spend more time in the office; the Chief Creative Officer’s prompt was “to create the best hotel lobby that people love to work in”. The office is a place to host and entertain it’s staff and clients alike, with large meeting rooms fit for hybrid meetings, a variety of working surfaces –from laptop tables and lounge chairs, to library tables, the kitchen island with power at every stool, banquettes along the windows, and a computer lab with all the ergonomic bells and whistles. Rivaling the comforts of home and a few focused and intentional amenities, their office is buzzing with life and rebuilding their in-office culture with daily grind and after-hours events and parties. Each time we visit, we are energized by the hum of productivity and honored by their in-office presence in spite of their continued work-remote flexibility. Client Argonaut BBA Team Bonnie Bridges Samantha Buckley Vishnu Balunsat Size 12,000 SF Contractor Principal Builders Inc. Collaborators Furniture: MG West Lighting: Pritchard Peck Plants: Add Life Photography Emily Hagopian Studio BBA Back to Projects page Back to top
- SEBASTOPOL HOUSE | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects
WEST SONOMA COUNTY | Master List SEBASTOPOL HOUSE WEST SONOMA COUNTY After a five year search up and down the bay, the clients purchased this "shack with a view" on 2.7 acres in West Sonoma County. The 1,300 SF 1978 Sea Ranch inspired existing house had not been touched and the steeply sloping site was an open canvas with the exception of 8 majestic redwoods. Working through a 'forever house' program required multiple schematic design options (including a tear down) and eventually landed on remoding the house and adding a 750 SF pool house with all the adjacent amenities: infinity pool, sauna, teak hot tub, large outdoor entertainment space, bocce court, ping pong and a mediterranean inspired, fire resilient garden to tie it all together. Sustainable features include a net zero house powered by a 22 KW solar array with battery back up (the house is in a WUI zone and power grid shut down is common), radiant heating, mini split air conditioning in key spaces, reclaimed redwood decking and vertical grain doug fir (from northern CA), hybrid pool heater (choose between electric and gas heating options). The project is WUI compliant. The client LOVES basalt rip-rap - which was used extensively throughout the site for both decorative and functional uses: swales, retaining walls, sculptural features. We worked closely with Daniel Nolan to weave a drought tolerant, sophisticated plant palette into a 1 acre garden paradise around the house. We worked with Saturn Construction to establish a Japandi Norcali vibe in the pool house (limestone and oak plank floors, rice hull plaster walls and reclaimed vertical grain doug fir cabinets and ceilings and extended that vibe into the main house while keeping the vintage spatial volumes. The project is in the last phase of construction (completion scheduled for summer 2025) and will include a music room, home office, and a Glenn Murcutt-inspired carport. Client Confidential BBA Team Bonnie Bridges Samantha Buckley Stephanie Griffith Size 3,000 SF; 2.7 acre lot Contractor Saturn Construction Collaborators Furniture: Knoll Herman Miller Lighting Design: Pritchard Peck Structural: Semco Engineering Landscape Design: Daniel Nolan Design/Kalman Varga Design Photography Studio BBA Back to Projects page Back to top
- CHAPEL HILL COFFEE | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects
SAN FRANCISCO | Master List CHAPEL HILL COFFEE SAN FRANCISCO This tiny café is tucked in an alley between Chinatown and the Financial District. Inspired by our client’s love of all things Italian, we emulated the classic espresso bar experience—where folks take time out to relax with neighbors and friends. Finding ingenious ways to maximize the limited space and foster community was top priority. We designed a hydraulically operated pivot window to open the storefront, creating a covered sidewalk area that extends the café outside. From inside, a large, counter height wood table on casters rolls partially out the opening to serve guests on both sides. This project is magical to us as we were able to create it by collaborating with people that we love working with, who understood the budget limits and brought their creativity to the project. And the place just has that magical feel, where you can hang out with the owner and chat about life, bikes, art…and coffee, of course! Materials are a mix of new and reused: steel, ceramic tile and salvaged wood, with restored board-formed concrete walls and old-growth douglas fir floors. We re-wired huge vintage stadium light fixtures to hang above the serving counter, to contrast with the small scale of the space. Heating for the snug interior is provided by the espresso equipment. Client Chapel Hill Coffee BBA Team Bonnie Bridges Jason Campbell Size 460 SF Contractor Muddy Orange Fabrication Collaborators Fabricator: Kyle Minor Design Photography F. Jason Campbell Back to Projects page Back to top
- SHRADER | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects
SAN FRANCISCO | Master List SHRADER SAN FRANCISCO We designed this Cole Valley renovation for a young family of three as their ‘forever home’. Excited to revive the house and make it their own, and committed to the design and building process, the clients goals for us were to maximize the quality of the spaces and to keep costs to a minimum. A new, central, skylit stair connects the three floors, sending daylight streaming into every nook of the home’s large footprint throughout the day. We introduced a modern and subtly playful aesthetic to the interiors, with clean lines and focused material choices, as well as a strong visual and physical relationship from the interiors to the west-facing backyard—a coveted find in San Francisco. Client Confidential BBA Team Bonnie Bridges Sarah Fucinaro Size 3,500 SF Contractor Hughes McGinnis Builders Collaborators Interiors: Alycia Freeman, Fix Interiors Photography Nicholas V. Ruiz Back to Projects page Back to top
- EQUATOR MARKET STREET | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects
MARKET ST, SAN FRANCISCO | Master List EQUATOR MARKET STREET MARKET ST, SAN FRANCISCO Equator’s San Francisco debut—following two Marin cafés in Tam Valley and Mill Valley —is right next door to the historic Warfield Theater in the heart of the red hot Mid-Market rejuvenation. Guided by a neighborhood in transition and the urban elements of downtown’s ‘main drag,’ we kept the interior’s existing mottled concrete and added a new exterior-feeling brick wall. The café’s street cred is enhanced by a new, signature Mona Caron mural, whose work captures site-specific history and future, and a cat-walk-inspired, custom LED light fixture giving nod to neighboring theaters. The coffee roastery and retail displays are situated to take advantage of copious light from south-facing windows. A white stone and mahogany bar adds a touch of classy newness in contrast to the urban environs. And sunny sidewalk seating will soon be accompanied by a “Marklet ” with a rotating program of local art and events. Client Equator Coffees BBA Team Bonnie Bridges Sarah Fucinaro Size 730 SF Contractor All Phase Construction Collaborators Custom Fixture: Malder Lighting Mural: Mona Caron Photography Nicholas V. Ruiz Back to Projects page Back to top
- FLORA GRUBB GARDENS SF | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects
SAN FRANCISCO | Master List FLORA GRUBB GARDENS SF SAN FRANCISCO A garden mecca for design-savvy plant lovers, our design for Flora Grubb Gardens created over 12,000 sq. ft. of park-like nursery. To complement the outdoor garden displays, seating areas and “Potting Bench”—where customers create their own plant projects—the elegant galvanized-steel structure houses 6,000 sq. ft. of indoor commercial retail and a Ritual Roasters café. We supported the client from the inception of this project, helping her transition and grow her business into a destination retail experience from its more modest former iteration as a boutique neighborhood nursery in the Mission District. Sustainable design is integral to the architecture, including a PV solar array that provides 100% of the garden’s power and radiant heat and sends the extra back into San Francisco’s power grid. Other environmentally friendly materials and approaches include 25% fly ash concrete, re-purposed barn wood siding, maximal use of day-lighting, and display fixtures made from old chicken feeders. Through our longtime relationship with Flora Grubb, we continue to collaborate frequently with the Gardens’ landscape services on other Studio BBA projects. Client Flora Grubb Gardens BBA Team Bonnie Bridges Seth Boor Size 5,200 SF Contractor Bali Construction Matarozzi Pelsinger Collaborators MEP: MHC Engineers Photography Sharon Risedorph Marion Brenner Studio BBA Back to Projects page Back to top
- FLORA GRUBB GARDENS LA | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects
LOS ANGELES | Master List FLORA GRUBB GARDENS LA LOS ANGELES We had the opportunity to collaborate again with the dream team that is Flora Grubb Gardens on their new Marina Del Rey location. Their new location in Southern California is quickly becoming a gathering place for design-driven gardeners who are committed to the wiser use of resources. Studio BBA helped to create and iterate with Flora’s vision of another park-like nursery. We helped the Marina Del Rey location to embody Flora Grubb’s commitment to making lavishly beautiful landscapes that require minimal water and chemicals accessible to the public. It has been incredibly rewarding to watch the successes of Flora Grubb Gardens as they grow and we are grateful for our partnership, as they bring us along time and time again. Through our longtime relationship with Flora Grubb, we continue to collaborate frequently with the Gardens’ landscape services on other Studio BBA projects. Client Flora Grubb Gardens BBA Team Bonnie Bridges Vishnu Balunsat Size 1,765 SF Contractor Flora Grubb Team Collaborators Flora Grubb Team Photography Caitlin Atkinson Back to Projects page Back to top
- THUMBTACK UTAH | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects
UTAH | Master List THUMBTACK UTAH UTAH We continue to help Thumbtack grow with the design of their Customer Support team center—a longstanding relationship that began in 2012 with full services for their bustling SF HQ. For the Utah center, they selected space in a new, streamlined building and challenged us to come up with a rigorously efficient yet playful approach that would evolve their brand, culture and style in a site-specific an distinct way. Draper is at the edge of Salt Lake’s flat, orthogonal valley in the foothills of the impressive Wasatch mountains, which soar suddenly and majestically up from the basin. This dramatic landscape provided a muse for our design of their inspiring workplace, which we creatively interpreted in the office plan via an undulating core. Surrounding this core, the open office area offers a clear logic between social and introverted functions, and curates sightlines to the beautiful setting. The interiors feature an energetic color scheme and residential-inspired furnishings. Client Thumbtack BBA Team Bonnie Bridges Sarah Fucinaro Anand Sheth Size 45,000 SF Contractor Layton Construction Collaborators Architect of Record: Method Studio Photography Nicholas Swan Back to Projects page Back to top
- THUMBTACK HQ | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects
SOMA, SAN FRANCISCO | Master List THUMBTACK HQ SOMA, SAN FRANCISCO Thumbtack was committed to staying in its ‘hood of origin—South of Market (SOMA)—as it grows and goes global, and entrusted Studio BBA to advise them on their move from the get-go. We assisted with site evaluation/selection, helping them find a just-renovated, warm shell building that fit their start-up budget and desired industrial aesthetic. We then transitioned into providing full tenant improvement services for both architecture and interiors, custom furniture design and production management, and ongoing interior and graphic design services. The term “office” doesn’t suit the Thumbtack culture – their product is a welcoming interface, their HQ feels like a studio, and the people who work there are like family. To match this tone Studio BBA took a ‘residential-ized’ design approach to the space, and striking a balance between individual and ‘family’ needs. Their friendly atmosphere is made evident from the ground floor with fully visible public spaces: greet, meet and play areas, the lunchroom, bar and phone booths, and a commercial kitchen well-equipped for producing the lovingly prepared meals shared by staff daily. A bike parking ‘lounge’ is nested in the stairwell for security. Open space planning on the 2nd 3rd and 4th floor work areas provides individual desks as well as designated spaces for collaboration including informal meeting rooms with sliding glass doors, and small code caves set-up for side-by-side work. The multiple ‘living rooms’ and lounge spaces throughout each have their own character and color story. Furnishings are a mix of local, retail and contract furniture, designed and chosen for pragmatics and comfort. Studio BBA designs include the reception desk, and the “wide-hex” meeting tables that merge the communal nature of a circular table with the ergonomic efficiency of straight edges. Client Thumbtack BBA Team Bonnie Bridges David Ornvold Anand Sheth Size 23,200 SF Contractor Matarozzi Pelsinger Builders Collaborators Architect of Record: Costa-Brown Architecture Reception Desk Fabricator: Chris French Conference Table Fabricator: MASH Studios Photography Bruce Damonte Back to Projects page Back to top










