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  • PRESS | Studio BBA Architects

    PRESS Publications over the years that we are honored to be showcased in. Archdaily "'We Design for Human Connection': Studio BBA on Building Resilience and Culture During Crisis" Architectural Digest "Mamahuhu Brings an Elevated, Simple Design to Fast-Casual Dining" Dwell "Fawning Over Flora" Gazetteer "It’s Studio BBA’s city, we just live in it" Interior Design "Studio BBA x Checkr Humanize the Office" "The Manufactory in LA by Studio BBA is a Multifaceted Dining Hybrid" "10 Questions with Bonnie Bridges" KQED "First Taste: Tartine Bakery brings its classic offering to the Inner Sunset" LA Eater "Tartine Partners With Chris Bianco on Massive New Projects in Downtown LA" Metropolis "A Fresh Take on Chinese-American Cuisine in San Francisco" "Reno’s Only Boutique Hotel Blends High Design with Local History" SF Chronicle "SF’s newest office tower has its first tenant, but the remote work company doesn’t want to call it an ‘office’" "Tartine is expanding with a new Bay Area bakery" "A luxurious new wine bar hopes to revive a neglected corner of downtown SF" SF Eater "SF’s First Premium Matcha Cafe Opens in May" "Stonemill Matcha Arrives with Stunning Pastries and So Much Matcha" The Spaces "San Francisco’s Mamahuhu serves up Chinese American cuisine with a retro twist" Wallpaper "Mamahuhu — San Francisco, USA" 5280 "Meet the Women Taking Over Denver Design Week" 7x7 "California cult-favorite amaro producers expand their bitter empire with SF's new Bar Brucato"

  • PAJARO DUNES HOUSE | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects

    WATSONVILLE | Master List PAJARO DUNES HOUSE WATSONVILLE We’ve worked closely with this client over a number of years to create and implement a thoughtful, site-specific design vision for rejuvenating this coastal vacation property, where their extended family congregates. Built right on the sand, this 3-story mid-century house was originally designed by Walter Thomas Brooks—with a futurist upside-down pyramid conceived of as a spaceship landing in the dunes. Its unconventional form, simple materials and proximity to the ocean left the structure a victim of erosion, corrosion and water drainage issues. We began with a big picture, phased master plan to address the conservation and preservation issues in tandem with renovations, and a design strategy that always considers the Brooks’ iconic detailing, the era and the beach atmosphere (both physically and conceptually). Durability is also an integral criteria—to weather the elements, as well as active family use and large gatherings. The new material palette references the surrounding landscape with a base of earthy tones and pops of vibrant colors—in lava stone, mahogany, bronze, copper, integral color plaster. We introduced a custom brown-gray color on the exterior to offset the bright beach environment and new landscaping; identified by observing the variety of hues and surfaces on site throughout the year. Inside we developed the design room by room—embracing the charm and history of existing elements, and using the perspective of time to ensure the right blend of lasting solutions. Kitchen cabinet doors were rebuilt in place using a custom distressed stainless steel panel, mahogany rails and new hardware. The custom blackened steel, LED fixture was designed to relate to the ceiling’s existing beam pattern. The interiors scope included custom window treatments, pillows, linens, rug and upholstery. On the lower level we renovated the bathroom with a door to the outside, where the sunken patio with new outdoor shower greets the family’s return from the beach; discreetly screened by a custom mahogany gate with louvers. Continual hand-troweled wall plaster runs from the outside in, enhancing the connection. A wall garden of stainless steel and felt is soon to be installed—made in BBA’s Cedar Alley workshop—as well as new planter boxes we designed to reference an original, unbuilt design by Brooks. Client Confidential BBA Team Bonnie Bridges Seth Boor Size 2,500 SF Contractor Steve Munson Hagen Colbert, Inc. Collaborators Interiors GC: Nick Sandman Construction Photography Studio BBA Back to Projects page Back to top

  • SIGHTGLASS SFMOMA | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects

    DOWNTOWN, SAN FRANCISCO | Master List SIGHTGLASS SFMOMA DOWNTOWN, SAN FRANCISCO Our longstanding relationship with Sightglass Coffee continues at SFMOMA, with a café that intervenes where the gestural, formal Snøhetta expansion meets the pure, symmetrical, geometric volumes of the Botta interior. It was an immense pleasure to design at the intersection of this larger aesthetic conversation. We took the opportunity to create an original, site-specific solution for this Sightglass, deviating from the local architectural brand we developed for their first two locations. By playfully twisting the café’s main façade—using curvaceous custom concrete panels around a strict symmetry—the design fills our given niche while mingling with the surrounding museum interior. The curved façade also fulfills a demand for highly efficient service areas, in response to the café’s small footprint and high-volume location. A palette of concrete, natural maple, blackened steel and soft museum white reflects the refined modernity of the transformed museum, and features custom designed and fabricated elements including the bar and light fixtures. Client Sightglass Coffee BBA Team Seth Boor Bonnie Bridges Anand Sheth Size 390 SF Contractor Architect of Record: EHDD Associate Architect: Snøhetta Collaborators Fabricator: Concreteworks Millwork: Acosta & Sons Inc Photography F. Jason Campbell Back to Projects page Back to top

  • LITTLE GEM ON UNION | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects

    UNION ST, SAN FRANCISCO | Master List LITTLE GEM ON UNION UNION ST, SAN FRANCISCO Building on the success of their flagship on Grove Street, Little Gem came back to Studio BBA to design their second location on Union Street. Unlike a formulaic roll out, we guided the owners and chefs through a new process that allows for authentic character in Cow Hollow to emerge while staying true to the core design values we developed in Hayes Valley. The design goal was to transform the former burger restaurant from a dark cave to a light-filled, comfortable places that reflects Little Gem’s core values: natural, reliable, comfortable, with a focus on quality ingredients. Immediately we began to carve out opportunities for light and life to flood into the space; riffing off the iconic green plaster “volume” in Hayes Valley, we located an anchoring full-height tile wall, washed with daylight, between the main bar and the rear dining room. This separation allows for intimidate dining in a fast-casual setting, and artfully obscures a required structural element in the building. This powerful gesture inferred the spatial program: an efficient kitchen with a variety of welcoming dining experiences. The front dining room is bustling and active, with custom furniture and a wall sculpture made by the chef himself! The bar is refined, offering an elegant moment to engage with a bartender across marble and doug fir. The rear dining room is reserved for conversations, bookended by light-washed tile, a custom banquette with the perfect lumbar cushion in leather. The collaborative process is featured through custom art and steel plant shelves. It’s a gem of a restaurant, focusing on the pleasures of dining and the use of quality, local materials – a direct reflection of Little Gem’s ethos. Client Little Gem BBA Team Bonnie Bridges Megan McGuinn Size 3,000 SF Contractor Upcycle Builders Collaborators MEP: MHC Engineers KEC: Trimark / Design West Partnership Photography Eric Rorer Photography Back to Projects page Back to top

  • EQUATOR FORT MASON | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects

    FORT MASON, SAN FRANCISCO | Master List EQUATOR FORT MASON FORT MASON, SAN FRANCISCO Our sixth cafe with Equator Coffee & Teas, this historic San Francisco waterfront location occupies the original Fort Mason Gatehouse—rejuvenating the building to resume its role in welcoming visitors to the complex. Studio BBA worked hand in hand with the Client, Fort Mason Center, and the National Park Service to develop a lovely space for people to enjoy while respecting the site’s significance. Being part of the larger Fort Mason cultural community, it was important to conceive this new café in relationship to the whole campus, its master plan and goals for the future. We love to celebrate beauty in utility, and we generally opt for reason over flourish—striving for all elements to serve a purpose while being aesthetically pleasing. These principles were top of mind when designing this new café—further inspired by Fort Mason’s utilitarian nature. Formerly known as the “San Francisco Port of Embarkation”, for more than 100 years the complex was a U.S. army post, coastal defense site and military port facility. Design concepts for a plaza surrounding the café are in the Fort Mason Center’s pipeline! Client Equator Coffees BBA Team Bonnie Bridges Sarah Fucinaro Size 675 SF Contractor ACI Construction Collaborators MEP: MHC Engineers Photography Eric Rorer Back to Projects page Back to top

  • FOUR BARREL PORTOLA | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects

    SAN FRANCISCO | Master List FOUR BARREL PORTOLA SAN FRANCISCO This Portola district café is Fourbarrel ’s best kept secret, opening onto a new city pocket park that was developed by popular demand of the neighborhood (of which our very own Bonnie Bridges is a member), in conjunction with a San Francisco initiative. The park and café activate a forgotten nook where dead-end street meets elevated highway, enlivening and expanding the community streetscape. Much of our inspiration for this rough-cut gem came from its context and how to best leverage its many particularities, as is often the case in our work. In homage to the Portola’s history as a commercial rose-growing area, a glass awning and planted trellis greet your approach. A former garage, we worked with the existing concrete shell to leverage its simple structural order, with patrons entering through the large overhead garage door to find a series of custom café carts inside the building. The main feature of the space is the wood treatment on the ceiling. The whole team collaborated on what to do with loads of old cupped redwood planks, finally arriving on the approach of laying out the end grain pieces in concentric circles to resemble a cross-section of the growth rings of a tree. A custom sliding glass and steel wall does double duty by hiding the massive electrical panel behind and providing retail shelving in front. Client Four Barrel Coffee BBA Team Seth Boor Bonnie Bridges Size 725 SF Contractor Roman Hunt Collaborators Photography Studio BBA Back to Projects page Back to top

  • SIGHTGLASS DIVISADERO | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects

    DIVISADERO, SAN FRANCISCO | Master List SIGHTGLASS DIVISADERO DIVISADERO, SAN FRANCISCO Each Sightglass we’ve designed over the years has had its own inherent character and opportunities, on top of which we layer the radiant, warm, tactile brick-and-mortar brand we developed for them. And this 100+ year old Edwardian was no exception. A chic storefront now welcomes coffee-lovers—the result of a lengthy change-of-use permit process and structural upgrade. Reminiscent of a 1950s eatery, we lovingly restored the divided-light clerestory windows, commissioned steel doors with related glazing details, and added a walk-up service window. Inside the café everything is new, and highly customized, as is the case with all our Sightglass cafés. Tailormade chandeliers and fixtures, fittings, joinery, furniture and barista equipment contribute to a fine tuned, attentively detailed environment. Material and finish choices blend inspiration from various eras to create a sophisticated aesthetic—the ‘old world’ hand-chopped mosaic tile floor, mid-century tapered wood detailing, neoclassical plaster and grey Fume limestone, and turn-of the century utilitarian metal components. The cypress used throughout the interior is single-source; literally from one tree. Continuing our banquette concept from Sightglass 20th , this one was designed with bays and channel tufted leather backs—and with the comfort for various size groups and wheelchair accessibility in mind. A full-height merchandise shelf with pastry case and iced bottled beverage display distinguish the coffee bar. For the bathroom wall tile we designed a ‘wallpaper & wainscot’ pattern, and replicated this decorative motif in custom accessories and mechanisms. Modern systems such as radiant floor heating, LED lighting and a hidden ADA lift are seamlessly integrated. Client Sightglass Coffee BBA Team Seth Boor Bonnie Bridges Anand Sheth Size 1,750 SF Contractor SmithBuilt Collaborators Structural: Simpson Gumpertz & Heger MEP: MHC Engineers Photography Bruce Damonte Back to Projects page Back to top

  • MAMAHUHU NOE VALLEY | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects

    NOE VALLEY, SAN FRANCISCO | Master List MAMAHUHU NOE VALLEY NOE VALLEY, SAN FRANCISCO The Noe Valley location of Mamahuhu is the third to open. This location captures the refined evolution of the Mamahuhu brand and how it attracts their target clientele. This location was early in construction while the second in Mill Valley was celebrating their opening, allowing Studio BBA and the MMHH team to rapidly make final adjustments to get the perfect case study of their brand. Noe Valley shows off their strong graphic and spatial palette, which will be easily implemented into future locations. Even the booth design became a brand element, repeating itself within and across locations. Formerly a soda fountain and coffee shop with a distinct U-shaped bar, Mamahuhu Noe Valley pays homage to its predecessor by creating a new u-shaped counter. The space is filled with quirky and silly elements a tongue-in-cheese response to the meaning of Mamahuhu, a 4-word Chinese idiom “horse horse tiger tiger” that can be translated to “so-so” or even “careless”. The quirky and fun nature of the design is balanced with precision in architectural detailing and construction to quality ingredients and food preparation, but most outstandingly in the function of the restaurant. Staffing efficiencies were maximized, considering down to how many steps from A to B, and careful consideration of ordering, queue, to-go, and the dine-in guest. Working closely with the Mamahuhu team over the course of multiple years and projects created a fiercely trusting team. Together, we took risks and experimented – we started with too luxe at Clement, overcorrected in Mill Valley, and settled in at the brand’s self-declared sweet spot in Noe Valley. Each successes in their own, the breadth of the 3 restaurants creates a spatial palette that can be reproduced for potential expansion in companion with the design guidelines. Client Mamahuhu BBA Team Bonnie Bridges Megan McGuinn Vishnu Balunsat Size 1,220 SF Contractor Cookline Collaborators MEP Engineering: Acies Art: Casey Gray Brand Styling: Whisk Photography Kristen Loken Back to Projects page Back to top

  • CLEVER HQ | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects

    SAN FRANCISCO | Master List CLEVER HQ SAN FRANCISCO Occupying a 1924 poured-in-place concrete building, Clever’s new offices span nearly 27,000 sq. ft. across 4 floors and a roof deck. Studio BBA was hired for a full range of interior architecture and design services to convert this former mannequin factory into a tech company headquarters. We made two main architectural moves: “the Clever wall’ and a new stair. The Clever wall is a 160-foot long, maple plywood cabinetry array that extends the length of the building, incorporating the reception desk, a standing-height meeting table, seating nooks, storage, display and freestanding furnishings. The new stair sits inside a chevron-shaped opening, featuring walnut perches at each floor to encourage ad hoc staff interaction and offer a casual, standing-height workspace alternative. Clever builds software for schools, which fueled a robust play on iconic scholastic environments as we selected and curated the furnishings, art and accessories. Working closely with our client, we themed over thirty meeting rooms, phone booths and lounges—from chemistry lab, to student union to Principal’s office—enriching the design with molecule-inspired light fixtures and carpet, and custom installations using vintage and new school supplies. Client Clever BBA Team Bonnie Bridges Anand Sheth Size 27,000 SF Contractor CCI Collaborators Architect of Record: Costa-Brown Architecture Carpentry: Treasure Island Woodworks Photography F. Jason Campbell Back to Projects page Back to top

  • EQUATOR LARKSPUR | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects

    LARKSPUR | Master List EQUATOR LARKSPUR LARKSPUR This Equator location is simple in intent—we designed a café that characterizes the balance of laid back and active lifestyles in Larkspur’s community. Modeled after a functional bike shop, the interior features industrial fixtures, practical storage shelves and a pegboard wall to hold tools of the trade. The café sits amidst Magnolia Avenue’s recently upgraded plazas, and is a major draw that has contributed to the area’s resurgence of activity. Magnolia is a charming and historic retail environment—walkable to downtown and accessible to the myriad outdoor activities for which the North Bay is known, including Marin County’s expansive web of bike trails. A huge, custom-made wood map of Marin—10’ high by 20’ long—includes topography and bike paths to help customers orient themselves and discover new adventure routes. Client Equator Coffees BBA Team Bonnie Bridges Sarah Fucinaro Size 625 SF Contractor ACI Collaborators MEP: MHC Engineers Structural: Barringer Design Topo Sign: R.B. Morris III Photography Nicholas V. Ruiz Back to Projects page Back to top

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Studio BBA acknowledges the Ramaytush Ohlone people as the traditional custodians of the land where we work and reside. We pay our respects to their Elders and all Ramaytush Ohlone people past, present and future.​

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Studio BBA   921 Larkin Street  

San Francisco CA

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