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  • 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

  • BERNAL HEIGHTS HOUSE | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects

    SAN FRANCISCO | Master List BERNAL HEIGHTS HOUSE SAN FRANCISCO Form and function exist hand-in-hand in this joy-filled modern home. An intricately detailed dwelling for a tight-knit family of four, the Bernal Heights House boasts inspired finishes, strategic placemaking and conceptually rich accents throughout. An homage to the dad’s family home in Australia, designed by his architect-father, Studio BBA conceived of a “rescue house.” “Memories of the outside world will never have the same tonality as those of home and, by recalling these memories, we add to our store of dreams; we are never real historians , but always near poets , and our emotion is perhaps nothing but an expression of a poetry that was lost.” -Gaston Bachelard, The Poetics of Space An all-too-true San Francisco story applies here; after searching for years for a new home, the family finally settled on one in terrible shape and with few resources left for a renovation. Through a strategic design exercise, Studio BBA assisted the family in a new design approach, circumventing the Planning Department by staying within the building’s envelope and expanding down. Coupled with the necessary foundation upgrade, the new lower level added minimal work for maximum opportunities. The program is split between three floors: a lower floor for parents, a middle floor for the family, and an attic floor for the kids. The levels are tied together and enveloped in wood: a douglas fir slatted ceiling above and a white oak hardwood floor below. The wood detailing visually extends as an outdoor canopy, integrating the outdoor bathing and lounging space adjacent to the master suite. Studio BBA took advantage of every nook to achieve function and beauty. The Welcome Niche at the top of the stairs provides a place for everyday objects, serving platters, and family games. Open wood shelves display Australian heirlooms and family artworks. Efficiently planned kitchens and baths host colorful tile and new daylight via two added skylights and large sliding doors. Added space even allowed for an upright piano in the dining room. Like all BBA projects, sustainability is inherent to the design and integrated into every design detail; this house is solar powered and offers radiant heating on two floors, leaving the attic uncontrolled because the building envelope is tightened and heat naturally rises. Our design work continues with a new garden project and mural in the stairwell. Client Confidential BBA Team Bonnie Bridges Megan McGuinn Size 1,890 SF Contractor Elliot Build Remodel Collaborators Semco Engineering Photography Brian McCloud Photography Back to Projects page Back to top

  • FOUNDER'S INC. EXPANSION | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects

    San Francisco, CA | Master List FOUNDER'S INC. EXPANSION San Francisco, CA When our repeat client Founders, Inc. (F.inc) needed to expand their Fort Mason campus, they came back to us with a familiar challenge: create a space that serves the full spectrum of a founder's day. F.inc backs the next generation of entrepreneurs building in AI/ML, hardware, AR/VR, Web3, and emerging tech—and their growing community needed a space that could flex from daily communal lunches to hackathons, lectures, and focused heads-down work. The expansion begins with an immersive entry hall washed in deep teal—a deliberate threshold that signals you're stepping into something different. The intrigue of the darkness draws you in before the space opens up to the vaulted ceilings and delicate historic touches mirrored in their original space. You move into a tone-on-tone color-drenched coffee bar with custom millwork counters, cypress island, and blue-stained cabinets—the social engine of the campus. This is where founders refill their espresso, linger, and find the kind of pause that leads to conversation, collaboration, and ideation. For large lectures and events, this space flexes into a host station and check-in, acting as a final threshold before entering the multi-purpose great room beyond. The multi-purpose room opens bright and expansive, complemented by the dramatic vaulted ceilings and Golden Gate Bridge views—a flexible canvas built for collective learning and the energy of community. Redundant stage lighting is provided for 3 different stage locations on overhead tracks allows the space to shift from everyday work mode to full presentation setup. A large storage room allows the team to swap furniture seamlessly, transforming the space from lunch hall to lecture seating to a hackathon setup. Strategic furniture placement creates distinct zones within the open floor plan: lounge areas offer places to sit with a friend, share work on a laptop, or step back and let an idea breathe. A custom wall-mounted desk runs continuously along the west wall, supporting focused work with those sweeping Bay views. Unistrut is hung as an armature for drapes, backdrops, and screens to subdivide the space when needed, providing acoustic privacy without compromising the airy feel. This room is designed for the kind of human connection that pushes ideas further. The break room gives founders a place to grab lunch or a snack without breaking flow, but also flexes into a catering kitchen behind closed doors for passed appetizers to intimate dinners. A private office provides a quieter setting for focused work or meetings that need a door. The green room—connected to the great room through a large repurposed glass storefront window and door from F.inc's adjacent space—serves as a retreat for guest speakers before they step on stage. The Green Room is also fitted out with acoustic treatment so it can also be a backdrop for podcast recordings with the energy of the great room visible just beyond the glass. Working inside the National Historic Landmark of Fort Mason again, we used the same delicate touch with design insertions to respect the historic building. Just as in Phase 1, we worked closely with F.inc to establish a program that anticipates the incubator's needs while future-proofing the space—ensuring it feels great for 2 or 100+ people. Studio BBA has deep experience designing workplaces for AI startups and emerging tech companies, where flexibility, collaboration, and momentum are non-negotiable. This expansion brings all of those priorities together in a space that supports founders at every stage—from early prototyping to scaling, from individual focus to community celebration, continuing the mission we began in their original Fort Mason campus. Client Founder's Inc. BBA Team Bonnie Bridges Samantha Buckley Elle Edeker Size 5,200 SF Contractor CCI General Contractor Collaborators Soo Emens - POD Office Photography Suzanna Scott Back to Projects page Back to top

  • DROPBOX HQ | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects

    SAN FRANCISCO | Master List DROPBOX HQ SAN FRANCISCO Our design for this young company’s new 70,000 sq. ft. China Basin headquarters provides flexibility for their fast-growing business, while introducing innovative approaches to urban workplace density. If cubicles are the suburbs then our approach to Dropbox HQ is downtown, with their core product as the design inspiration. The company’s new workspace a simple, well-executed container that maximizes functionality and allows for customization without compromising honest aesthetics. Our design reiterates our belief that all spaces – particularly the all-too-often neglected office – deserve real materials and attentive, appropriately-scaled interventions. The primary challenge of this design was to continue the charged and collaborative newsroom feel of the company’s former open office space, while planning for projected growth that could more than quadruple staff. Wrapping the existing building core, a nearly 1,600 ft. continuous circulation loop provides daylight and views to the entire office. The open space plan is organized to be approachable but intensively active and vibrant. Team groupings of open workstations and centralized social spaces line the glazed perimeter, interspersed with shared work rooms, interview and meeting spaces, and informal lounges. The scale and placement of the work groups provides team unity and isolated acoustics, while still maintaining views to neighboring groups to achieve the company’s desire that everyone maintain a connection to overall density. Specific auxiliary spaces include: phone, break, game, music, server, gym, kitchen, and dining. Client Dropbox BBA Team Bonnie Bridges Seth Boor Sarah Fucinaro Size 70,000 SF Contractor Skyline Construction Collaborators Interiors: Geremia Design Photography Bruce Damonte Studio BBA 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

  • BRUCATO AMARO | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects

    SAN FRANCISCO | Master List BRUCATO AMARO SAN FRANCISCO On a busy street in SF, Brucato Amaro Distillery and Restaurant was inspired by the vibrant history and diverse agriculture of California and the Italian heritage of amaro. The restaurant, bar and distillery are made of many moments including a rootbeer colored tiled plinth in the dining room. The tasting room exudes a Nor-Cali Italian vibe through hues of greens, chartreuse, rootbeer and pinky oranges (check out the woo in the loo!) that complement the bounty and creativity of California ingredients. “In today's world [so] many experiences take place virtually. It is increasingly difficult to find what is true and honest. [With Bar Brucato], we wanted to have a real place where guests can physically see, touch, smell, and taste what we are making.” - Sierra Clark, Co-Founder One of our mantras at Studio BBA is that the Back of the House is as important as the Front of the House. This is exemplified in this SF Distillery, Tasting Room and Bar/Restaurant. The restaurant entry and shipping/receiving are side by side, such that guests are immersed in the hubbub a working distillery - not just a pretty place to eat and drink. On sunny weekends, the loading yard is converted into outdoor seating so guests can see the stills from their table. We worked closely with the Clients to bring this tricky project to fruition. The hospitality program includes Distillery Tours, Family Style dining at the Tasting Table, Private Dining and Distilling classes in the Lab and the Main Dining room and Bar. Press: 7x7 , Chronicle , Infatuation , Eater Client Brucato Amaro BBA Team Bonnie Bridges Samantha Buckley Size 6,930 SF Contractor CCI Collaborators MEP: ACIES Lighting Design: Banks Landl Project Management: Canopy Photography Studio BBA Molly DeCoudreaux David Dines Back to Projects page Back to top

  • THIRD CULTURE BAKERY | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects

    BERKELEY | Master List THIRD CULTURE BAKERY BERKELEY Third Culture Bakery's flagship Berkeley location occupies a double-height industrial building, with a dramatic pitched roof and generous skylights that fill the interior with light. As the bakery has grown into a beloved Bay Area institution, Studio BBA was brought in to reimagine the interior — deepening the warmth and welcome of the space while keeping the bold, joyful identity that has always been distinctly Third Culture. The design layers coziness into the space — warm wood wall paneling that connects the interior to the exterior facade, a custom front counter with integrated retail shelving, and a bespoke pastry case that puts the baked goods center stage. The heart of the new design is a dedicated matcha counter with bar seating — an intimate perch where guests can watch baristas craft Third Culture's inventive matcha drinks with the same care that goes into every mochi muffin. It's a small theater of making, and an invitation to stay. Client Third Culture Bakery BBA Team Bonnie Bridges Samantha Buckley Claire Adams Size Contractor The Meticulous Handyman Collaborators Photography Back to Projects page Back to top

  • GALVANIZE CAFÉ | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects

    SAN FRANCISCO | Master List GALVANIZE CAFÉ SAN FRANCISCO A welcoming, sophisticated hub of connection, the Galvanize café/bar and reception areas provide space for their members and strategic partners to intermingle with the public, for informal collaborations, community gatherings and chance meetings. Studio BBA designed the environment as a modern, refined presence in the midst of a well-kept warehouse shell, with white-washed white oak floors and counters, indigo-dyed solid oak panels and natural steel. The super-sized parallelogram bar acts as a frame for the lobby’s open space and engages with the casual seating areas, while maximizing customer flow and providing ample barista stations. To maintain a reference to the building’s past industrial use, we created a family of custom metal hardware components for the café table legs and bar supports. Other, more subtle, details also reference the pre-existing character, such as the bar’s countersunk screws patterned like rivets—but executed with an elegant brass finish in keeping with the new, clean aesthetic. A large custom, chevron-shaped communal stone sink accommodates accessibility requirements in the washroom, anchoring the space. Client Galvanize BBA Team Bonnie Bridges Anand Sheth Size 2,250 SF Contractor Skyline Construction Collaborators Metalworker: Soldesign Lab Photography Nicholas V. Ruiz Back to Projects page Back to top

  • PARK PADEL | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects

    SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO | Master List PARK PADEL SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO A luxe and approachable 6-court Padel club with new locker rooms, retail, court viewing areas and soft seating lounges is currently under construction for Park Padel in South San Francisco. Client Park Padel BBA Team Bonnie Bridges Samantha Buckley Michelle Cruz Size 26,000 SF Contractor Principal Builders Inc Collaborators Structural: Spectrum Engineering Photography Studio BBA Back to Projects page Back to top

  • DREAMING BIG WITH GROUND | Studio BBA Architects | Studio BBA Architects

    OAKLAND | Master List DREAMING BIG WITH GROUND OAKLAND We often have clients find us through the myriad of hospitality projects that we have done over the years . . . where people connect the dots of their favorite Bay Area places (and their ability to foster deeper human connections) back to us. It is endearing and humbling and sometimes surprising, as is the case with these speculative projects for Binta Ayofemi and her non-profit, Ground. Over the course of two years, we worked with this artist to create the master plan, the collages and the architectural backbone for her ambitious artistic vision. You can see the results of one such project at Commons in Oakland. The others live on as dreams for a fairer future in which the flow of global capital emerges from the ground where ideas are born. Client Binta Ayofemi, Ground BBA Team Bonnie Bridges Anand Sheth Vishnu Balunsat Size Varies Contractor Unbuilt Collaborators Binta Ayofemi Photography None Back to Projects page Back to top

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