30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area

These annual rankings were last updated on November 21, 2025. Want to see your firm on next year’s list? Continue reading for more on how you can improve your studio’s ranking.

Unlike many regions, the Bay Area’s most iconic structure is not a building but a bridge. While the Golden Gate looms large in popular culture, it casts a shadow over some of the area’s equally defining architecture – from San Francisco’s hilly streets lined with bay-windowed Victorian homes to Silicon Valley’s sleek, glass-walled campuses and the East Bay’s evolving industrial landscapes. The Bay Area’s architecture blends heritage with innovation, where historic neighborhoods sit side by side with cutting-edge experimental designs. Yet, designing and building in balance with heritage is just one of many challenges that the city’s architects rise to in any design (steep hills and a meandering waterfront representing other prominent hurdles).

As the tech boom has reshaped the economic landscape, making property prices skyrocket, architects are increasingly pressed to address rising inequality and the affordable housing crisis. They have responded to the growth of wealth and business by designing campuses, offices, masterplans and other large-scale developments. The urban issues the Bay Area faces are as both daunting and complex. Yet the concentration of visionary architectural talent, as well as a regional culture that embraces innovation, leaves it uniquely positioned to reimagine what a resilient and forward-looking urban future can be.

With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.

How are these architecture firms ranked?

The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firm’s level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firm’s ranking, in order of priority:

• The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2025)
• The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2025)
• The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2025)
• The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2025)
• The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2025)

Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of San Francisco architecture firms throughout the year.

Without further ado, here are the 30 best architecture firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

30. Architects FORA

© Architects FORA

Everybody deserves a place to call home.

Our mission is to create vibrant, resilient, and equitable housing at all scales. Through thoughtful design, our studio creates living-centered environments that empower communities, families and individuals, enhance health and wellbeing, and elevate quality of life.

Our process starts with people, prioritizing keen listening and meaningful community, client and civic engagement. Our dedicated team overlays this collective knowledge with cross-disciplinary research and evidence-based design. Every aspect of our work celebrates people and place, whether it is developing multifamily affordable housing in urban areas, improving existing housing quality, or densifying single-family neighborhoods.

Some of Architects FORA’s most prominent projects include:

• Solaire Apartments, San Jose, California
• 1585 Studios, Mountain View, California
• Mitchell Park Place, Palo Alto, California
• 38th Ave Apartments, Capitola, California
• Japantown Senior Apartments, San Jose, California

The following statistics helped Architects FORA achieve 30th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

29. RossDrulisCusenbery Architecture

© RossDrulisCusenbery Architecture Inc

RossDrulisCusenbery is an award-winning Bay Area firm specializing in justice, public safety and community projects.

For over thirty years, RossDrulisCusenbery has planned, programmed and designed numerous public sector projects including fire stations, law enforcement and public safety facilities, government buildings, community and youth centers, health and human service campuses, training campuses and other civic facilities. RossDrulisCusenbery has provided professional services for over $2B in project value in over thirty U.S. states, twenty California counties and in Canada.

Our professional services include architecture and engineering services; interior design and space planning; facility master planning; facilities assessments; urban design; architectural programming; sustainable design; participatory design facilitation; public art integration; construction phase services; community outreach; and miscellaneous technical consultation.

Some of RossDrulisCusenbery Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

• Seattle Fire Station #10 & Command Center , Seattle, Washington
• California Avenue Parking Garage, Palo Alto, California
• REACH Ashland Youth Center, Alameda County, California
• Tomales Fire Station, Tomales, California
• Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff Headquarters & EOC, Martinez, California

The following statistics helped RossDrulisCusenbery Architecture achieve 29th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

28. Sidell Pakravan Architects

© RossDrulisCusenbery Architecture Inc

Sidell Pakravan is a contemporary practice that is committed to making compelling and beautiful architecture. To do this, we leverage architecture’s primary language, form, in response to a critical exploration of context.

Some of Sidell Pakravan Architects’ most prominent projects include:

• Shorebird Campus, Mountain View, California
• Siprosa School, Nairobi, Kenya
• Guggenheim Helsinki Competition 2014
• WIC+, Oakland, California
• Henrybuilt, Mill Valley, California

The following statistics helped Sidell Pakravan Architects achieve 28th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

27. Baran Studio Architecture

© Baran Studio Architecture

Baran Studio was started in 2008 by Matthew Baran. We develop adaptive architectural solutions that bridge all aspects of a design problem. Our approach begins with the analysis of project components that range from environmental and use conditions to code constraints. We then look to varied disciplines that include architecture, interiors, landscape and construction as part of a comprehensive methodology. As a result, our designs respond in a wide-ranging, innovative and often unexpected manner, resulting in space and form that is creative and fresh while maintaining use and purpose. This process engenders an architecture that is of its time and simultaneously timeless.

Some of Baran Studio Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

• Zero Streets
• WordPress Automattic Space, San Francisco, California
• [b]Lobby, Berkeley, California
• Harmon, Oakland, California
• 23rd St. , Oakland, California

The following statistics helped Baran Studio Architecture achieve 27th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

26. Groundworks Office

© Groundworks Office

Our approach to design is research-based and process-driven. At the beginning of every project, we believe that information, data and observation are the foundations of the design process. This initial groundwork leads to a deep understanding of the site and its latent and perceived characteristics.  It also provides us with a framework for testing and decision-making, so that the design process can be flexible and adapt to unpredictable forces. At GROUNDWORKS, we believe the design process is a collaborative act, which requires input from multiple disciplines with a wide range of expertise.  This blending of knowledge and GROUNDWORKS’ creative approach to design yields solutions that are layered, rich and complex.  Critical in today’s marketplace is having a design process that is results-oriented, solution-based based and efficient, which is why we tailor our process to meet the goals of each individual project.

Some of Groundworks Office’s most prominent projects include:

• SFO Harvey Milk Terminal 1, San Francisco, California
• Deck It!, University Drive, Menlo Park, California
• Alice Chalmers Park, San Francisco, California
• Growers Square, Walnut Creek, California
• Seaplane Lagoon, Alameda, California

25. Manu Studios

© SkB Architects

We are MANU studios. We are an architecture and design studio that creates and shapes space for people, companies and organizations. We draw inspiration from our clients, the world around us, and our design team’s diverse backgrounds and experiences. We believe in a hands-on approach to problem-solving and in the power of design to transform the way we work, live, and play. We’re here to help.

Some of Manu Studios’ most prominent projects include:

• Bay Area Research Company, California

The following statistics helped Manu Studios achieve 25th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

24. Field Architecture

© Joe Fletcher Photography

Field Architecture is led by father and son team, Stan and Jess Field. Stan was taught by Louis Kahn; Jess was born in South Africa and grew up sketching from an early age. We see each building as an opportunity to foster deep connections between individuals and the places they love. We study the ways that we can attune architecture to its surroundings with subtlety and nuance. Our designs are born from thoughtful dialogues infused with optimism, sensitivity, respect, awe and a profound sense of stewardship. We apply the right combination of form, material, space, and light that draws out the essential identity of each site.

Some of Field Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

• Madrone Ridge, Sonoma County, California
• Kol Emeth Center, Palo Alto, California
• Big Sur House, Monterey, California
• Zinfandel Lane, St. Helena, California
• Napa, CA, Residence, Napa, California

The following statistics helped Field Architecture achieve 24th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

23. OPA

© OPA

Ogrydziak Prillinger Architects is a progressive San Francisco-based office that has been globally recognized for projects ranging in scale from institutions to private homes, as well as interior and object design. Founded in 2004, OPA is an idea-driven office committed to finding design solutions that both expand the possibilities inherent in architecture and resonate within their particular context. While every project originates as a response to specific requirements of site, program and client, it evolves as an exploration of its own internal potential rather than reflecting a predetermined architectural style. In all the work, there is an emphasis on shaping and choreographing spatial experiences through the consideration of movement, perception and formal logic.

Some of OPA’s most prominent projects include:

• Nuclear Thresholds, Chicago, Illinois
• Hidden House, San Francisco, California
• Softie, Mill Valley, California
• Dune, Pajaro, California
• Shapeshifter, Reno, Nevada

The following statistics helped OPA achieve 23rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

22. Studio O+A

© Studio O+A

At Studio O+A, our work process combines creativity and flexibility with technical expertise to realize appropriate solutions for our clients. Because our professionals are trained and experienced in all aspects of corporate planning and design, we exercise a degree of control that carries projects from concept to finish with consistency and economy.

Some of Studio O+A’s most prominent projects include:

• adidas East Village Expansion, Portland, Oregon
• Confidential Client, Los Angeles, California
• Vara, San Francisco, California
• Slack, San Francisco, California
• McDonald’s Headquarters, Chicago, Illinois

The following statistics helped Studio O+A achieve 22nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

21. PWP Landscape Architecture

© PWP Landscape Architecture

Founded in 1983, PWP Landscape Architecture is an employee-owned firm located in Berkeley, California, comprised of approximately 30 landscape architects who work worldwide on a variety of projects. Our portfolio includes hundreds of urban parks, gardens, plazas, corporate campuses, cultural institutions and infrastructural projects in the last 20 years alone, many won through lasting relationships or design competitions.

PWP’s concern for the relationship between art, culture, and landscape explores and reflects our knowledge of history and tradition, sympathy with contemporary needs, understanding of both conceptual and material processes, attention to detail and mastery of construction. From defining the program to forming the space to experimenting with materials, PWP employs a variety of design techniques, including drawing, model-making, computer rendering and full-scale mock-ups.

Some of PWP Landscape Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

• Quzhou Sports Campus, Quzhou, China
• National September 11 Memorial, New York
• Barangaroo Reserve, Sydney, Australia
• Salesforce Transit Center Park, San Francisco, California
• Sony Center, Berlin, Germany

The following statistics helped PWP Landscape Architecture achieve 21st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

20. MWA Architects

© MWA Architects

MWA serves the essential needs of the community through innovative, thoughtful, and respectful design.

At MWA Architects, we approach each project with a holistic design vision because we know that our work can create a positive and lasting impact for both people and the environment. Our primary markets focus on humanity’s essential needs – housing to support our well-being and access to healthy infrastructure; however, we pursue various project types, all integral to a thriving community. The common thread in all of our work is that we deliberately take on challenging projects with complex and diverse stakeholder needs, as these opportunities can often inspire meaningful change.

Some of MWA Architects’ most prominent projects include:

• Brooklyn Basin Township Commons, Oakland, California
• San Francisco International Airport Terminal 2, San Francisco, California
• Oak Harbor Clean Water Facility & Windjammer Park, Oak Harbor, Washington
• Cathedral Village Affordable Apartments, Portland, Oregon
• Renaissance Commons, Portland, Oregon

The following statistics helped MWA Architects achieve 20th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

19. Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture

© Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture

Motivated by a conviction that landscape design has the power to alter perception and ultimately initiate a deeper respect for the environment, ACLA designs spaces that offer opportunities for users to forge new relationships with their surroundings.

Through an iterative process, we find simple responses to complex problems and seek to elevate experiences through the layering and choreography of movement. The trust we build with our clients through long-term partnerships is an important foundation of our work, as each new project expands our expression of design and craft.

Some of Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

• Windhover Contemplative Center, Stanford, California
• Richardson Affordable Apartments, San Francisco, California
• Buhl Community Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Art House, San Francisco, California
• Birmingham Residence, Detroit, Michigan

The following statistics helped Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture achieve 19th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

18. Cass Calder Smith Architecture + Interiors

© Cass Calder Smith Architecture + Interiors

We believe that masterful design is unique, relevant and timeless. We really like iconic architecture that is conceptually interesting and also reveals an attention to detail, materiality and authenticity. We admire boldness balanced with simplicity, innovation balanced with functionality and power balanced with precision. We see ourselves as well-traveled creators with a conviction that a talented and experienced team that conscientiously listens is a valuable ally. We are professionally motivated to connect the aspects of artistic ambition, problem-solving, environmental responsibility and style within demanding requirements.
‍
We are an award-winning multidisciplinary firm dedicated to design excellence. We were founded in 1992 by Architect Cass Calder Smith and are now comprised of four principals that including Barbara Vickroy, Taylor Lawson and Tim Quayle.

Some of Cass Calder Smith Architecture + Interiors’ most prominent projects include:

• Print Lounge, New York
• Diane Middlebrook Studios, Woodside, California
• Stairway to Heaven, San Francisco, California
• Aptos Retreat, Aptos, California
• Mill Valley Residence, Marin County, California

The following statistics helped Cass Calder Smith Architecture + Interiors achieve 18th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

17. Rapt Studio

© Rapt Studio

We’re into branding, design and the spaces that bring them together. We love connecting things. Sites, design, and strategy – we think it’s better when they all come together. We’re a group of designers, builders, thinkers and fans of culture who love creating inspiring spaces, digital places and everything in between. In short, we help companies stand out and stand for something.

Some of Rapt Studio’s most prominent projects include:

• Vans Global HQ, Costa Mesa, California
• Basalt, Napa, California
• Make, Carlsbad, California
• Fender, Los Angeles, California
• J Dawgs, Salt Lake City, Utah

The following statistics helped Rapt Studio achieve 17th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

16. Mork-Ulnes Architects

© Mork-Ulnes Architects

With offices in San Francisco and Oslo, Mork Ulnes Architects approaches projects with a combination of Scandinavian practicality and Northern California’s ‘can-do’ spirit of innovation.

Some of Mork-Ulnes Architects’ most prominent projects include:

• Skigard Hytte, Fåvang, Norway
• Mylla Cabin, Oppland, Norway
• MOOSE ROAD RESIDENCE, Ukiah, California
• MEIER ROAD BARN, Sonoma, California
• Troll Hus, Placer County, California

The following statistics helped Mork-Ulnes Architects achieve 16th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

15. Walker Warner

© Walker Warner

Walker Warner is a full-service architectural firm specializing in custom residential and hospitality design. Founded in 1989, the firm is led by partners Brooks Walker, Greg Warner, Kathy Scott and Mike McCabe.

Some of Walker Warner’s most prominent projects include:

• Kara Creek, Colorado
• Kona Village Resort, Hawaii
• Carmel Residence, California
• Hale Kiawe, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
• Kona Village Resort, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

The following statistics helped Walker Warner achieve 15th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

14. STUDIOS Architecture

© STUDIOS Architecture

Before design, before architecture, before buildings even, there are people.

STUDIOS recognizes the responsibility it has to the people who will live, work and play in the places it creates. Our priority is the human one — designing spaces that people will want to experience rather than simply occupy.

This means embracing the widest spectrum of cultures, ideas and thinking, so that no one is excluded and both individuals and communities are brought together through inspirational spaces that add to the quality of their lives.

In a world facing the critical issues of climate change, social justice, equity and inclusion, our approach has never been more fundamental. Purposeful, transformative and full of possibilities, we create the places you need for the life you want.

Some of STUDIOS Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

• Kearny Point Building 78 Annex, Kearny, New Jersey
• Dow Jones, Manhattan, New York
• IAC Building, Interiors, Manhattan, New York
• 200 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York
• Nike – New York Headquarters, New York

The following statistics helped STUDIOS Architecture achieve 14th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

13. Surfacedesign, Inc

© Surfacedesign, Inc

Surfacedesign, Inc. is a landscape architecture and design firm based in San Francisco, California. Integral to the ideology of the practice, Surfacedesign focuses on cultivating a sense of connection to the built and natural world, pushing people to engage with the landscape in new ways. Our approach emphasizes and celebrates the unique context and imaginative potential of each project. Our studio’s design process is rooted in asking novel questions and listening to a site and its users — a process that has led to engaging and inspiring landscapes that are rugged, contemporary and crafted.

Surfacedesign | Material Landscapes, a book on the firm’s body of work thus far, was published by Monacelli Press in 2019.

Some of Surfacedesign, Inc’s most prominent projects include:

• Stanford Residence, Stanford, California
• Auckland International Airport – First Flight, Auckland, New Zealand
• Zinfandel Lane, St. Helena, California
• California Meadow House, Woodside, California
• Butterfly House, San Francisco, California

The following statistics helped Surfacedesign, Inc achieve 13th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

12. Klopf Architecture

© Klopf Architecture

Klopf Architecture brings the outside in. Our firm creates warm, modern designs that admit natural light and allow openness to nature. Our design approach weighs many factors to create custom designs with just the right level of connection to the outside world: clients’ goals and lifestyle, site orientation, views, climate and neighborhood context. Our primary goal is to create spaces people love to inhabit.

Specializing in new warm, modern net-zero energy houses, we are widely recognized for our work remodeling and adding to mid-century modern and Eichler homes. We believe in bringing these wonderful homes back to life for another generation to love, or creating new, green modern homes that provide the same level of warmth and connection to nature that follow a similar philosophy.

Some of Klopf Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

• Double Gable Eichler Remodel, Burlingame, California
• Modern Ranch House Conversion
• Palo Alto Eichler, Palo Alto, California
• Minimal Modern Addition, Orinda, California
• Eichler Front Addition, Palo Alto, California

The following statistics helped Klopf Architecture achieve 12th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

11. Jensen Architects

© Jensen Architects

At JENSEN, we are passionate about creating buildings and environments that enrich the experiences of organizations and individuals. Guided by a responsibility to achieve the most using the fewest resources and to engage a broader cultural perspective, we develop solutions that embody each client’s values and larger purpose.

Our wide-ranging portfolio, encompassing arts, education, residential and workplace, is underpinned by an abiding interest in how we live and work today and the pleasure we take in collectively solving design challenges through research, unconventional thinking and a focus on craft.

Some of Jensen Architects’ most prominent projects include:

• Stanford Residence, Stanford, California
• The Shed Healdsburg, Healdsburg, California
• Blue Bottle Morse Building, Oakland, California
• Turner Residence, Larkspur, California
• SFMOMA Rooftop Sculpture Garden, San Francisco, California

The following statistics helped Jensen Architects achieve 11th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

10. Rangr Studio

© Michael Biondo Photography

Since 2004, Rangr Studio has deployed the principles of ancient design with contemporary materials and methods to find poetic and harmonious solutions to a wide variety of design challenges. Rather than imposing a structure on an environment, the studio creates essential architectural forms in harmony with the surrounding landscape, whether rural or urban in setting.

Founder Jasmit Singh Rangr grew up on the coasts of India and in the UK, was educated at Yale, and is currently bi-coastal between California and New York. His life experience and training inform Rangr Studio’s philosophy — an approach that is deeply sensitive to the interaction between climate, landscape, culture and architecture.

Some of Rangr Studio’s most prominent projects include:

• Modern Cabin, Southampton, New York
• Berkeley Chess School, Berkeley, California
• Buena Vista House, Berkeley, California
• Compound in the Hudson Valley, Columbia County, New York
• Casa Kimball, Dominican Republic

The following statistics helped Rangr Studio achieve 10th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

9. Mark Cavagnero Associates

© Mark Cavagnero Associates

Mark Cavagnero Associates is a San Francisco-based architecture firm focused on cultural, commercial, educational, and civic projects. Since its establishment in 1988, the firm has completed a wide range of architectural and master planning projects, including large and small-scale institutional, non-profit, commercial, and residential projects. The firm provides a full range of services, from programming, master planning, site planning and conceptual design, through construction documents and administration.

Some of Mark Cavagnero Associates’ most prominent projects include:

• UC San Francisco, Joan & Sanford I. Weill Neurosciences Building, San Francisco, California
• Salesforce Tokyo Ohana Floor, Tokyo, Japan
• Quest Diagnostics Next Generation Lab, Clifton, New Jersey
• Confidential Investment Firm, California
• Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, California

The following statistics helped Mark Cavagnero Associates achieve 9th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

8. Aidlin Darling Design

© Adam Rouse

With a shared interest in exploring design across a wide range of scales, programs, and disciplines, partners Joshua Aidlin and David Darling started Aidlin Darling Design around a woodshop in 1998. With an emphasis on designing for all of the senses, they have cultivated a diverse and collaborative studio that acts as the creative hub for an extended network of builders, fabricators, artists, engineers, chefs and other collaborators. The firm’s work explores a closely held conviction that design can enlighten the human spirit by engaging all of the senses.

Some of Aidlin Darling Design’s most prominent projects include:

• Trestle Residence, California
• The Prow, Seattle, Washington
• Windhover Contemplative Center, Stanford, California
• Geneva Car Barn & Powerhouse, San Francisco, California
• In Situ, San Francisco, California

The following statistics helped Aidlin Darling Design achieve 8th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

7. Arterra Landscape Architects

© Arterra Landscape Architects

Arterra is a full-service landscape architecture firm specializing in contemporary, sustainable design. We collaborate with our clients and their design team, providing imaginative solutions and clear communication.

The Arterra Team is a diverse and slightly quirky group of creative and nerdy individuals. We are dedicated to the art and the craft of our profession. We consider it an honor and a privilege to do the work we do — and we do it well. We share ideas and inspiration in our beautiful, open studio space, where design ideas come to life. We are dedicated to doing sustainable work and living sustainable lives. Our greatest achievement is creating a meaningful and sustainable landscape legacy.

Some of Arterra Landscape Architects’ most prominent projects include:

• Dry Garden Poetry, Santa Cruz, California
• Rumsen Trace, Carmel Valley, California
• The Painterly Approach, Tiburon, California
• Farm to Table, Woodside, California
• Sensory Garden at the Donum Estate, Sonoma, California

The following statistics helped Arterra Landscape Architects achieve 7th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

6. EHDD

© EHDD

EHDD is a national leader in architecture, interiors, urban planning and sustainability. Centered in San Francisco and Seattle, we derive inspiration from the many different voices that work together to envision, to build, and to steward places we inhabit.

Since our founding in 1946, EHDD has embraced our clients’ vision and designed to express their unique values. Our award-winning practice has exceptional expertise in designing libraries and educational facilities, buildings for science and housing, as well as museums, aquariums and zoos.

Some of EHDD’s most prominent projects include:

• The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Los Altos, California
• KQED Headquarter Renovation, San Francisco, California
• Lisa & Douglas Goldman Tennis Center, San Francisco, California
• Juanita Beach Park Bathhouse, Kirkland, Washington
• YouTube Campus Expansion, San Bruno, California

The following statistics helped EHDD achieve 6th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

5. S^A | Schwartz and Architecture

© S^A | Schwartz and Architecture

S^A | Schwartz and Architecture is a modern architecture and interior design studio established by Founder + Principal Neal J. Z. Schwartz, FAIA in 1997. Our expertise is in guiding clients through a highly interactive design process tailored to their personalities, budgets, and needs. Rather than imposing a pre-conceived aesthetic, we begin our work by thoughtfully analyzing the particular opportunities posed by any site and constraint. We remain involved at every stage of design and construction, and thrive working with fixed schedules and resources.

Recent recognition for the firm’s design work and ethos includes a national James Beard Foundation Award for Excellence in Restaurant Design, two Chicago Athenaeum American Architecture Awards, four AIA California Council Design Awards, a Boston Society of Architecture Design Award, and four AIA San Francisco Design Awards.

Some of S^A | Schwartz and Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

• The Meander
• Mourning Dovecote, Sonoma, California
• Leit House, Sonoma County, California
• Lichen House, Glen Ellen, California
• Hydeaway House, Sonoma, California

The following statistics helped S^A | Schwartz and Architecture achieve 5th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

4. IwamotoScott Architecture

© Bruce Damonte Photography Inc

IwamotoScott Architecture is an award-winning architecture and design firm established by Lisa Iwamoto and Craig Scott. Based in San Francisco, California, the firm has gained national and international recognition for innovative design with projects around the country and overseas. Committed to pursuing architecture as a form of applied design research, IwamotoScott proceeds from the belief that each project can achieve a unique design synthesis. IwamotoScott’s client list includes arts organizations, educational institutions, media firms, commercial developers, and private clients. Our projects consist of work at all scales, including urban design, buildings, interiors, full-scale fabrications, museum installations and exhibitions, and theoretical proposals.

IwamotoScott has received over eighty design awards and honors.

Some of IwamotoScott Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

• Pinterest HQ, San Francisco, California
• Pinterest HQ2, San Francisco, California
• Heavybit Industries, San Francisco, California
• City View Garage, Miami Design District, Miami, Florida
• Geode ADU, Burlingame, California

The following statistics helped IwamotoScott Architecture achieve 4th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

3. Form4 Architecture

© Form4 Architecture

Form4 Architecture believes in returning a sense of humanity to Modernism through emotional meaning and poetic design. The San Francisco-based award‐winning firm measures success by our contributions to society through a Modernist approach that balances expressive design, rigor, empathy and sustainability to create captivating buildings and spaces that resonate with people and enhance their lives.

Some of Form4 Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

• Corten Ribbon, Walnut Creek, California
• Sanguine Lily, 1916 Centenary Chapel at Glasnevin Cemetery
• Glass Butterfly
• Verdant Sanctuary, Palo Alto, California
• The Museum of No Spectators, Pershing County, Nevada

The following statistics helped Form4 Architecture achieve 3rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

2. Feldman Architecture

© Adam Rouse

Feldman Architecture is an architecture and interiors studio that’s highly responsive to both people and place. We work to honor the spirit of each site and champion regenerative practices for a better future.

Some of Feldman Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

• Curveball, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
• Mill Valley Cabins, Mill Valley, California
• Slot House, Los Altos, California
• Surf House, Santa Cruz, California
• Sunrise, Healdsburg, California

The following statistics helped Feldman Architecture achieve 2nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

1. Gensler

© Gensler

At Gensler, the value of our work stems from its positive impact on the human experience. We are a dynamic and collaborative design firm uniting creativity, research, and innovation to solve complex problems for our clients. Our work challenges conventional ideas about architecture and the built environment. We aren’t just designing buildings – we are reimagining cities and places that make a difference in people’s lives. Founded in 1965, Gensler has built a team of 6,000 professionals who partner with clients in over 100 countries each year. Everything we do is guided by our mission: to create a better world through the power of design.

Some of Gensler’s most prominent projects include:

• Amazon HQ2 at Metropolitan Park, Arlington, Virginia
• Willis Tower, Chicago, Illinois
• 550 Madison Lobby, New York
• Fifth + Tillery, Austin, Texas
• San Francisco International Airport, Boarding Area E, San Francisco, California

The following statistics helped Gensler achieve 1st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in San Francisco and the Bay Area:

Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking?

With more than 30,000 architecture firms and over 130,000 projects within its database, Architizer is proud to host the world’s largest online community of architects and building product manufacturers. Its celebrated A+Awards program is also the largest celebration of architecture and building products, with more than 400 jurors and hundreds of thousands of public votes helping to recognize the world’s best architecture each year.

Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.

An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlighted

A Guide to Project Awards

The blue “+” badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award.

The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizer’s Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a project’s likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status:

• Project completed within the last 3 years
• A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs
• Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value
• High quality, in focus photographs
• At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building
• Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings
• Inclusion of construction photographs

There are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizer’s Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers.

We’re constantly look for the world’s best architects to join our community. If you would like to understand more about this ranking list and learn how your firm can achieve a presence on it, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at editorial@architizer.com.

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