Last updated on November 6th, 2024 at 06:35 am
Berkeley, California, situated on the east side of San Francisco Bay, is considered one of the most socially progressive cities in the United States. Home to the University of California’s main campus and a national laboratory, Berkeley is a thriving scientific and cultural center. Berkeley is also known as a major food hub with a diverse array of restaurants.
Businesses in Berkeley have access to a highly-educated workforce. The city assists start-ups, and a number of prominent companies have made Berkeley their headquarters. If your company needs a presence in Berkeley, take a look at our list of ten of the best office architects in Berkeley, California. The architects listed here were chosen for their backgrounds, affiliations, and awards.
Kava Massih Architects
920 Grayson St., Berkeley, CA 94710
Kava Massih Architects is a full service architectural office based in Berkeley, California. The company is known for ingenious architectural designs in a range of sectors. Its services include architecture, interior architecture, feasibility studies, construction documentation, programming, space planning, and administration through occupancy. The company has completed a wide range of projects, including commercial buildings, restaurants, medical facilities, and both market rate and affordable housing.
Kava Massih founded the company in 1996 and has been the leading force behind its steady growth over the years. He has gained the respect of his numerous clients and drives the firm’s resourcefulness. The firm’s designs are innovative and highly creative. Under his direction, the company has been the recipient of various awards and industry recognition.
Among the awards Kava Massih Architects has received are the BUILD Architecture Awards “Most Trusted Residential Architecture Studio-San Francisco Bay Area” (2021), Reader’s Choice Awards Finalist – Affordable Housing Finance Specialist (2016), Builders Choice Award of Merit – Affordable or Workforce Housing (2014), AIA East Bay Design Awards Program – Citation Award for Architecture (2013), People’s Choice Award for “Distinguished Architecture” (2013), Illumination Awards – Award of Merit (2013), and the AIA East Bay Design Awards Program – Merit Award for Architecture (2013). It has also been recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
Lowney Architecture
360 17th Street, Suite 200, Oakland, California 94612
Ken Lowney, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB, has been the President and CEO of Lowney Architecture since founding the company in 2003. Ken has a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Occidental College and a Master of Architecture degree from Southern Institute of Architecture. He is an active participant and a full-time member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Northern California Program Committee and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Small Scale Development Council.
Lowney Architecture has locations in Honolulu and Oakland. It is a multidisciplinary practice that offers interior design, architectural design, and master planning services. It is committed to handling the conditions affecting communities through projects that are based on research and industry thought-leadership. The company collaborates with its partners and clients to design spaces that have a positive impact on the community and that are responsive to the community’s needs, interest, and values.
The company has earned numerous awards, including the 2021 Retail Influencer Award and the 2021 Berkeley Design Advocate Award. It has been recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professionals (LEED APs).
Lundberg Design
2620 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94107
Lundberg Design is based in San Francisco, housed in a 1933 former mattress factory building, and has its own in-house fabrication shop. The practice offers a wide range of services, including custom homes, wineries, restaurants, apartment buildings, corporate headquarters, hotels, distilleries, bars, and lobbies. Lundberg Design aims for elegance and simple solutions in its work. It favors materials with texture and heft, such as stone, steel, and wood.
Over the years, the firm has proven to be one of the best serving the area of San Francisco, Berkeley, and Napa. Its awards include Eater Awards-Design of the Year (2019), Remodeling Design Awards (2016), AIA Redwood Empire Design (2014), Architizer A+ Award (2014), AIA Constructed Realities Citation Award (2013) and the IIDA Merit Award (2013).
The firm has also been recognized by groups such as the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professionals (LEED APs).
Studio BBA
921 Larkin St., San Francisco, CA 94109
A discerning listener and a critical leader, Bonnie Bridges leads Studio BBA with versatility, energy and bold optimism. She holds a degree in Architecture with Honors from the University of Arizona, a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and Doctor of Design in Architectural Theory degree from Harvard University GSD.
Growing up in California and spending ten years in the Sonoran Desert, Bonnie came to love California’s diverse landscapes. She has since delved into the relationship of being and building through modern architecture. She guides the Studio’s designers in fabricating beautiful, artistic, successful buildings and spaces.
Studio BBA is an active workroom for designers to create places and spaces, using their creativity, inspiration, vision, and materials to produce world-class projects. The firm’s range of services includes master planning, interior design, and architecture. It handles a variety of project types, including restaurants, private residences, offices, and community spaces.
Fischer Architecture
2984 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley, CA 94702
Andrew Fischer’s love for architecture started when he went through an early apprenticeship in London. His work abroad imprinted on him a respect for classical masters and history. After gaining experience in Chicago, he completed his degree in architecture at the University of California-Berkeley. In 2006, he established Fischer Architecture and is one of the firm’s principal architects.
Fischer Architecture focuses on residential projects and selected restaurant and commercial ventures. The company brings years of experience in design, construction, and master planning. The company’s collaboration and close relationship with its customers and partners helps it tackle and overcome challenges.
The firm’s awards include the 2018 Merit Award-AIA East Bay Exceptional Residential Awards, Honor Award-AIA Birmingham Design Awards in 2015, and Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association Preservation Awards in 2015. Fischer Architecture has been accredited by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), American Institute of Architects (AIA) East Bay, and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professionals (LEED APs).
Jerri Holan & Associates
1323 Solano Avenue Suite 204, Albany, CA 94706
Jerri Holan, FAIA, is the principal architect of Jerri Holan & Associates. She has a Master’s degree from the University of California-Berkeley. She has served the community in several organizations, including the Board for the Fulbright Alumni Association, the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association, and the Berkeley Town and Gown Club, and has chaired the American Institute of Architect’s Historical Resources Committee (SF Chapter). She has over 25 years of experience in design in the San Francisco Bay area and is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.
Jerri Holan & Associates was founded in 1992 and offers architecture and planning services. The team includes well-known experts in building rehabilitation and renovation. The company has worked with the National and California Park Services, the California Office of Historic Preservation, and local historic review boards.
The firm has received numerous awards, including 2015 and 2016 Preservation Awards from the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association, and the Alameda Architectural Preservation Society 2006 Preservation Award. The firm has been recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Build It Green.
Levitch Associates, Inc.
1029 Heinz Ave., Berkeley, CA 94710
Levitch Associates, Inc. was founded in 1960 and is a three-generation family business that provides architecture and construction services for commercial and residential projects. Over the years, Levitch has gathered extensive experience in new home design-build, partial or major remodels, and additions.
Maurice Levitch completed his education in 1984 at the University of California in Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design and by 1991 had become a licensed architect. From an early age, he played a role in the family business, working as a truck driver, carpenter, and laborer. His passion to design and build inspired him to obtain his general contracting license even before completing his undergraduate studies. Presently, Maurice is President, Principal Architect, and Project Manager of Levitch Associates, Inc.
This award-winning firm has been recognized repeatedly and has been accredited by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the California Green Business Network.
Tierney Conner Architecture
363 17th St, Oakland, CA 94612
Erin Conner and Anne Tierney are the principal architects of Tierney Conner Architecture. Erin received her Master’s degree in Architecture from the University of California-Berkeley; Anne received her Master of Architecture degree from the University of California-Los Angeles. Their friendship evolved from a shared love for plants, California living, and modern architecture.
Tierney Conner is a full-service architectural firm with work that integrates the fields of architectural, landscape, and interior design. The firm was founded in 2004, evolving from a friendship among the partners and a shared love of plants, California living, and modern architecture. Partners Anne Tierney, Erin Conner and J. Conner bring Master in Architecture Degrees from the University of California Los Angeles and Berkeley, and a combined experience of over 50 years to their work. They have built a practice with a distinctive vision, voice, and an appreciation for indoor-outdoor spaces. Their collaboration is steadfast in its dedication to craft and clients. They expertly navigate the design, permit and construction processes with a commitment to facilitating successful outcomes artistically, and in equal parts, logistically. Their service extends from custom homes, to multi-family residential and commercial projects, such as offices and tenant improvements.
The company was awarded the Best Interior Design of 2020 award from Oakland Magazine Readers and Indoor/Outdoor Bathroom Design 2020 awards by CA Homes + Design.
LCA Architects
1970 Broadway Suite 800, Oakland, CA 94612
Carl Campos, the CEO of LCA Architects, has more than 35 years of architectural experience. Carl’s expertise is invaluable in complicated projects. The firm’s president, David Bogstad, has developed a wide range of projects over the past 30 years and has dealt with intricate and difficult programs. He ensures the successful outcome of a project through his love for design, his fine attention to detail and constructability, and his ability to inspire and motivate the team.
LCA Architects, Inc. has been in the business for 43 years, with clients in the U.S. and internationally, including San Francisco, Alaska, Idaho, Hawaii, Virginia, Africa, Bahrain, Mexico, China, and Japan. Over the years, the company’s diverse project experience has become its strength. The company’s services include work for both private and public clients, as well as industrial, estate homes, places of worship, single and multifamily residential, industrial, historical renovation, and fire station projects.
The firm has been awarded the Owner’s Project Excellence Award by the Western Council of Construction Consumers. It has also been recognized as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professionals (LEED APs).
Shelterwerk
1904 Franklin St. Suite 310, Oakland, CA 94612
Heather Sanders-Jacob is the Principal of Shelterwerk. She received her degree in Architecture from the University of Oregon and is a member of the AIA and a LEED AP.
Shelterwerk was established in 2009 as a full-service architecture and design studio. It provides its clients with the information and tools needed to create their unique projects. The company serves the San Francisco Bay Area, including the Tahoe and Foothills region of California. The company strives to create environments that are enriching and accessible to everyone.
The firm has been recognized and certified by the American Institute of Architects (AIA); Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professionals (LEED APs); Small, Local, Emerging Business (SLEB) – Alameda County; Small Local Business Enterprise – City of Oakland; and the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) – Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB).
