In new home construction technology today, there are few things more exciting than the 3D-printing of entire homes. It sounds like something straight from a sci-fi movie: what, a giant printer oozing out some sort of material that then solidifies and, layer after layer, forms a house?

Should your water heater be all-electric, gas, or hybrid? Tank or tankless? Should your kitchen have under-cabinet lighting? What color should the grout be in your bathroom? A million decisions will be made during your construction project, and someone will have to make them. Who will it be?

On this occasion, I wear black - not as a grieving color, but as an invisibility cloak. I look at myself in the mirror: of course I am not invisible, quite the opposite, wearing black on a sunny California morning is a sharp contrast. I am very much visible, and I look great in black, just like all the other architects before me.

Imagine a network of walkways, trees, and small public spaces embraced by the meandering paths. A network of hugs and connections, making the world just a little bit better one park at a time. This is UpLift.

It’s a gorgeous morning by the ocean. I can see it sparkle from my hotel room in Asilomar, just behind the trees and dunes. The room is slightly aged, but it is beautifully designed.

A lot of our clients love the design process. It’s fun to brainstorm, point to things in 3D and imagine how wonderful it will feel to see the project built. Architecture brings out the child in all of us! In the ideal world, creating architecture is as joyous as you and your Architect building sandcastles together.

For the price of a tree house in the Bay Area, one can buy a spacious house in the Midwest. So, will we all live in tree houses or will the market cool?

Congratulations! You are finally ready to open your first café, shop or event venue. You find a location and negotiate the lease. You are talking to contractors about the costs of remodeling the space. It sounds like you are taking all the right steps, but are you really?

Talent is what people who are not familiar with design process label the ability to design, but they are not exactly right. No-one is really born being able to design like a famous architect.

My journey began on the south-west edge of Karlsruhe where I got of the light rail and starting walking towards the center. The progression of waking from the edge towards the center often times takes you through the history of the city.

“There is a pleasure in the victory and wonder of being simple.” -Lina Bo Bardi

Why do women gradually drop out of the architecture profession? Here is one story of staying in the field that offers some clues.

Together with our clients, we have learned that no project is too small - and we want to share our experience with you through four stories below.

At this time of year, people love to share recipes for their favorite holiday dishes. We would like to share with you a recipe for a Christmas market!

I am 9, maybe 10 years old. It’s the middle of winter in the yard of a high-rise group of concrete apartment buildings, somewhere in a western Ukrainian city. In this cold, snowy and windy yard, I have a vision. I’m going to build a snow fort.

Did you know that the density of California cities is increasing? What will this increased density look like?

Seasoned Architects and planners know that going to the city hall and talking face to face with the staff member who is reviewing your project is how it’s done.

“Mrs. Architect,” said the restaurant owner, “I have $100,000 to spend on my business. I could go to a print shop and pay for a lot of flyers or I could invest in the restaurant design. What should I do?”

My friends have recently moved into an unfurnished house and, in desperate search of ideas on how to decorate their new place, asked me if there is an academic design theory they could use. I am a Berkeley grad, and if you are not familiar with different architecture schools, Berkeley is one of the most conceptual and theoretic design schools out there.

If you are not an experienced real-estate developer or a repeat client of an architect, you probably don’t know the difference between the project budget and the construction cost. That’s OK, we did not know either until we got to manage these budgets and costs.