---
title: "Atkinson Architecture — Architects & Building Designers | Houzz"
canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/atkinson-architecture-pfvwus-pf~1325537808
markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~1325537808.md
entity_type: LocalBusiness
business_name: "Atkinson Architecture"
category: ["Architects"]
image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/7d73ab08007f067c_2012-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg
address: "546 Guinda Street, Palo Alto, California 94301, United States"
latitude: 37.4443
longitude: -122.1497
phone: "(650) 704-0530"
website: http://www.studioatkinson.com/
rating: 4.8
review_count: 6
best_of_houzz_awards: 1
followers: 51
last_updated: 2026-08-16
---

# Atkinson Architecture

Original Houzz profile: [Atkinson Architecture](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/atkinson-architecture-pfvwus-pf~1325537808)

## Professional summary

- **Primary category:** Architects
- **Location:** Palo Alto, CA
- **Serves:** San Jose, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Redwood City, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Los Altos, Stanford, Los Altos Hills, Atherton, Woodside, Portola Valley
- **Houzz rating:** 4.8 out of 5 (6 reviews)
- **Best of Houzz:** 1 award (2016), for Service.

## About

### Houzz Badges

- Recommended on Houzz
- 25 Ideabook Saves
- Best of Houzz winner
- Offers Custom Work
- 20 years in business

Atkinson Architecture is a small, high-profile, architecture practice located in downtown Palo Alto, California.  Stephen Atkinson, principal, handles all aspects of project design and client interaction.

We are committed to producing beautiful and meaningful contemporary architecture, composed of very few parts, which add up to a greater whole.  These designs may be reflections on a geographic area, a prevailing building type, or simply an object's use.  Invariably they should be simple and restrained, conveying a dignity and sense of history without affectation or self-consciousness.

Stephen Atkinson is from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  He studied architecture at Texas A&M and Harvard Universities, and apprenticed with the Boston architecture firm, Machado and Silvetti, Associates.

In 2000, he founded his private architecture practice, relocating to Palo Alto, California, where he lives with his wife, a professor in Art History at Stanford University, and their daughter. 

Stephen occasionally teaches courses on architecture with the Stanford Continuing Studies Department.

### Services Provided

- Home Remodeling
- House Plans
- New Home Construction
- Home Additions
- Home Extensions
- Kitchen Remodeling
- Floor Plans
- Bathroom Design
- Construction Drawings
- Custom Homes

### Areas Served

- San Jose
- Sunnyvale
- Santa Clara
- San Mateo
- Redwood City
- Mountain View
- Palo Alto
- Menlo Park
- Los Altos
- Stanford
- Los Altos Hills
- Atherton
- Woodside
- Portola Valley

### Typical Job Cost

$100,000 - 2,000,000

## Business Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Business Name | Atkinson Architecture |
| Address | 546 Guinda Street, Palo Alto, California 94301, United States |
| Phone | (650) 704-0530 |
| Website | http://www.studioatkinson.com/ |
| License Number | C-29930 |
| Followers on Houzz | 51 |

**Social profiles:**
- Blog — www.studioatkinson.com

## Contact

- **Houzz profile:** [Atkinson Architecture](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/atkinson-architecture-pfvwus-pf~1325537808)
- **Website:** http://www.studioatkinson.com/
- **Phone:** (650) 704-0530

## Credentials

**Certifications & Awards**
- Best of Houzz 2016

- **Best of Houzz:** 1 award (2016), for Service.

## Reviews

**Overall rating: 4.8 out of 5 — 6 reviews**

### All 6 reviews

**★★★★★ — Brady O'Shea, March 2019**

> Stephen was our architect for our home addition and remodel.  Throughout every step of the project, Stephen was very helpful and knowledgeable.  He helped us envision an end product with which we are extremely happy!  I don't think we could ask for a better architect, and we will be working with him again in future projects.

**★★★★★ — Mira, Feb. 2019**

> Words can hardly describe how happy we were with Stephen Atkinson's assistance!  He dedicated few hours of his time to sit down with us and draft ideas for our multipurpose spare room. He listened to what we aimed to achieve and swiftly came up with few ideas that we loved immediately. Stephen is highly professional and knowledgeable architect, but mostly someone with great "radar" that picks up on all your needs! We highly recommend his business to anyone in need of exceptional service.

**★★★★★ — Jack Laurien, March 2017**

> We recently reviewed our files containing Mr. Atkinson's design of our Florida guest cottage and were reminded of the many imaginative options he submitted that lead to the final construction.  Stephen is a good listener and communicator.  The project was not only completed to our satisfaction but was also an enjoyable experience.  The cottage has served us well and we continue to receive compliments on his work. Pictures are posted on studioatkinson.com

**★★★★ — Joss Parsey, April 2015**

> My husband and I have worked with Stephen for quite a while.  He has been extremely helpful from the actual purchasing stage of a property needing work to working through the logistics of the eventual found property towards designing our dream home in the hills.  If anyone can have the luxury of time to be able to do this we would highly recommend it, as Stephen was part of the whole process.  He saved us from buying a lemon which had we started to work on we would have been out of pocket of hundreds of thousands of dollars! He is very personable, creative and understands and recognizes individual quirks in his clients to be able to work with them effectively.

**★★★★★ — leimanwong, March 2015**

> Stephen was such a pleasure to work with. We started with a whole house remodel and a plan for some exterior work. Stephen's creativity, compatibility and his ability to clearly articulate his vision to us were the key reasons we chose to work with him on our home. It was a longer process than we all initially envisaged, so instead of the whole house, we ended with half a house done before we had to move in (as we were expecting our 2nd child). Stephen also participated with us in interviewing our short listed General Contractors . It was a fun (despite long) process. The GC we selected was amazing to work with, very good with details and thorough. Stephen also attended our "status meetings" every Friday afternoon to go over progress and he will provide his input from an architectural point of view. We had an excellent experience working with him and really hope to be able to have him design our next home from scratch!

**★★★★★ — plee1, March 2015**

> Stephen Atkinson is a wonderful architect. He is a meticulous designer with a great aesthetic sensibility: he has an eye for both the smallest detail and the bigger picture.  He also happens to be a super nice individual -- a complete pleasure to work with. Stephen worked with us last winter and  spring on a complicated reconstruction project involving endless rounds of bureaucracy above and beyond the actual demands of architecture and design. Throughout a tortuous rebuild process Stephen kept things in check, working efficiently, calmly and transparently as he attended to myriad details. He knows how to ask the right questions of his clients, and demonstrates a special talent foreseeing potential problems on the horizon. Stephen performs an especially impressive balancing act as an architect: he’s an exacting and rigorous designer, with the highest standards, but possesses an open, calm and easygoing air. We have only good things to say about him.

## Selected projects

- [Robleda Drive House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/robleda-drive-house-pj-vj~6033291)
  - Location: Not specified
  - Photos: 15
- [Los Altos Hills House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/los-altos-hills-house-pj-vj~97992)
  - Location: Los Altos Hills, CA
  - Photos: 19
  - Description: A contemporary house perched on a hilltop within a valley in Los Altos Hills, California.
- [Grove Street Exterior Remodel](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/grove-street-exterior-remodel-pj-vj~1725381)
  - Location: Palo Alto, CA
  - Photos: 9
  - Description: This existing home had a tired and uninspiring exterior appearance. The commission here was to update the curb appeal of the existing house on a limited budget. Exterior materials chosen were painted cementitious stucco and natural cedar siding. No window or door locations were changed as part of this project.
- [Chiquita Street Houses](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/chiquita-street-houses-pj-vj~2386749)
  - Location: Mountain View, CA
  - Photos: 6
- [Pagemill Road Remodel](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/pagemill-road-remodel-pj-vj~2386766)
  - Location: Palo Alto, CA
  - Photos: 14
- [Fruin House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/fruin-house-pj-vj~2386779)
  - Location: Aptos, CA
  - Photos: 4
- [Williams Cabin](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/williams-cabin-pj-vj~97988)
  - Location: Durango, CO
  - Photos: 11
  - Description: A small modern cabin in the wilderness just north of Durango, Colorado.
- [the Hudson house](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/the-hudson-house-pj-vj~2386721)
  - Location: Saint Michaels, MD
  - Photos: 8
  - Description: This weekend home was designed with a modest budget and with the intent of mimicking the many local barns in the area. Simple wooden shutters allow the complete closing of the home when not occupied.
- [Zachary House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/zachary-house-pj-vj~990221)
  - Location: Zachary, LA
  - Photos: 6
  - Description: 550 square foot cabin based on the Southern house type called a dog trot.
- [Laurien Guest House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/laurien-guest-house-pj-vj~2386736)
  - Location: Carrabelle, FL
  - Photos: 8
- [Mountain View Home](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/mountain-view-home-pj-vj~6033530)
  - Location: Mountain View, CA
  - Photos: 1
- [Mountain View Custom Home](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/mountain-view-custom-home-pj-vj~6033526)
  - Location: Mountain View, CA
  - Photos: 1

[See all 12 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/atkinson-architecture-pfvwus-pf~1325537808)

## Community Q&A

**Q: expenses** *(in Photo Questions)*

how much to build this one?

A: This is a custom design and the construction was at about $300,000.

---

*Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-08-16.*