--- title: "Bruns Architecture — Architects & Building Designers | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/bruns-architecture-pfvwus-pf~1417733729 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~1417733729.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Bruns Architecture" category: ["Architects"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/a9c347c701e464f8_8946-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "207 E Buffalo St., Ste 315, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, United States" latitude: 43.0506 longitude: -87.8968 phone: "(414) 763-0010" website: http://www.brunsarchitecture.com rating: 5 review_count: 8 best_of_houzz_awards: 8 followers: 485 last_updated: 2026-08-29 --- # Bruns Architecture Original Houzz profile: [Bruns Architecture](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/bruns-architecture-pfvwus-pf~1417733729) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Architects - **Location:** Milwaukee, WI - **Serves:** Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, Whitefish Bay, Shorewood, Fox Point, Elm Grove, Bayside, River Hills - **Houzz rating:** 5.0 out of 5 (8 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 8 awards (2015–2022), for Design, Service. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Houzz Influencer - Recommended on Houzz - 100,000 Ideabook Saves We are a small group of passionate and dedicated architects. The firm was founded in 2008 by Stephen Bruns with the simple goal of designing and building well. We believe that through careful listening, rigorous study, strong relationships, and innovative thinking we can improve our spatial surroundings by delivering thoughtful, lasting architecture. We believe that every project deserves unique attention. We enjoy developing relationships with our clients, learning who they are and how they live and work, and comprehending their needs, aspirations and dreams. Through this process of discovery we help distill the essence of the project. The resulting vision becomes an invaluable tool that cultivates the design and construction process. We believe that our holistic approach is what sets us apart. ### Services Provided - Architectural Design - Building Design - Home Remodeling - Custom Homes - New Home Construction - Home Additions - Home Extensions - Sustainable Design - Energy-Efficient Homes - Green Building - Space Planning - Universal Design - Home Restoration - Staircase Design - 3D Home Design - Remodeling ### Areas Served - Milwaukee - Wauwatosa - Whitefish Bay - Shorewood - Fox Point - Elm Grove - Bayside - River Hills ### Typical Job Cost $500,000 - 2 million Construction costs vary based on size, complexity, and detail. ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Bruns Architecture | | Address | 207 E Buffalo St., Ste 315, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, United States | | Phone | (414) 763-0010 | | Website | http://www.brunsarchitecture.com | | Followers on Houzz | 485 | **Social profiles:** - Blog — http://brunsarchitecture.com/blog/ ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Bruns Architecture](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/bruns-architecture-pfvwus-pf~1417733729) - **Website:** http://www.brunsarchitecture.com - **Phone:** (414) 763-0010 ## Credentials **Certifications & Awards** - 2016 – Small Architectural Firm of the Year 2015-11 - ALA Design Award 2014-11 – ALA Design Award 2014-05 – AIA Design Award 2013-09 – ALA Gold Design Award 2011-11 – Madison Magazine’s House of the Month 2011-05 – AIA Design Award 2009-10 – ALA Gold Design Award - **Best of Houzz:** 8 awards (2015–2022), for Design, Service. ## Reviews **Overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 — 8 reviews** ### All 8 reviews **★★★★★ — St. Angel, May 2018** > We had the pleasure to work with Stephen Bruns when we built our first new home. Stephen's ability to listen - really, truly, and deeply - allowed us to collaborate on a design that fit us and our lives perfectly. > > Three years in and we're still discovering wonderful moments - the way the light moves at different times of the year, the perfect place to store that one thing, the flow of rooms while entertaining. > > Any custom building project comes with challenges, but at no point in the process did we lose faith in Bruns Architecture, and should we ever build again, we will choose Stephen Bruns without hesitation. **★★★★★ — CORE 4 Engineering, May 2017** > Stephen has always been great working with from our structural engineering point of view. He always has a specific vision in mind and works with his consultants to find the best solution possible to create that vision. **★★★★★ — jlmcw62, Feb. 2016** > Stephen Bruns and his team were fantastic! I particularly enjoyed and appreciated their willingness to collaborate on the project. They worked very hard to understand and respect our needs and goals for the design. The expertise and creativity they brought to the process were obvious and invaluable. **★★★★★ — hansdawson, Nov. 2015** > Architecture is such a powerful form of artwork because it serves so many goals simultaneously. It is tempting to think of the architect as an artist and a building as another piece is his/her collection, but it must be more than that because there are real people living with this work of art. For the owner of these buildings, architecture is the realization of a dream. It speaks to the owner's beliefs about the world. It reflects their past experiences and the ambitions for the experiences they hope will come. It will define how they move and interact with family and friends. It will connect them with nature and protect them from it. It will be a collection of materials that will create and support a lifestyle. > > We hired Bruns Architecture to do these things for us. Fieldstone House is the result and we couldn't be happier. > > Working with Stephen starts with the baseline of high-quality modern architecture wrapped in a compelling story that begins with the land and our dreams. > > From the first meeting with Stephen, we knew we found the right match because he listened so intently to what we wanted in our home. He never pushed us into some "concept" he had been working on. It always felt like he was expressing our desires in his designs. The value of this can't be stressed enough because when the excitement of the new home wears away, the actual quality of the design is left for the owners to live with. We are now entering our 3rd year in Fieldstone House and we still remark at how well the home suits us. > > A great design is just that - a design. Great architects have that ability to help turn those wonderful drawings into reality by getting into the details with the scores of professionals who turn the project into a reality. Stephen's background as an on-site architect for projects large and small is invaluable during this phase. It takes patience and expertise to navigate the sometime conflicting incentives and timelines and still maintain design focus and integrity. > > We highly recommend Bruns Architecture for your next project - and we recommend that you use them for as much of the project as you can. Having one clear vision from the initial concept until the last nail is pounded is worth more than one realizes before you get into a project like ours. **★★★★★ — Blue Hot Design, LLC, June 2015** > Stephen Bruns and his team at Bruns Architecture are the ultimate boutique architecture firm. Having consulted on interior design for them on a new home, I can see why his clients love his thoughtful and imaginative concepts; his design presentations; their firm's process; and his relationship with the homeowners' builder as their advocate. I would not hesitate to recommend Stephen Bruns. **★★★★★ — bh5777, Feb. 2015** > Stephen Bruns of Bruns Architecture designed our home, Bluff House. Stephen truly listened and appreciated our vision for a modern home in the woods, complete with crisp modern details, but with a hint of vintage and rustic warmth. He understood the connection we wanted between the house and its forested lot. Our home is near Devil's Lake State Park. I have fond memories of camping at Devil’s Lake and the magical feeling when waking in the morning and being greeted with crisp fresh air and a magnificent view of the surrounding forest. Stephen’s design captured that intangible “magic” in a tangible, beautiful, functional home we truly enjoy every day. **★★★★★ — jsveum, Jan. 2015** > We have worked with Stephen Bruns of Bruns Architecture on two different projects to date. The combined value of the two homes is in excess of $2,000,000 in construction cost. > > We have found that while Stephen is "builder friendly", his expectations for the highest building standards never waiver. His willingness to respond quickly to questions generated in the field are truly an asset to the builder. His designs are thorough, complete, well organized, and dramatic. > > A team player with exciting, and creative ideas is how I would summarize my experience with Bruns Architecture. **★★★★★ — jhaglof, Jan. 2015** > Stephen and his office have been a complete pleasure to work with. > Great ideas and well thought out details. > Perfect. ## Selected projects - [Midvale Courtyard House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/midvale-courtyard-house-pj-vj~327387) - Location: Madison, WI - Photos: 17 - Description: Balancing the introverted nature of a courtyard with the bold personality of an extrovert all while managing matters of privacy, this renovation builds on its solid mid-century roots. Located on a busy boulevard in the state’s capital, the 1,685 sf half-century old ranch home was confined and uninviting, leaving its spaces dark and disconnected from the site. The renovation and 840 sf addition of Midvale Courtyard House adds a proper entry, elevated master suite, and covered parking, but also pi… - [Fieldstone House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/fieldstone-house-pj-vj~389105) - Location: Richfield, WI - Photos: 21 - Description: Rock picking is every farmer’s springtime nemesis. Each winter as the earth freezes and thaws, rocks rise to the surface of the soil and must be removed before plowing can proceed. Stacked at the edges of fields, they become stone walls that tell stories of the region’s history. On a site consisting of both a small farm field and the heavily wooded topography of two glacial kettles, Fieldstone House is balanced about just such a wall with a glacial history all its own. It was the two glacial ket… - [Rock River House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/rock-river-house-pj-vj~849988) - Location: Rockton, IL - Photos: 20 - Description: Located at the bend of a meandering river, Rock River House is designed to provide its owners with panoramic views of the glistening water below and forested nature preserve beyond. The family had admired the small, overgrown site for years, recognizing its potential at the end of a quiet street a few blocks from town. The program is deftly organized on the narrow wedge of land to create a delightfully functional collection of outdoor spaces while conserving the narrowest tip of the parcel as a… - [Arboretum House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/arboretum-house-pj-vj~1532257) - Location: Madison, WI - Photos: 12 - Description: Designed as a peaceful dwelling amid an opus of bird songs, Arboretum House grows out of its forested site within the diverse landscape of the University of Wisconsin Arboretum neighborhood as a cultivated collection of forms that combine to create an architectural ecosystem. Precise studies of the existing trees and topography informed the placement, size and organization of the house, achieving the goal of minimizing the impact on existing vegetation. Within the resulting footprint, five trees… - [Bluff House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/bluff-house-pj-vj~281154) - Location: Baraboo, WI - Photos: 14 - Description: Designed as a quiet retreat amidst the unglaciated Wisconsin landscape, Bluff House rises from the gently sloping terrain of its wooded site. A former logging road carves through the woodland providing access to the house. As the home’s intersecting volumes are revealed through the dense forest, the legibility of simple, diagrammatic form welcomes visitors. Early studies of the region’s geology revealed the bluffs’ composition as a hard metamorphic quartzite. Resisting erosion from weathering, r… - [Woven House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/woven-house-pj-vj~5854196) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 35 - [Meander House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/meander-house-pj-vj~5825520) - Location: Fox Point, WI - Photos: 20 - [Mid-Century Intervention (MCI-01)](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/mid-century-intervention-mci-01-pj-vj~5470362) - Location: Fox Point, WI - Photos: 11 - Description: This modest project included selective intervention of interior circulation, new/relocated stairs to the lower level, a new/reorganized kitchen, and the transformation of a screen porch into a new dining room. Care was taken to respect and harmonize with the existing/original architecture while creating new, contemporary functional space. Exterior work included the new Dining Room space with new doors, windows, stone, and roof. All new transparency was added to the front of the house as well in… [See all 8 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/bruns-architecture-pfvwus-pf~1417733729) ## Ideabooks - [roof structure](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/23349342/list/roof-structure) — 13 ideas [See all 1 ideabook](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/brunsarchitecture) ## Community Q&A **Q: what brand and color/sealer used to stain concrete? thank u** *(in Photo Questions)* Love the concrete stain color A: Hello. Thank you for your question and interest in our work. The concrete floor in this project is poured in place, natural concrete. It was then ground and polished. There is no stain or color additives - this is just natural, polished concrete. Every locale has different aggregate and sand that naturally tints concrete. This is the coloration we are able to achieve here in southeastern Wisconsin. Thank you again. **Q: What is the paint brand and color of the exterior of the house?** *(in Photo Questions)* Love the dark, earthy tone, yet neutral and calm. A: Thank you for your question and interest in our work. The exterior paint color on this project is Grizzle Gray by Sherwin Williams. **Q: wood cladding please tell me what material did you use** *(in Photo Questions)* I’m interested in using the wood or wood looking material you used for wall and exterior soffit please? A: Hello. Thank you for your question and interest in our work. The soffits, and also the exterior feature wall, are T&G Douglas fir. Good luck with your project. **Q: what is the wall clad used** *(in Photo Questions)* the Material used for the wall cladding before you painted grey? A: Hello. Thank you for your question and interest in our work. The painted siding is a Douglas-fir plywood material from Roseburg. It loosely resembles reverse board and batten siding. Good luck with your project. **Q: Stair Treads** *(in Photo Questions)* What material are the stair treads? Same as floor? Thanks A: Hello, yes. The stair treads are made from the same white oak as the floors. Thank you for your question. **Q: I love this stone** *(in Photo Questions)* What kind of stone is this? A: This is a dolomitic limestone. The fieldstone used for the main circulation wall was collected from a nearby site after being brought to the region in a glacier originating in Canada. The veneer itself was polished smooth by glacial activity. And the striations on the surface are the result of debris within the ice that was dragged across the setting stone. --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-08-29.*