--- title: "WA Design Architects — Architects & Building Designers | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/wa-design-architects-pfvwus-pf~1736518276 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~1736518276.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "WA Design Architects" category: ["Architects"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/3d3370620e41bc89_4629-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "805 Folger Ave, Berkeley, California 94710, United States" latitude: 37.8696 longitude: -122.2959 phone: "(510) 604-1474" website: http://www.wadesign.com rating: 5 review_count: 36 best_of_houzz_awards: 13 followers: 2158 last_updated: 2026-08-13 --- # WA Design Architects Original Houzz profile: [WA Design Architects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/wa-design-architects-pfvwus-pf~1736518276) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Architects - **Location:** Berkeley, CA - **Serves:** San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond, Alameda, Palo Alto, Martinez, San Pablo, Los Altos, Saratoga, Hercules, El Cerrito, Albany, Orinda, Pinole, Moraga, Emeryville, El Sobrante, Piedmont, Tiburon, Woodside, Tara Hills, Portola Valley, North Richmond, Rollingwood, East Richmond Heights, Bayview, Montalvin, Belvedere, Belvedere Tiburon, Canyon, Pacific Heights - **Houzz rating:** 5.0 out of 5 (36 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 13 awards (2013–2026), for Service, Design. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Star Houzzer - Houzz Influencer - Recommended on Houzz - 100,000 Ideabook Saves - Best of Houzz winner - Published nationally - High-end We are architects of homes. Our projects range from small remodels to large scale residences. On every project our mission is to collaborate with our clients to understand the unique context of their project, and together create an inspirational, sustainable, and lasting addition to the built environment. WA design was established in 1985 by David Stark Wilson, AIA. Our design philosophy emphasizes the inter-relationship of building and site. Each design begins as a considered response to a set of criteria dictated by the site and client. Although progressive in approach, our designs draw heavily on the vernacular building of the area in which we are working. Ordering principles for a given project borrow from their context and often metaphorically relate to the natural landscape. This connects our buildings to their specific site and circumstance in a meaningful way. A crucial component of the overall design objective on each project is to apply the design of sustainable and solar features as an integral component of the architecture. From initial building siting concepts through building organization and material selection, each phase is approached with sustainable ideas at the forefront of the design decisions. ### Services Provided - Building Design - Home Remodeling - Architectural Drawings - Custom Homes - House Plans - Home Additions - Home Extensions - Kitchen Design - Sustainable Design - Kitchen Remodeling - Energy-Efficient Homes - 3D Rendering - Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) - Bathroom Design - Green Building - Multigenerational Homes - Pool House Design & Construction - Outdoor Kitchen Design - Tiny House Construction - Landscape Plans - Construction Drawings ### Areas Served - San Francisco - Oakland - Berkeley - Richmond - Alameda - Palo Alto - Martinez - San Pablo - Los Altos - Saratoga - Hercules - El Cerrito - Albany - Orinda - Pinole - Moraga - Emeryville - El Sobrante - Piedmont - Tiburon - Woodside - Tara Hills - Portola Valley - North Richmond - Rollingwood - East Richmond Heights - Bayview - Montalvin - Belvedere - Belvedere Tiburon - Canyon - Pacific Heights ### Typical Job Cost $300,000 - 10 million ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | WA Design Architects | | Address | 805 Folger Ave, Berkeley, California 94710, United States | | Phone | (510) 604-1474 | | Website | http://www.wadesign.com | | Followers on Houzz | 2158 | **Social profiles:** - Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/pages/WA-design/162511850474743 ## Offers Best of Houzz Winner in Service & Design ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [WA Design Architects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/wa-design-architects-pfvwus-pf~1736518276) - **Website:** http://www.wadesign.com - **Phone:** (510) 604-1474 ## Credentials **Certifications & Awards** - See website http://www.wadesign.com - **Best of Houzz:** 13 awards (2013–2026), for Service, Design. ## Reviews **Overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 — 36 reviews** *Aspect averages:* - Work Quality: 50.0 - Communication: 50.0 - Value: 50.0 ### Reviews **★★★★★ — Marcus WIlliams, Jan. 2025** > David's designs seamlessly blend functionality with aesthetics, and his clear communication ensures a smooth collaboration between all parties involved. > > Throughout our partnership, David has demonstrated professionalism, a strong understanding of materials, and a willingness to explore innovative solutions. His ability to align architectural vision with practical implementation makes him a trusted professional in the industry. > > We highly recommend David Wilson and look forward to working together on future projects. **★★★★★ — Jose Caldera, Nov. 2023** > David and his team were excellent in our Tahoe remodel project. Even through the pandemic, which added another unwanted layer of complexity. We looked for a team that could bring a modern vision to our traditional Tahoe house. David and this team listened to our requirements, offered their vision, and delivered what we wanted in a few iterations. They worked within the constraints of what was possible in Tahoe and were available to guide our contractors and us during the process. They were always available for questions and ready to accommodate whatever challenges the remodel project brought. > > We are in the process of a new project, and we have already contacted David and his team for support. **★★★★★ — jbendich, Dec. 2022** > We just completed a whole house remodel. Every room was reconfigured, and the whole house reimagined. Every wall, floor, ceiling, as well as the plumbing, electrical, and HVAC systems were redone. Working with WA designs and David Wilson was a great choice. David and his team listened to what we hoped and dreamed we might be able to create, and then they created a design that was flexible enough to accommodate several rounds of refinement until we ended up with every thing we envisioned. And working with the team at WA was a pleasure. From design to build, WA assisted us in every phase of our project, from the initial design, to helping us select a contractor, to obtaining the necessary permits, and working with us through the complete process of building, including selecting materials and the finishes. We would unreservedly recommend WA for any design/build project anyone might have. **Comment from WA Design Architects:** > Thanks for your review Jon - It was a pleasure working with you ! **★★★★★ — somec, Dec. 2020** > David and WA Design Architects have been an absolute pleasure to work with on our project. From conception to punch list, they provide creative designs and solutions. David's has a gift to see the natural beauty around our home and brought the outside in from every angle and intentionally placed window. This still astonishes me and everyone who walks into our home. **★★★★★ — Mark K., Dec. 2020** > You won’t find someone better. David is extraordinarily gifted at conceiving how to use space and designing to how you live. He’s exceptionally talented, artistic, and quick. Working with David elevates your project and engenders confidence in the decisions you make. His involvement will be the best decision and have the highest ROI of your project, regardless of how many professionals are in the mix. > > David worked w/us to create a modern kitchen in an 1891, four story Victorian. We are so impressed w/his ability to create an elegant kitchen compatible w/historic architectural décor while integrating modern functionality. We have a completely up-to-date kitchen, w/artist flare David is well known for while the architectural details mirror those of the original house. **★★★★★ — Peter Sebastian, Nov. 2020** > I don't mean to overstate it, but I believe David Wilson is some kind of creative genius. I started my project with another architect and then a designer, but David took everything in a new direction and really opened my eyes as to what was possible. I'm still finding wonderful surprises in the details, right down to textures and colors, as well as the juxtaposition of shapes and continuity of visual themes in David's plans. We broke ground about a month ago, and I'm breathing a sigh of thankful relief that I first let David sketch out his idea last year. **★★★★★ — Hank, Nov. 2020** > The WA Design team exceeded our expectations with our dream home both in the end product and the processes used to create, design, and build. **★★★★★ — Rachel Schneider, Sept. 2020** > As soon as we saw WA Design's work, we knew we wanted to work with David and his amazing team. It was the best decision we ever made. Working with David, Andy, and Kyle for the past year has been a pleasure. Our remodel is a large project and working with them has been what we expected to be a very stressful and overwhelming process seamless, from design, project management, and everything in between. They are professional, timely, and the best at what they do. David and Andy truly go above and beyond and have impressed us at every stage of the project, from drawings and plans, to site visits, city meetings, vendor management, and of course -- their exceptional and unparalleled design work. They are incredibly thorough, meticulous, and professional. We love working together and are excited to see the end result! **★★★★★ — Jeremy Schneider, Sept. 2020** > David, Andy, Kyle, and the team at WA Design have been amazing partners as we renovate our home in the Bay Area. We were drawn to WA Design after visiting the home of one of David's clients and were blown away. To be going through a process as cumbersome as a large remodel in the Bay Area with this team by our side has been a blessing - they take all of the worry out, coordinate all of the details (small and large) and manage to make it fun and exciting. We often defer to them and feel lucky to have their attentive care and detail on our home. We view them as true partners and one of the best decisions we have made. **★★★★★ — Ronak S, Oct. 2018** > David and Chris made designing our new home a fun and efficient experience. David designed a home around our family's needs that we all love. I really appreciate David's flexibility and creativity in adapting his approach as the project changed over time. **★★★★★ — Jill Berrick, Sept. 2018** > David Wilson can "see" the potential of a space in ways that others simply can't. Something about his imagination, his training, his skill, and experience allow him to picture a space in ways that no one else can. He designed our home ten years ago, but my husband continues to regularly rely on his consultation for various projects. In each instance, a space is transformed: lot to magnificent home; old building to modern; dark, cramped space to light and airy. The spaces he creates are not only aesthetically pleasing, they make my whole disposition content because he's considered how the built environment will affect my spirit. Truly remarkable. **★★★★★ — Carmen G, Aug. 2018** > I am writing in praise of our architect David Wilson and his company WA Design in Berkeley. My husband and I are cautious and suspicious people by nature. After talking to half a dozen architects and design/build firms, we chose David. David was responsive and easy to talk to from the first phone call I made. There is probably no way to eliminate all the anxiety inherent in a large and multifaceted overhaul of the house you live in (ours involved a kitchen, laundry, pantry, back entry-way, bedroom and bathroom, all with removing weight-bearing walls and structural rearrangements), but it sure helps to employ someone whose confident vision and keen eye for design braces you along the way. Still, the most important part of our experience is our daily happiness living with the result! ## Selected projects - [Healdsburg Ranch](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/healdsburg-ranch-pj-vj~7485751) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 53 - [Marin Remodel](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/marin-remodel-pj-vj~7299694) - Location: San Francisco, CA - Photos: 40 - [Shiloh House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/shiloh-house-pj-vj~7645640) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 27 - [Gravatt Remodel](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/gravatt-remodel-pj-vj~7297394) - Location: San Francisco, CA - Photos: 12 - [Woodside House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/woodside-house-pj-vj~7083315) - Location: Woodside, CA - Photos: 27 - Description: The Woodside House is a new home located on a large site on the crest of the Woodside hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean to the West. The home is located in an area with view plane restrictions that required a unique solution of roof lines and building massing. Materials are a collage of stucco, cement board and wood scrim that are intended to weather and change in a timeless and mainteance free manner. - [Pacific Heights Remodel](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/pacific-heights-remodel-pj-vj~1161431) - Location: San Francisco, CA - Photos: 37 - Description: Kitchen in the Paciifc Heights Remodel Located in the Pacific Heights area of San Francisco this remodel totally re-configures the 5th and 6th story of this existing building from the 1920’s. Re-locating the kitchen to the top floor and opening walls to the existing courtyard transforms the space to focus on the spectacular view of the Bay. California walnut wood paneling provides the uniting theme throughout the project and back-lit onyx stone at the kitchen create a dynamic setting for the mai… - [Stinson Beach House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/stinson-beach-house-pj-vj~27710) - Location: Stinson Beach, CA - Photos: 16 - Description: Just north of San Francisco is the largely suburban and rural County of Marin. The bay side has been developed with upscale suburbs, but with zoning rules the west side, which borders the Pacific Ocean, has remained an agricultural and rural preserve. The Marin coastline is one of green rolling hills that slope down to the rugged palisades that meet the Pacific. The small town of Stinson Beach is one of the few Marin coastal towns where the rocky coastline yields to a beach—in this case a beauti… - [Berkeley Courtyard House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/berkeley-courtyard-house-pj-vj~20609) - Location: Berkeley, CA - Photos: 60 - Description: Modern architecture - [Folger Live + Work](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/folger-live-work-pj-vj~6375572) - Location: Berkeley, CA - Photos: 40 - Description: These are four Live + Work buildings completed in 2020. - [Creston Remodel](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/creston-remodel-pj-vj~1678037) - Location: Berkeley, CA - Photos: 29 - Description: On the Creston remodel, our challenge was integrating and coordinating the original 1926 vintage home with two new phases of new work that occurred five years apart. The first phase involved a bedroom addition and the creation of a new street side entry courtyard. The second phase was the addition of a master bedroom second floor suite. A particular goal was the creation of a street side private courtyard. This courtyard is enclosed by a custom concrete board form, textured, wall. Despite being… - [Parnassus Heights Remodel](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/parnassus-heights-remodel-pj-vj~4158384) - Location: San Francisco, CA - Photos: 15 - [Noe Valley Remodel](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/noe-valley-remodel-pj-vj~6475843) - Location: San Francisco, CA - Photos: 12 - [Cupertino Remodel](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/cupertino-remodel-pj-vj~7337890) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 12 - [Haight Ashbury Kitchen](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/haight-ashbury-kitchen-pj-vj~6892343) - Location: San Francisco, CA - Photos: 6 - Description: This remodel is located in Victorian home from 1890. The home is replete with all the elaborate trim and details of the era and the challenge for us was to design a kitchen that would integrate with the very strong Victorian aesthetic. - [Healdsburg Ranch Addition](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/healdsburg-ranch-addition-pj-vj~1984236) - Location: Healdsburg, CA - Photos: 39 - Description: This project was the addition of a 3 bedroom guest wing to an existing vineyard ranch in Healdsburg, California. - [Saratoga Creek House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/saratoga-creek-house-pj-vj~20938) - Location: Saratoga, CA - Photos: 58 - Description: This large woodland site lies in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, only ten miles east of San Jose yet far removed from the bustle of Silicon Valley. The clients for this house were a technology company executive and his wife. They envisioned a house sympathetic to the unique site and elegant in execution. The property is shaded by mature heritage oaks, their dense canopies almost closing over the southern portion of the site. Defining the eastern edge of the property is a meandering se… - [Strathmoor House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/strathmoor-house-pj-vj~17284) - Location: Berkeley, CA - Photos: 17 - [Berkeley Ridge Remodel](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/berkeley-ridge-remodel-pj-vj~2444311) - Location: San Francisco, CA - Photos: 5 - Description: This project was a 600 sf addition to an existing home in the Berkeley hills. Our design focus was on creating a new great room opening onto the level rear yard and its heritage oak - [In Progress and Renderings](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/in-progress-and-renderings-pj-vj~1841109) - Location: San Francisco, CA - Photos: 43 - [Tahoe Ridge House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/tahoe-ridge-house-pj-vj~17331) - Location: Tahoe, CA - Photos: 32 [See all 38 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/wa-design-architects-pfvwus-pf~1736518276) ## Ideabooks - [Wish List](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/131353238/list/wish-list) — 5 ideas - [Designing with concrete](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/1818911/list/designing-with-concrete) — 34 ideas [See all 2 ideabooks](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/wadesign) ## Community Q&A **Q: Paint color interior** *(in Photo Questions)* What is the interior paint color? A: Sorry, we don't have the formula anymore - it is an off white into the light grey range **Q: What faucet is this?** *(in Photo Questions)* It looks really cool. Would love to consider this for our new build. A: No, sorry we don't have that info **Q: Color of the white paint?** *(in Photo Questions)* What is the Color of the white paint? A: Sorry, we don't have the formula **Q: easeease redderes** *(in Photo Questions)* S dressEr Ed r text de e🇹🇹SS rra Da ffd Frederick fy ftase rasa dreads z try f dress RX f really enjoyedd RXFred ddFywas us up dess aaa dead draw Fred trare we are Fred was d s Rede CFS cc f CD y x isis t W wAsdoing Terr tr ser ddddd rests s redress Ted DVDft dress dry TX ate SS wasae we f era red A: thanks **Q: How muuch is this? is it electric or dies it need water line etc?** *(in Photo Questions)* Our yard is small A: That is a custom design **Q: Table &stain question** *(in Photo Questions)* Is the table also Douglas fir with a clear stain? A: That table is Elm with a clear finish --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-08-13.*