--- title: "Joyce Yin Architect — Architects & Building Designers | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/joyce-yin-architect-pfvwus-pf~1762064903 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~1762064903.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Joyce Yin Architect" category: ["Architects"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/77f35b2e0356acd5_9426-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "Mountain View, California 94040, United States" latitude: 37.3855 longitude: -122.088 phone: "(650) 937-9711" website: http:// rating: 5 review_count: 5 best_of_houzz_awards: 1 followers: 51 last_updated: 2026-08-24 --- # Joyce Yin Architect Original Houzz profile: [Joyce Yin Architect](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/joyce-yin-architect-pfvwus-pf~1762064903) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Architects - **Location:** Mountain View, CA - **Serves:** San Jose, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Cupertino, Menlo Park, Los Gatos, Los Altos, Saratoga, Los Altos Hills, Woodside - **Houzz rating:** 5.0 out of 5 (5 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 1 award (2019), for Service. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Star Houzzer - Houzz Influencer - Recommended on Houzz - 100 Ideabook Saves Joyce's keen ability to nurture the collaboration of ideas into into a built reality results in spaces that speak to your desire for a home that is uniquely your own. Style-wise, "Warm Modern", "Clean-lined Traditional" or "Eclectic" come to mind. Designs are elegant and simple, sometimes bold, sometimes quirky, always human-oriented. Joyce is fond of mid-century modern, industrial, craftsman, ranch, farmhouse, and vernacular architecture. Whenever possible, she encourages sustainable practices. Joyce enjoys fully participating in every aspect of the design and construction management process as sole practitioner of Joyce Yin Architect. She is licensed in CA and MD, and has past projects in California, Washington DC, Maryland, and Nantucket, Massachusetts. ### Services Provided - Architectural Design - Home Remodeling - Architectural Drawings - Custom Homes - House Plans - New Home Construction - Home Additions - Home Extensions - Kitchen Design - Sustainable Design - Kitchen Remodeling - Energy-Efficient Homes - Floor Plans - Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) - Bathroom Design - Universal Design - Multigenerational Homes - Attic Conversion - Basement Design - Tiny House Construction - Passive Solar Heating & Cooling ### Areas Served - San Jose - Sunnyvale - Mountain View - Palo Alto - Cupertino - Menlo Park - Los Gatos - Los Altos - Saratoga - Los Altos Hills - Woodside ### Typical Job Cost $350,000 - 5 million ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Joyce Yin Architect | | Address | Mountain View, California 94040, United States | | Phone | (650) 937-9711 | | Website | http:// | | License Number | C-34610 | | Followers on Houzz | 51 | **Social profiles:** - LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/joyce-yin-ra-76811b49/ ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Joyce Yin Architect](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/joyce-yin-architect-pfvwus-pf~1762064903) - **Website:** http:// - **Phone:** (650) 937-9711 ## Credentials **Certifications & Awards** - Architectural license in CA and MD; Scholarship to get Master's in Architecture; Master's Thesis Award; Graduate Certificate in Creativity, Innovation & Change. - **Best of Houzz:** 1 award (2019), for Service. ## Reviews **Overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 — 5 reviews** *Aspect averages:* - Work Quality: 50.0 - Communication: 50.0 - Value: 50.0 ### All 5 reviews **★★★★★ — Khushboo, Sept. 2022** > Joyce is an awesome architect to work with. Not only is she great with her work, but her listening and communication skills make her truly stand out. She always listened to our needs carefully, explained the pros and cons, and her thinking in arriving at a suggested solution. Brainstorming with her always led us to a clear solution. She was very prompt with email communication as well. Our project needed a lot of co-ordination and discussion of minute details with the structural engineer, the contractor team, and the vendor for huge floor to ceiling sliding glass doors. Joyce made the process a breeze, by being involved and ensuring all the little details are taken care of and each party knows what they must, to ensure the end result was as envisioned! Above all she is an absolute pleasure to work with and she met challenges with a smile, and the right attitude! We appreciate her time, energy and thoughtfulness while working with us, and we'd recommend her whole heartedly. **Comment from Joyce Yin Architect:** > I firmly believe the design/construction process takes teamwork. Every project is different and the balance of leadership and management shifts depending on experience and personality, but you and A. took it to another level. You guys, along with the contractor and interior designer, were partners in the entirety of the process. The results were just as intended, which is no easy feat. As a bonus, it was also easy and fun to work with you guys too. May your family enjoy the new spaces for years to come! **★★★★★ — Lisa P, Sept. 2018** > We hired Joyce to design our 1950's home. From day 1, she listened to what we wanted. She is detailed, punctual and was apart of every detail in our 1-year journey. She worked with the city, took the time to look at materials, researched materials for us and worked closely with our GC. I cannot recommend her enough and wouldn't hesitate to use her again. **Comment from Joyce Yin Architect:** > Thanks Lisa! You were indispensable throughout the process, so you can credit yourself too with how everything turned out. I thoroughly enjoyed working with you guys and think the renovation will serve you well for all the years to come. Wishing you guys all the best as your family grows! **★★★★★ — J Y, Aug. 2018** > Joyce Yin is incredible! 1) The most important for me - she is an excellent architect. Her designs are thought out, sophisticated, practical, and beautiful. 2) She is flexible. Joyce provides different ideas and designs by listening closely to the client. She was also willing to work with my limitations and tastes. 3) She responds quickly. During the process, I had to make many last minute yet expensive decisions. Joyce's response rate was so fast that I was able to make informed choices. 4) Joyce is patient. She was willing to answer all my questions and explain the concepts. Her teaching background gives her the ability to speak to people in a way that they can understand. 5) She works well and closely with other people: myself, the structural engineer, the title 24 person, the city permitting officials, and my contractor. 6) She is nice and values working with nice people. Even though my project was on a smaller scale (garage conversion), Joyce was kind and willing to take it on, fitting it in between her larger projects. I always felt like I was a priority even though I know she was multitasking. I would definitely work with Joyce again! **Comment from Joyce Yin Architect:** > That's very kind of you, J! I was happy to take part in your renovation, and though a small scope, still one that made a huge impact on how you live, so it's big in that respect. Hoping you guys continue to enjoy the new spaces, and your great vegetable garden! So jealous. **★★★★★ — User, April 2016** > Joyce is a wonderful architect to work with. She is patient, detail-oriented, and thoughtful. I had a great time working with her to photographed the results which is clean, well-designed, and functional. I can't wait to see her next project. **★★★★★ — K H, Dec. 2015** > We hired Joyce as our architect and we would do it again! We remodeled our very outdated 1950's house in Sunnyvale. The project included structural changes, new kitchen, all new lights, windows, doors, concrete, floors, sliding doors... Basically we ended up with a brand new front half of the house. Joyce walked us through the entire process, from design to bidding to construction management. There's no doubt about the high quality of Joyce's design and drawings! She is a really talented architect with wonderful ideas. She was respectful of our budget and was really flexible with her time as well. She went above and beyond what we expected from an architect and we ended up with a really awesome remodeled home. **Comment from Joyce Yin Architect:** > I'm glad you're so happy with the results! I know I've mentioned it a bunch of times before, but I'll say it again- you guys helped make it a wonderful project. We did it together: you guys, the contractors and myself. As an architect, I couldn't have asked for a better team. Wishing you wonderful memory-making moments in the "new" house! ## Selected projects - [Neighborhood Anchor](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/neighborhood-anchor-pj-vj~7297717) - Location: San Jose, CA - Photos: 9 - Description: This family of four is an anchor of their community. The door is always open. Neighbors feel free to stop by and say hi. The kids' friends often come over to just hang out. Most of their time is spent in the main living areas, the back yard and the front porch, where they can easily spend quality time with family, friends and neighbors. Their pre-renovated home had served them well, but as the kids got older, they needed more room, They couldn't bear the thought of moving out of the neighborhood… - [A Modern Swing Suite Addition](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/a-modern-swing-suite-addition-pj-vj~7023163) - Location: Mountain View, CA - Photos: 8 - Description: The enlarged Dining & Living Room combo anchors this modern home with a complete view of a private backyard through a set of floor-to-ceiling sliding glass panels. The Kitchen is to the right. To the left, a second set of full-height sliding glass panels leads to a new suite with a vaulted ceiling, skylights, and a picturesque corner window. The new space, which includes a full bath, swings in function to whatever the family needs, whether a guest suite, an office, a playroom, or a music room. T… - [Sunnyvale Ranch Remodel](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sunnyvale-ranch-remodel-pj-vj~1700530) - Location: Sunnyvale, CA - Photos: 11 - Description: This modest ranch house had been added-on and remodeled in various stages and styles. The new homeowners wanted to keep some features that gave the house a bit of charm and quirk, but hoped for a simplified, more modern interpretation both inside and out. Their main goals were to gain significantly more natural light, to open the public rooms to each other, and to create a better indoor-outdoor relationship with the existing interior courtyard as in a true ranch home. The homeowners also wanted… - [Los Altos Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/los-altos-residence-pj-vj~3021357) - Location: Los Altos, CA - Photos: 10 - Description: This growing family now has a home that reflects their modern lifestyle with an open living space so everyone can be together, even while doing separate activities. Though no square-footage was added to the main living space, it now feels significantly more spacious by the expansion upwards to a cathedral ceiling. The kitchen, living and dining areas now open to each other while still maintaining a sense of distinction. A new wall of glass doors blurs the edge of in versus out, and when open, ef… - [A Cook's Kitchen](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/a-cook-s-kitchen-pj-vj~7304520) - Location: Palo Alto, CA - Photos: 4 [See all 5 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/joyce-yin-architect-pfvwus-pf~1762064903) ## Ideabooks - [Fireplace units](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/57520636/list/fireplace-units) — 2 ideas - [Lam Paterson](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/48813234/list/lam-paterson) — 5 ideas - [Dag2gan](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/46052492/list/dag2gan) — 16 ideas - [Stucco Exterior](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/28313635/list/stucco-exterior) — 9 ideas - [Porches to inspire](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/26605594/list/porches-to-inspire) — 9 ideas - [Updated Ranches](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/26628175/list/updated-ranches) — 13 ideas - [Baths](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/26645786/list/baths) — 6 ideas - [I like!](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/26603389/list/i-like) — 16 ideas [See all 8 ideabooks](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/joyceyin) ## Community Q&A **Q: Small Eat in Kitchen help!** *(in Design Dilemma)* About a year ago we bought a 1350 sqft ranch style home that has an eat in kitchen and no formal dining room. I've sketched out the layout of my kitchen and attached a few pictures. We are only going to be in this house another 3 1/2-4 years and just want to do a few updates(on a very small budget) to make this space look better and hopefully enticing to future buyers. So far the plan is paint the walls, add backspash, paint the cabinets (I'm thinking white uppers and gray lowers) butcher block counter tops, new undermount sink, new faucet, lighting,..we just got the new fridge and dishwasher and still need to get the stove and range hood. New flooring isn't really in the budget which is why I was thinking grey lowers instead of white (since the tile is white).I am currently redoing the grout lines..which you can kinda see from one of the pics. The middle soffit that jets out is coming down since there is nothing in there. The plate rack is left over from the previous owners and I was considering taking out the cabinet above the sink and doing open shelves there for my plates. Anyway my question is more about the dining room part. There is not a whole lot of room in there and I was considering banquette seating in the corner. It's only myself and my husband, but we like to have friends over and banquette seating seems so cozy and inviting and like we could squeeze more in around a table. The laundry room door currently swings open but I plan on replacing it with a sliding barn door so it won't be in the way anymore. If I did banquette seating I would have to lengthen the current pendant to be able to center it to a new table. The current table in there (36" square) is an old hand me down I plan on replacing with a standard height table. So should I just replace my current table and keep everything basically where it is..or do banquette seating? I would also like to add a small sideboard for additional storage. I found one I like online that is 42" wide and only 12" deep. I figured if I do the banquette seating It could go on the wall where the plate rack is..and if not it could go on the wall where the map is...Any other suggestions on anything welcome (please excuse the mess on the counter) Thanks :) A: Just to clarify, I meant the need for an opening to the laundry room, not just the door. Changing the door out won't better the idea of the banquette. **Q: Entryway** *(in Design Dilemma)* I am very confused about how to decorate this empty open square as you enter my home. Please help! A: My first impression: the entry space is hard to decorate because it's too open. Currently, the only surfaces are the floor and the doors. It shouldn't be expensive, so if it's in the budget, would you consider filling the gap in the wall? If the intention is to see the Dining Rm upon entry, you already have that ability. I feel like a full wall to provide a smudge more privacy would actually be a plus for both the entry and the DR. With a full wall, you'll have something to decorate! You could hang a mirror above your bench below or use a console table instead. **Q: Help-my husband wants to tile the ENTIRE bathroom-entire ceiling too!** *(in Design Dilemma)* My husband and I are completely redoing one of our bathrooms in our new home - it's a blank slate right now since everything has been gutted to the studs. We are starting to think about the layout, etc BUT my husband wants to tile not only the floors - the wall near shower but also the CEILING! I'm not just talking about the ceiling for the shower/tub but the ENTIRE ceiling. I'm trying to find photos online to visualize it (in an attempt to compromise with him) but I can't find a thing. How can I convince him otherwise?? A: Best to add a fan to exhaust moisture if that's the main concern. Helps with not only the walls, but mold growing on the grout, caulk, etc. Most baths don't have tiled ceilings and don't have moisture problems. A tiled ceiling isn't the solution for moisture issues. If tiling the ceiling is preferred for aesthetic reasons, I personally prefer tiled ceilings only in certain areas or if the ceiling has a special shape. I also prefer if the tile is different than the tile on the walls, and if it feels lighter. Also helps if most of the tile in the room is subtle, not too busy or with too much pattern so that an accent wall or the floor draws the eye's attention. You don't want every surface to compete for attention. That goes for any room. Good luck! **Q: The infamous " to paint or not to paint"? 2 part question.** *(in Design Dilemma)* Hoping some houzzers can help me out. I recently retiled the shower in the main bathroom. The colors in the shower tie into the colors in the guest room which adjoins said bathroom. We recently gutted our master so there wasn't a lot of $$ left in the budget for this room. I'm going to paint the walls a very light sea green (think sea salt) color. For now the countertop and sink need to stay. I wanted to know if I should paint the wood vanity off white to match the mirror ( came from my old house). The other thing I'm thinking of doing is tearing out the deep tower on the countertop, to the right. It makes the room look even smaller. It's great storage, but a pain, every time you open the door it knocks stuff off the counter. Thanks for any ideas, love Houzz!! A: I'm with you on taking out the cabinet above the countertop. You can add back white floating shelves, larger mirror, or hang a couple small pictures. I'd also go ahead and paint the vanity white. Not necessary, but I like the idea. **Q: What else should I do?** *(in Design Dilemma)* Corner of bedroom vintage furniture and eclectic collage. what else does it need? Thanks! A: pretty pendant light above the desk and a vase of white/green hydrangeas. subtle wallpaper? dash of color? **Q: I NEED HELP FOR MY LIVING CEDAR LIVING ROOM** *(in Design Dilemma)* TO MUCH WOOD AND NEED MORE LIGHT. i AM AFARAID TO PAINT REAL CEDAR WOOD LOGS. HELP A: I'm not against painted wood, and as you see in so many Houzz photo examples, it can be beautiful. However, given how very difficult it is to bring the natural wood back, I'd hesitate to paint it unless you were 100% sure that's what you wanted. I'd recommend taking less permanent steps first to see if you can improve the quality of light in the room. For examples: A. Try a large, light-colored rug. It will go a long way toward reflecting what light you do have coming in, and will also add even more visual interest to the room. Part of the reason the room feels dark is that all the surfaces of the room are the same wood. B. More expensive and maybe not in the style of your house, you can try adding a layer of drywall over the wood walls, or just one or two walls. The space you lose in the room is negligible and if painted a light color, will brighten the room considerably. Plus, it can always be removed in the future. C. Assuming no 2nd story above, you could add skylights, a more permanent and costly way to get more light into the room other than adding more fixtures. Just a few quick thoughts...hope it helps. If I come across photo examples, I'll post. --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-08-24.*