--- title: "Swatt | Miers Architects — Architects & Building Designers | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/swatt-miers-architects-pfvwus-pf~1829054833 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~1829054833.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Swatt | Miers Architects" category: ["Architects"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/ad53eb5800eefb80_6679-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "5845 Doyle Street, Suite 104, Emeryvillle, California 94608, United States" latitude: 37.8365 longitude: -122.2804 phone: "(510) 985-9779" website: http://www.swattmiers.com rating: 5 review_count: 9 best_of_houzz_awards: 8 followers: 2488 last_updated: 2026-08-25 --- # Swatt \| Miers Architects Original Houzz profile: [Swatt \| Miers Architects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/swatt-miers-architects-pfvwus-pf~1829054833) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Architects - **Location:** Emeryvillle, CA - **Serves:** San Francisco, Oakland, Santa Rosa, Berkeley, Daly City, Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Emeryville, Healdsburg, Piedmont, Tiburon, Los Altos Hills, Atherton, Portola Valley - **Houzz rating:** 5.0 out of 5 (9 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 8 awards (2014–2025), for Design, Service. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Houzz Influencer - Recommended on Houzz - 500,000 Ideabook Saves - Best of Houzz winner - Award winning - Offers Custom Work Our designs are based on the principles of modern architecture that have made the West Coast so special - each building is knitted to its site in a way that seems almost inevitable. Where appropriate, we use open planning, both horizontally and vertically, to create exciting spatial experiences, and we strive to create architecture that, both physically and visually, celebrates the beauty of the natural landscape by blurring the boundary between inside and outside. Contact us for your next project. We'd love to help you design your dream home! ### Services Provided - Building Design - Home Remodeling - Home Additions - Home Extensions - Energy-Efficient Homes - Green Building - Drafting - Construction Drawings - Custom Homes - Remodeling ### Areas Served - San Francisco - Oakland - Santa Rosa - Berkeley - Daly City - Lafayette - Orinda - Moraga - Emeryville - Healdsburg - Piedmont - Tiburon - Los Altos Hills - Atherton - Portola Valley ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Swatt \| Miers Architects | | Address | 5845 Doyle Street, Suite 104, Emeryvillle, California 94608, United States | | Phone | (510) 985-9779 | | Website | http://www.swattmiers.com | | Followers on Houzz | 2488 | **Social profiles:** - Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/swattmiers - LinkedIn — http://www.linkedin.com/company/1535689 - Blog — www.swattmiers.com ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Swatt \| Miers Architects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/swatt-miers-architects-pfvwus-pf~1829054833) - **Website:** http://www.swattmiers.com - **Phone:** (510) 985-9779 ## Credentials **Certifications & Awards** - Swatt \| Miers Architects has received with over 70 local, regional, and national design awards including the prestigious National AIA Honor Award, American Architecture Award, and International Architecture Award from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum. - **Best of Houzz:** 8 awards (2014–2025), for Design, Service. **Affiliations** - [American Institute of Architects, San Francisco](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/schools-and-organizations/american-institute-of-architects-san-francisco-pfvwus-pf~788533068) - [The American Institute of Architects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/schools-and-organizations/the-american-institute-of-architects-pfvwus-pf~1350720471) ## Reviews **Overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 — 9 reviews** ### All 9 reviews **★★★★★ — donna grant, Jan. 2018** > When I started searching for an architect for my new home I kept coming back to the Swatt Miers designs that I saw on the WEB. I had talked to several architects that were closer to the area I was going to build in but finally decided I just had to interview Swatt Meirs. I knew immediately the Bob Swatt would be my architect. He listened to what I wanted style wise and even more important how I wanted to live. Bob Swatt and Miya Muraki designed the perfect house for me. The property was on a difficult hilly site but it had a wonderful view which has been maximized with walls of glass. They worked closely with the general contractor, Sausalito Construction, to ensure that the vision turned into reality. The house is a joy to live in. **★★★★★ — Foxman Design, Jan. 2016** > Cheers...your Tiburon Residence in San Fran is one of the most beautifully proportioned Villas on the planet...great work! FLW would be jealous. **★★★★★ — Marchand Wright & Associates, Dec. 2014** > Our home technology consulting firm, Marchand Wright & Associates, has been fortunate enough to work with the Swatt Miers team on several homes in the San Francisco Bay Area. Not only are the homes beautiful, but the team is a pleasure to work with. They promote clear and open communication with their clients and with the entire project team, and we find that the end result is a well integrated design. We'd highly recommend Swatt Miers to anyone considering the design of a new home. **★★★★★ — Jessica Munck, Oct. 2014** > Exceptional architect with an exquisite taste for modern, forward design. After looking at his work decided to get a consultation for our home. We were very pleased with his outlook on what our house could become. **★★★★★ — Murray Window & Door, Inc., April 2014** > What a coup to be invited to be a part of a Swatt Miers project! We were so thrilled when homeowner, Reema, sought us out to get a quick but thorough education on Fleetwood products over a weekend. For accommodating her on the weekend, she was generous enough to connect us with Lencioni Construction and ultimately to Swatt Miers. Our first SM project required a lot of value engineering to help determine exactly what Fleetwood products were appropriate for the intended construction and budget. We were also challenged with a serious list of break metal shapes that we had to integrate into our installation. Ivan, the associate architect on the project, was readily available and was very involved in every detail. The home is a showcase and it opened the doors for us to continue to work on several SM projects. Each one is unique, in tune with the geography, accommodates the client's oh so special desires, and yet has a signature feel of a Swatt Miers Home. ...brilliant! **★★★★★ — Nicole Vidalakis, Nov. 2013** > After interviewing over 50 architects, I chose Swatt-Miers to design my 7500 sqft home in Portola Valley. This experience was better than I ever could have imagined--First, the principal architect himself, Robert Swatt, is the one who designed the house and came to every meeting. This is unlike other firms where the principal is just a figurehead or will only meet with you if you are famous or a billionaire. He is a sophisticated design powerhouse who builds works of art that people happen to live in. Bob is extremely humble and wanted to build the house that I wanted, vs a vanity project for himself. He was always aware of my budget and design goals as well as aspirations. I can't imagine a more perfect home than the one Bob built for me. Bob always treated me with respect and dignity and went way beyond what I ever expected from him in terms of care, dignity, time, and effort. The other architects in his office follow his lead in terms of talent, high-class, and pure and functional modern design. Furthermore, you very much get your money's worth working with this firm--I have already had someone offer twice what the house cost me (although I will never sell!). I am so proud to live in one of his houses. Thank you Bob! **★★★★★ — loreecapper, Aug. 2013** > We live in a small home built in the 50's on a small lot. We love the location but need more space and wanted a warm contemporary look with more light in the house. > Bob Swatt help us come up with a (2) phase remodel; an office in the backyard and an addition to the main house. > Bob Swatt was very easy to work with as he listened to our needs and wants, worked within our budget and created a beautiful design beyond expectations. Having many years in the construction industry, we found the process with Bob Swatt and his engineers a pleasurable experience within all phases of the (2) projects. > Bob has an uncanny intuition as to how to blend our old cottage and new contemporary styles together to make for a "stop and look" type of home. **★★★★★ — Khrome Studios, Jan. 2013** > Robert Swatt, is an incredible creative force. I gaze at his work for motivation, relaxation and exquisite architecture. He has now built two clients homes and they rave about this firm. The ultimate compliment is to be consistently invited to clients homes, and that is where I have had the please of meeting him. **★★★★★ — dcloye, June 2012** > I worked with Swatt Architects on several commercial projects in the nineties and have since kept abreast of their work. Bob Swatt has always assembled an energetic, creative and professional team to execute work which is classically beautiful, extremely responsive to each clients' needs, and truly respectful of the natural and built environment in and around each project. In every case I know of, the result has been places that people want to be in, places that stand the test of time and become cherished parts of their communities. ## Selected projects - [Silicon Valley Modern Tea Houses](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/silicon-valley-modern-tea-houses-pj-vj~141375) - Location: Silicon Valley, CA - Photos: 10 - Description: Years ago, when the owner and his young daughter explored the remote hills surrounding their Silicon Valley home, they discovered an idyllic setting below a ridge, under a grove of large California Live Oaks. They first thought the setting would be perfect for a tree house, but the idea later evolved into the tea houses, places where one could retreat into nature. There are three, each with its own purpose: meditation, sleeping and ‘visioning’ or creative thinking. Each tea house is designed as… - [Blue Oaks](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/blue-oaks-pj-vj~6992200) - Location: Los Altos Hills, CA - Photos: 18 - Description: The owners, who split their time between Wyoming and California, wanted a home that would feel natural in its rustic setting, while celebrating the beauty of the site and maximizing the commanding views of the rural valleys and hills of the southern portion of Silicon Valley. The site is a 1.7 acre semi-rural hillside property In Los Altos Hills, about 40 miles south of San Francisco. The parcel, dotted with beautiful oak trees, has challenging down-sloping topography in two directions - a gentl… - [Vidalakis Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/vidalakis-residence-pj-vj~1991020) - Location: Portola Valley, CA - Photos: 15 - Description: This distinctive residence was designed as a piece of inhabitable art for its owner, an avid collector of colorful and unique works. Featuring three stepped-back stories linked by a grand mahogany staircase and a double-height glass pavilion overlooking the semi-rural landscape on three sides, this gallery home is a piece of sculpture in its own right. - [Happy Valley House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/happy-valley-house-pj-vj~6992223) - Location: Lafayette, CA - Photos: 12 - Description: The idea for the design of this 10,800 sf. home was to utilize the footprint of the original building so that we could save almost all of the landscaping. A secondary benefit of this approach was minimizing the need for excessive grading and drainage...resulting in a completed design that feels timeless, and perfectly at home on the site. The plan is a simple “H” shape with an entry courtyard on the north side and a large covered lanai on the south side. The kitchen and family areas are on the e… - [Retrospect Vineyards Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/retrospect-vineyards-residence-pj-vj~1207724) - Location: Windsor, CA - Photos: 17 - Description: Located on a gently sloping knoll surrounded by 20 acres of pinot noir vineyards, this new Sonoma County home has been designed to provide casual indoor-outdoor living spaces that take full advantage of the magnificent wine country site. In plan, the house is an elongated 'T,' creating a relatively opaque and private entry courtyard on the north side. In contrast, the south side of the house is all glass, including large sliding glass doors that open the interior spaces to an expansive swimming… - [Oak Knoll House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/oak-knoll-house-pj-vj~1990644) - Location: Napa, CA - Photos: 12 - [Sunol Modern Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sunol-modern-residence-pj-vj~146493) - Location: Sunol, CA - Photos: 16 - Description: The Sinbad Creek Residence is a 4,000 square foot home located on a beautiful 5.3 acre east-facing hillside in the rural town of Sunol. With unique views in every direction, this home has been designed so that every major space has its own special focus. Organizes on alternating sides of a linear north-south circulation spine, each space is placed diagonally across the spine from its neighbor space. With varying ceiling heights that range from a low, compressed entry to a dramatic two-story dini… - [Silicon Valley Modern Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/silicon-valley-modern-residence-pj-vj~141328) - Location: Atherton, CA - Photos: 13 - Description: The OZ Residence in Silicon Valley, California captures the essence of casual California living with open planning, rich natural materials, and strong visual connection to beautiful gardens designed by landscape architect Ron Herman. The owners, a young couple with two young children, wanted their home to have a casual, barefoot feel, like a vacation destination. Their 2.8 acre site, with gentle slopes to the south and mature landscaping on all sides was the perfect setting to create a home that… - [Healdsburg Modern Vacation Home](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/healdsburg-modern-vacation-home-pj-vj~142280) - Location: Healdsburg, CA - Photos: 11 - Description: The Hudson/Panos Residence, located on a knoll on a nine-acre site overlooking the Dry Creek Valley in Healdsburg, is designed as an informal vacation house for their young family. The plan is arranged with two parallel wings that are slightly offset to create a linear entry court and overlook an elegant 50-foot-long swimming pool. The east wing contains the children’s and guest bedrooms while the west wing contains the public spaces on the lower level and the master bedroom suite on the upper l… - [Berkeley Hills Modern Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/berkeley-hills-modern-residence-pj-vj~146235) - Location: Berkeley, CA - Photos: 15 - Description: With its crisp, structural geometry that appears to grow out of the very top of the Berkeley Hills, the new Kapoor Residence enjoys panoramic views from Mount Diablo to the Golden Gate Bridge. A motor court doubles as a courtyard for entertaining, and leads to a series of ascending stairs and bridge which spans over a reflecting pool to the entrance of the 3 level house. The family and living rooms at the south side have been designed as a dramatic two-story, glass-enclosed “lantern” commanding… - [Atherton Modern Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/atherton-modern-residence-pj-vj~380259) - Location: Atherton, CA - Photos: 21 - Description: Clean, tranquil modern architecture and playful, energetic small children: at first blush, the two things can seem mutually exclusive. However, the owners of the ARA House dreamed of one day owning a peaceful, sophisticated modern home with ample outdoor space that would satisfy their deep interest in design while still being a practical, family-friendly home for their kids. After searching for two years for the right property, they finally discovered the perfect lot in Atherton, California. Sur… - [Tiburon Modern Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/tiburon-modern-residence-pj-vj~142078) - Location: Tiburon, CA - Photos: 13 - Description: The owners of the Garay Residence have lived in Tiburon, California for many years, dreaming of one day transforming their low, one story home into a setting befitting their spectacular site perched above San Francisco Bay. Their dreams began to be realized in 2005 with the design of a 2000 square foot addition, coupled with a complete renovation of the existing 3,200 square foot house. The site is a half-acre south-facing hillside parcel, with unobstructed views of San Francisco Bay to the sout… - [Palo Alto Modern Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/palo-alto-modern-residence-pj-vj~146525) - Location: Palo Alto, CA - Photos: 13 - Description: The owners, a young couple from Israel with four children, brought to this project a passion for architecture, a wealth of ideas collected over many years of contemplating their dream house and a desire to create an artistic family home with unique materials and details. The result, a true collaboration between client and architect, is a lively composition of dynamic spaces, rich materials and intricate detailing. The planning for this 6,000 square foot house started with the concept of dividing… - [Point Reyes Modern Vacation Home](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/point-reyes-modern-vacation-home-pj-vj~146120) - Location: Inverness Park, CA - Photos: 11 - Description: Situated 35 miles north of San Francisco near the Point Reyes National Seashore, the Gradman Residence embraces its steep site and the surrounding grove of magnificent cedar trees. This 2,500 square foot vacation home is designed with five floor levels to gently step with the topography and create distinct zones for living. Bedroom terraces lead to the western woods to allow for hikes into nature, while living terraces to the east capture magnificent views to the Tomales Bay and wetlands below.… - [Emeryville Modern Prefab House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/emeryville-modern-prefab-house-pj-vj~146536) - Location: Emeryville, CA - Photos: 12 - Description: The partnership with Simpatico Homes represents an opportunity for our firm to bring custom-quality architecture to a broader audience through the cost advantages of prefabrication. The Krubiner Residence, the Simpatico Prototype, is located in Emeryville just a few blocks from our office. The Simpatico Homes represent a unique opportunity help to transform housing, by combining modern design with off-site prefabrication and LEED-certified sustainability - [Orinda Modern Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/orinda-modern-residence-pj-vj~147259) - Location: Orinda, CA - Photos: 16 - Description: On a majestic ridge with sweeping views of bucolic hillsides and valleys, the Stein Residence is an extreme makeover of a previous one-story, tile-roofed ranch house. Although sited advantageously on the southwest portion of the property, the original building suffered from low ceilings, a disjointed plan, and minimal glazing that failed to address its beautiful views. The strategy that evolved focused on constructing a new home, roughly within the original footprint, using the existing foundati… - [Lafayette Modern Architect's Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/lafayette-modern-architect-s-residence-pj-vj~146182) - Location: Layafette, CA - Photos: 12 - Description: An architect’s home for a young family of five in Lafayette, California, a composition of the home, a carport/studio and pool sit along the downhill slope of a 1-1/2 acre site surrounded by a gentle creek, mature oaks and the hills of a neighboring regional park. Inspired by the language of earlier modern West Coast architecture, the form of the Swatt Residence is quiet, restrained and modern. The open plan design suits the goals of family life and entertaining, while a strong relationship betwe… - [Los Altos Modern Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/los-altos-modern-residence-pj-vj~380307) - Location: Los Altos, CA - Photos: 10 - [Sausalito Modern Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sausalito-modern-residence-pj-vj~146462) - Location: Sausalito, CA - Photos: 9 - Description: The Conrad Residence is built over the footprint of a 1950's residence by noted Bay Area modernist Rodger Lee that over the years had suffered irreparable structural damage. The new design doubles the are of the house to 2700 square feet while maintaining the original emphasis on the expressive use of wood and the distribution of public and private spaces. The new design retains the spirit of the original on the exterior and the interior through its expressive use of wood structure and finishes.… - [Lafayette Modern Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/lafayette-modern-residence-pj-vj~146516) - Location: Layafette, CA - Photos: 10 - Description: The Morley Residence is situated on a gently sloping site bordering a meandering stream. The L-shaped plan has 3 levels that step with the contours of the land. Stepped, opaque planes allow light to filter into the building while providing privacy from the motor court, entrance and street. On the side facing the creek, expanses of glass articulated by folding planes of wood provide access and views to a private terrace, swimming pool and the creek beyond. [See all 21 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/swatt-miers-architects-pfvwus-pf~1829054833) --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-08-25.*