--- title: "Schwartz and Architecture — Architects & Building Designers | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/schwartz-and-architecture-pfvwus-pf~880898469 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~880898469.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Schwartz and Architecture" category: ["Architects"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/8923532108d328bc_9865-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "860 Rhode Island Street, San Francisco, California 94107, United States" latitude: 37.7621 longitude: -122.3971 phone: "(415) 550-0430" website: https://saasf.com rating: 4.9 review_count: 14 best_of_houzz_awards: 3 followers: 1058 last_updated: 2026-09-11 --- # Schwartz and Architecture Original Houzz profile: [Schwartz and Architecture](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/schwartz-and-architecture-pfvwus-pf~880898469) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Architects - **Location:** San Francisco, CA - **Serves:** San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Santa Rosa, Berkeley, Daly City, Alameda, Palo Alto, South San Francisco, San Rafael, Petaluma, San Bruno, Pacifica, Menlo Park, Albany, Mill Valley, Emeryville, Tamalpais-Homestead Valley, Healdsburg, Piedmont, Tiburon, Sausalito, Brisbane, Broadmoor, Portola Valley, Marin City, Belvedere, Colma, Alto, Geyserville, Muir Beach, Belvedere Tiburon, Marin County, Mendocino County, Napa County, Sonoma County - **Houzz rating:** 4.9 out of 5 (14 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 3 awards (2012–2016), for Service, Design. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Star Houzzer - 5 Star Houzzer - Houzz Influencer - Recommended on Houzz - 100,000 Ideabook Saves Schwartz and Architecture is an award-winning architecture and interior design studio founded on a commitment to a highly interactive design process with our clients. We pride ourselves on architectural solutions of clarity, economy, and grace, but always within the pragmatics of a client’s budget, schedule, and needs. In fact, negotiating these often-competing, real-world demands inspires our creativity. Our design sensibility is characterized by the choreography of movement, light, threshold, and material textures to create spaces that unfold into complex yet unified environments. We are particularly adept at managing complex permitting and construction processes and working with fixed schedules and resources. The ethos of Schwartz and Architecture is a reflection of its Founder + Principal’s unique combination of interests and skills. Neal Schwartz completed dual masters degrees in Architecture and Public Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and the Kennedy School of Government respectively. The combination of these two disciplines establishes the foundations of our practice: the creativity to explore our client’s needs in ways that surpass their expectations, and a devotion to rigorous management of complex design, permitting, and construction processes. In addition to heading the firm, Schwartz has been actively involved in teaching for 20 years, most recently as Professor in Architecture at the California College of the Arts (CCA). ### Services Provided - Architectural Design - Building Design - Home Remodeling - Architectural Drawings - Custom Homes - House Plans - New Home Construction - Home Additions - Home Extensions - Kitchen Design - Kitchen Remodeling - Sustainable Design - Energy-Efficient Homes - Floor Plans - 3D Rendering - Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) - Green Building - Bathroom Design - Space Planning - Guesthouse Design & Construction - Multigenerational Homes - Universal Design - Pool House Design & Construction - Home Restoration - Drafting - Historic Building Conservation - Project Management - Handicap-Accessible Design - Outdoor Kitchen Design - Barn Design & Construction - Basement Remodeling - Mudroom Design - Basement Design - Attic Conversion - Tiny House Construction - Staircase Design - Deck Design - Garage Design - Site Preparation - Laundry Room Design - Modular Home Additions - Home Gym Design & Construction - Prefab Houses - Rooftop Deck Installation - Log Home Construction - Construction Drawings ### Areas Served - San Jose - San Francisco - Oakland - Santa Rosa - Berkeley - Daly City - Alameda - Palo Alto - South San Francisco - San Rafael - Petaluma - San Bruno - Pacifica - Menlo Park - Albany - Mill Valley - Emeryville - Tamalpais-Homestead Valley - Healdsburg - Piedmont - Tiburon - Sausalito - Brisbane - Broadmoor - Portola Valley - Marin City - Belvedere - Colma - Alto - Geyserville - Muir Beach - Belvedere Tiburon - Marin County - Mendocino County - Napa County - Sonoma County ### Typical Job Cost $50,000 - 10,000,000 We take on projects of all sizes and budgets, including a commitment to pro bono work. Our best work emerges with clients who value creative design solutions combined with rigorous management of all phases of a project. ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Schwartz and Architecture | | Address | 860 Rhode Island Street, San Francisco, California 94107, United States | | Phone | (415) 550-0430 | | Website | https://saasf.com | | Followers on Houzz | 1058 | **Social profiles:** - Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/SchwartzandArchitecture/ - Blog — https://www.dwell.com/@schwartz\_and\_architecture ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Schwartz and Architecture](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/schwartz-and-architecture-pfvwus-pf~880898469) - **Website:** https://saasf.com - **Phone:** (415) 550-0430 ## Credentials **Certifications & Awards** - California Architecture License AIA Wide-ranging national and international publications and awards. Best of Houzz Awards, 2016, 2013 and 2012 - **Best of Houzz:** 3 awards (2012–2016), for Service, Design. **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) - [Public Architecture](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/professionals/schools-and-organizations/public-architecture-pfvwus-pf~1703615405) - [AIACC](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/schools-and-organizations/aiacc-pfvwus-pf~1863350404) - [NCARB](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/schools-and-organizations/ncarb-pfvwus-pf~1477640315) ## Reviews **Overall rating: 4.9 out of 5 — 14 reviews** ### Reviews **★★★★★ — Dorothee Fisher, July 2018** > We hired Schwartz and Architecture two separate times: in 2008 for our condo in a 1904 four-story Victorian building and then again in 2015 for our 1900 Edwardian single family home. We cannot say enough about how creative, thorough, and professional Neal Schwartz and his team were with both projects. > > The remodel of our condo entailed a complete gut and re-envisioning of our kitchen, dining room, and guest bedroom to create a spaceous kitchen + grandroom. We had a lot of discussion about which elements to keep in our classic Victorian and what should be rebuilt. We could not have imagined a more beautiful result. As young professionals at the time, we could only afford hiring the team to design the plans, however, they were available whenever we had any questions. We loved our remodel and were thrilled that we had partnered with such a talented and professional team, who worked well and respected our budget. > > We hired Schwartz and Architecture again in 2015 for our single family home to build out a new in-law apartment on the ground floor. This project was much more elaborate, so we hired them for design and execution of the entire project. We were thankful that we had done so, as we needed to have a few meetings with the City’s planning department, where Neal attended and supported us each time and was instrumental in navigating San Francisco’s complex permitting process. While the project was under construction, the team was in regular contact with the general contractor to ensure that no element of the design was overlooked or misinterpreted. The team also help us with the finer details, such as selecting wood finishes, cabinet and door hardware, etc. Once again, the result was spectacular. > > We cannot recommend Schwartz and Architecture enough. They were great partners to have with both of these projects large and small. **★★★★★ — building Lab, inc., Jan. 2018** > We thoroughly enjoyed working with Neal and his team. Neal is a superb designer who has deep insight and many interesting ideas. We value our experience of collaboration greatly. **★★★★★ — Pamela Reed, Nov. 2017** > Neal designed and executed two major remodels for us over a ten year period. His, and his team's, great strengths are a truly elevated sense of design, great materials aesthetics, problem solving, and lovely personalities that make it a pleasure to work together. He was able to help us work through the difficult tradeoffs of design, time and cost so that our projects met our budget expectations and still produced a great result. His designs are timeless and give us pleasure every day. **★★★★★ — Paolo Cocchiglia, Nov. 2017** > Worked with Neal and his team on the remodeling of our two units building in SF: they did an awesome job and was a pleasure working with them. The open space, the attention to the natural light, the simple and modern design ... cannot wait to have Neal designing the house of my dreams. Paolo **★★★★★ — Gelling & Judd Inc., March 2016** > We can always count on Schwartz and Architecture for their great design, attention to detail, and follow through. They are easy to work with and we look forward to many more years collaborating with them on beautiful homes. **★★★★ — rbond45, March 2016** > As a contractor I can strongly recommend Schwartz and Architecture based on their professionalism and refreshingly straightforward approach to the building process. > > Ron Bond > President > Moroso Construction Inc. **★★★★★ — denisemsuto, Jan. 2016** > Neil Schwartz and his team delivered an exceptional design and level of service. They have a clear vision, excellent communication and are very responsive to clients. We gutted and redesigned the interior flow of our 1907 Sausalito bungalow to maintain the exterior with a modern, beautiful interior that suits our desire for clean lines, optimizing space, light, and functionality while maintaining privacy. Furthermore, they expertly guided our project efficiently through Sausalito's planning department which is no small feat in and of itself. They offered and explained multiple choices along each stage of the project which allowed us to make fully informed decisions that delivered an exceptional home. They were patient, creative, professional, and good humored with two clients who were intensely invested in participating in every detail of our renovation. **★★★★★ — jyazdany, Dec. 2015** > Neil Schwartz and his team have been a pleasure to work with. We are two very busy professionals, and needed an experienced team that could design and manage our project from its inception. Neil has a clear vision and a powerful sense of space and light. There is a wonderful consistency in his designs and we see elements of this aesthetic in several friends' homes in Potrero Hill that he has designed. His staff are also fantastic and stay on top of the project, including dealing with the city bureaucracy, which can be quite formidable. We highly recommend Schwartz and Architecture! **★★★★★ — katherinevictoria, Dec. 2015** > I used Schwartz and Architecture for a complete remodel on my mid-century modern home. Since we completely gutted the house, there were a lot of moving parts and it was a very complex process. They were very good about staying on budget and keeping me aware of the costs of any of my new good ideas. The project was completed within the projected time frame. They are wonderful to work with and I would heartily recommend them. **★★★★★ — Bob Kunst Painting, Inc., July 2013** > Neil and Team are a pleasure to work with! They understand creative design and work well with everyone involved. It is a pleasure to work with them! I look forward to the next project. **★★★★★ — The Garden Route Company, Jan. 2013** > We have worked with Neil & his team on numerous projects and have always been struck by their attention to detail and ability to problem solve very complex Architectural developments. Their sense of aesthetics has always been inspirational to our own design process and therefore has enabled the landscape design to be a seamless compliment to the Architecture of the home. We look forward to future collaborations. **★★★★★ — nicasio, Dec. 2012** > We've worked with Neal Schwartz twice—once to renovate our home in San Francisco (a complete gut remodel of a turn of the century Edwardian); the other in designing a country residence in Marin, envisioned and built from the ground up. > > On both projects, he was knowledgeable, creative and assertive, all in just the right doses and at the right time—balancing an array of differing opinions (even within my family!), and a diversity of contracting professionals. He was an indispensable asset well beyond his role as Architect—he was operationally strong, financially savvy, and knew how to manage a team to make things happen. On time, and on budget. > > But mostly, he and his outstanding team delivered end results that speak for themselves by the awards they've won. > > We cannot recommend him more highly!! ## Selected projects - [The Green House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/the-green-house-pj-vj~7591162) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 29 - Description: The original home before our renovation and addition, was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s protégé, Aaron Green and built by Echler Homes in 1966. In 1951, Frank Lloyd Wright hired Green as his West Coast representative allowing him to continue his independent practice out of their joint office. Our primary design charge became “First, do no harm.” This dictum, from Hippocrates’ 400 B.C.E. text “Of the Epidemics”, would prove ironic given the timing of the global pandemic and its impact on the p… - [The Modal Home](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/the-modal-home-pj-vj~7024296) - Location: Menlo Park, CA - Photos: 31 - Description: To quiet a noisy road, this new home turns inward –an urban cloister buffered from the surrounding traffic. To compensate for this loss of sound and view, we did everything we could to intensify the nuances of natural light over the course of the day. The loss of one sense heightens the perceptions of another. - [A Mourning Dovecote](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/a-mourning-dovecote-pj-vj~7024327) - Location: Sonoma, CA - Photos: 32 - Description: A traditional country ‘dovecote’ houses pigeons or doves, sometimes freestanding but often built into the ends of houses or barns. The Mourning Dove, one of the most widespread of all North American birds, is typically monogamous and is a prolific breeder, raising up to six broods a year. Both sexes take turn incubating, the male from morning to afternoon, and the female the rest of the day and night. Their soft, drawn-out calls sound like laments. - [Portola Valley Home](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/portola-valley-home-pj-vj~7024314) - Location: Portola Valley, CA - Photos: 26 - Description: To add a bit of surprise to what otherwise could be a standard ranch house façade, we wanted the updated ‘face’ of this home to feel as if it were suddenly coming alive and welcoming you as you approach. Driving up from the road, the façade screen appears solid and extremely private, yet as you move closer to face it, views through the screen open, giving glimpses into the hidden second floor courtyard beyond. Adding to the surprise is a subtle egg-shaped indentation carved into the interior of… - [Diamond ADU](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/diamond-adu-pj-vj~7189540) - Location: Sonoma, CA - Photos: 28 - [Sonoma County Leit House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sonoma-county-leit-house-pj-vj~7024281) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 16 - Description: Millions of years ago, the fiery volcanoes of Sonoma Valley spewed hot magma across the landscape. As the lava cooled, the eruption’s gases became trapped, forming porous cavities instead of crystallizing into dense stone. In 2017, fire transformed this landscape again, revealing the ancient igneous rocks still strewn across the burnt, yet strangely beautiful and resilient, landscape. - [Sonoma Lichen House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sonoma-lichen-house-pj-vj~2769989) - Location: Sonoma, CA - Photos: 40 - Description: The Lichen House nestles within the fog and oaks in the hills above California’s Sonoma Valley. The free-ranging branches of the site’s mature live and coastal oak trees support veils of draping Ramalina Lichen that filter sunlight, capture moisture and nutrients for their hosts, and remove pollutants from the air through photosynthesis. A hypersensitive organism, lichen retreats or dies in adverse or contaminated environments but quickly expands its net with conditions advantageous for growth.… - [Marin Crook \| Cup \| Bow \| Twist](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/marin-crook-cup-bow-twist-pj-vj~1435240) - Location: Nicasio, CA - Photos: 33 - Description: Drawn to the natural beauty of this 42-acre Marin ranchland site, the owners imagined a new home in this rugged landscape as a base camp for exploration, particularly for their two young children. The low-slung house nestles against the base of the site’s primary ridge, which also aligns with the entryway that separates the public and private wings of the home. A single corridor forms a circulation spine along the south side and opens up at each end connecting to paths in the landscape beyond. F… - [Sonoma Hydeaway House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sonoma-hydeaway-house-pj-vj~100124) - Location: Sonoma, CA - Photos: 40 - Description: The design for this 2,000 square foot home adjacent to a working vineyard in Sonoma begins with a simple, one-story rectangular floor plan, not unlike any number of recent -fabricated prototypes for low cost, sustainable single-family homes. But then, the shape of the house begins to morph with the push and pull of the surrounding environment. The simple rectangular box folds in two to embrace the open 1-acre site. Walls skew under the rectangular roof to focus on near and distant views. This th… - [Sonoma Box on the Rock](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sonoma-box-on-the-rock-pj-vj~1438668) - Location: Sonoma, CA - Photos: 27 - Description: The tightly constrained footprint of the affectionately named “Box on the Rock” is a response to a limited budget and difficult site. Shallow underground hillside waterways run across the site often daylighting in unexpected and unwanted locations. These necessitated relatively expensive pier footings thus motivating an extremely efficient 2,000 sq ft footprint. With no initial resources to develop the wild scrub and rock landscape of the 3-acre property, the home becomes a lone outpost settling… - [Sonoma Music Studio Barn](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sonoma-music-studio-barn-pj-vj~1655575) - Location: Sonoma, CA - Photos: 14 - Description: SaA was hired to design a state-of-the-art 2,100 sq ft recording studio and performance space. We negotiated the purchase and disassembly of a rural barn in upstate New York. The lumber was then graded and coded in Texas and shipped to our site for a modern-day barn-raising, deep within a Redwood grove. The studio is a part of a larger design for a family retreat, including five new or renovated buildings on this wooded 80-acre site. - [Sonoma Mini House \#1](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sonoma-mini-house-1-pj-vj~1660502) - Location: Sonoma, CA - Photos: 11 - [Sonoma MIni House \#2](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sonoma-mini-house-2-pj-vj~100147) - Location: Sonoma, CA - Photos: 19 - [Sonoma Guest House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sonoma-guest-house-pj-vj~2797312) - Location: Sonoma, CA - Photos: 5 - [Shou Sugi Ban House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/shou-sugi-ban-house-pj-vj~1440201) - Location: Los Gatos, CA - Photos: 23 - Description: This project, an extensive remodel and addition to an existing modern residence high above Silicon Valley, was inspired by dominant images and textures from the site: boulders, bark, and leaves. We created a two-story addition clad in traditional Japanese Shou Sugi Ban burnt wood siding that anchors home and site. Natural textures also prevail in the cosmetic remodeling of all the living spaces. The new volume adjacent to an expanded kitchen contains a family room and staircase to an upper guest… - [Overlook Guest House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/overlook-guest-house-pj-vj~1440185) - Location: Los Gatos, CA - Photos: 11 - Description: Despite an extremely steep, almost undevelopable, wooded site, the Overlook Guest House strategically creates a new fully accessible indoor/outdoor dwelling unit that allows an aging family member to remain close by and at home. Designing a fully accessible new home for a mobility-impaired aging in-law on a steep and wooded hillside site requires a highly efficient and site sensitive footprint, already both hallmarks of good sustainable design. This 2-bedroom, 775 sq. ft. home employs a low-impa… - [29th Street Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/29th-street-residence-pj-vj~1844778) - Location: San Francisco, CA - Photos: 26 - Description: San Francisco’s dense urban neighborhoods are based on a grid of narrow 25’ wide lots --conducive to the small spaces of a traditional Victorian, but challenging for modern California living with its premium on connection to natural light and the outdoors. Add to this the expectation from neighbors and the City that new development not adversely impact the existing, and we see the impulse to go vertical as the width of the lots is further narrowed with required setbacks on either side. Here, we… - [Nineteenth Street Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/nineteenth-street-residence-pj-vj~25878) - Location: San Francisco, CA - Photos: 11 - Description: The owner's buoyant personality, own design work, and extensive art collection inspire the renovation and addition to this Potrero Hill home. Of course, the dramatic views of the city from the site, which is open on three sides, contribute their fare share to the project's success as well. Here, we worked specifically to "curate" the natural light — using it to draw people up and through the space, to focus attention on the collection of art objects, and to propel them back out to panoramic view… - [Berkeley Home](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/berkeley-home-pj-vj~7024263) - Location: Berkeley, CA - Photos: 17 - Description: Sometimes we need a little radical surgery to save the patient. Here, a well-intentioned prior owner developed their attic with a new closed stair placed squarely in the middle of the home, like an immovable rock in the middle of a stream. Once demolished, we breathed new life into the space and created an open stair as the centerpiece to the home. The classic bones of this Craftsman cottage were there –just obscured by a series of unfortunate events. - [Buena Vista Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/buena-vista-residence-pj-vj~1983) - Location: San Francisco, CA - Photos: 12 - Description: Typical of many San Francisco Victorians, this home’s kitchen had evolved over the years out of an enclosed porch. The centerpiece of the new light-filled space is a custom island / drop-leaf table that converts from a casual family dining area to an ample area for the children’s art projects, or seating for twelve. Open shelving and a series of custom ledges for the family’s seasonal canning efforts intensify the casual, working feel to the kitchen, which is both modern, yet appropriate to the… [See all 33 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/schwartz-and-architecture-pfvwus-pf~880898469) ## Ideabooks - [Schwartz and Architecture Indoor/Outdoor Living](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/57720338/list/schwartz-and-architecture-indoor-outdoor-living) — 10 ideas - [Schwartz and Architecture Nooks](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/64201739/list/schwartz-and-architecture-nooks) — 4 ideas - [Schwartz and Architecture Cool Materials](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/57720216/list/schwartz-and-architecture-cool-materials) — 6 ideas - [Schwartz and Architecture Modern Homes](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/57720171/list/schwartz-and-architecture-modern-homes) — 1 idea [See all 4 ideabooks](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/schwartzand) ## Community Q&A **Q: Sexiest staircase ever!!! Sorry, wasn't a question ;-)** *(in Photo Questions)* A: Thank you so much! **Q: wood used on cabinets** *(in Photo Questions)* Please tell me the type of wood used to make the cabinets. A: Hello, it is doug fir. **Q: Glass backsplash** *(in Photo Questions)* Hello, Wonderfull kitchen, harmony in a space we spend most of our time! Can you tell me if this is tinted glass or back painted glass or just regular glass? Thank you... Marie A: Hi Marie, thank you! the glass is clear with a photo printed behind it. **Q: type or name of metal siding** *(in Photo Questions)* A: Hello, this is pre-finished corrugated metal siding by Custom Bilt Metals **Q: Cabinetry Manufacturer** *(in Photo Questions)* Love the custom cabinets! Would you be able to share the name of the manufacturer you worked with? A: Hi Francesco, these are custom cabinets designed by us. The cabinets were built by the cabinetmaker subcontractor of the GC. **Q: Gorgeous nook! What is the thickness of the shelves?** *(in Photo Questions)* A: Hello, the shelves are 1.5 inches. Hope this helps! --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-09-11.*