--- title: "Verner Architects — Architects & Building Designers | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/verner-architects-pfvwus-pf~940442319 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~940442319.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Verner Architects" category: ["Architects"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/59a3d7e704b970ab_2432-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "737 2nd St, #407, Oakland, California 94607, United States" latitude: 37.8071 longitude: -122.2851 phone: "(415) 800-1801" website: http://www.vernerarch.com rating: 4.7 review_count: 15 best_of_houzz_awards: 12 followers: 234 last_updated: 2026-08-23 --- # Verner Architects Original Houzz profile: [Verner Architects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/verner-architects-pfvwus-pf~940442319) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Architects - **Location:** Oakland, CA - **Serves:** San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond, Daly City, Alameda, South San Francisco, El Cerrito, Albany, Mill Valley, Larkspur, Emeryville, Tamalpais-Homestead Valley, Piedmont, Corte Madera, Tiburon, Sausalito, Brisbane, Broadmoor, Marin City, Belvedere, Colma, Alto, Muir Beach, Belvedere Tiburon - **Houzz rating:** 4.7 out of 5 (15 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 12 awards (2015–2026), for Service, Design. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Star Houzzer - Houzz Influencer - Recommended on Houzz - 100,000 Ideabook Saves Verner Architects is a small residential architecture firm dedicated to creating beautiful spaces through a highly collaborative design process with our clients. Originally founded in Philadelphia in 2006, the firm has since gained significant experience on both the East and West Coasts, specializing in a modern and contextual aesthetic. ### Services Provided - Architectural Design - Building Design - Home Remodeling - Architectural Drawings - Custom Homes - House Plans - New Home Construction - Home Additions - Home Extensions - Sustainable Design - Energy-Efficient Homes - Floor Plans - 3D Rendering - Green Building - Space Planning ### Areas Served - San Francisco - Oakland - Berkeley - Richmond - Daly City - Alameda - South San Francisco - El Cerrito - Albany - Mill Valley - Larkspur - Emeryville - Tamalpais-Homestead Valley - Piedmont - Corte Madera - Tiburon - Sausalito - Brisbane - Broadmoor - Marin City - Belvedere - Colma - Alto - Muir Beach - Belvedere Tiburon ### Typical Job Cost $1 million - 10 million ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Verner Architects | | Address | 737 2nd St, \#407, Oakland, California 94607, United States | | Phone | (415) 800-1801 | | Website | http://www.vernerarch.com | | Followers on Houzz | 234 | **Social profiles:** - Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/vernerarch/ - LinkedIn — www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-verner-1020651a - Blog — www.vernerarch.com ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Verner Architects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/verner-architects-pfvwus-pf~940442319) - **Website:** http://www.vernerarch.com - **Phone:** (415) 800-1801 ## Credentials - **Best of Houzz:** 12 awards (2015–2026), for Service, Design. ## Reviews **Overall rating: 4.7 out of 5 — 15 reviews** *Aspect averages:* - Work Quality: 50.0 - Communication: 50.0 - Value: 50.0 ### Reviews **★★★★★ — Lawrence, April 2025** > Stephen and David we're excellent throughout to work with. We had a lengthy project involving structural / foundation work, exterior renovations to bring back to life a late 1800's Victorian facade and a complete interior remodel. They handled the city planning and permitting process and did a phenomenal job working on the details with our contractor. Start to finish we couldn't be happier with the end result - I highly recommend. **★★★★★ — Louis DeRosa, Oct. 2024** > We worked with Stephen, David, and the team at Verner Architects for over three years to design and construct our dream home and couldn't have been happier with their work. At every step of the way, we felt heard and respected by VA, and the design that we came up with together was everything we asked for and more. VA were diligent and pragmatic - they consistently stayed on budget themselves and more importantly designed a home within our construction budget, even while going above and beyond to help us with neighbor communication, contractor bid review, and construction management. > > Knowing the San Francisco permitting process, VA put in great effort with us to get a preliminary design in for permitting as diligently as possible to kick start our remodel. We then turned to detailed design and VA patiently worked through every detail of the house with us. We were more hands-on than most clients and looked for an architect that could step in to provide us guidance that interior designers, lighting experts, and other specialists might otherwise provide, and VA did just that. They had excellent recommendations to get us on the right track, no matter what aspect of the house was under consideration. They seemed to know exactly where to turn to for even the smallest details, like door knobs, plaster, or wall paper. > > VA's construction management was also top notch. They helped us put a great contractor team together and were there for us to make sure that everything the contractor did was up to expectations. For example, VA noticed a deficiency in the water proofing around two windows (something we ourselves would have never seen) and made sure the contractor improved the issue at their cost. We met weekly with our contractor and VA for most of construction and at every meeting, VA brought up items on our behalf that we would have never thought of. > > We cannot be more impressed with Verner Architects and are so thankful that we brought them on to our team. **★★★★★ — Martha Conway, June 2024** > Stephen Verner and his team had a vision for our house than no other architects had, which is why we originally chose to work with them. The house had some real challenges! But they found creative, and beautiful, solutions. We were supremely happy with their creativity, support, and professionalism. They listened to our needs and ideas, and were very easy to work with. Also, they kept us on track every step of the way. Our remodel (basically new construction) was done in record time. We would certainly welcome the opportunity to work with them again! **★★★★★ — Chas McFeely, May 2023** > Often people this talented aren't easy to work with. Not the case with Verner and his team. They brought my vision to life in ways that far exceeded my expectations... didn't blow the budget... and made an otherwise stressful experience enjoyable. I am totally in love with the work they did (still shaking my head and how awesome it is) and truly can't recommend them enough! **★★★★★ — erihitch, Sept. 2022** > Let me start by saying that if I were to do another renovation, or build a new home, I would 100% work with Verner Architects again. Without hesitation. I find myself frequently walking around our home thinking, “I love this house!” The end result of a large-scale renovation is a home that perfectly balances function with aesthetics while respecting both the history of the structure and our personal tastes. With Verner Architects, the process of renovation was smooth, inspiring, and pleasant. They built relationships with my neighbors, found a cabinet maker to step in last minute when mine went AWOL, interfaced seamlessly with my contractor and interior designer, detailed every last item in my kitchen so that we would have the perfect storage (in fact, we had some professional organizers come to get us all set up and they kept saying they’d never seen a kitchen with such amazing storage), went over every invoice with me, came up with beautiful and creative solutions, all while being exceedingly competent, patient, responsive, and talented at both designing a house and managing the process. Every person in the office is great at what they do. 5 stars!! **★★★★★ — HU-628861239, Aug. 2022** > Stephen and his team have been a pleasure to work with. First and foremost, they have an eye for design and maximizing space planning for complete utilization. Their customer service and follow though is top notch, and I always feel like their team has our needs at the top of their list - very customer centric. I would highly recommend Verner for your next project. **★★★★★ — Clara Sieg, Aug. 2022** > Incredibly trust worthy, responsive, and great team all around. Stephen has inventive ideas paired with practical solutions. Our final project is better than we could’ve imagined. Oh and he’s actually fun to work with! **★★★★★ — Marc H., May 2017** > I was one of his first clients after his move from Philly to the Bay Area. It was a $4m remodel in Sea Cliff of a single family home. I had initial reservations given his portfolio was filled mostly with contemporary projects, and this was a California Revival original from 1929. But his design flexibility pulled through and his attention to detail really showed when designing the guts of the house, electrical, HVAC, security & network etc. I would definitely recommend him again for a large multi million dollar project. **★★★★ — dalevanfossan, May 2016** > I hired Stephen to design a new Spec. home for Marin County. The property was sloped, and they did a great job of siting the home into the hillside. They are very knowledgeable, creative, and easy to work with. They came up with a great design, which finally became a reality in 2016. Everyone loves it! **★★★★★ — alanirubin, Oct. 2014** > Stephen helped me define and realize my vision for my residential space in a building originally used as a commercial publisher. I mention this upfront to emphasize the skill set he used in not only providing architectural services, but that personal interaction that allowed me to enjoy the collaborative process between professional and client. He was able to achieve outstanding results, consulting and managing the various trades when necessary while never loosing site of my viewpoint on the project or how I ultimately intended to use the space. Should I be fortunate enough to build a home in a warmer climate in the near future, there is no doubt that I would contact Stephen Verner to avail myself of his architectural services. **★★★★ — cthacher, Sept. 2014** > Stephen Verner has worked on our project for almost two years and throughout has been responsive, courteous, efficient, and hardworking. He has been creative in dealing with challenges, courteous and effective dealing with our neighbors, and very professional in all aspects of the project. In addition, he has been a good 'team player', working well with all the numerous parties involved in a project of this size. It has been a pleasure working with him and I would recommend him highly. **★★★★ — Olivewood Inc, Aug. 2014** > I worked with Stephen on construction of a new home, guest house and extensive site work. He was always very professional, detailed oriented and timely. He did an excellent job of providing details for some very complex design issues and it was a pleasure to work alongside him. He was very patient with helping us work through our questions and was able to produce various design detail options for the client to fit there budget. Stephen not only has a very good architectural eye but combines it with his very extensive engineering background - this allows him to see the project from more than one angle and makes him very well rounded in the design and construction parts of his work. ## Selected projects - [ARBOL](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/arbol-pj-vj~4304393) - Location: Palo Alto, CA - Photos: 52 - Description: Privacy and plentiful outdoor space for entertaining were the primary objectives for this new family home. The project included a complete site redesign to maximize the footprint of the main house and create a private backyard, garden and guest house. The use of materiality lends unique character to the residence, including the custom metal panels on the staircase that span three stories and allow extra light to flow into the interior. Art: Adam Feibelman, Tomas Sarceno - [FAIRFAX](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/fairfax-pj-vj~1941415) - Location: Fairfax, CA - Photos: 16 - Description: A new contemporary residence on a spectacular lot overlooking Mt. Tam. The design maximizes impact through thoughtful siting to capture views and work with the hillside topography. It features an open floor plan and indoor/outdoor living spaces. - [ST. MARTINS](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/st-martins-pj-vj~105715) - Location: Philadelphia, PA - Photos: 21 - Description: An extensive renovation to a suburban Philadelphia home including a new master site plan, small addition and restructuring of several interior spaces. - [CAMILO DEL MAR](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/camilo-del-mar-pj-vj~2824125) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 16 - Description: Substantial renovation to a wonderful San Francisco Mediterranean-style home. Completed while Principal at Aleck Wilson Architects. - [PIERCE](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/pierce-pj-vj~643309) - Location: San Francisco, CA - Photos: 17 - Description: Extensive renovations to a beautiful historic home in San Francisco. Reconfiguration of the main living spaces from garage to master suite, including the creation of a backyard play space. The street facade also underwent a complete facelift. Completed while Principal at Aleck Wilson Architects. - [PRESIDIO HTS.](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/presidio-hts-pj-vj~921040) - Location: San Francisco, CA - Photos: 13 - Description: Extensive renovations involving planning and historic approvals to a wonderful family home in Presidio Heights. The old world charm and details of the existing home was carefully preserved and integrated into the new work which included a new garage, kitchen, and bathrooms. The entire exterior envelope was rebuilt and new custom wood windows installed. All house mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems were replaced. The rearyard also received a complete redesign with new decks, hardscape and… - [HEDGE](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/hedge-pj-vj~5800685) - Location: Menlo Park, CA - Photos: 8 - Description: A dated 1950s ranch was converted into a modern home for a family of five. The objective was creating a sunlit open floor plan where the family could gather. With a tight budget and code limitations to adhere to, we maximized the footprint of the house by designing a loft-style great room with a vaulted ceiling and additional windows that allowed plentiful light. The new floor plan organically flows from the entry through the great room to the rear patio, allowing the home to feel much more spac… - [ISABELLA](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/isabella-pj-vj~921078) - Location: Atherton, CA - Photos: 3 - Description: A stately new residence with extensive site work, pool, and guest house. Involved with conceptual design team and then as Project Manager during construction while at Aleck Wilson Architects - [LAKE](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/lake-pj-vj~643349) - Location: San Francisco, CA - Photos: 15 - Description: Done while at Aleck Wilson Architects, this project was a selective renovation with a complete re-build of the rear of the house. The previous floor plans were an accretion of various additions, none of them thoughtful. All this was removed to create a more spacious and light filled home for a family with two young children. - [WASHINGTON SQ.](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/washington-sq-pj-vj~301175) - Location: Philadelphia, PA - Photos: 13 - Description: Interior Condo renovation for a bachelor with fine artwork and furniture. - [9TH AVE](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/9th-ave-pj-vj~7088980) - Location: San Francisco, CA - Photos: 24 - Description: However, the home had been neglected for 50+ years, resulting in the house falling down in places and scant natural light. While avoiding a lengthy entitlement process, we did everything else possible to bring new energy into this home, including constructing new foundations and building systems, brightening the space with all new interior finishes and bringing in ample natural light, and adding a brand new 500 square-foot lower level that could access the newly renovated backyard. We incorporat… - [RIVER HOUSE](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/river-house-pj-vj~105712) - Location: New Hope, PA - Photos: 7 - Description: A well beloved family vacation home was finally replaced after being decimated by repeated flooding. A new compact home was designed to capture the light and view of the river. - [ATLAS PEAK](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/atlas-peak-pj-vj~5800636) - Location: Napa, CA - Photos: 8 - Description: After living in the home for 10 years, the homeowners had a desire to re-imagine some key rooms and reconfigure the space to better suit their lifestyle. The challenge was to update the look and functionality of the home while maintaining the integrity of the original design. The mountain top site benefits from stunning views, but also exposes the home to relatively extreme weather for Napa: much colder at night and hotter during the day, with too much natural light amplifying the intense heat o… - [THE TREE HOUSE](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/the-tree-house-pj-vj~105779) - Location: Philadelphia, PA - Photos: 9 - Description: A sculptural treehouse to entice kids and adults - [SUNRISE](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sunrise-pj-vj~643441) - Location: Philadelphia, PA - Photos: 10 - Description: An addition and renovation project done for friend on a tight budget in a beautiful setting and next to a Louis Kahn masterpiece, the bar was set high. We created a three story bedroom wing with artist studio and erg deck on the top floor. A new stair and small addition transition to the perfect cube of the existing home. - [TULA LN.](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/tula-ln-pj-vj~4226751) - Location: Tucson, AZ - Photos: 9 - [19TH ST.](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/19th-st-pj-vj~6644121) - Location: San Francisco, CA - Photos: 5 - [Berkeley ADU](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/berkeley-adu-pj-vj~7704282) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 13 - [Estates Drive](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/estates-drive-pj-vj~7700977) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 14 - [Guerrero](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/guerrero-pj-vj~7700950) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 24 [See all 24 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/verner-architects-pfvwus-pf~940442319) ## Community Q&A **Q: Garten Lounge** *(in Photo Questions)* Gerne würde ich gerne erfahren, von welchem Hersteller das Lounge Set ist? Könnte da jemand helfen? Danke im Voraus! Eva A: Vielen Dank für Ihre Anfrage. Lounge Chair - Janus et Cie, Lolah. Other pieces were custom. **Q: I'm in love with this vanity! What type of wood is it? Monkey wood?** *(in Photo Questions)* x A: Thanks for your comment. We used a bamboo veneer for this vanity. I can no longer locate the vendor. Best of luck with your project. **Q: where are the lights from?** *(in Photo Questions)* Love the light fixture, where is it from? A: Thanks for your question. The fixture was from Y Lighting, Etch Pendant by Tom Dixon. Best of luck with your project. **Q: dimensions of the tub including ledge** *(in Photo Questions)* Could you please tell me the dimensions of the tub including the ledge built around the tub. I am trying to accommodate a tub in a limited space which appears to be similar to the one you have built A: Thanks for your interest. The tub was a large soaking tub, measuring 44" wide by 73" long. The tub deck was 5" wide on long sides and 2" wide at the ends. The faucet was mounted in the corner, just visible behind the vanity. Best of luck with your project. (Ensure your floor joists can handle a tub this heavy when full or else your tile will start to crack and possibly other excitement!) **Q: backsplash color** *(in Photo Questions)* Love the marble in the backsplash. Any idea of the specific stone? A: Thanks for your question. The backsplash tile is 2x8 Calacatta from a local tile showroom in SF (Ceramic Tile Designs). Best of luck with your project. **Q: Where can I find the recessed medicine cabinets in this bathroom?** *(in Photo Questions)* These cabinets are absolutely gorgeous! Exactly what I am looking for. A: Thanks for your interest and question. All the cabinetry in this bathroom was custom. It is very difficult to integrate stock medicine cabinets to the degree done here. It can be done but in the end, going all custom likely saves time and money and results in a better finished product since you can control all the variable (size, finish, features, etc). Best of luck. --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-08-23.*