For many people, a home is one of the most representative aspects of their identity. Because clients can differ in taste and preferences for their homes, it can be a tricky process to find the right architect with the design and process to match.
Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of the best residential architects in San Marcos, California—architects versed in a variety of architectural styles and whose processes can produce results tailor-fit to a client’s needs and desires. The firms below were included based on their background, their experience, and their exceptional projects.
Anders Lasater Architects
384 Forest Avenue, #12, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Anders Lasater Architects has been serving California since 2005. The firm’s principal, Anders Lasater, is licensed in multiple states and is a Certified Green Building Professional. Under his leadership, the firm and its team have been designing homes that are not only beautiful but award-winning.
Pictured below is an example of the firm’s work. The Cornelio Residence was designed as a west-coast retreat for a Wisconsin family. It sits on a narrow corner lot enjoying views of the hills, the city, and the Pacific horizon. The house plan stacks the light and airy public spaces above a base of private areas. That design affords the home and its residents privacy, while still remaining open to the views that surround it. In 2019, Anders Lasater Architects went on to win a Build Magazine Architecture Award for their work on the Cornelio Residence.
b+d studio
PO Box 33137 San Diego, CA 92163
For Todd Brazzon, principal of b+d studio, each home makes an architectural statement that is highly personalized and each home is an opportunity to showcase a client’s sense of style. This perspective has guided Todd’s practice for more than a decade as he has worked to refine and customize design solutions and architectural styles, whether uniquely modern, historically traditional, or an eclectic blend.
Because b+d studio is a boutique design firm, Todd is able to be as hands-on as possible in the entire design process. He listens to clients’ needs and desires while carefully reviewing their wish lists and asking questions to define the ideal design solution catered to a client. In this way, Todd is able to cultivate trust and execute a collaborative design plan that is sure to meet and even exceed client expectations.
Brandon Architects
151 Kalmus Drive, Suite G-1, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
When Christopher Brandon, AIA set out to create his firm, Brandon Architects, it was with the goal of offering an extensive design versatility to his prospective clients and their unique projects. Today, that vision has turned into reality, as flexibility with design and style continues to be a hallmark of the firm’s practice. The firm is able to run the gamut of architectural styles, from traditional to modern.
An example of this design versatility is the firm’s work on Kings I, which earned Brandon Architects an Honorable Mention at the International Design Awards (IDA) in 2017. The home, located in Newport Beach, features breathtaking ocean views and was formed with the owner’s need for entertainment space as well as privacy from neighbors and the busy Pacific Coast Highway. From an open floor plan with cantilevered glass cubes that project outward to capture unobstructed views of the ocean to a large cantilevered deck structure whose unique shape and material helps deflect noise, the home’s sharp and unique features are all in service of noise reduction and maximizing the ocean views.
Christian Rice Architects Inc.
1127 Loma Avenue, Coronado, CA 92118
For Christian Rice Architects Inc., creating architecture that responds to the site, the surrounding environment, and the specific needs of each client—including their budget—is the mission the firm sets for itself. The firm, headed by namesake Christian Rice, is proud of its ability to collaborate with all members of a project team in order to deliver architecture that is not only functional, but timeless, engaging, and unique.
Pictured below is one of the firm’s stunning projects in California. The Coronado home, titled “300” was intended to provide an escape, for a busy, working family from the daily demands of life. Inspired by the unique architecture of Bali, Hawaii, and Mexico, Christian Rice Architects designed the home in a tropical-modern style, incorporating many design elements seen in tropical locales. The mild San Diego climate allows the home to blur the boundary between interior and exterior spaces, and the warm, red-brown tones of the natural Sapele, Mahogany, and Walnut hardwoods are used throughout the interior and exterior to evoke a tropical sensibility.
Domus Studio
2800 Third Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103
For Domus Studio, garnering design awards, winning competitions, and serving repeat clients is all part of a day’s work. The firm, started by Lew Dominy in 1986—first as Dominy + Associates Architects—is now headed by principals Jon Dominy, Wayne Holtan, David Keitel, David Pfeifer, and John Pyjar under the name Domus Studio. What started out as a successful partnership remains equally successful today, going beyond the Dominy name to acknowledge the collaboration that others have since contributed.
Pictured below is an example of the fruitful results of such an excellent partnership. The Chen Residence was designed through a collaboration between the homeowners and the studio. It is situated on a hillside overlooking the San Dieguito Lagoon, the Del Mar fairgrounds, and the Pacific Ocean. The project consists of a 4,650-square-foot home with a large expansive deck, a 400-square-foot Guest House, and a 500-square-foot garage. The building materials include stone, copper, ipe wood siding, and plaster. The home also enjoys sustainable features such as photovoltaic cells on the roof, gray water collection, and a storage system for site irrigation.
DZN Partners
682 Second St., Encinitas, CA 92024
An abbreviation of the word design, DZN Partners is an architectural firm that lives up to its name by treating each of its clients as partners in the design process. The firm is dedicated to creatively interpreting project requirements and providing excellent architectural services as it strives, not only to be the right architecture firm for any project but the best one.
The firm takes its confidence from the principal, Bart M Smith, AIA, a native of Point Loma in San Diego and an active member of his community. Under Bart’s keen eye, DZN Partners is able to design stunning homes, such as the home featured below. The Arrudahare Residence, a one-story Spanish Revival-style home, was in need of updating and extension, so DZN Partners stepped in to provide remodeling and addition services. The residence enjoys a basement workout room, a first floor with living spaces, guest rooms, a custom two-story garage, a second-floor master suite with a sitting room, and a large ocean view roof deck with a fireplace and powder room.
JLC Architecture
337 South Cedros Ave, Suite J, Solana Beach, CA 92075
For Jean-Louis Coquereau, principal of JLC Architecture, involvement in a project, with a client, and with the community is the formula for a successful practice. JLC Architecture is known for listening, not only to the client but also to the site and its environment. That is because Jean-Louis understands the importance of sustainability thoughtfully integrated into artful design.
JLC’s design approach involves embracing the obviously simple but exploring innovative solutions to any design. The firm enters the design process of a project with no preconceptions or assumed ideas, which allows it to explore and develop custom designs for each of its projects. An example of this approach is the Lam Residence, pictured below. This gut remodel/addition created two distinct spaces for a couple and their parents to live together. The home is composed of a second-floor addition that opens up the living space for entertaining and a second-floor master suite that opens to marvelous mountain views. To bring it all together, JLC made use of white stucco with aluminum windows combined with cedar accents to give the atmosphere of a warm contemporary home in the country.
Juneau Architects & Construction
2270 Camino Vida Roble, Suite R Carlsbad, CA 92011
For Juneau Architects & Construction, an approach that is service-focused is the way to success. From prioritizing client goals and aspirations to focusing on details and quality, Juneau’s work adheres to standards that have been molded, defined, and harnessed by time.
The firm is led by accomplished architect Andrew Juneau. Under his leadership, Juneau Architects & Construction has developed a reputation for integrity and design and construction excellence, especially in creating residences of distinction and elegance which are responsive to the people who live in the homes every day.
Kristin von Zweck, Architect
760 Saxony Road, Encinitas, CA 92024
With over 100 completed projects in the San Diego area over the last 20 years, Kristin von Zweck, Architect is a residential architect with a focus on the design of ground-up custom homes, additions, and remodels. Kristin started her namesake firm in 2001.
Kristin has a keen interest in connecting outdoor and indoor spaces in most, if not all, of the projects she has taken on. In her designs, the outdoor spaces flow seamlessly from indoor to out, whether through fold-away doors or some other direct link, serving as an invitation for the outside to become an integral part of everyday life. For Kristin, such a practice takes advantage of living in what she terms as the perfect climate—a paradise.
Oasis Architecture & Design Inc.
1015 Turquoise Street, Suite 2, San Diego, CA 92109
When Mark Morris, principal architect of Oasis Architecture & Design Inc., discovered his passion for custom home design, it would only be a few years later until he would start his own firm to further pursue this passion. Almost two decades later, Mark created a flourishing practice in San Diego, where he is now able to emphasize his creative craftsmanship in every home design he creates.
Mark believes it is essential to work with the client, not only when it comes to designing the most innovative and beautiful home, but also when it comes to bringing out the character of the individual or family. In fact, he is especially determined to create a personal interaction with his clientele and the community. And while the process is a constant building of knowledge into an understanding of how clients want to live in their new home, the firm readily meets the needs of this process, with its philosophy revolving around a custom home being tailored to its clients’ way of living.
Paschall Design
324 S. Cedros Ave, Suite 100, Solana Beach, CA 92075
Sarah Paschall of Paschall Design occupies a place among the pantheon of San Diego’s prominent designers who provide a wide range of creative services. She is known for her distinctive designs for residential, commercial, and graphic design, her versatile, full-service firm, and her showroom, Clutch Modern, located at the heart of San Diego’s design district.
As the daughter of an architect, Sarah grew up with an artistic eye, later on pursuing her interior design degree at the Design Institute of San Diego, one of the renowned CIDA Schools in the country. In 1999, she collaborated with her father and top San Diego firms to design a multitude of high-end residences, restaurants, and hotels. Prospective clients can get a picture of what it is like to work with Sarah through a visit to Clutch Modern, which serves as headquarters for full-home design, as well as a place to come and experience her signature home scent and see a small sampling of her furniture and decor.
sk7 design studios, inc.
3065 Rosecrans Pl. San Diego, CA 92110
Coming from a long line of architects, artists, and builders, sk7 design studios principal Sam Koob is proud to carry his family’s tradition of creating beautiful things that enhance people’s lives. Sam was always sure about wanting to pursue a creative profession, and today, he continues to combine his affinity for elegant, beautiful, functional design with his strong Midwestern work ethic Stunning custom home projects, remodels, and additions are the result.
sk7’s projects vary in style and design, but one thing they all share is simple beauty. The aesthetic pleasure to be gained from looking at the homes can only be eclipsed by the experience of living in an sk7 home. With styles ranging from Modern to Coastal, and everything in between, clients are sure that their discerning tastes will be met with the custom home and design of their dreams.
Spaces Renewed
1107 South Coast Hwy., Oceanside, CA 92054
Spaces Renewed is run by the skilled husband and wife team of Marshall and Beth Booth. The principal pair strikes a perfect balance between construction and design expertise, with Marshall leading the firm’s build process and Beth taking charge of its design efforts. The firm’s comprehensive offerings begin with a project’s vision and initial inception following all the way through to the final cosmetic callouts.
Through their partnership and a keen eye for detail, Marshall and Beth have built countless beautiful and uniquely-styled homes in California. One example of their work is this Rancho Santa Fe home, pictured below. The full-home renovation of the Modern Luxury in the Ranch project involved an amazing transformation of the 8,000-square-foot home from a distressed, drywall disaster into a stunning showpiece. Spaces Renewed’s approach to value engineering saved tens of thousands on remodeling costs while providing unmatched resale value and a renewed sense of home. The home’s beauty and grandeur speak to Spaces Renewed’s skill and expertise, not only in construction but in design.
TRE Architecture
300 Carlsbad Village Drive, Suite 108a-336, Carlsbad, CA 92008
When Amato Teta founded his own architectural firm in 1967, he was working as a solo practitioner with projects small and large, and many repeat clients. It was a successful practice, to be sure, but years later, Amato would be in for even more success after uniting with his son Allan, who followed in Amato’s footsteps after receiving his Bachelors of Architecture at the University of Southern California. In 2014, TRE Architecture was born.
TRE Architecture operates on the tenets of making homes enduring, enriching, and remarkable. Committed to design excellence, the full-service architectural firm works collaboratively with its clients from the inception of an idea through to the completion of construction. With Amato and Allan at the helm of the firm and its many projects, clients can expect their projects to receive the attention and creative solutions those projects deserve, regardless of scale or program.
