Our Practice

The work of Andrew Mann Architecture expands the tradition of the Bay Area Style to contemporary needs, specifically inspired by the works of, and precedent set by, earlier generations of architects such as Bernard Maybeck, Julia Morgan, William Wurster, Joseph Esherick and William Turnbull. Andrew Mann continues this tradition by focusing on the particularities of each project’s site and context, by establishing a strong connection between building and landscape and by making use of natural materials.

In keeping with the Bay Area Style, we believe that developing volumes and spatial sequences are the important aspects of architecture that transcend the parameters of traditional or modern. Our designs focus on the abstract qualities of space, such as the play of natural light on surfaces, the proportion of heights and widths of architectural elements, how one moves through rooms, and how one perceives the relationship between those spaces. We believe these characteristics are central in creating timeless architecture and underlay all the work we do. 

When starting a project, Andrew Mann Architecture establishes with our clients their priorities in terms of program, context and budget. Programmatic needs are one’s wish list for the new construction that define the problems to be solved. This might include a list of rooms and elements desired in the new construction, plus an understanding of how you wish to live in those spaces. Context is defined as your existing house, property and neighborhood. We look carefully to see how any new construction will fit with those conditions. Once those criteria are outlined, the firm’s design ideas focus on creating strong spatial relationships between spaces, using light to shape those spaces, and creating customized spaces that fit your needs.