Studio

Stephen grew up with an affinity for art and architecture. After a brief detour earning an engineering undergraduate degree on the East Coast and driving a nuclear submarine, he found his way to an architecture boot camp at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. He earned a Masters of Architecture with a minor in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania then worked on a variety of projects in Philadelphia and New York. He established his own design firm in 2006 and relocated to the Bay Area in 2011.

Amidst these various stints in academia, Stephen spent a few years working as a carpenter and architectural metal worker in addition to renovating a few houses, an activity which continues today.

Stephen lives in Oakland with his supportive wife and their two children. When Stephen can break away from work, he enjoys spending time with his family, the occasional swim, motorcycling and sailing.

Monica grew up in the Bay Area and received a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from UC Berkeley and a Master of Architecture from UCLA.  She has a passion for indoor-outdoor living and sustainable design.  Monica ran her own successful architecture firm for six years prior to joining Verner Architects as a principal.

Kimberly grew up in West Michigan and received her Bachelors of Science in Architecture from the University of Michigan. During her time in school, she gained experience from two internships. At her first internship she focused on residential and education projects and at the second, she worked on healthcare and industrial projects. Outside of work, Kimberly enjoys hiking, classic black and white movies and is currently learning to play the piano.

“The great thing about architecture is how we get to design at many different scales – from the page to the city. There is always something new to learn and that is exciting.”

David S. grew up in rural San Diego county amid horses and dirt-bikes. He attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where he received a Bachelors of Architecture degree. After graduating, David moved to San Francisco where he worked at an architectural model shop before joining an art/landscape studio. David is inspired by the advances in digital modelling and fabrication along with theory and craft. Much of his work focuses on the technical aspects of design including: 3d modelling and printing, renders, CNC and VR. He enjoys music (he had a radio show in college), and making furniture by hand. When he has time off, he can be found exploring China Beach with his young son.

“I like the craft of design and figuring out how materials are shaped and come together. That is fun and powerful stuff.”

Bethy has had an affinity for numbers since childhood. While pursuing a degree in Economics at UC Berkeley, she also took extracurricular classes in accounting, which eventually became her passion and livelihood. She enjoys trail and road running and loves sharing her Lafayette home with two beautiful rescued German Shepherd dogs and a cute Chihuahua mix. She loves Classical music, with J. S. Bach as her favorite composer.

“Nature, music, babies and doggies make this world beautiful!”

Siqi grew up in China and later resided in Japan. She studied architecture at UC Berkeley. After graduating, she worked in four architectural firms, where she participated in various projects including residential, commercial, factory, and office designs. Apart from architecture, Siqi has a passion for biology, astronomy, and prose poetry.

Though Siqi ventures to live in the US alone, she firmly believes that before becoming an outstanding architect, she must learn to take care of herself, enjoy life, and possess inner strength with a gentle character

“Architecture is shelter. Great architecture is about the design of space; it encompasses, embraces, elevates, or inspires the person within that space.”

David C. grew up in Metro Detroit and attended the University of Michigan, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning graduating with a Masters degree in Architecture. Before joining Verner Arch, David interned at the Elliott Workgroup in Park City, Utah, working primarily on designing multi-family housing developments. He also worked as an architect for a developer/builder in Southeast Michigan, updating and modernizing plan options for tract housing developments. In his free time, David can be found grabbing his sketchbook, disappearing into the city, and finding a nice spot in the sun.

“My love of architecture is just innate… I’ve always been fascinated by and exploring how things get put together.”