Blog

Cannabis Dispensary Design Essentials

Since California voters passed Proposition 64 in 2016, running a state-licensed cannabis dispensary has become a legal business. Dispensaries are burgeoning in areas that permit them, including Santa Rosa and San Francisco.  The California Bureau of Cannabis Control website notes that there were 1,045 licensed cannabis distributors dotting the state as of November 4, 2021.

What’s In an Architectural Style?

If you’ve done any house-hunting in the Bay Area, you might have heard the terms Art Deco, Arts and Crafts Style, Bungalow, Modern, Contemporary, Mid-Century Modern, Cape Cod Style, Colonial and Victorian – to name a few of the architectural styles. The problem is, some of these terms are used interchangeably, when they are distinct.

Dementia-Friendly Architecture Keeps People Connected

Can dementia-friendly architecture help people cope with the disabling symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD)? It’s becoming more than just a theoretical question in clinical and design circles, given that an estimated 5 million people in the U.S. currently live with ADRD, a figure that the Centers for Disease Control projects will grow

Office Design: Moving Beyond the Open Office

Over the past decades, business owners have increasingly shifted to open office design in the hope that it would save money and increase collaboration, creativity and productivity among workers. While open plans do generally save money – more workers per square foot means the cost of space declines – recent research suggests that they

What is SB 9 and Why Should I Care?

SB 9 signed into law by Governor Newsom in September  SB 9, dubbed the California HOME (Housing Opportunity & More Efficiency) Act, sponsored by State Senator Toni G. Atkins, is a part of the Senate’s Building Opportunities for All housing package. According to Senator Atkin’s fact sheet, “The bill establishes a statewide path for homeowners

How to Use Human-Centered Design in Your Retail Store

Human-centered design is a process that focuses on human needs and problem-solving. In the architecture field, it is a collaborative undertaking, a partnership between architect, client, and the client’s end-users that takes into account multiple perspectives to create spaces that are functional and inspiring. Benefits of Human-Centered Design A central goal of human-centered design is

Get Through Your Commercial Building Project Without Losing Your Mind

A commercial building project is complex. It often involves a large team of people with different skills, time pressures and communication styles. When you add the worries any entrepreneur has when building a new business or revamping an old one – local competition, market changes, permitting issues and environmental requirements, to name just a few

How a Commercial Architect Can Help You Differentiate Your Business

According to the U.S. Small Business Association, branding “is about the sum total of the experiences customers have with your business.” Your brand's image is the result of everything you do, from your product and how you interact with customers/clients to the design decisions you make about your office. A commercial architect can help you