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Top 10 Architecture Firms in San Francisco
1. Gensler (San Francisco Office)
The Gensler office in San Francisco ranks among the top American architecture firms and is responsible for major projects internationally. Architecture firms in Las Vegas are adding innovative ideas to urban layouts, whereas architecture firms in San Francisco are using ecological awareness and technology.
Notable Projects: San Francisco International Airport Terminal Renovation, Facebook HQ
Specializations: Commercial, corporate interiors, aviation
Contribution: A leader among commercial architecture firms, Gensler sets global standards for innovation and workplace experience.
2. WRNS Studio
Among the sustainable architecture firms in San Francisco, WRNS Studio designs sustainable academic and tech spaces, making it one of the most forward-thinking architectural design firms for civic and educational innovation.
Notable Projects: Stanford University buildings, Adobe North Tower
Specializations: Education, tech, civic
Contribution: WRNS is one of the most well-known architectural design firms that creates high-performance places that help with health and learning.
3. EHDD Architecture
EHDD leads among architecture companies in San Francisco, creating cultural and ecological landmarks that define San Francisco architecture while promoting oceanic, academic, and civic awareness through deeply contextual, performance-based design. at making climate-friendly public projects because it focuses on sustainability and making a positive social impact.
Notable Projects: Exploratorium, Monterey Bay Aquarium
Specializations: Cultural, educational, ecological
Contribution: Builds deeply contextual, climate-responsive designs tied to local identity and environmental stewardship.
4. Fougeron Architecture
Fougeron stands out among the residential architects San Francisco offers, crafting refined homes and civic spaces. This small architecture firm San Francisco values sculptural form, light, and environmental responsibility.
Notable Projects: Tehama Grasshopper, Fall House
Specializations: High-end residential, civic, adaptive reuse
Contribution: A boutique architectural firm blending sculpture with sustainability in both private and public spaces.
5. HGA Architects (San Francisco Office)
HGA ranks among the top architecture firms for innovation in science, healthcare, and higher education, making them a critical player in the evolution of architecture firms in San Francisco.
Notable Projects: UCSF facilities, UC Berkeley Labs
Specializations: Healthcare, civic, workplace
Contribution: One of the biggest architecture firms shaping human-centric innovation in science and research campuses.
6. Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects (LMSA)
Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects (LMSA) is a San Francisco-based firm specializing in sustainable, community-focused design. They create innovative, context-sensitive architecture that prioritizes environmental responsibility and social impact across diverse project types.
Notable Projects: Rene Cazenave Apartments, SF LGBT Center
Specializations: Affordable housing, nonprofit, civic
Contribution: This leading architecture firm champions inclusive design that reflects San Francisco’s social values.
7. Aidlin Darling Design
Blending art and architecture, Aidlin Darling is among the most creative architecture companies in San Francisco, crafting homes and cultural projects rooted in place, material, and sensory experience.
Notable Projects: Windhover Contemplative Center, private residences
Specializations: Residential, cultural, custom detail
Contribution: An example of how design can be meditative, sustainable, and deeply rooted in place.
8. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) is one of the top architecture firms in the US, known for pioneering modernist design. They deliver innovative, sustainable solutions across architecture, infrastructure, and city-scale projects worldwide.
Notable Projects: Salesforce Tower, San Francisco Federal Building
Specializations: Urban planning, high-rise, civic
Contribution: Defines the modern skyline with cutting-edge structural design and urban foresight.
9. CMG Landscape Architecture
CMG is a pioneer among landscape architecture firms San Francisco values, transforming waterfronts and public parks through sustainable and community-driven approaches in urban ecological design.
Notable Projects: Treasure Island Master Plan, Salesforce Park
Specializations: Landscape, urban design, infrastructure
Contribution: Elevates public life through restorative, green, and inclusive landscape design.
10. BAR Architects
BAR Architects stands out among popular architecture firms, blending tradition and modernity in hospitality, multifamily housing, and wine country estates, embodying the diverse character of San Francisco architecture.
Notable Projects: 2175 Market Street, Silver Oak Winery
Specializations: Residential, hospitality, adaptive reuse
Contribution: One of the most versatile architecture firm names in the Bay Area with a strong legacy in urban refinement.
How Novatr’s BIM Course Prepares Architects to Succeed in Top Firms
In one of the most competitive architectural markets in the world, it’s not enough to design — you must also deliver. Top architecture firms in San Francisco expect their teams to master digital workflows, sustainability strategies, and collaboration tools. That’s where the BIM Professional Course for Architects by Novatr offers the edge.
Here’s how Novatr transforms aspiring architects into job-ready professionals:
- Master core BIM tools and processes
Study Revit, Navisworks, and Dynamo with teachers who have worked in leading studios internationally. You’ll step past tutorials and start simulating everyday tasks in the context used by commercial architecture firms and large studios. - Get project-based, real-world experience
Work on projects from start to finish — from design to documentation — to resemble the work done in an architectural practice and help you develop an impressive portfolio. - Career support that connects you to the right firms
You can use Novatr for resume help, practice interviews, and expert feedback on your portfolio to access the architecture firm jobs that line up with your preferred career path in residential architecture firms, urban, or sustainable architecture firms. - Earn a globally recognized certification
Get recognized by top architecture firms in the US and make yourself more competitive with a BIM certificate. - Become part of a future-ready design community
Connect with like-minded mentors, recruiters, and industry experts, all contributing to future buildings and projects.
Want to know where these skills can take you? Check out these high-paying architecture jobs that open up once you’re BIM-proficient.
Many professionals still face the challenge of choosing between gaining deep knowledge or practical skills — a common industry struggle explored in this article on proficiency vs. expertise and how the right BIM training bridges that gap.
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