FGA Studio
Our Design Philosophy and Team
About Our Firm
Our approach to residential design is simple—we listen, we learn, we draw. At Fergus Garber Architects, we see our clients as creative collaborators. Our relationship is a building block that paves the way to a home that is truly designed for you, and by you. To us, it’s more than just a structure. It’s a place where life happens and memories are made. A haven of respite and renewal. It’s your home.
Our roots in the San Francisco Bay Area run deep. For more than 35 years, we have remained dedicated to beautifying communities one house at a time. Our designs are current yet timeless, approachable yet sophisticated. They exude craftsmanship and emanate comfort and joy for all those who wander by them on the street and enter through their doors.
We value style and substance which we prove through our environmental stewardship, local historical research, and building science studies. Whether we are conceptualizing a sustainable, modern design that will endure the ages or restoring a turn of the century architectural icon, we are passionate about our community and our projects, and the families who will call them home for generations to come.
“Our goal is for you to find joy in the journey and beauty in the destination. We want you to love where you live.”
What We’re Known For
Listening and Communication
It’s your home. You know how you want to live. We’re here to help make it happen.
We believe that communication is essential to the creative process. By listening to you, our most valued collaborator, we design homes that reflect your unique style and lifestyle. To us, mutual trust, respect, and appreciation are every bit as crucial as knowledge and experience when it comes to building the home of your dreams.
Longevity
Home is where life happens. But as life changes, a home should be designed to support change as it comes. At FGA, we design forever homes.
We work hard to think ahead and design houses that remain authentic and inspired by anticipating how the family’s use of the home will evolve over time. Many of our clients still live in the houses we created for them as many as 30 years ago. They have “good bones” and meld seamlessly into the neighborhood for a been-there-forever appeal. For this reason, FGA has become the go-to firm in our area for new residences on complex sites and renovation projects on historic homes. We are skilled at unearthing and preserving the essence of a home while ensuring that the home supports modern living and mitigates today’s climate and energy demands.
Whether we are starting fresh or giving an older home a second chance, we believe that a home’s longevity, or usefulness over time, is a measure of the success and quality of its design.
Style
Your plan is what makes your home livable; its style makes it memorable.
The plan of your house is primary; developing together with you the plan for how you want to live is one of our greatest strengths. As an expression of the plan, a home’s style is developed through a very fluid exercise exploring themes and variations. We draw inspiration from many styles to express the individuality of each client. Attention to composition, proportion, detail, material, and color are important regardless of the style being pursued. In the end, our goal is beauty in whatever form the house takes.
Sustainability
We view our portfolio of houses as a living laboratory for us to learn from.
Regardless of size, style, or budget, all of the homes we design benefit from our expertise in sustainability. Our in-residence environmental engineer builds best practices for the entire firm and is involved in every project. This isn’t a separate service or additional cost. It is a prerequisite to the design of all our houses. Some clients want to go a step further and have us utilize LEED for Homes, Passive House, or other sustainable methodologies. We support and lead these efforts.
Because the technologies of sustainability are constantly evolving and improving, we return to the houses we designed after several years and survey the equipment, analyze utility bills, and interview our past clients to better understand how the houses are performing so we can design even better homes.
Navigation
Let us be your guide.
Planning for your project can be an exhilarating experience and, at FGA, we strive for it to be! But there is no greater joy than reaching your final destination: home. Your home may be your family’s longest-held and most expensive asset and often the largest, longest, and most complicated effort a family ever undertakes. As trusted architects, we are there to navigate the journey for you and get you where you want to be. At FGA, we help establish goals and objectives at the beginning of the project that include aesthetics, program, cost, and schedule. We help you navigate the coordination of people, parts, and paths to help you feel confident in your project.
Team
Highlights
Careers
Why FGA
Our people are at the heart of every project. We value each team member’s unique voice and vision just as we value those of our clients.
Our environment of reciprocal learning enriches team members at every level and promotes a spirit of equality and camaraderie. We recognize excellence with competitive salaries and benefit packages and through bonuses and reimbursements for the completion of architectural license exams. We support professional development by sponsoring participation in local and national industry conferences and events and through annual memberships to AIA and NCARB.
As “people” people, FGA encourages work-life balance and personal growth by offering flexible, family-friendly schedules, and incentives including pre-tax dollars for public transit costs and bicycle commuter allowances to reward those committed to healthy and eco-conscious living.
