We are an award-winning architecture and design firm based in San Francisco dedicated to creating healthy, sustainable spaces that promote wellness, bring joy, and improve overall quality of life…

We provide tailored architectural and engineering services for residential, commercial, educational, and civic/cultural projects, with a commitment to innovation, sustainability, and exceeding client expectations…

Residential

There’s nothing more personal or intimate than your home.  It’s a place where you nurture and grow, work, rest, and play and have the most emotional and often financial investment. We are committed to bringing your vision to life and reflecting your individuality and aspirations

We offer a comprehensive range of services from high-end new builds to custom furniture and built-ins, including renovations, interior remodels, additions, and ADUs, specializing the revitalizing and modernizing historic Victorian-era single and multi-family homes in San Francisco, reenvisioning early Bay Area suburban ranch-style tract homes, and sensitively updating and future-proofing classic mid-century modern homes.

With decades of experience in many jurisdictions throughout the Bay Area, we are adept at solving unique challenges of problematic building sites and existing buildings, and navigating complex approvals processes.

Beyond simply enhancing property value, our services create ideal spaces for growing families or individuals seeking to establish a legacy home that reflects their unique lifestyle and vision. We believe in crafting environments that not only meet our clients' immediate needs but also stand the test of time, embodying their aspirations for the future.

Commercial - Educational - Civic/Cultural

Commercial spaces foster business growth and collaboration, embodying financial investment and entrepreneurial passion.

Educational spaces foster learning, critical thinking, and the development of future leaders, advancing both societal progress and personal growth.

Civic and cultural spaces nurture community engagement, cultural expression, and well-being.

Taken together, these spaces form the pillars of a healthy society, facilitating economic prosperity, cultural enrichment, and intellectual advancement, thereby shaping a vibrant and thriving community. We work closely with our commercial and institutional clients to design spaces that seamlessly integrate functionality, aesthetics, and sustainability, fostering productivity, creativity, and social interaction while meeting the diverse needs of users and enhancing the overall human experience.

What our clients are saying…

  • -Mill Valley L.

    Ojanen Chiou Architects worked on our house renovation and addition project in Mill Valley. We added a master suite, upgraded the entire kitchen and a bathroom and also converted the garage to a studio/office. The design is very functional and pleasant. They presented several design options with computer study models that were very helpful. They also did a good job controlling the given budget. Mill Valley has a reputation of difficult to get a permit but our permit was approved pretty smoothly. We had a contractor that was a little hard to work with. OCA helped us communicated and negotiated with them and we really appreciated that. My husband and I really like the end results. I will hire them again for our next project.

  • -Isabelle N.

    We worked with Ojanen Chiou Architects for remodeling our house adding a suite in our unfinished garage and a staircase from the first floor down to the suite. We also added a bathroom in the master bedroom and opened some space in living room. We love our house now and we feel we are utilizing all the space now. OCA was really good at listening to us about what we wanted, quick in delivering plans, and had a great sense of style. We had a great experience working with OCA and would do it all over again.

  • -Wendy C.

    When we bought the Menlo Park ranch style home, we knew that we will remodel it to fit our life style. The original house is a proper 3 bedroom 2 bath house with formal dining room, living room and a family/entertainment room. After looking at Ojanen Chiou Architects' project in Mill Valley we gave them a "wish list" on the things we would love to have - things like a tatami room, a spacious bathroom with rain shower and soaking tub, an open kitchen and dining area, a nice patio and more natural lights. Shen and Marc came and take a look at the house and later gave us 3 options within a couple of days. After a few discussion over the phones/emails, we were able to pick out a plan we liked and get started with the process. It is our first home, and they were very helpful in guiding us through the process - the permits and interviewing contractors - always quick to respond to problems happened at site, and, most importantly, very good at helping us to control the budget. OCA was able to help me to create a simple, functional, children friendly and party friendly home - with a bit of fun touches - like chalk board wall for the kid and extended outdoor living area. I like very clean line no fuss style and luckily that's also OCA's specialty. We are very happy with the end result!