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The California-based architecture firm prepares for its next 25 years
William Duff Architects (WDA) announces major areas of investment as it looks to the future, including new commitment values, new practice areas, and a new office. WDA—whose accolades include awards from the American Institute of Architects, International Design Awards, and San Francisco Design Week, and multiple placements on San Francisco Business Times' annual Fast 100 (Fastest Growing Companies) and Best Places to Work lists— also launched a new website featuring a refreshed logo.
1275 Folsom: Sandblasted bowstring trusses, an original building feature, juxtapose with a new statement staircase in black, located across from a tree-anchored central gathering area. In addition to WDA, the project team includes: Evolv (general contractor); Holmes Structures (structural engineer); Interface Engineering (MEP); Rockridge Geotechnical; and Sixteen Five Hundred (lighting consultant).
Photo credit: Matthew Millman
"With these major areas of investment, we are building on WDA's DNA as a people-based practice," states founder William S. Duff, Jr, AIA. For Duff, these commitment values which encompass six areas—design, sustainability, clients, communities, culture, and the profession—will "direct the firm's aspirations and altruistic energy into meaningful action—from who we hire and who we work with, to how we make an impact."
BAIA: Creating a jewel box effect over the bar, a custom-made chandelier, made of hand-blown glass stars, crystals and gold leaf, hangs from the double height dome.
Photo credit: Michelle K. Min
KAIYŌ Rooftop: The project team includes William Duff Architects; ROY Hospitality (interior designer); DCI (structural engineer); ACIES Engineering (MEP); Design West Partnership (food service); and Modern Metal Designs.
Photo credit: Equal Parts Media
KAIYŌ Rooftop: The bar—featuring a custom-designed metal screen that frames the back shelving, vibrant green handmade tile, a luminescent quartzite bar top and woven light fixtures—captures the essence of the tropical theme, juxtaposed with an urban backdrop.
Photo credit: Equal Parts Media
British Airways Lounge SFO: Featuring minimalist design, a soothing color palette of blues, grays and earth tones, and floor-to-ceiling windows with runway views, the 7,158 square-foot space offers a variety of seating options.
Photo credit: Eric Rorer Photography
"Architecture creates habitable art," adds Duff, who believes in the power of art as expressed through architecture, whether humble or grand to shape, uplift, and even change lives.
1275 Folsom: Formerly a manufacturing facility, the new WDA office is now a 7,200-square foot architecture workshop with an open floor plan, including areas for gathering, working and meeting, wellness and break rooms and a rear deck which connects with the outdoors.
Photo credit: Matthew Millman
MSG Obscura: WDA responded to existing building conditions while reconnecting interior spaces, increasing the flow of natural light into the building and adopting a gray-scaled color palette - a design riff on the brand's signature color, black.
Photo credit: Patrik Argast
Ireland House: The project team includes: William Duff Architect (WDA); BCCI Construction Company, Cumming Group (project manager and LEED consultant); Amit Wadhwa & Associates (MEP); Forell Elsesser (structural engineer); Microbiz Security Company; and Salter, Inc. (audio-visual consultant).
Photo credit: David Wakely
Ireland House: Warm wood paneling extends from the reception area and flexible assembly space to the natural light-filled work zones.
Color and lighting are used as wayfinding tools to give each space individuality yet center people’s focus as they move through the open space.
Photo credit: David Wakely
A staunch supporter of arts education who has served as President of the Board for two Northern California non-profit arts organizations, he describes as "transformative" his experience leading the design team on Big Ranch Road—the reimagining of an early 20th-century hay barn for Cindy and Howard Rachofsky, among ARTnews' Top 200 art collectors for 2022. Says Mrs. Rachofsky of working with Duff on the art-meets-architecture project, which functions as both an extended private living space and a venue for fundraisers and select community events, “We gave him free rein. When you commission a piece, you can’t ask the artist to run it by you first.”
Big Ranch Road: The unexpected transformation of this century-old former hay barn is a contemplation on light, where function meets transparency.
Photo credit: Matthew Millman
Butterfly House: Childhood memories of courtyard houses in India and the vernacular architecture of Ireland inspired a mixed-heritage couple's creative wish list for this residence.
Photo credit: Matthew Millman
With his eye on the next 25 years of WDA, Duff envisions "scaling architecture's transformative potential by working with similarly open-minded and adventurous clients on contextually considerate and architecturally progressive buildings and spaces which serve communities, convey shared values, and inspire people to interact with each other."
Lincoln Park Steps: Featuring tile art design by Aileen Barr, this project—envisioned by Friends of Lincoln Park founders, Anna Yatroussis and Meg Autry, and made possible with funding from the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, a substantial gift from nearby Katherine Delmar Burke School, support from the community and pro bono professional services—breathed new life into the long-neglected beaux arts-inspired steps at the edge of Lincoln Park in San Francisco.
Photo credit: Mike Koozmin_The SF Examiner
About William Duff Architects
Founded in 1998 and located in San Francisco, WDA finds inspiration in the people, landscapes, and values of Northern California, which inform every aspect of our work, from our design philosophy to our collaborative process, to our value for clear and transparent communication with our clients. The firm’s commitment to a culture that fosters curiosity, collaboration, and innovation drives its success in projects across its Residential, Hospitality, Community, and Commercial practices. An alumnus of Cornell University (Bachelor of Architecture) and Colorado State University (Masters in Construction Management), William holds architecture licenses in five states (CA, CO, AZ, OR, WI). He is the past President of the Board of Directors of Young Audiences of Northern California, which provides art learning for pre-kindergarteners through high schoolers, and is the past President of the Board of Directors of diRosa Center for Contemporary Art, a 217-acre non-profit art center with a 1,600-piece collection in Napa, California.
