In a dense and varied urban environment such as Cupertino, homes naturally vary in shape and size. Like single-family homes, multifamily projects are an essential piece of the urban fabric and serve as building blocks for communities. Employing a skilled architect will ensure the successful delivery of multifamily projects that balance the needs of the building as a whole with the needs of individuals.
To help you choose the right designer equipped to manage any building requirements you might have, check out the carefully curated list below—it includes the best multifamily architects in Cupertino, California. We’ve discussed the services these firms offer, their specializations, and the length of time they have been in the industry. These firms were selected for their accreditations, certifications, and professional affiliations, as well as their industry awards, client reviews, and press features.
Studio E Architects
2258 1st Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101
Studio E Architects, founded in 1987, is a renowned San Diego-based design cooperation directed by principals Eric Naslund, John Sheehan, Mathilda Bialk, and Maxine Ward. Under their management, the firm has expanded its team and services to communicate with and serve clients’ unique and innovative designs. The firm’s design team succeeds in understanding the project through its drive to grasp the area, employ originality, and exhibit creative optimism. The company affordable housing and mixed-use, civic, and urban planning projects. The team portfolio has received over 130 awards. Its collection of accolades includes the Orchid Award for Urban Planning from the San Diego Architectural Foundation, the National Award of Excellence from the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, and the Ruby Award Project of the Year from the San Diego Housing Federation. Studio E’s work has been featured in a spectrum of industry publications, including the San Jose Spotlight, Multi-Housing News, Residential Architect, and Affordable Housing Finance.
The Veranda, in Cupertino, is a great example of Studio E Architect’s ability to create a complex that strengthens social connections within a community. The building houses two-bedroom manager’s units, an office, a lounge, and a laundry area. It is surrounded by outdoor spaces including a reading terrace, a barbeque patio, and raised gardening beds. Units were specifically designed with seniors in mind, with fully accessible daylit bathrooms and plenty of storage.
Arquitectonica International Corporation
818 W 7th Street, Suite #800, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Arquitectonica International Corporation has established a strong reputation in the California architectural industry. With over 44 years of service and countless corporate clients all over the state, it has proven itself a reliable and trustworthy firm for top-notch service and quality. The firm is part of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and team members hold prestigious titles as Fellows of the AIA and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professionals. Principal Michael O’Boyle draws on 26 years of architectural experience and in-depth urban planning knowledge.
The firm’s vast portfolio provides a look into the firm’s versatility. It has designed everything from corporate interiors and campuses to retail spaces and medical buildings. In the multifamily sector, one of its projects is Austin in San Francisco’s Lower Nob Hill district, completed in 2018. In addition to the 103 residential units and ground-level commercial retail space, this project also houses an art gallery for the nearby community. The façade massing consists of white rectangular frames of varying scale. The frames follow the slope of the street and the larger cross-section of the neighborhood. In the areas where the frames are elevated, more private resident entries reveal themselves. Raised frames provide opportunities for ample transparency into the lobby and amenity spaces. Within the frames, an irregular rhythm of windows and infill panels connects either one or two stories, creating additional visual interest.
Van Meter Williams Pollack
333 Bryant Street, Suite #300, San Francisco, CA 94107
Van Meter Williams Pollack is a renowned architectural company that offers a full range of services for its clients. The firm has continuously employed creativity and professionalism with its design team since it was founded by two ambitious architects—Rick Williams and Fred Pollack—in 1989. For 32 years, the company has pioneered excellence, communication, and delivery in its contemporary designs. Williams, one of the firm’s founding principals, leads a ton of Van Meter Williams Pollack’s significant projects as an architect and urban designer. As a technical advisor for Global Green US, Pollack and the firm’s team of architects are responsible for the firm’s diverse and intricate designs—designs that have been featured in the Silicon Valley Business Journal.
The firm’s portfolio highlights a comprehensive catalog of projects all over California, Colorado, and Minnesota. Among these buildings are multifamily designs that have won awards such as the APA California Grand Award for Best Affordable Senior Housing Community in 2021 and the Pacific Coast Builders Conference (PCBC) Grand Award for Best On-the-boards Site Plan in 2021. One of the firm’s notable projects is Cupertino Community Services (CCS) and Family Housing. The project contains 24 units of multi-family housing, a residential community building, and an office building for Cupertino Community Services that frames two internal courtyards. While the larger courtyard will serve the residents, the smaller courtyard will be an extension of the CCS building and the community space to provide a gathering place for both CCS employees and residents.
Kodama Diseño Architect
3160 College Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94705
Kodama Diseño Architect is a firm that exhibits a range in designing residential, commercial, institutional, and civic projects. Through five professionals collaborating with developers, municipalities, and private clients, Kodama Diseño Architect has become an architecture and design firm rooted in community stewardship. Steven Kodama founded the company in 1981, and since then, the firm has evolved its designs to be innovative, authentic, and achievable. Kodama—along with the firm’s project team—successfully supports client relationships. The firm aligns its knowledge with its clients’ expectations and goals by listening and effectively working to create sustainable communities and urban settings. Kodama Diseño Architect has been featured in the San Francisco Business Times and the Mercury News due to its many affordable, senior housing, and special needs facility designs.
The firm’s creative design has fueled development and diversity. Its ground-breaking architectural concepts for community planning have resulted in projects of all sizes. The San Antonio Place in Mountain View is a perfect example—it contains 118 efficiency studio apartments of affordable housing. Its interior spaces flow from a central lobby and reception area to a community lounge, a multipurpose room, social service offices, and finally on to individual units. The lounge opens upon an outdoor piazza with a fountain that leads to a children’s play area.
GKW Architects
710 E McGlincy Lane, Suite #109, Campbell, CA 95008
GKW Architects is a full-service architectural firm established in 2010 that is anchored by honest business practices and addressing problems with exceptional solutions. The firm collaborates with its clients to create buildings and communities that improve people’s lives. It consistently delivers exemplary services on every project. Services provided include initial analysis, design development, construction documents, and construction administration. Using high-level design software, the GKW team effectively transforms ideas into buildings and communities. Many of its projects are located on the West Coast and include everything from residential remodels to commercial expansions and mixed-use high-rise developments in the city.
The Union Townhomes embody the spirit of Campbell and its rising residential areas for future homeowners. Consisting of seven townhomes, each unit has a private balcony, access to the common open space, and a two-car tandem parking garage. The exteriors feature smooth stucco with cementitious panels and wood elements.
C2K Architecture
1645 NW Hoyt, Portland, OR 97209
C2K Architecture is an award-winning architectural firm known for its design and expertise in multifamily and commercial structures. Founded in 2010, C2K is a full-service architectural, project management, and design business. With over a decade of experience in architecture and construction and working with America’s leading Multifamily, hospitality, Commercial, and Mixed-Use real estate developers, the business is widely recognized in Northern California. It has continuously provided housing geared toward the community with sustainability and affordability in mind. John Wright and Kevin Sauser, both members of the AIA, are the founding principals at the helm of the firm.
Together, Wright and Sauser lead a team of skilled architects and designers to capture the vision of the firm’s clients. Through collaborative processes and effective communication, the company has consistently delivered intelligent and notable designs. The Senior Housing Business, Sacramento Business Journal, and The Sacramento Bee have all featured the firm in recent years.
The firm’s portfolio showcases remarkable designs, including One South Market Apartments. It houses 312 apartment units with a residential lobby, a leasing office, ground floor retail, and seven floors of parking. An LED strip lighting feature outlines the entry canopy, extends up the façade, and frames the parapet of the building to emphasize the verticality of the structure.
