The simple pleasures of our daily work and light-filled studio are made intrinsically richer by the relationships we have with our clients, consultants and colleagues, and by the landscapes and buildings we work with.
Over the years our esteem for the architecture in this singular region we call home continues to deepen. We feel great fulfillment, responsibility and humility in the opportunities we have to contribute to its built fabric and to be a part of its communities.
“The single most important factor, truly, is finding designers who are a pleasure to work with and that you feel comfortable entrusting your dreams to. There’s a real sense of ease working with them, and by choosing them your project will be richer for it…they’re a rare breed who are really about the desire to build things in a way that works for their clients.”
– Kentfield Pool House Client
“Kerstin and Andrew are great to work with. They brought a synergy and understanding, and individual perspectives, to the table, which they used to push and pull on a detailed level before bringing things to us…giving us a certainty that everything was well thought through and studied.
From the onset there was respect for and appreciation of what we wanted to preserve and change about our property, and a natural sense of how to accomplish it. They are casual but very respectful and professional—always bringing the best ideas and format to benefit the project, with a balance of well-placed humor and academic sensibility.”
– Kentfield Renovation/Addition Client
Andrew Fischer, Architect
I came to architecture through an early apprenticeship in London while visiting family, and promptly fell in love with all aspects of the profession…especially putting pencil to paper, and how drawings communicate intent, texture and care.
During my time abroad I worked on Grade 1 Listed buildings—those highest on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. This instilled in me a real appreciation for history and the classical masters, and became a fundamental consideration in my approach to existing structures, in compliment to my desire for creating modern buildings.
Having my roots in Berkeley, I knew from an early age that the Bay Area was an exceptional place, and was committed to centering my life here. So, after further work experience in Chicago, I returned to earn my architecture degree at UC Berkeley, and have been designing here ever since—for many years with a local modernist’s office, and then by establishing Fischer Architecture in 2006.
In our practice Kerstin and I have complimentary skill sets: her agile, poised, skillful project management frees me up to focus on design and delve into related details and specifications. We feel that our partnership makes the work stronger—not only in design integrity but, most importantly, for our clients’ experience.
Kerstin Fischer, Architect, AIA, LEED AP
I find inspiration in thoughtful architecture that bears integrity, no matter the style, and buildings that have stood, or promise to stand, the test of time. My natural tendency is towards a modern, minimalist aesthetic, but I can be equally captivated by images of an exquisitely restored 18th-century structure somewhere far away.
I was drawn to earn my architecture degree at Cal after having been smitten with Berkeley during my youth, while on family daytrips from my hometown of Davis. After college I moved to Sweden to study architectural history—working as a docent in the Royal Palace and immersing myself in the country of my family’s heritage.
Both Andrew and I have intrinsic connections to European culture, architectural history and modern aesthetics through our early travel experiences, and draw on those for inspiration in our work.
My architectural career began by working in award-winning San Francisco firms known for their modern/contemporary design. In 2008 I joined Andrew in our practice, and love the natural, comfortable dynamic of our studio, and the relationships we build with our clients and colleagues as we grow our community along the way.
“Andrew is very bright and intuitive, and even-keeled. In design he was very good at the difficult task of balancing what he envisions building and what he thought the right thing to build on the site was, while getting us what we wanted. In construction he has the ability to deal with a big range of competencies and interactions, and to help focus their efforts toward a goal, which is really additive in the process. He’s a unique designer, who is able to work skillfully on the artistic and business ends and handle clients effectively.”
– Kentfield Pool House Client
“We were drawn to Kerstin’s considerable experience with clean, crisp, modern design, and have a great appreciation for her specialized skill in thinking out the details of that aesthetic. I felt very comfortable—for such a detailed, rigid, organized process she made it still feel free-flow and comfortable.”
– Kentfield Renovation/Addition Client