We believe in the transformative power of design - to enhance the context of our daily experiences and create fulfilling, meaningful, beautiful spaces.
Studio BBA is a dynamic atelier of designers who advocate for architecture that inspires human connection—creating spaces and places from the alchemy of inspiration, site, materials, vision and form. The rich set of conditions, agendas and real-life constraints that come with each project makes this an artful process, as does our belief that a symbiosis between circumstance and desire leads to original and compelling design.
The collaborative nature of our studio enhances the design process and nourishes meaningful connections with our clients, project teams and the craftspeople who build our work. We thrive when working with clients who have interesting and demanding programs and a passion for what will happen in their space—providing opportunities to deepen the design language and innovate as we guide each project’s development.
We bring vision, skilled management, a value for design excellence and a gift for strong interpersonal connection to our project teams and diverse practice areas, which include restaurants, community spaces, private residences and offices, and a range of services including architecture, interior design and master planning. We believe it is our professional obligation to be environmentally intelligent and responsible, bringing a sustainable perspective and proficiency in energy-efficient building systems to every project.
People
Bonnie Bridges
Principal | AIA
A strategic, clear thinker, perceptive listener and creative dynamo, Bonnie leads Studio BBA with adaptability, energy and fearless optimism. Drawing on deep expertise in the skilled facilitation of decisions and processes, and an intuitive, analytic nature, she guides the studio’s atelier of designers in creating beautiful, enriching, successful spaces and buildings for their clients.
Bonnie brings a keen awareness of place and purpose to her work, with an approach to the design process grounded in human experience, logic and thoughtful actions. This humanistic methodology took form during her graduate and doctoral research, which explored the relationship between being and building—through contemporary architectural theory and the study of phenomenology as interpreted and developed by Husserl and Heidegger, Kenneth Frampton, and Juhanni Palassma.
Site-specificity and material simplicity are essential aesthetic principles in Bonnie’s work, informed by growing up in California and ten years in the Sonoran Desert. She was profoundly inspired by these landscapes—imprinting within her a fundamental experience of light and space.
Actively involved in the civic realm and the greater architectural community, Bonnie is fueled by a deep, longstanding dedication to advancing the profession—through mentoring, teaching, advisory and Board roles. Bonnie founded the firm in 1992, preceded by working for award-winning firms in California and Arizona.
EDUCATION
Doctor of Design – Architectural Theory, Harvard University GSD
Master of Architecture with Honors, The University of Texas at Austin
Bachelor of Architecture with Honors, University of Arizona
COMMUNITY
Adjunct Professor, California College of the Arts, Architecture
Adjunct Professor, UC Berkeley, College of Environmental Design
Board of Directors, AIA California Council
Board of Directors, AIA San Francisco
Alumni Council, Harvard University GSD
Samantha Buckley
Project Architect, AIA
An architect with a love for tactile design, wrangling cats and walking dogs, Samantha enriches Studio BBA and everything she touches.
Her enthusiasm is contagious and is felt across all aspects of the studio – from daily lunches to project delivery.
Adept at deep analysis and strategic design thinking, she balances each project’s circumstances to generate innovative design solutions and efficient delivery. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Academy of Arts in San Francisco.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Architecture, Academy of Art University
COMMUNITY
AIA SF Emerging Professional of the Year, 2019
CREW SF Elevate Rising Rockstar Nominee, 2020, 2021
ArchDaily Freelance Author
Contact
Connect with us to discuss your project, pitch PR opportunities, inquire about joining our atelier of designers, or to talk shop.
GENERAL INQUIRIES
PROJECTS
MEDIA/PRESS
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Studio BBA is located in the heart of San Francisco – or as we like to call it, the Center City Design District. Look for our vertical garden and stop in—by design we’ve skipped the formalities and you’ll be welcomed right into the midst of an architecture studio and workshop.
921 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
415-241-7160