Studio
We’ve built a team of passionate individuals, each with deep experience and a unique take on what it means to create a home.
Home is a place you love
Home is so much more than the walls that contain it — it’s a holistic approach to a way of living. Home invites the choreography of everyday life to intermingle with thoughtful spaces, landscapes and gardens, or architectural moments that enhance how its owner aspires to live.
Our commitment to defining a spatial arrangement that perfectly fits our clients lives dictates that no two of our projects share the same style, while they will share a dedication to the highest quality craft and experience.
As we learn about and from our clients, we shape the experiences that will fulfill them — gardens set aglow for an evening walk or early morning coffee; places designed to showcase beloved collections, objects, and art; sequences that allow daily rituals to become small but important ceremonies; spaces that bring together the most important people in the most special ways.
For every place, its own story
Our homes bring to life their owner’s dreams about how they aspire to live. Form and organization are tailored to the client’s lifestyle, working in tandem with the site to frame views and create rich experiences.
Telling a story is key and the narrative is carefully shaped by the site and its residents. Ledge House is about living in a calm, cloud-like space floating over the city, with balmy views that dissolve stress with their warmth. House of Love, built for newlyweds, filters light through the lens of love. The New Barn transforms a dated structure into an open and transparent showcase for art in the garden.
If there is a common thread in our residential designs, it is this process of deep investigation that leads us to a story. The way we think about living and entertaining helps to inform every decision and enrich each moment.
Meet the Team

Mark Rios
FAIA, FASLA
Creative Director
Formally trained in both architecture and landscape architecture, Mark sees the interrelationship of indoor and outdoor environments as vital to creating homes that exude comfort and increase livability. He founded his practice in 1985 with a singular vision: to imagine, design, and build complete environments. Mark works closely with clients to understand their lifestyle so that his designs are an extension of their owner’s sensibilities, tastes, and ways of living.

Sebastian Salvadó
Creative Director
Sebastian’s strength as a designer stems from his ability to execute solidly articulated concepts through strong form creation and the sequencing of spaces and experiences. As a Creative Director, he is involved in every aspect of design, from the first site walk to completion. His wide range of experience enables him to excel in many areas — from solutions as conceptual as the initial design idea to those as specific as the furniture that completes the project.

Bob Hale
FAIA
Creative Director
Bob brings deep experience in planning and designing residential projects over his distinguished career. He fosters creative endeavors with his clients through an open and collaborative process, while simultaneously harnessing our team’s talent for creating beautiful places. The homes that he creates reflect their owner’s style and story, and have drawn interest from Interior Design, Architectural Record, and The New York Times.

Huay Wee
LEED AP
Managing Studio Director, Architecture
Huay manages the client experience throughout the project, while orchestrating studio teams that elevate design excellence. Her confident presence on the construction site comes from her project experiences and an attitude that craftsmen and builders play an integral role in the fabrication of fine design. All her efforts focus on translating design ideas into exquisitely built forms and pursuing long-term relationships with talented craftspeople and artists to create great design with precision and detail.

Nate Cormier
ASLA, PLA, LEED AP
Managing Studio Director, Landscape Architecture
Nate co-leads the landscape architecture practice with a focus on dynamic natural spaces that view design as a way of storytelling. His projects unearth stories of place as that serve as a backdrop for authentic living in the garden. His collective wisdom in global cultures and environmental topics contribute to inventive ways to make people comfortable in outdoor spaces across different climates.

Melanie Freeland
AIA
Studio Director, Interior Architecture
Melanie brings an infectious enthusiasm for creativity to our residential practice. Her background includes architecture experience as well as architectural interiors, making her a holistic designer with a wide range of skills. Her past experience with prominent artists on site-specific installations as well as her diverse work experience shape her perspective on creating spaces for living.

Peter Emerson
ASLA
Studio Director, Landscape Architecture
Peter co-leads the landscape practice at RIOS. He melds landscape and planning with architecture at all scales of design. Peter is a diligent and thoughtful designer whose curiosity leads to a deep understanding of his client’s needs and how to best solve for them. Peter finds balance in his work by working closely with clients and collaborators to create inspiring places for people to live, work, and play.

Brent Jacobsen
ASLA
Studio Director, Landscape Architecture
Brent co-leads the landscape practice and has experience leading projects in settings across the West, including California, New Mexico, Nevada, and Montana. He is a versatile designer that understands the layers that contribute to a successful residential landscape. He also directs the firm’s efforts regarding landscape performance. As a result, his work creates engaging and resilient solutions for projects that provide lasting value and tangible benefits.

Ben Stough
NCARB
Studio Director, Architecture
Ben is dedicated to designing residential spaces that elevate contemporary living. He achieves design excellence by shaping experiences that unite comfort, intimacy, and usability with refined details. His quality of work is driven by his technical experience and relentless focus on our clients’ aspirations. His sensibility for materials, forms, and how the two come together strives to raise his residential work to an art form.

Jenny Myers
Design Director
With formal training and 15 years of experience in architecture, graphic design, and environmental and product design, Jenny’s success lies in her powerful design thinking across all scales and disciplines. Through this holistic design approach, Jenny inspires visionary thinking and innovative solutions, while never failing to zoom in to consider the significance of experience, materiality, and detail.

Simone Lapenta
Architect, OAR
Design Director
Raised in Rome, Simone’s technical expertise is complemented by his multi-layered cultural background and strong design sensibility. Fifteen years of experience in processes of architectural design, planning, and construction have honed his skills in strengthening the aesthetic and expressive language of architectural interventions, working across scales and typologies.

Jason Shinoda
ASLA, PLA
Design Director
Jason has a refined ability to find innovative, elegant design solutions to complex and challenging issues. He brings his interest in sustainable urbanism and social and natural ecology to thoughtful, well-crafted designs that are rooted in each project’s context. His experience spans all stages, scales, and typologies.

Jonathan Black
Technical Director
In his career spanning more than 30 years, Jon has developed a wide range of skills and professional experience. His talent for design, quick grasp of complex systems, and voluminous memory has made him indispensable to our studio.

Matthew Fineout
Technical Director
Matthew is responsible for technical oversight and execution of architectural projects. He creates inspirational and enriching environments that positively impact wellbeing and elevate humanity.

Dustin Gramstad
Senior Project Designer

John Pearson
Senior Project Designer

Craig Schabel
Senior Project Designer

Krystal Scott
Senior Project Designer

Mike Cheng
Senior Project Director

Jessa Chisari
Senior Project Director

Ji Won Nam
Senior Project Director

Rob Rombold
Senior Project Director

Gabrielle Sacknoff
Senior Project Director

Elisabeth Weinstein
Senior Project Designer

Elisa Read Pappaterra
Horticulture Specialist

Tim Campbell
Project Director

Lindsey Currey
Project Director

Alissa Hisoire
Project Director

Hiro Kamizono
Project Director

Vicki Li
Project Director

Natsuki Matsumoto
Project Director

Graham Sandelski
Project Director

Jin Tack Lim
Project Director

Vanessa Valeriano
Project Director

Daisy Zhong
Project Director

Brian Boyd
Project Designer

Ehran Holm
Senior Project Designer

Zhihuang Li
Project Director

Anna-Riikka Nuutinen
Project Designer

Yun Shi
Project Designer

Paulina Benavides
Project Director

Minehli Babakhanians
Designer

Aaron Lee
Designer

Emme Goodin
Designer

Raymond Gonzalez
Designer

Joanna Grant
Designer

Echo Huang
Designer

Shaun Skoog
Designer

Trevor Kidd
Designer

Andrew Kim
Designer

Tyler LaFontaine
Project Director

Kelly Peoples
Project Designer

Pegah Roshan
Designer

Annie Thompson
Designer

Lauren Smolenski
Project Director

Regina Teng
Designer

Israel Ceja
Designer

Yufei Tian
Designer

Alisa Tiong
Project Director

Chenny Wang
Designer

Nick Wroth
Project Director

Krista Won
Designer

Lu Yu
Designer

Polly Huyen
Accounting and Purchasing Specialist