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Our design work showcases a refined take on regional California modernism. Our projects span from organic residential homes, contemporary interiors, and warm industrial commercial spaces.

Architectural Style & Characteristics

  • Warm Regional Modernism: While the structural forms lean clean and geometric, the architecture avoids looking cold or clinical. By blending sharp, modern lines with rich, organic materials—such as deep-toned woods, natural stone, and smooth concrete—our work feels deeply rooted in the Southern California landscape.

  • Indoor-Outdoor Integration: True to California’s mid-century heritage, our designs frequently employ massive glass expanses, floor-to-ceiling windows, and pocketing doors. Spaces like our Pine Needles, Mountain Song, and Potato Chip Rock Residences open directly to pool decks and outdoor dining pavilions, making the surrounding environment a literal extension of the living space.

  • Textural Contrast & Material Integrity: Our architectural language heavily relies on letting raw materials speak for themselves. You see a beautiful tension between industrial elements like sleek steel structures and exposed hardware contrasting with soft, earthy finishes like warm wood paneling, textured tiles, and stone.

  • Clarity of Form & Volume: Our spatial designs utilize soaring ceilings and open-concept volumes. Instead of dividing spaces with heavy walls, the architecture uses architectural features—like floating staircases, open kitchens, or dropped ceiling planes—to subtly define “zones” within a home while keeping sight lines clear.

Notable Project Highlights

  • Residential (Pine Needles, Potato Chip Rock, Fire Mountain Residence): These homes showcase our skillsets solving complex hillside and/or coastal terrains. The homes utilize cantilevered decks and strategic site orientation to maximize natural light and views while maintaining privacy. Kitchens and bathrooms feature highly tailored, minimalist custom cabinetry and integrated lighting to create  Zen spa environments.

  • Commercial & Restaurant Spaces (Arclinea, El Rey, Extraordinary Desserts): In our commercial work, we lean into a sharper, more industrial aesthetic utilizing custom steel details, wood accents, and custom-fabricated furniture features (like the distinct bench detailing at Extraordinary Desserts) to build tactile, energetic environments that still feel comfortable.

What our clients say about us...

“My home is a temple: a place of calm and serenity. The kitchen is the center of everything creative; a very energetic working space, but not a space of calm. With the help of our talented architect Aaron Anderson, nearly every square inch of our Mission Hills Craftsman home has been renovated and melded into a contemporary zen space.”

Karen Krasne

“Aaron's greatest gift is that he listens carefully, then designs. Super client-focused, very professional, and on time. All of his designs have that Wow factor. First-class quality buildings that are site-specific and climate-specific. A pleasure to collaborate with him. Highly recommend!”

Gitte Russo

“I’ve worked with Aaron for many years and it has always been an amazing experience. He knows exactly what look I want and creates the perfect space that I could never have accomplished without his help. Aaron is professional and a pleasure to work with. I’ve seen his other work too, and it’s always over the top creative and perfect. He’s a very talented architect. Thank you, Aaron.”

Martha Krasne

“Since my college days, architecture has interested me. Over the years, I took architectural tours of various American cities and states. Strangely enough, I never actually used an architect until a couple of years ago when I needed to redo major parts of my house and garden. A very savvy friend told me that Aaron Anderson was the best architect in San Diego, “a master,” he said. Little did I know what a pleasure it would be to work with Aaron. He is smart, well-trained in architecture and landscaping, highly responsive, offers unique solutions and wonderful ideas, works well with all construction people, spends as much or as little time as I need, and brings amazing resources in arenas such as tiling and cabinetry. And in the end, Aaron has produced the most elegant, extremely workable house I could have ever imagined.”

Marjorie Hansen-Shaevitz

Aaron Anderson is the principal architect at Studio Anderson Inc., an award-winning architecture and interior design studio that focuses on contemporary residential and commercial projects. Aaron was named the Young Architect of the Year by the American Institute of Architects in San Diego and his Pine Needles Residence was named Home of the Year by San Diego Home/Garden Magazine. He’s featured in several Dwell Magazine articles and in numerous other publications including Architectural Record, Bloomberg, San Diego Home + Garden, San Diego Magazine, Slope and Swell Magazine, and several San Diego Union-Tribune articles. Aaron has taught architecture as an adjunct faculty member at Woodbury University and at the Newschool of Architecture and Design.

  • Ronald McDonald House Charities Dream House 2026 – Pine Needles Residence
  • Home of the Year – Pine Needles Residence – San Diego Home/Garden Magazine
  • Top Ten Restaurant Design Firms in San Diego – SanDiegoArchitect.org
  • Best of San Diego; Best Kitchen – Mission Hills Residence – San Diego Magazine
  • Best of San Diego, Salt + Cleaver – San Diego Magazine
  • K+BB Design Awards, Merit Award – Arclinea San Diego Showroom
  • Best of San Diego; Best Kitchen – Mission Hills Residence – San Diego Home/Garden
  • American Institute of Architects San Diego Citation Award – Fire Station Concept
  • American Institute of Architects San Diego Young Architect of the Year Award
  • American Institute of Architects AZ Chapter Design Excellence Award
  • The Pacific Residence Aaron Anderson, T. Daly, Stangl Construction, Jim Evanko Cabinetry
  • La Jolla Residence: Aaron Anderson, Steigerwald Construction, Cabinetry Design San Diego, Versatile Surfaces, En Casa Design, Mario Vasquez Landscape, Vincent Designs Metal Design + Fabrication.
  • Pine Needles Residence: Aaron Anderson, Leigh Johnson, Solid Forms Engineering, Mark Stangl Construction, Vincent Design Metal Design + Fabrication.
  • Fire Mountain Residence Aaron Anderson, Randy Robinson, Paul Woods, Solid Forms Engineering
  • Potato Chip Rock Residence: Aaron Anderson, Lili and Israel Negrete, Solid Forms Engineering
  • Mission Hills Residence: Aaron Anderson, Karen Krasne, Mark Stangl Construction, Vincent Designs Metal Design + Fabrication.
  • Mountain Song Residence: Aaron Anderson, Paul Woods Construction, Vincent Design Metal Design + Fabrication.
  • Cardiff by the Sea House: Aaron Anderson, Eric Blehm, Paul Woods Construction, Solid Forms Engineering.
  • Salt + Cleaver Restaurant: Aaron Anderson, Julie Rosales, Jose Castillo, Yousef Al-Rashed.
  • Arclinea San Diego: Aaron Anderson, Lisa Wilson. Brent Haywood Photography
  • Stillness Tower Concept: Aaron Anderson, Ei Khin Khin, Alex Zora, Jose Castillo.
  • Architectural Photography: Zack Benson
  • Drone Videography: Aaron Anderson Architect