We specialize in a broad range of project types across the residential, commercial, and investment sectors, including:

• Residential Architecture: Custom home design, complex home additions, and renovations.

• Multifamily & Mixed-Use: Duplex conversions and mid-size apartment buildings.

• Adaptive Reuse: Office-to-residential and building conversions to maximize property value.

• Commercial Projects: Retail, office, and hospitality tenant improvements (TI).

• Entitlements Consulting: Standalone navigating of complex zoning and compliance hurdles.

Our eight-person team operates out of San Francisco. We serve clients across the entire City and the broader Bay Area, including San Mateo, Santa Clara, Marin, Contra Costa, Alameda, and the Peninsula.

San Francisco's planning and permitting environment is widely recognized as one of the most complex in the country. With 25 years of SF-specific experience, we have successfully navigated SF Planning, the Department of Building Inspection (DBI), the Historic Preservation Commission, and the Zoning Administrator for hundreds of projects. Entitlements are a core competency for us, meaning we have deep, proven fluency in Section 317 compliance, the Tenant Protections Ordinance (TPO), Discretionary Review, and Neighborhood Notifications.

At many larger firms, your project is passed down to a junior architect after the initial kickoff meeting. At Architects SF, we function as a boutique firm where every single project is led directly and personally by our principal, Francisco J. Matos, from the initial feasibility stage all the way through construction completion.

Our principal, Francisco J. Matos, holds an uncommon combination of credentials: a California Architect License (C34078) and an MBA from the University of San Francisco. This means we don’t just focus on design ambitions; we understand pro formas, investment timelines, and how specific design or permitting decisions directly impact your project's financial outcomes and ROI. We align our architectural solutions with your business and investment goals.

Yes. We offer a complementary initial consultation to assess your project's overall feasibility, potential entitlements exposure, and strategic approach. These sessions typically take 30–45 minutes and can be conducted easily by phone or video video.