Bernal Heights, San Francisco

Simplify Design Create

You want to make your home somewhere you can live for many years. We partner with discerning individuals like you to unlock the true potential of their construction projects. With open minds, creative mastery, and a deep respect for your aspirations, we provide design services that empower you to transcend the ordinary and create useful spaces that feel just right. Whether you’re making a change to a house you’ve lived in for a long time or just moved and need it to work better for you, we can help design a space that you will love to wake up in each day.

Call us for a free consultation at 415-867-5357 or email mk@masonkirby.com.

Bernal Heights, San Francisco

Our Projects

Bronte

Aztec

Bernal Modern

We have multiple projects in progress and completed in Bernal Heights, San Francisco

Chapman-Mason-Kirby-Architects-Photography-Molly-Decoudreaux-017

Bernal Heights, San Francisco

How we work

Our methodology untangles the complexities of designing and building a home. We’ll guide and empower you all along the way, ensuring that your every decision brings you confidence and pride.

Timeless Design

We appreciate the rich tapestry of San Francisco’s vernacular architecture but are not beholden to it. Drawing inspiration from the City’s vibrant heritage and steep topography, we weave it into our contemporary approach, liberating homes from conventional boundaries. We diligently consider the environment and the community, then craft bespoke residences that go beyond the expected, becoming enduring symbols of individuality and beauty.

Collaboration

Great home design comes when you work with an architect to translate your ideas and aspirations into creative solutions. Every project is unique, so we spend a lot of time listening carefully to understand your needs, preferences, and budget. Then, collaborating with you, we apply our wide-ranging experience and meticulous process to bring their vision to life.

Evangelizing the Vision

Giving life to your home design means communicating that vision to contractors so they can build it and building authorities so that they can approve and permit the construction. In San Francisco, with its public policies to preserve neighborhood character, giving life to your project means persuading the neighborhood and municipal design review boards of the quality and appropriateness of your design.

Appropriate Technology

Bernal Heights, San Francisco

The plans submitted to the building department and the construction documents used by the builder are tailored for that purpose and easily intelligible by those building professionals. For everyone else, visualizing home design is a real challenge. To address this, we draft elevations, isometric views, and scale models for many projects during the conception and design development phases.

Through drawings and models, we can share rough concepts and massing among the team and with clients so they have opportunities to weigh in on significant design decisions. Then later in the final stages of development, these visualizations bring clarity to the discussions with all the stakeholders about the design.

Bernal Heights, San Francisco

We render these typically at a 1:50 or 1:100 scale, which means that a 1” on the model represents eight and a half feet in the real world. This massive change in scale is why we also use The Wild, a VR collaboration tool designed specifically for the building industry, to explore and design spaces in a virtual environment.

In the Wild, you see your home’s actual size. You can walk through and explore the space in real time, along with the architect and builder, so that you can understand and appreciate your design choices.

Bernal Heights, San Francisco

What our clients say

I can't really explain how great my experience working with Mason has been. He was completely involved through the whole process of designing an entire apartment out of a huge empty office room in our building. It's been almost a full year since we started, and I couldn't be happier. He has a great attention to detail and an imaginative mind. Being an opinionated person he did a great job of appealing to things that I knew I wanted, but also lending ideas when I was stuck. The space is well maximized, and the materials chosen are beautiful... Not to mention he hand welded a chandelier for the living room area. Mason (and also Karen) are great people, and great to work with. Absolutely recommended.

Mason has done 3 remodel projects with us. He's so great... He's helped us work out a vision for our crazy old house, and has been there with us every step of the way towards that vision. He's good with a budget, he'll tell you honestly when there's a way to bring the price down. He also has a great aesthetic sense. He even hand made a cool industrial chandelier for us.

Mason and his associates provided us with the kind of expertise that you always want when remodeling: he listens to what you want and helps you make the right decisions to make that happen. We can't use enough superlatives to describe his professionalism and attention to details. He not only helps you to manage the relationship with the tradespeople and vendors, but even with your spouse. He makes sure that everyone's ideas and concerns are heard and that solutions that actually satisfy everyone are implemented. He expertly and assuredly helped us navigate through our bathroom remodel and we'll be working with him in the future on remodeling the rest of our house.

We were looking to replace the foundations under our house, and convert some basement space into living space (a master suite). Mason worked with us to find a design solution that would maximize our available space and minimize our entanglement with the planning and 311 process. The solution he came up with originally seemed like it would not be feasible, but turned out to by far be the best, which we were able to complete with over-the-counter permits. Mason also helped us with selection and management of contractors and a structural engineer, and hand-held us all the way through the construction process. Mason is truly a stellar individual, and he's build an fabulous team of people that are lovelly to work with. He understands and helps work through house projects with nuance, sophistication and understanding and excellent communication. I highly recommend working with him and his team.

I hired Mason Kirby to design a 1000 square foot addition to my San Francisco home. I worked closely with Mason and his team over two years of design and construction to turn a cramped, antiquated cottage into a spacious modern home. Mason excels at the art of the possible, fluidly transforming unconventional and clever ideas into drawings, then masterfully navigating the arcane complexities of engineering and permitting to make those drawings into a reality. What I liked most about working with Mason was his personal involvement in the project from start to finish. I would unhesitatingly work with Mason again.

Mason helped me through the entire process of designing and building a beautiful apartment in a pre-existing space in our building. He designed with both efficiency and comfort in mind and I couldn't have asked for a better end result. I would absolutely work with him again, and recommend him highly.

Our long awaited remodel is finished, and we're thrilled with it. Mason Kirby was our architect, and I'd recommend him in a heartbeat.

Bernal Heights, San Francisco

Exploring Bernal Heights, San Francisco; A Cozy Residential Oasis and a Source of Modern Home Inspiration

Nestled in the part of San Francisco Bernal Heights often feels like its little world, within the city. This friendly neighborhood exudes a small town charm. Boasts views making it a truly unique place to live in San Francisco. If you’re considering relocating to the city don’t miss out on exploring Bernal Heights. In this article we’ll delve into what makes living in this area so appealing and showcase some home renovations that beautifully capture the evolving charm of the neighborhood.

What Makes Bernal Heights a Choice?

Strong Community Spirit; Renowned for its knit community Bernal Heights radiates a warm and inviting neighborhood atmosphere. From community events to shops and friendly get togethers it’s easy to feel at home here.
Outdoor Delights; The neighborhood offers opportunities for activities centered around Bernal Heights Park. With its vistas of San Francisco it’s a spot for leisurely strolls with your furry friends, delightful picnics under the sun or simply taking in breathtaking sunsets.
Convenient Access to Amenities; Despite its secluded ambiance Bernal Heights is conveniently located a short commute away from downtown San Francisco. This ensures access, to all the amenities that the city has to offer.

The dining options, on Cortland Avenue, which is the street in the neighborhood are quite diverse. You can find a range of eateries including bakeries, cafes and even upscale restaurants offering various cuisines.

In times Bernal Heights has experienced a surge in home renovations. These renovations have successfully blended the neighborhoods quaint architecture with designs. Here are some noteworthy examples;

Victorian House Modernization; One particular project focused on renovating a century Victorian house. While the exterior was preserved to honor the history of the area the interiors underwent a modernization. The renovation included a living space filled with light a state of the art kitchen and an expansive master suite that offers stunning views of the city.
Cottage Transformation; A delightful cottage from the 1920s was transformed into a gem. The renovation involved expanding the living area into an open concept space and updating it with features. The kitchen now boasts high end appliances. Theres also a rooftop deck that provides panoramic views of the city.
Mid Century Makeover; Another remarkable transformation took place in a century home that underwent sleek renovations. The focus here was on creating a design with floor, to ceiling windows that let in plenty of natural light. Additionally they designed a kitchen that’s both functional and stylish.

These renovations reflect how Bernal Heights has embraced modernity while still preserving its charm and character.

The renovation perfectly combines the century architecture, with contemporary comfort.

Bernal Heights is a neighborhood to live in San Francisco thanks to its strong sense of community, easy access to outdoor activities, proximity to city amenities and diverse food scene. The modern home renovations in this area further enhance its appeal by blending new elements in a way that is unique to Bernal Heights. Whether you’re a professional, a growing family or simply seeking an community oriented place to call home Bernal Heights could be the perfect San Francisco neighborhood, for you.

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Bernal Heights, San Francisco

Fostering a Sense of Community; Local Endeavors, in Bernal Heights, San Francisco

Bernal Heights situated in the part of San Francisco is renowned for its knit community and active residents. The neighborhood thrives on initiatives and projects that greatly contribute to its liveliness and unity. This article aims to shed light on some of these community endeavors showcasing how Bernal Heights goes beyond being a neighborhood; it is a community where residents proactively engage in shaping their surroundings.

The Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center

Established during the 1970s the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center (BHNC) serves as a hub for community projects. BHNCs initiatives encompass affordable housing programs, youth services, support for seniors and efforts aimed at building a sense of community. Among its endeavors is the Fiesta on the Hill an engaging street fair that celebrates the diversity and communal spirit cherished by everyone in the neighborhood.

Alemany Farm

Nestled along the outskirts of Bernal Heights lies Alemany Farm—a 3.5 acre farm that stands as a testament to action, within the community while promoting food security, education and environmental stewardship. Volunteers are warmly invited to take part in workdays at this farm where they can learn about farming practices while contributing to a source of fresh produce.

The produce, from the farm is distributed among volunteers given to food programs and sold at prices every week at a farm stand.

Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema

To celebrate filmmakers the Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema project offers screenings of short films in various outdoor locations throughout the neighborhood. Its goal is to support artists entertain the community and strengthen the sense of belonging within the neighborhood.

Bernal History Project

Volunteers run the Bernal History Project, which collects, preserves and shares the history of Bernal Heights. The project hosts meetings, slide shows and guided walks to educate residents about their neighborhoods past. Additionally it maintains an online archive of photographs, articles and interviews.

Bernal Heights Community Garden

Situated atop Bernal Hill this community garden provides a space where residents can cultivate plants and vegetables. In addition to offering gardening opportunities this initiative encourages community interaction. Promotes education. Moreover visitors can enjoy breathtaking city views while indulging in their passion for gardening or appreciating nature.

Through these community projects, like these ones mentioned above
Bernal Heights nurtures a sense of community spirit. These endeavors not offer services and opportunities for residents but also reinforce the neighborhoods identity and unity.

Bernal Heights truly showcases the strength of community involvement whether its by appreciating talent safeguarding the areas heritage supporting eco practices or creating spaces for people to connect. Living in Bernal Heights means more, than residing in a neighborhood; it means joining an engaged community.