Studio VARA

Studio VARA is a San Francisco-based design practice driven by a deep commitment to architecture as a material craft and a discipline grounded in ideas. With both the natural and built environment as reference points and inspiration for our work, we create holistic, well-considered design solutions and human-centered experiences at many scales.

We are an interdisciplinary design studio driven by a passion for excellence in design, service, and execution across a wide range of project sizes and typologies that align with our mission to empower designers as agents of positive change. 

Founded in 2013 by principals Maura Fernández Abernethy and Christopher Roach, Studio VARA is a team of highly talented individuals with a depth of experience and breadth of capabilities to provide a full range of high-touch services across our full spectrum of practice areas.  The services we offer reflect this broad range of types and scales, from architecture, landscape, interior design, and furniture to strategy, feasibility, and master planning. 

We approach our practice as a design project, developing a process-oriented delivery model that is structured yet allows design solutions to arise organically from each project’s unique ecology. Clients and stakeholders are engaged throughout design and construction in an environment attuned to their aspirations and infused with ease and clarity. Working side-by-side with collaborators, we foster a truly team-oriented process. From exterior form to interior furnishings, this flexible, collaborative approach builds trust and yields spaces that shape our clients’ lives and contribute to a more just, verdant, and resilient world.