Gary Earl Parsons, Architect is a full service architecture firm which places special emphasis on residential design. Since 1987 my office has produced award winning designs that are responsive to clients’ desires.
We take our initial cues from the client’s stated needs and desires, and then infuse each project with the breadth of our design experience and my hands-on knowledge of construction to create a distinguished end product. We use natural and artificial light to extraordinary effect, as we seek to endow each project with a true sense of its time and place. In addition to the client’s particular orientation, aspects of climate, region, time, history and culture make up the unique context for each project.
As a native of Berkeley, I have an innate regional sensibility. With an undergraduate degree in anthropology from UC Berkeley I keenly feel the connection between culture and architecture, and I am equipped to synthesize influences from the world beyond design. I received my Master’s degree in Architecture in 1982 from UC Berkeley and my architect’s license from the state of California in 1986. I have continued my association with UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design by frequently jurying student work and occasionally teaching undergraduate studios.
I have trained with several notable Bay Area firms including Esherick, Homsey, Dodge and Davis; Fernau & Hartman, Daniel Solomon & Associates, Lawrence Halprin, and Batey & Mack. The work of the firm has received awards from the East Bay and San Francisco chapters of the American Institute of Architects, the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association, the Oakland Museum, and various publications.
My background has given me the ability to create a firm that can deftly handle all aspects of a building project, from initial programming and problem solving, through design and construction documents, to bidding and construction observation. The firm is small, rarely expanding beyond four people, allowing me to be involved in every step of the process. In short, I can offer the personal attention and quality design your building project deserves.