Following our previous visit to Philadelphia-based KieranTimberlake, we are moving our Meet Your Next Employer series to California this week to explore the work of Richard Beard Architects.

Led by Richard Beard, and based in San Francisco, Richard Beard Architects focuses on the design of private residences and special commissions, specializing in distinctive custom homes, luxury multi-family communities, and specialty commercial and hospitality environments. The studio describes its work as “significantly informed by how architecture can integrate with interior and landscape design to achieve a unified design that is more than the sum of its constituent parts.”

Over on Archinect Jobs, the firm is currently hiring for several positions to join their San Francisco office. For candidates interested in applying for a position, or anybody interested in learning about the firm’s output, we have rounded up four rural California residences by Richard Beard Architects that exemplify the studio’s ethos.

Santa Lucia Preserve, CA

Commissioned as a getaway for a London-based couple, the residence at Santa Lucia Preserve is inspired by the traditional California ranch house. Composed of two primary elements, a residence and a pool house, the scheme is architecturally defined by low-slung wings that form a central, private courtyard. A relationship between the interior and exterior is reinforced by a series of integrated courtyards and terraces, providing refuge from wide open spaces and “establishing intimate settings for the adjacent living areas.”

“A sense of luxury is created through a subtle, yet complex, layering of furnishings within the elegantly proportioned rooms,” the designers note. “Natural materials and a neutral palette ground the clean and contemporary interiors, which are accented by pops of color introduced through artwork and accessories. Generous roof overhangs provide shelter from the southern and western sun and add substantial shadow relief on the building’s public face.”

Peninsula Residence, San Francisco, CA

Located in a hilly neighborhood south of San Francisco, Peninsula Residence sought to merge elegance and functionality. The resulting scheme comprises a series of stone-clad, linked structures and walls that break down the overall scale of the 12,000-square-foot house. Spaces between the structures function as exterior courtyards, while the material palette is dominated by exposed stone, dry-stacked with a raw cleft face to provide a sense of permanence and privacy.

“The program for the house was quite complicated,” notes Richard Beard. “It required clever compositional moves to accommodate everything the clients wanted. While designed for easy and casual living on a day-to-day basis, it had to provide generous entertaining space, office, fitness room, and guest quarters—all while maintaining privacy for everyone.”

Westridge Residence, Portola Valley, CA

Designed by Richard Beard while a Principal at BAR Architects, Westridge Residence was designed to capture views of Windy Hill, a notable ridgeline close to Silicon Valley. In response to uneven terrain, the home was sited to the northern side of the property, orientated to achieve maximum views of the oak-covered hill in the foreground and Windy Hill in the distance.

“Architecturally, the building wings draw heavily on the rural vernacular:  a series of gable-ended roof forms are casually linked together and clad in cedar shingles with dark trim,” Beard explains. ”The whole composition settles into its setting modestly and sits lightly on the land.  Interiors continue the wooden materiality, using oak, fir, and cedar, painted in places, stained in others, to create a warm envelope of the defined spaces while blurring the distinction between what is inside and what is out.”

Soda Canyon, Napa Soda Springs, CA

Located near Napa Valley, the residence at Soda Canyon was designed to merge the aesthetic of an older home with the convenience of a contemporary design. The main house occupies the top of the ridge to capture views of both the San Francisco Bay and Napa Valley, deliberately set back from the edges to celebrate the site itself in the foreground. Such deference was reinforced by the decision to limit the depth of the house to that of one room’s width, allowing natural light to fill the interior spaces.

“A huge panorama seen at once is a one-liner,” notes Richard Beard. “By capturing the essence of what’s out there, and revealing it carefully, the experience is much richer than giving it away in a single gesture.”

Meet Your Next Employer is one of a number of ongoing weekly series showcasing the opportunities available on our industry-leading job board. Our Job Highlights series looks at intriguing and topical employment opportunities currently available on Archinect Jobs, while our weekly roundups curate job opportunities by location, career level, and job description.