Following our previous visit to New York-based Perkins Eastman, we are moving our Meet Your Next Employer series to California this week to explore the work of Koch Architects.

Founded by principal Joanne Koch in 1998, the Berkeley-based firm has developed a portfolio ranging from small interventions to larger residential projects. “We see the design process as an intimate, personal collaboration with our clients, and our role as guides, facilitators, and co-creators,” the firm says about its approach, adding that it is “dedicated to integrating intuition with experience, precedent with innovation, creative vision with practical constraints.”

Over on Archinect Jobs, the firm is currently seeking an Intermediate Designer to join its Berkeley office. For candidates interested in applying for the position or anybody interested in learning more about the firm’s output, we have rounded up four residential projects by Koch Architects that exemplify the firm’s ethos.

Sea Ranch Forest Retreat, CA

The Sea Ranch Forest Retreat was originally designed in 1974 by William Turnbull Jr., a pioneer of the typology. To renew the retreat, Koch Architects undertook a careful renovation that “evolved the integrity of the original design into a more contemporary form.” The resulting scheme improves the functionality of the living spaces, enhances the rustic interiors, and creates a more intimate connection with the surrounding forest.

Canyon, Lafayette, CA

A mid-century home originally designed by Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice Fred Langhorst, Canyon was overhauled by Koch Architects with the goal of “bringing back the original spirit of the home,” which had been compromised by several previous remodels. In addition to a complete renewal of the home, the project saw the addition of an accessory building that faces distant views of Mount Diablo.

Dean York, Saint Helena, CA

Dean York was designed as a home for two winemakers, replacing their aging farmhouse in rural Saint Helena. Externally, the home is broken into smaller interconnected volumes separated by open thoroughfares, with a butterfly roof used as a playful unifying element. “A sense of warmth and light was brought to the interior spaces by opening window walls into rooms with floors and ceilings clad in natural wood,” the firm adds.

Oxford Street, Berkeley, CA

Situated in North Berkeley, the home at Oxford Street was originally built in 1952, with Koch Architects commissioned to provide a periodic renovation to update its functionality while preserving the home’s mid-century modern aesthetic. The original building footprint was retained, while a below-ground storage room was excavated and expanded to create a new home office. Meanwhile, vintage laminate countertops were combined with contemporary cabinetry in a kitchen remodel while the “open plan, indoor-outdoor ambience of the original design enhanced with terraced pocket gardens, patios, and walkways.”

Camas Prairie, Fairfield, ID

For the project at Camas Prairie in Central Idaho, Koch Architects designed a second home with a detached guesthouse and connecting breezeway. While the main residence is organized around an open, multi-use space for dining and entertaining, the guesthouse is intended to accommodate periodic visits from friends during the summer months. Clad in corrugated steel, the scheme’s minimal form and offset gable roofs “reflect the owner's desire for a contemporary home influenced by the design vocabulary of barns, rural industrial buildings, and farmhouses.”

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.