Victor Conforti
Victor Conforti – Architect
Career bio:
UC Berkeley graduate 1968/69, apprenticeship in Laguna Beach; came to Sonoma in 1971, worked as carpenter for a year or so, doing drafting to get started. Licensed in 1975, nearly all of my work is in Sonoma Valley, mostly residential but significant portion is commercial work, when working inside town known for “contextual design” i.e. buildings fit into their neighborhood, practical design and construction orientation with building background
Pivotal moment:
Moving to Sonoma after securing a drafting position at a local business, the business going bankrupt after two weeks…. my wife and one year old daughter had already moved to Sonoma…and so there was no turning back….Then meeting mentor Walter Benson: artist, sculptor/ hillside view land developer who lead me to my first job as a carpenter/draftsman, to subsequent clients, and taught me the fine art of sitting a home on the land.
Inspired by:
Historic Sonoma itself – the land, forms and oaks of the surrounding hills
Signature design element:
Recognizable interpretation, using up to date materials and methods, of Sonoma’s various historic buildings and multitude of historic styles
Guiding principles:
When working in town, contextual design. When working in the rural areas, designing buildings that fit and respect the land and its essence.
When in doubt…
Know your capabilities and those involved. Be extra careful and fully prepare. If still in doubt… don’t.
Dream assignment?
Renovating buildings around the Plaza that still need help. Renovating/remodeling historic homes in town. Designing modest size homes
Sketch pad, cocktail napkin or computer?
A little of each…. the napkin to catch an idea, sketch pad for the creative flow of the initial designing, computer to flush out the design and communicate it to the clients and local review agencies, and CAD for final construction drawings.
Favorite building in the Valley:
Swiss Hotel. A simple, unassuming expression of its time and place, and a completely welcoming place to be.
John F. Dorr, Jr. AIA NCARB
DomA Architects, Inc.
Brief professional history:
I graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture from Virginia Tech. in 1984. I practiced in the Washington DC area for about 6 years then headed West to work in San Francisco. After working in a large firm doing resort work, I shifted gears and decided to focus on residential architecture. I established my own firm with my business partner Ryann Marlowe 10 years ago. While our office is in San Rafael our work zone encompasses both Napa and Sonoma Valley, Marin county and San Francisco. I have lived with my family in the city of Sonoma for 10 years.
Pivotal moment of career:
Going into business for myself, because I can take ownership in design and enjoy the satisfaction of my clients.
Inspiration:
I would have to say that classicism has always been an important source of inspiration. The Greeks & Romans developed orders of scale and proportion that can be applied in all styles of architecture; from ultra modern to traditional accurate proportions are essential.
Signature design element:
I’d say context and a strong emphasis on detail.
Guiding principle:
Integrity
When in doubt…
Remember to have fun. Whether you are doing a remodel or a new home from scratch it should be an enjoyable process.
Dream assignment?
I would love to get a commission in Italy or France or both. I really enjoy traveling in Europe and what a great excuse to spend more time there.
Sketch pad, cocktail napkin or computer?
All of the above. Our preliminary design process is a very old school approach. We’ve been known to frame cocktail napkin sketches and offer them to our clients as a house warming gift at the end of a project. It’s usually quite surprising how close the initial sketches are to the end result.
Favorite building in the Valley:
The Blue Wing Inn. I love this structure. To me it represents the core of what makes Sonoma charming. Historically speaking the Blue Wing Inn is an excellent example of an early California adobe structure and is an important part of our architectural heritage. I am on the board of The Institute of Classical Architecture and we are planning an event with our city Historian George McKale to contribute to the effort to restore this wonderful building – stay tuned.
Bill Willers
Marcus & Willers Architects
Brief professional history:
I began working for various architects when I was a junior in high school. In 1978, as a second year student in college, one of my professors, Max Jacobsen of Jacobsen Silverstein Winslow Architects, asked me if I would be interested in working in his office. I worked with JSW until 1985. At that time I felt the need to get the experience of working in a larger office. In 1985 I joined Anshen & Allen Architects in San Francisco where I worked as a project designer/architect. In 1988 I came to Sonoma to work for Ned Forrest. My wife, Carol Marcus, and I formed Marcus and Willers Architects 1990.
Turning point:
On a beautiful fall morning, driving from Walnut Creek up the
Silverado Trail to do construction observation on the Beringer Office
Building in Saint Helena, I came to the realization I wanted live and work
in this area. A month later I was working in Sonoma.
Inspiration:
Nature, indigenous buildings of all cultures, and architecture
which expresses the essence of the place where it is built and the people
for whom it is built.
Signature design element:
I believe our buildings share common themes more than a common “style.” They are site and client specific, environmentally sensitive, and modern expressions that draw on timeless traditions of building, where attention to detail and the craft of building form architecture that will endure.
Guiding principles:
Simplicity, comfort, harmony, environmental sensitivity, and longevity.
When in doubt…
“Do what a farmer would do.” What I mean by this is: keep it simple. The most direct and simple solution to a problem can lead to a design that is extremely elegant.
Dream job:
Working with clients who are engaged and willing to challenge me throughout the design and construction process. Fortunately, we have had many “dream assignments,” and I always look forward to the next because they are always different.
Sketch pad, cocktail napkin or computer?
All of the above.
Favorite building in the Valley:
The dairy structures on Highway 121 just before crossing Sonoma Creek. For me they form a sort of gateway to Sonoma, and they are a great counterpoint to the fields that surround them. The Salvador Vallejo Adobe is one of my favorite buildings in town because it is where I lived and worked my first ten years in Sonoma.
Michael B. Ross, AIA
RossDrulisCusenbery, Architecture, Inc.
Career bio:
BA Degree, Anthropology, Sonoma State University, 1971, General Contractor 1975 – 1981. Masters of Architecture Degree, U.C. Berkeley, 1983. Formation of original design firm, 1983. 27 years of continuous professional services in Sonoma
Turning point:
Graduating from U.C. Berkeley with a Masters Degree in Architecture. In 1968, though, as a young anthropology student at Sonoma State, I rented a room from an architect named David Brown who designed and built homes in Sonoma County. He hired me as a carpenter during my early college years. From this experience I developed a lifelong fascination with building design and the construction process.
Inspired by:
Architecture is inherently optimistic. I take inspiration from the positive including daily swimming at Park Point or ACAC, the work of architects Bernard Maybeck ,William Turnbull, Louis Kahn, and Norman Foster, collaboration with my partners Chuck Drulis and Mallory Cusenbery, Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, my friend Steve Kyle and my wife Lynn Ross.
Signature design element:
Ample use of windows, natural light and the fostering of transparency. Careful/inspired site analysis and building location planning. Designing buildings of appropriate size, scale, massing and community compatibility.
Guiding principle:
First understand a building in functional, environmental and technical terms. Then appreciate the building in terms of “meaning” and “making”.
When in doubt…
Be patient. Take more time. Doubt is dispelled when you know more.
Dream assignment?
In Sonoma: a neighborhood of cottages built around a common green area for independent seniors. In the World: a university campus.
Sketch pad, cocktail napkin or computer?
Diagrammatic sketches on anything that is dry.
Favorite building in the Valley:
The Ray/Adler Adobe is a wonderful building. I especially like the contrast between the tall slender columns, the sheltering lightly framed roof and the massive adobe walls.
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