John Lum Architecture
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johnlumarch

Boutique San Francisco architecture and design firm. 🏡Architecture with Intention🏘 johnlumarchitecture.com

Behind a charred shou sugi ban door, a saturated r Behind a charred shou sugi ban door, a saturated red powder room is revealed. 

Swipe right.

The transition is intentional: compressed and moody at the threshold, vibrant and immersive inside.
Repost from @nicolehollis A study in restraint an Repost from @nicolehollis

A study in restraint and material clarity, this Sausalito residence balances calm, continuous surfaces with sculptural moments throughout the home. White oak, plaster, and charred timber create a muted palette that frames the surrounding views, while custom elements bring depth and precision. Each room reflects a commitment to removing the unnecessary, revealing a home shaped by light, texture, and quiet intention.

Interiors @nicolehollis
Architecture @johnlumarch⁠
Photography @douglasfriedman
Repost from @amandateal Warm wood and gentle curv Repost from @amandateal

Warm wood and gentle curves bring softness to this San Francisco family home. 

Photography: @johnmerkl
Architecture: @johnlumarch
Interior Design: @amandateal
Our focus on private medical practices continues t Our focus on private medical practices continues to expand. The newly completed McGann Oral Surgery Center marks a bold next chapter for us. 

Reflecting a broader shift in healthcare toward residentially-inspired, patient-centric environments, the renovated 3,200-sf mid-century structure in San Diego’s Hillcrest neighborhood reopened as a standalone facility in Summer 2025 following a complete spatial reconfiguration. Addressing the anxiety often associated with dental surgery, we fused Japanese minimalism with Scandinavian modernism, and plenty of natural light (even the surgery rooms are day lit) to create a calm setting for the patients and practitioners.

Featured in: @hcdmagazine

Take the tour: https://tinyurl.com/4tte5447

Architect: @johnlumarch
Client: #mcgannoralsurgery
General Contractor:  #SKConstruction
Structural Engineer: @ashleyvanceengineering
Title 24: #WadeEnergy
Lighting Designer: #DavidScottLighting
Interior Designer: #GoliMaleki
Medical Equipment Specialist: @hscheindental
Photographer: @dyerphoto
Check out this multi-generational home we designed Check out this multi-generational home we designed.

When the family set out to rebuild their Palo Alto home, FEMA flood-zone regulations required a complete rethinking of the design, including raising the finished floor four feet and demolishing the existing single-story structure. What began as a constraint became an opportunity to better support the family’s needs, with three bedrooms on the second floor and a ground-floor suite for the grandparents to stay for extended periods.

Referencing the former Eichler-inspired house, the new design features glass walls and expressed structure that reinterpret midcentury principles through a contemporary lens. The great room opens directly to the garden and a raised terrace, extending daily living outdoors. Wraparound planters and tiered stairs soften the change in elevation, allowing the home to integrate seamlessly with its neighborhood.

Architecture: @johnlumarch
Photography: @adamrousephoto
Profiled in: @aiasf #AIASMGP
Under construction! Our affordable housing project Under construction! Our affordable housing project in Bolinas with @bolinascommunitylandtrust and Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco | @habitatforhumanity is underway.

Learn more about this neighborhood project:

https://tinyurl.com/ywyfjktc
As 2026 gets underway, we’re excited to share what As 2026 gets underway, we’re excited to share what’s happening in our studio, reflecting on a year of meaningful work while looking ahead to what’s next.

Check out our newsletter:

https://shorturl.at/qjWah

Looking forward to a year filled with creativity, impact, and continued partnerships.

— John, Bret & Khoan

If you want to subscribe to our mailing list, DM us.

Photo shown:
Architect: @johnlumarch
Client: mcgannoralsurgery
General Contractor:  #SKConstruction
Structural Engineer: @ashleyvanceengineering
Title 24: #WadeEnergy
Lighting Designer: #DavidScottLighting
Interior Designer: #GoliMaleki
Medical Equipment Specialist: @hscheindental
Photographer: @dyerphoto
Repost from @nicolehollis In Sausalito, Exclamati Repost from @nicolehollis

In Sausalito, Exclamation Point in yellow plastic bristles and latex by Richard Artschwager⁠ stands subtly beneath the finished wooden stairs.

Interior @nicolehollis
Architecture @johnlumarch
⁠Art by Richard Artschwager⁠
Photography @douglasfriedman
Repost from @plain_mag @johnlumarch and interior Repost from @plain_mag

@johnlumarch and interior designer @tineketriggs turned a cramped Potrero Hill house in San Francisco into a three-story modern home with a dramatic roof deck accessed through a sliding skylight. Its owner, an attorney, found the perfect spot for her home—on the hill where she grew up, with sweeping downtown views and East Bay panoramas—but the home itself lacked space, light, and orientation toward the winning views. Link in bio for the full feature.⁠
⁠
📸: @adamrousephoto
A dialogue between shapes and texture: the cylindr A dialogue between shapes and texture: the cylindrical sink contrasts with the rectangular geometry of the mirror, while the slatted wall detailing introduces rhythm and tactility, creating an interplay of form and materiality

Design Architect @johnlumarch
Architect of Record #SchaubLiArchitects
Interior Design @studiojyo
Realtor @wendystorchrealtor
Photos @context.visuals
Repost from @arterralandscapearchitects A blue sk Repost from @arterralandscapearchitects

A blue sky site visit to kick off mastering planning with @johnlumarch in Orinda. Great way to start the year!

#arterrateam #arterraonsite#siteanalysis #collaboration
Staircase Surprise! We recently completed this sin Staircase Surprise! We recently completed this single family home in Hillsborough. More details coming soon. 

📷: @eichlerphoto

#StaircaseDesign #Hillsborough
To maximize the floor plan, we anchored this great To maximize the floor plan, we anchored this great room with a bold yellow service core that divides dining and living in striking California Modernist style.

Architecture: @johnlumarch
Interior Design: @formandfield led by @_christine_lin
Photography: @marikoreed

#CaliforniaModernism
Photo tour of McGann Oral Surgery in San Diego wit Photo tour of McGann Oral Surgery in San Diego with Healthcare Design magazine | @hcdmagazine

We reimagined this 3,200-sf mid-century building as a calm, modern home for oral surgical care — where Japanese minimalism meets Scandinavian modernism. Clean lines, natural materials, and a patient-centered experience throughout.

Architect: @johnlumarch
Client: #mcgannoralsurgery
General Contractor:  #SKConstruction
Structural Engineer: @ashleyvanceengineering
Title 24: #WadeEnergy
Lighting Designer: #DavidScottLighting
Interior Designer: #GoliMaleki
Medical Equipment Specialist: @hscheindental
Photographer: @dyerphoto

https://shorturl.at/YOEoJ
Skylight Surprise! 📷: #ArrowoodPhotography #Sky Skylight Surprise! 

📷: #ArrowoodPhotography

#Skylights
Monochrome geometry define this striking black & w Monochrome geometry define this striking black & white facade. 

Architecture: @johnlumarch
Interior Design: @formandfield led by @_christine_lin
Photography: @marikoreed

#BlackAndWhite
Our office is part architecture studio, part hands Our office is part architecture studio, part hands-on workshop. 

We crafted this custom toilet paper holder from 42 steel pipe ends, transforming the most mundane material into an ever-changing display. It not only reflects our design rigor but also embraces the playful spirit we bring to every project.

📷: @ericrorerphoto

#Work #Play
Ending the year with a moment of calm. A study in Ending the year with a moment of calm.

A study in restrained Japanese influence, we drew inspiration from a modern onsen to design this master bath. White penny tiles evoke the tactility of river stones, grounding the Ofuro soaking tub and open shower in a serene palette.

#bathroomdesign #onsen #ofuro
Simplicity. Architecture: @johnlumarch Interior Simplicity. 

Architecture: @johnlumarch
Interior Design: @TinekeTriggs
Photography: @AdamRousePhoto

#DesignCollab #happyholidays
We reimagined this first floor as one dramatic ent We reimagined this first floor as one dramatic entertainment space, complete with an orange backlit wet bar and folding window wall.

#interiorarchitecture #wetbar #orangeinteriors
Take a peek inside this recently sold home. Desig Take a peek inside this recently sold home.

Design Architect @johnlumarch
Architect of Record #SchaubLiArchitects
Interior Design @studiojyo
Realtor @wendystorchrealtor
Photos @context.visuals

#designcollaboration
#ThrowbackThursday to our design for The Barber Lo #ThrowbackThursday to our design for The Barber Lounge — a 5,000-sf interior build-out reinterpreting the classic barbershop through deliberate spatial sequencing and crafted vignettes.

Each program zone — barber lounge (pictured), pedicure alcove, and treatment suites — offers its own material language, from restored 50’s chairs to wood paneling and color-blocked volumes. 📸: @sharonrisedorph 

#TT #barbershop #barberlounge
Recently sold! Stay-tuned for more exciting collab Recently sold! Stay-tuned for more exciting collaborations from this team.

Design Architect @johnlumarch
Architect of Record #SchaubLiArchitects
Interior Design @studiojyo
Realtor @wendystorchrealtor
Photos @context.visuals

View the listing: www.luminousmodern.com
Repost from @nicolehollis In Sausalito, restraint Repost from @nicolehollis

In Sausalito, restraint becomes an art form.

Interiors @nicolehollis
Architecture @johnlumarch
Photography @douglasfriedman
Staircase surprise! Architecture @johnlumarch Int Staircase surprise!

Architecture @johnlumarch
Interior Design @studiojyo
Photo @context.visuals

#staircase #staircasedesign
Clerestory windows invite natural light into the c Clerestory windows invite natural light into the core of this Palo Alto home. From the second floor, the house appears to float above the trees, yielding surprising views of the neighborhood.

Photo: @adamrousephoto

#Clerestorywindows #paloalto #interiorarchitecture
Habitat for Humanity breaks ground. Eight years i Habitat for Humanity breaks ground.

Eight years in the making. Our affordable housing project in Bolinas — with @bolinascommunitylandtrust and @habitatforhumanity — broke ground last month. In attendance were Marin County Supervisor Dennis Rodoni, BCLT Co-Executive Directors Annie O’Connor and Jeff Clapp, and HGSF CEO Maureen Sedonaen, along with many community members. A big thank you to everyone who supported the project!

Tour the project: https://shorturl.at/L16pJ

Architecture: @johnlumarch

@habitatforhumanity #affordablehousing #bolinas
In case you missed it. Our McGann Oral Surgery Cen In case you missed it. Our McGann Oral Surgery Center was recognized with an @aiaeastbay 2025 Design Award, Citation. Photo by @dyerphoto

Other firms honored for their work include: @ara_dutto @gensler_design #sdtarch #arkintilt @g4arch with @hmcarchitects #smarchitecture with #studio144architects @els_architecture #ekva @hoknetwork #wareassociates @perkinswill #gunkelarchitecture #pyatok with @phillipswinarchitecture @designdrawbuild @markcavagneroassociates with #iwamotoscott @lowneyarch @studio_pear @timbre_architecture with #CBarchitecture #gasarchitects

Check out the projects:

https://shorturl.at/qKdAH
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