MAYACAMAS ARCHITECTS
RESIDENTIAL DESIGN ARCHITECTS
Residential Projects
Stag's Leap Residence
Napa Valley
The Stag's Leap Residence was a labor of love for a San Francisco couple dreaming for years to move to Napa Valley. Nestled in the vineyards, it is situated to take advantage of the gorgeous mountain views of Stag's Leap while incorporating all of the amenities of a superb Napa Valley indoor-outdoor lifestyle. The 4,000 s.f., three-bedroom, three bath residence includes a swimming pool, outdoor dining pergola and a large sleeping porch off the master bedroom suite. Special features include a large chef's kitchen with custom refrigerated wine cabinets that stores up to 52-cases of wine.
Foothill Residence
Calistoga
A farm-inspired modern home in Calistoga with stunning views of the rocky Palisades to the east, the 3 bedroom 3 bath 3,000 square foot home is built on a sloping lot where the upper floor master bedroom suite feels like it is floating in the trees, with large windows that overlook the pool, the valley floor vineyards, and a modern Water Tower. Living spaces on all sides of the building guarantee a place to enjoy the outdoors all year long, rain or shine, and a field-rock fireplace on the patio encourages socializing late into any Calistoga evening with a freshly roasted s'more and a glass of Charbono.
Cloudy Meadow Ranch
Paso Robles
The 40-acre property is one of 100 lots in a 3,000 acre ranch preserve. The 6,000 square foot residence has 3-bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths and a 3-car garage. Special features include a countertop cooking fireplace, a temperature controlled wine room and an adjacent 1,500 square foot painting studio with art gallery.
Madrona Residence
St. Helena
In town, westside St. Helena, living in a compact format but with all the style and elegance you could want on a 6,000 square foot lot. This modern American farmhouse included double-height ceilings, striking corner windows, a statement fireplace hand-crafted from local stone, and a small, modern, yet refreshing garden surrounded by white dogwoods.
Diamond Mountain Estate Home
Calistoga
The 6,500 square foot 6 bedroom, 6 1/2 bath home on a 12 acre site sits on a topographical bench perched above the valley floor with 360 degree views of Mt. St. Helena, the Palisades, hillside vineyards and a redwood grove. The residence consists of two buildings: the main house and a guest house (shown in photos) wrapping around two sides of a central swimming pool with terraced lounge areas, a fire pit and spa. Simple and geometric, the design epitomizes low key sophistication letting the beauty of the location and the view speak for themselves. Check back in with us for updates.
The Q Restaurant and Bar
Napa, CA
The award winning Q Restaurant & Bar was designed for Napa Valley locals - pairing slow-cooked barbecue and classic American comfort food with fine wine. To celebrate locals, the owner commissioned a leading U.S. portrait photographer to take photos of
winery owners and workers throughout the valley. Interior finishes include limed-oak cabinetry, white Carrera marble counters, leather upholstery paired with classic metal ‘diner’ chairs, offset by white walls and black tables. The restaurant seats (60) guests inside the restaurant, at the wine bar and on the outdoor dining terrace.
This project was designed by Mark while he was a Principal at BAR Architects.
Chen Jia Private Club
Shanghai, China
The 30,000 sq. ft. private club includes a reception, a bar, restaurant private dining and conference rooms and game room, plus several indoor and outdoor lounge areas. The club’s landscape design plays on the marshy natural landscape the area is known for - so the reception areas Tea Lounge ‘bridge’ spans a weir-like waterfall feature. The building is highly insulated, has passive design features, radiant heated floors throughout and is partially powered by solar arrays. The extensive landscape water feature enables an evaporative cooling system.
This project was designed by Mark while he was a
Principal at BAR Architects.
Renderings by Thai Nguyen
Related Residential Experience
Marin Sustainable Living Community
California
The 28-residence, ultra-sustainable community consists of 2, 3 or four-bedroom residences in (4) seven-residence ‘estate buildings’ that are designed to look like large, contemporary estate homes. While each residence has a dedicated workspace - amenities provide a co-working studio, cafe, gym, yoga studio, spa, swimming pool - plus indoor and outdoor dining and lounging areas. Services include housekeeping, landscape and building maintenance, and electric car-sharing. Kids amenities and services include daycare, co-learning and a shuttle van. I.e. all of the support residents need to work productively when they work from home.
45% of a community’s ‘useable’ electricity will be generated by rooftop solar PV arrays, 45% by hydrogen fuel cells and 10% stored in batteries. We will electrolyze grey water into hydrogen using ‘excess’ electricity generated by solar arrays, and store it for use in a fuel cell to power a community at night, and during cloudy and rainy days. Heat pumps, water heaters, refrigeration and ventilation systems will be leveraged for energy efficient radiant heating and cooling. Each estate building is designed to power itself, but all are connected by a micro-grid so that electricity produced in a community is available where and when it is needed - thus communities can operate ‘off-grid’.
Site-specific proposal for a community designed for ARIEL Sustainable Technologies, Inc.
Fountaingrove Lodge
Santa Rosa
A ground breaking and award-winning LGBT project with 70 independent residential units in the Mayacamas foothills. Nestled among oak trees and with views across Santa Rosa towards the Pacific, Fountaingrove Lodge amenities include swimming pool, wine cavern, dining hall and bar room.
Andrew was the Lead Architect for Oakmont Senior Living
The Canyons Villa
Park City, UT
The 18,000 square foot, 7-bedroom, 8 1/2 bath, 7-car garage ski-in/ski-out estate home is located on a "Canyons" ski run. Architecturally the residence is designed as a modern hybrid of a Japanese villa (asymmetrical exterior) and a European villa (bi-axial plan). The program includes an indoor swimming pool with a spa treatment room and a 15 seat movie screening theater.
The mountain resort villa was designed by Mark while a Design Principal/Owner of BAR Architects,
Rendering by Thai Nguyen
Oxbow Riverwalk Hotel & Copia Master Plan
Napa, CA
The 5-acre redevelopment project included a hotel located on a prime riverfront site. The master planning and conceptual design effort include re-positioning Copia, the American Center for Food, Wine & the Arts (now the Culinary Institute of America), adding a 100-key hotel, restaurant and retail spaces, and 180 residential apartments.
Mark led the conceptual design of the buildings while Principal at BAR Architects.
Rendering by Thai Nguyen
Agassi-Graf Lifestyle Center
Peninsula Cacique, Costa Rica
The resort is one of five planned for Peninsula Cacique by Revolution Places. Andre and Steffi have traveled the world but found few tennis-oriented resorts they liked. This was an opportunity to create what they felt was missing, The project includes 21 for-sale villas and a lifestyle center.
This resort villa was co-designed by Mark while Principal at BAR Architects.
Rendering by Thai Nguyen
HCM Communities
Japan
Over a 12 year period, Mark co-designed eight luxury senior living communities throughout Japan as a Principal of BAR Architects. This photograph looks toward a bridge-like promenade spanning a modern reflection pond designed by the SWA Group. The extraordinary quality of the exterior and interior finishes is typical of each community - expertly constructed by Japanese contractors - exhibiting some of the world's highest levels of craftsmanship.
These multiple projects were co-designed by Mark while Principal at BAR Architects.
OUR FIRM & DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
Mayacamas Architects is focused on designing estate home residences in the Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley and Marin County. We believe that the best designs are the result of collaboration between the client, architect, building contractor and design consultants, and that engagement and communication between stakeholders is critical for a project's success.
Although we look at each project through a contemporary lens, we don't have a set architectural style. For client's with a clear vision of what they want, we will follow their direction. In either case, our designs are a reflection of our clients' goals, personality and lifestyle and are informed by location, views, topography, and climate - thus each project is unique.
Insights
Making Estate Homes Fire-Resistant
Wildfire Building Code Requirements
While no home built with today’s standard methods and codes can be truly fire-proof during a firestorm, there are effective strategies to significantly reduce the risk. California has faced increasing wildfires in both rural and urban areas. Homes located in Moderate, High, or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones—as well as Wildland Urban Interface regions—are now required to meet fire-resistant construction standards. For many estate homes, construction costs break down to roughly 30% for materials and 45% for labor. This means upgrading to fire-resistant components does not substantially increase overall costs. Instead, it can improve insurance coverage, lower premiums, and potentially safeguard your home from destruction while qualifying you for full replacement cost policies.
Fire Resistant Construction & Technologies
While most estate homes have a wood structure in high and very high fire hazard zones, it is critical to minimize the use of combustible materials. Consider switching to light-gauge steel framing and durable exteriors like stucco, brick, or stone. Use exterior fire-resistant wood sparingly and pair it with sprinkler systems. (Keep in mind that public utilities often shut off electricity during wildfires and without backup power, sprinkler systems with electric pumps won’t work.) Embers commonly enter homes through vents and ledges—these vulnerable areas need extra attention. Even advanced glazing (double or triple-pane metal-framed windows) may only delay fire penetration by 15–30 minutes. Emerging options such as autonomous aerial firefighting drones, capable of dynamic water deployment and perimeter mapping using infrared sensors, represent next-generation defense technologies.
Create Landscape Defensible Space
Many wildfires ignite when airborne embers land on dry vegetation near a home. To minimize this risk, it's essential to keep flammable plants away from the house. CAL FIRE has established three critical zones: Zone 0 (0-5 ft from house) should not contain any combustible materials, Zone 1 (5-30 ft) can have high moisture plants with trees whose canopies are spaced at least 10 feet apart, and Zone 2 (30-100 ft) where vegetation is thinned to reduce fire intensity. Regular maintenance is key—removing dead leaves, pine needles, and debris from roofs, gutters, and yards helps eliminate fuel sources. When planning your landscape, opt for low-growing and fire-resistant plants such as succulents or hardwoods with high moisture content. Instead of bark mulch, use gravel or stone which won't easily catch fire. To further protect your home, roof-eave-mounted sprinklers can dampen exterior surfaces, helping to prevent fires from gaining a foothold through your landscaping.