San Francisco
Architecture & Design
in San Francisco.
YCD Studio designs restaurants, commercial interiors, and residences across San Francisco. We handle design, permitting, and construction administration through the city's review process — bringing the same attention to a tenant improvement at Fisherman's Wharf as we do to a ground-up mixed-use project downtown.
What We Do in San Francisco
Full-service architecture across the city.
From tenant improvements in SoMa to residential projects in the Richmond, we bring design clarity and permit expertise to every project type.
Tenant Improvement
Restaurant build-outs, office renovations, and retail conversions. We handle design, permitting through SF DBI, and construction administration — from pre-lease walkthrough to opening day.
Restaurant & Hospitality Design
Kitchen layout, exhaust hood coordination, health department requirements, and front-of-house design. We have completed restaurant projects across San Francisco, from Fisherman's Wharf to the Mission.
Commercial Architecture
Office build-outs, adaptive reuse, and mixed-use development. We navigate San Francisco's planning and building review processes to keep projects moving from concept through permit.
Residential Architecture
Custom homes, ADUs, and renovations across San Francisco's diverse neighborhoods. We work with DBI's residential review process, Section 311 notifications, and historic district requirements.
Neighborhoods
Where we work across San Francisco.
San Francisco is a city of micro-neighborhoods, each with its own zoning overlays, review requirements, and design character. We've worked across the city and know where the friction points are.
SoMa & Mission Bay
Tech tenant improvements, adaptive reuse of warehouse stock, and ground-up mixed-use. DBI plan check for SoMa projects typically clears in 8–12 weeks for office TI, 10–16 weeks for conversions touching life-safety systems.
Mission & Valencia Corridor
Restaurant TI, retail storefronts, and boutique hospitality. Expect Planning Department notification requirements for Mission Street formula retail and Calle 24 Latino Cultural District overlays.
Fisherman's Wharf & Embarcadero
Waterfront hospitality, pier tenant improvements, tourism retail. Projects on Port of San Francisco property trigger a dual-review process — we completed Pier 41 / Cousins Maine Lobster as a case study in navigating both DBI and Port review.
Downtown & Union Square
High-rise retrofits, office TI, retail. Our Market Tower facade-led retrofit shows our approach to high-density commercial adaptive reuse — preserving the existing frame while modernizing skin, systems, and ground-floor activation.
Chinatown & North Beach
Historic-district restaurant and retail work. Article 10 landmark buildings and Chinatown SUD (Special Use District) require additional Planning review and sometimes Historic Preservation Commission sign-off.
Richmond, Sunset & Outer Neighborhoods
Custom homes, ADUs, and residential remodels. RH-1 and RH-2 zoning triggers Section 311 neighbor notification for most additions. ADUs benefit from a dedicated DBI track but still require careful zoning review.
San Francisco Projects
Recent work across the city.
A selection of completed and in-progress projects in San Francisco — from waterfront restaurants to downtown high-rise retrofits.
Market Tower
A facade-led retrofit of a downtown San Francisco high-rise, rethinking performance, daylight, and urban presence while preserving the existing concrete frame.
- High-performance facade with parametric shading
- Regenerative design and vertical gardens
- Ground-floor retail arcade for pedestrian activation
Pier 41 — Cousins Maine Lobster
A waterfront restaurant tenant improvement at Fisherman's Wharf with industrial interiors, branded murals, and a counter-service layout designed for high turnover.
- Complex permit coordination with Port of SF
- Counter-service layout for high-volume operation
- Branded interior at a flagship waterfront location
Alemany Farmers Market
A redesign of San Francisco's oldest farmers market with dramatic angular timber canopies, modular vendor stalls, and flexible public gathering spaces.
- Sculptural timber-and-steel canopy structures
- Modular vendor infrastructure for seasonal programming
- Improved pedestrian connections and public plaza
Portfolio
All San Francisco projects.
Every project we have designed or are currently designing in San Francisco.
Market Tower
A facade-led retrofit that rethinks performance, daylight, and urban presence without losing the value of the existing structure.
Pixel Heights
A mixed-use scheme exploring a sharper urban silhouette through stacked volumes and neighborhood activation.
Hawaii Fluid Art
A vibrant retail-to-art-studio tenant improvement with bold colors, neon signage, and workshop stations.
Cousins Maine Lobster — Pier 41, San Francisco
YCD Studio provided design and project delivery services for Cousins Maine Lobster's San Francisco Pier 41 location at Fisherman's Wharf — executing the franchise's brand and design standards. Permit drawings stamped by the project's licensed architect of record.
Alemany Farmers Market
An open-air civic market with dramatic angular timber canopies reimagining San Francisco's oldest farmers market.
Permitting
Navigating San Francisco's permit process.
San Francisco's Department of Building Inspection runs a multi-step review that varies by project type, zoning district, and scope. We handle the full process.
Commercial & Restaurant TI
Over-the-counter permits are available for minor interior work, but full tenant improvements — especially those involving food service, hood systems, or change of use — require plan check review. Restaurant projects in San Francisco typically take 8 to 16 weeks through DBI, with additional coordination required from the Health Department and Fire Marshal.
Residential Permits
Standard residential permits average 8 to 12 weeks through DBI. Projects in RH-1 and RH-2 zones that trigger Section 311 neighborhood notification add 30 or more days. ADUs benefit from a dedicated review track but still typically take 6 to 8 weeks. Historic districts under Article 10 or Article 11 require a separate Planning Department review.
Port of San Francisco
Waterfront projects along the Embarcadero and at pier locations require coordination with the Port of San Francisco in addition to DBI. We have direct experience navigating this dual-review process, including our completed restaurant project at Pier 41.
Planning a project in San Francisco?
Whether you are opening a restaurant, renovating a commercial space, or designing a home, we will help you understand costs, timelines, and what San Francisco's review process requires. We respond within 24 hours.