TEF Design

Creating places that connect people is at the heart of our work. TEF. We craft places people love. Learn more at TEFarch.com

TEF Design is an award-winning design practice known for crafting imaginative and enduring places where people come together to share ideas and build community. We are skilled in developing cohesive design solutions that integrate the social, economic and political dynamics of urban development through authentic collaboration and a shared commitment to value, sustainability and performance.

09/24/2026

Recently featured on School Construction News is an article titled “An Urban Wellness, Athletics & Aquatics Hub in San Francisco Centers Mind, Body and Spirit” bylined by Jennifer Tulley, Principal-in-Charge at TEF Design.

Designed for Convent & Stuart Hall, an independent K-12 school rooted in the Sacred Heart tradition, the 66,000-square-foot, four-story urban complex is slated for completion in 2029 and targeting LEED Gold. Jennifer’s thought piece examines the following themes: Maximizing Program on a Constrained Site; Harnessing Daylight; Nurturing Connection and Belonging; and, Environmentally Responsible, Connected to Nature. 🔗 in bio.

09/15/2026

Meet our new website! A new place to connect with us, designed for all: tefarch.com

At TEF, we craft places people love. Our new website is now one of them. An extension of our recent rebrand, the site is an expression of who we are today — rooted in the Bay Area, centered on people, meaningfully-designed, and shaped by the core values that drive our practice. Special thanks to Mende Design and KB Creative for their steadfast partnership and technical and design ingenuity. Stay tuned for more stories about developing our accessible website this fall!

09/11/2026

This September, TEF is partnering with the Center for Architecture + Design to present Sketching San Francisco: Exploring Culture, History, and Place as part of the Architecture + the City Festival! Thank you to everyone who joined us for our first session today at the Presidio Main Post (scroll for highlights) ✏️

Join us for our next sessions taking place on September 18th (at St. Mary’s Square) and September 25th (at the Ferry Building). No drawing experience is required, and basic sketching materials and site-specific snacks will be provided.

Using drawing to explore each site’s architecture, public spaces, materials, movement, light, history, and sense of place. The sessions are led by TEF’s Doug Tom and Emilio Ponce alongside architectural historian Josh Bevan.

A special thank you to archsupplies for generously donating sketching materials for the series. We’re also grateful to Piccino Presidio for providing focaccia for our Presidio Main Post session.

Visit the 🔗 in bio for more details and to register! 🎟️

Center for Architecture + Design

09/03/2026

innovating at the Town Engineering Lab, where big ideas take shape! Two classrooms at Town School were transformed into a flexible Engineering Studio designed for hands-on exploration and creative problem-solving. Serving students from kindergarten through eighth grade, the space features mobile work surfaces, adaptable teaching tools, and advanced fabrication technologies that support collaboration, experimentation, and inclusive, future-focused learning.

Architecture / Interiors: TEF
Structural Engineer: Murphy Burr Curry
Electric Engineer: Decker Electric
Mechanical Engineer: Legacy Mechanical
Lighting Design: PritchardPeck Lighting
Acoustics Consultant: Acoustic Arts and Engineering
Contractor: Plant Construction Company
📸: Mikiko Kikuyama

08/26/2026

Summertime at the Garfield Center ☀️ Located in San Francisco’s Mission District, the renovation of this cultural hub included the design of a new courtyard connecting the historic mid-century natatorium to the new entry and clubhouse. Inside, there is a pool, and outside, a splash pad for warm weather days!

Architecture: TEF Design in joint venture with Paulett Taggart Architects
Landscape: San Francisco Department of Public Works
Structural: Rivera Consulting Group
Mechanical: Guttmann & Blaevoet
Plumbing / Electrical: E Design C, Inc.
Civil: Leahy Engineering
LEED Consultant: Stok
Owner: City and County of San Francisco

📸: Bruce Damonte

08/21/2026

Grab your pencils and join us this September for a guided sketching series across San Francisco! ✏️

TEF is partnering with the Center for Architecture + Design to present Sketching San Francisco: Exploring Culture, History, and Place as part of the Architecture + the City Festival.

Across three sessions, we’ll visit the Presidio Main Post, St. Mary’s Square, and the Ferry Building, using drawing to explore each site’s architecture, public spaces, materials, movement, light, history, and sense of place. The sessions will be led by TEF’s Doug Tom and Emilio Ponce alongside architectural historian Josh Bevan.

Join us for one session or all three. No drawing experience is required, and basic sketching materials and site-specific snacks will be provided.

A special thank you to ARCH Supplies for generously donating sketching materials for the series. We’re also grateful to Piccino Presidio for providing focaccia for our Presidio Main Post session.

Taking place September 11, 18 + 25, visit 🔗 in bio to register.

Event Sponsors: Piccino Presidio archsupplies

08/13/2026

Shoutout to Megan von Engelbrechten, TEF Architectural Intern extraordinaire, who’s last day was yesterday — thank you for everything these past few months and we wish you all the best!

“I feel immensely lucky having interned at TEF. The team immediately brought me onto active projects, tailored assignments to my specific interests, and trusted me with impactful work. Getting to expand my skills in such a welcoming and supportive environment was invaluable. Thank you, TEF!” - Megan

Pictured here is our ice cream social in Megan’s honor – and a cheesecake she made! 🍨 🍰

08/12/2026

In celebration of Wellness Month, we’re highlighting the many ways thoughtful design can support wellbeing. Across our projects, we look for opportunities to connect people to light and views, encourage movement, foster connection, and create space to pause and recharge.

The St. Regis San Francisco Spa (Mikiko Kikuyama)
Kaiser Fremont Medical Psychiatric Unit (David Wakely)
Cypress School of San Francisco (Mikiko Kikuyama)
College Futures Foundation HQ (Mikiko Kikuyama)
Garfield Community Center (Bruce Damonte)

08/06/2026

We’re pleased to share that the expansion of the California College of the Arts’ campus received a 2026 International Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum Museum and ECAADUS – congratulations to California College of the Arts, Studio Gang, and the entire project team!

Merging art and tech, the new 82,300-square-foot building at CCA expands on the school’s San Francisco campus, establishing a vibrant indoor-outdoor environment for learning and making that strengthens relationships among varied people, ideas, and creative practices.

Design Architect and Architect of Record: Studio Gang
Associate Architect:
General Contractor: Hathaway Dinwiddie
Sustainability Consultant: Atelier Ten
Structural Engineer and Acoustics Engineer: Arup
MEP/FP Engineer: MEYERS+
Landscape Architect: Surfacedesign, Inc.
Civil Engineer: Lotus Water
Lighting Designer: PritchardPeck
Wayfinding and Signage: Public Design
Code, Fire, and Life Safety Consultant: Coffman Engineers
Thermal and Waterproofing Consultant: Thornton Tomasetti
Dry Utility Consultant: Urban Design Consulting Engineers

📸: J A S O N O' R E A R

07/30/2026

Take a first look at Yerba Madre’s new Uptown Oakland headquarters! TEF transformed the top floor of the historic Tapscott Building into a workplace that reflects the company’s evolving identity following its move from Sebastopol. The design carries forward key elements from Yerba Madre’s Los Angeles office and workplace standards while creating a space uniquely tailored to its new home.

TEF provided architectural and lighting design, permit drawings, and construction administration for the 16,719-square-foot tenant improvement, highlighted by a striking suspended steel stair that connects the workspace.

Architecture / Interiors: TEF Design
Builder: CCI
Structural: Murphy Burr Curry

Address

1420 Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA
94109

Telephone

+14153917918

Website

http://TEFarch.com/

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