TEF Design

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.

Ending the week in the Temazcal Room, an amenity space located off the main lobby of the Bay Area Metro Center in downto...
06/05/2026

Ending the week in the Temazcal Room, an amenity space located off the main lobby of the Bay Area Metro Center in downtown SanFrancisco. Its design leverages soaring ceiling heights and north and west facing windows of the same measure that connect occupants with the urban fabric of the city just outside its doors, including stunning views to the skyline and an adjacent, landscaped pedestrian mall.

Architecture and Interiors: TEF Design
Contractor: Swinerton
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer: MHC Engineers
Structural: Holmes
Lighting: Silverman & Light

📸: Mikiko Kikuyama

Ending the week in the Temazcal Room, an amenityspace located off the main lobby of the Bay Area Metro Center in downtow...
06/05/2026

Ending the week in the Temazcal Room, an amenityspace located off the main lobby of the Bay Area Metro Center in downtown SanFrancisco. ts design leverages soaring ceiling heights and northand west facing windows of the same measure that connect occupants with theurban fabric of the city just outside its doors, including stunning views tothe skyline and an adjacent, landscaped pedestrian mall.

Architecture and Interiors: TEF Design
Contractor: Swinerton
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer: MHC Engineers
Structural: Holmes
Lighting: Silverman & Light

📸: Mikiko Kikuyama

Featured by is the Shiley Eye Institute renovation at in La Jolla, California: “The LEED Silver-certified renovation c...
05/29/2026

Featured by is the Shiley Eye Institute renovation at in La Jolla, California: “The LEED Silver-certified renovation converts former laboratory space into an advanced specialty clinic with additional exam rooms, procedure spaces, and a lighting design to support patients with sight and treatment sensitivities.” Link in bio.

Architecture and Interiors: TEF Design
Contractor: Align Builders
Landscape:
Civil Engineer:
Structural Engineer:
Mechanical/Plumbing/Fire Protection Engineer: Dufoe Consulting Engineers, Inc. a company
Electrical/Telecom Engineer: Randall Lamb Associates
Fire Alarm/Fire Life-Safety:
Cost Estimating: Ashok Patel

📸:
Words: April Shernisky

This , we’re excited to share a first look at the recently completed adaptive reuse of Building 2 in the Presidio, whic...
05/27/2026

This , we’re excited to share a first look at the recently completed adaptive reuse of Building 2 in the Presidio, which will soon house San Francisco’s Adda Clevenger School.

Part of TEF’s “bundle” rehabilitation of three significant structures near the Main Post, the of the original Civil War-era hospital features a new, two-story entry and stair addition that restores the building’s “front” to the northwest side of the building, facing the parade ground. A new elevator is sensitively nestled next to the building’s distinctive three-story octagonal tower. Targeting LEED Silver, the 14,150 SF project provides students, staff, and families with modern, flexible, and light-filled spaces infused with history, not to mention stunning views to the park and Bay beyond. Stay tuned for more!

General oversight: Presidio Trust
General Contractor: Nibbi Brothers
Architect: TEF Design
📸:

Unwinding this Friday at the at which was recently named ‘Best New Spa’ by Modern Luxury San Francisco!Located on the...
05/22/2026

Unwinding this Friday at the at which was recently named ‘Best New Spa’ by Modern Luxury San Francisco!

Located on the fifth and sixth floors of The St. Regis San Francisco, the newly renovated spa is designed to provide a tranquil retreat that captures the refined sophistication and nuance of the renowned hospitality brand while responding to its urban context. The overall design refresh introduces organic warmth, softness, and material richness to the existing space, to deliver a serene and restorative environment for guests.

Architecture and Interiors: TEF Design / GIOPAGANI
Contractor: Richlen Construction
MEP: MHC Engineers, Inc.
Lighting: Fieldwork Lighting Studio
Spa Consultant: Curry Spa Consulting Inc.
Photos: Mikiko Kikuoka

Reimagining existing office space as a warm, nature-infused preschool for The Osher Marin Jewish Community Center, the p...
05/07/2026

Reimagining existing office space as a warm, nature-infused preschool for The Osher Marin Jewish Community Center, the project expands childcare services in a safe, welcoming, and enriching environment for young learners.

TEF’s design transforms the space into light-filled classrooms scaled for children and thoughtfully organized to support both independent discovery and guided learning. A reimagined entry sequence creates a stronger sense of arrival, while a co-designed outdoor play space encourages nature-based learning and active engagement. Large windows deepen connections to the outdoors, and healthy, sustainable interiors feature biophilic design strategies and Red List–free materials. The environment supports learning, play, and social development.

Architecture and Interiors: TEF Design
Contractor: RHC Construction & Management
Photos: Mikiko Kikuyama

During this week’s 2026 California Preservation Conference in Riverside, on Thursday, May 7th, TEF Design Principal Dian...
05/05/2026

During this week’s 2026 California Preservation Conference in Riverside, on Thursday, May 7th, TEF Design Principal Diana Hayton and Associate Principal Justin Blinn will be speaking about ‘Flexible by Design: Leasing Strategies for Adaptive Reuse.’ They will be joined by the Presidio Trust’s Robert Thomson, Federal Preservation Officer, and Mark Zuffo, Commercial Leasing.

As economic, political, and social conditions change, being able to predict and pivot to meet evolving needs becomes increasingly important. This session will examine how flexible design and leasing strategies enable the successful adaptive reuse of historic structures, drawing on recent projects from the Presidio Trust and the San Francisco Bay Area. Using recent adaptive reuse projects, this program will explore the primary drivers and strategies building owners can use to create an agile leasing environment that allows for adaptation. It will also examine how tenant expectations, financing models, and long-term stewardship priorities shape adaptive reuse concepts from the earliest stages of planning and development.

https://californiapreservation.org/programs/conference/

California Preservation Foundation

“We will always choose Earth” 🌎 We’re closing out by celebrating the power of regeneration. In our latest we highlig...
04/30/2026

“We will always choose Earth” 🌎 We’re closing out by celebrating the power of regeneration. In our latest we highlight TEF’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions while transforming outdated buildings into relevant, high-performance facilities designed for the future. Because you don’t need to travel to the moon to recognize what’s at stake. Link in bio.

Images: Earth captured from the Orion spacecraft (NASA), Adda Clevenger School in the Presidio, UC Berkeley’s School of Optometry & Vision Science in Emeryville, and a study by TEF/Thornton Tomasetti of embodied carbon impacts

🔗: https://mailchi.mp/tefarch.com/we-choose-earth

This Thursday, April 30th, TEF Design is attending the International Partnering Institute (IPI) COLLABORATE Conference a...
04/28/2026

This Thursday, April 30th, TEF Design is attending the International Partnering Institute (IPI) COLLABORATE Conference and Awards Ceremony at the Grand Hyatt SFO! Attending from TEF are Paul Cooper, Laudan Siahpolo, Orlando Monegas Jr. and Christina Andreas. See you there!

https://partneringinstitute.org/COLLABORATE-2026

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