TEF Design

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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.

10/08/2026

Inside the new Samuel Merritt University (SMU) Nurse Training Facility in Foster City, where an expanded footprint doubles the capacity of the Skills Lab and Simulation Rooms to support a growing student population.

The facility brings together classrooms, debrief and testing spaces, and student amenities including a library, break room, and relaxation space. Faculty spaces include a conference room, break room, and flexible open office designed to support SMU’s new desk-sharing model across its locations.

Architecture / Interiors: TEF
Contractor: Hathaway Dinwiddie
📸: Mikiko Kikuyama

10/02/2026

We concluded the ‘Sketching San Francisco: Exploring Culture, History, and Place’ as part of the Architecture + the City Festival last Friday. It was a beautiful day filled with stunning views of the bay to the east and the downtown skyline along the Embarcadero to the west. Thank you to Bill Bondy from Studio Bondy Architecture and TEF’s Emilio Ponce for leading the group, as well as Paul Okamoto of Okamoto Saijo Architecture for joining us.

The series was a liberating opportunity in our busy lives to slow down, connect with the historical and cultural richness of the City’s urban fabric, meet new people from as far away as Turkey, and to share and explore diverse approaches to observation and drawing.

Special thanks to Arch Art Supplies and Piccino in the Presidio as well as TEF’s Douglas Tom, FAIA and architectural historian Josh Bevan, AICP for leading the first two sketching sessions.

10/01/2026

On October 8th at the Net Zero 2026 Conference in Los Angeles, TEF’s Diana Hayton and Justin Blinn will be on a panel discussing “The Carbon Case for Reuse: Life-Cycle Lessons from the East Mason Warehouses.”

This session presents a life-cycle assessment and life-cycle cost analysis of the East Mason Warehouses at the Presidio in San Francisco, comparing the 2023 rehabilitation of seven historic warehouses with a hypothetical new-build replacement. Using OneClick LCA, C.Scale and IES-VE, the team quantified embodied carbon, operational energy, and 60-year ownership costs. The as-built renovation achieved an “A” embodied-carbon rating at just 76 kg CO2e/m2, versus more than 600 kg CO2e/m2 for new construction, while also delivering a lower net present cost despite slightly higher utilities. Attendees will learn how reuse, longer replacement cycles, and targeted material choices can substantially reduce whole-life carbon and cost, informing net-zero pathways for portfolios of existing buildings.

Speakers:
Abena Darden, Vice President, Thornton Tomasetti, Inc.
Diana Hayton, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB, Principal, TEF Design
Jessica Robbins, Sustainability Planner, Presidio Trust
Justin Blinn, Associate Principal, TEF Design

We’re looking forward to the 13th annual convening of climate leaders to re-envision the built environment and inspire a net zero future. See you next week in LA!

https://netzeroconference.com/program/

📸: Mikiko Kikuyama

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! 🍨 🍰

Address

1420 Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA
94109

Telephone

+14153917918

Website

http://TEFarch.com/

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