Last updated on May 23rd, 2024 at 10:50 am

Arroyo Grande is a small seaside town with historic, suburban, and country elements. Residential architects in the area face the challenge of designing a home that breathes the history of the past and embraces the natural ambiance of the countryside.

To help you with your search for the perfect partner in building your home, we created a list of the best residential architects in  Arroyo Grande. These architects have designed remarkable homes, spent years learning distinct architectural languages, and each one is guided by a principal that leads by example in showing passion and dedication to the craft.

Bryce Engstrom Architect

210 Traffic Way Suite E, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420

Bryce Engstrom inherited his building roots from his great grandfather, who was once a chief superintendent for one of the largest contractors in the Bay Area. His grandfather manifested the same passion and grew as a builder, becoming a member of the local carpenter union. With that bloodline behind him, Engstrom went from high school into the Cal Poly Architecture Program in 1983, obtained his general contractor’s license in 1990, then managed a small design/build company for over a decade, and passed the exam for architect’s license in 2002. 

Engstrom has since pursued architecture wholeheartedly, establishing his office in the Arroyo Grande Village in 2014. Today, Bryce Engstrom Architect has completed projects including residential, restaurants, tenant improvements, and light commercial projects. A great example of the firm’s work is the Ormonde Road Residence, a modern home with brick exteriors and a unique layout connected by a glass-doored hallway. To complete this and all of its projects, the firm uses a process that incorporates the latest computer-aided design, drafting, and 3D visualization.

JM Architecture

This Spanish House welcomes its owners with a modest rockscape that encompasses the entry stairs that lead to the main residence. It features thick white walls ideal for absorbing heat in the day and gentle radiation of the absorbed heat when the evenings turn cold. Simplicity stands out throughout the home and is evident in the small, open windows. JM Architecture designed a patio to serve as a gathering spot for family and guests.

Jennifer Martin, the firm’s principal, has achieved her goal of providing creative and functional design solutions. She has over two decades of relevant experience around the central coast, commercial improvements, custom homes, multifamily dwellings, and corporate interiors. These experiences also taught Martin the proper management of design and planning from pre-design to construction administration. Her excellence in customer service, her client-centered process, and her BIM software skills have led her frim to become one of the most sought-after architectural firms in town.

GARY A. GARZA, INC., Design Associates

2645 Pony Place, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420

Gary A. Garza, Inc. believes that sincerity, a progressive approach, and a dedication to excellence are the key to creating valuable designs. This belief has been at the company’s core for over three decades, allowing it to become adept in the fields of design, construction, development, project management, and brokerage. Aspiring to become one of the best, the firm delivers every project accurately, manages project schedules diligently, and maintains cost controls carefully.

Following this approach, Gary A. Garza, Inc. completed this mixed-use project in Grover Beach. It spans 4,195 square feet and acts as a live/work property, with the upper floor serving as a studio apartment and the lower floor as an artisan manufacturing space. Besides custom residentials, the firm provides property expansion, remodeling, renovation work. It has also developed banks, warehouse facilities, storage centers, schools, and malls.

JAK Studio

1155 Flora Road, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420

An intriguing combination of modernity and minimalism, this home proves how JAK Studio dedicates precise attention to each project and considers each home a livable form of the homeowner’s lifestyle. Rigidness flows through the box shape of the house, matched by the lines at the pathway, garage, and railings. Inside the home are modern grey-themed interiors and furniture and a spiral stairway that perfectly contrasts with the rigid appearance outside. JAK Studio begins its designs through consultation, followed by planning and ideation. As a full-service architecture firm, the studio also provides services for interior design and custom furniture. These comprehensive services are rooted in Kristin Juette’s relevant degree in architecture from California Polytechnic State University and her extensive experience working with numerous design firms.

MW Architects

330 S. Halcyon Road, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420

Founders Michael Peachey and Wayne Stuart both have plenty of experience in the world of architecture. Peachey’s knowledge started while witnessing different kinds of architecture while touring the world with his father. He worked in the construction trades, then entered a five-year architectural program. Eventually, he learned technical experience designing complex commercial developments. Meanwhile, Wayne Stuart brings years of practical experience to the project team, after working broadly in the building technology field. After completing college, Stuart began working in the construction field and later secured a job with an architectural firm, where he gained a thorough knowledge of the fields of design and building. 

From these innate talents and varied experiences, Peachey and Stuart lead MW Architects to design responsively to the site and landscape. The firm looks for creative ways to integrate natural light with interior lighting and incorporates resource and energy efficiency to create healthy environments. An example of its work is this expansive Mediterranean home in San Luis Obispo, featuring warm-toned brick solid exteriors and the use of wood textures inside.