Malcolm Davis Architecture

06/20/2023

06/20/2023

08/24/2022

The newly established central hallway and stair hall acts as an indoor street of sorts at the Lake Street project. The added skylights provide a visual connection to the sky and another source of daylight for all of the rooms leading off of the hall, resulting in spaces that feel larger and more pleasant. The play of natural light is a defining feature of the project, and it’s especially delightful when warm southern light is unexpectedly found in the north facing Primary Bathroom, a useful trick made possible by the expansive existing gabled roof form. "MDa did an amazing job of letting in light from all directions so every time I walk into a room - it feels different depending on the time of day." Photography by

08/24/2022

Our Lake Street home is featured in San Francisco Magazine's September edition! This project sought to enhance, rather than erase, the home’s existing character while simplifying its layout, improving the connection to the garden, and introducing daylight in unexpected ways. In the home's original floor plan, the kitchen and dining room were separate spaces. Now, a series of expressed headers distinguish the spaces from one another without disrupting the flow between them. Each living space hosts a set of glazed doors that open onto a protected and expanded deck, providing additional livable square footage on a sunny day and access to the rear garden below. Find the full story on stands now along with additional imagery on our website, link in bio. Photography by

08/24/2022

We are excited to share images of our Sebastopol residence (!!) which is currently featured online at . This remodel of a weekend home in wine country was a fun and colorful collaboration with for a past client. “They loved the mid-century nature of the existing structure and appreciated our sensitive approach to renovating and updating existing homes. They also loved the connection to the outdoors that we were able to help them achieve in their urban San Francisco home and wanted this space to similarly connect seamlessly to the outdoors, especially considering the beautiful site and views.”
Check out the article, link in bio, or head to our website to learn more about this project! Photography by

08/24/2022

One of MDa's main goals at the SoMa Loft project was to better facilitate the movement of light through the space. A large industrial window at the far end of the unit is the primary source of natural light for the entire depth of the home. Custom steel and fluted glass barn doors provide privacy to both the office and the adjacent den, while also allowing shared light from the large fenestration at the main living space to filter through. Additionally, a custom headboard in the mezzanine bedroom above acts as a light shaft, pulling natural light into the office from a nearby exterior skylight. Check out our website for more! Photography by

08/24/2022

The extent of the SoMa Loft project's transformation is best viewed through before/after photos. A series of previous renovations and casework installations left the unit segmented, disjointed, and in need of simplification. The removal of that casework allowed us to highlight the natural strengths of the building. The tall vaulted concrete ceilings and distinctive fluted concrete columns paved the way for a language of exposed hardware, sharp lines and crisp details. These bold industrial traits, combined with MDa’s signature play of natural light and modern warmth, created the beautiful and livable home of the clients’ dreams. Check out our website for more! Photography by

05/13/2022

We are very excited this morning to see the Portola Valley Residence featured on Archello's website! Visit the link below to read more about this project!

03/16/2022

We are excited to share a first look at our SoMa Loft project, which is featured in the most recent edition of on newsstands now. This industrial loft renovation modernized and reorganized an outdated unit in San Francisco's Heublein Building. The finished product is "a bright and airy, minimalist oasis in the heart of the city," just what the clients hoped for. "We are so happy to have a place that was designed so intentionally for our needs and that’s been able to grow with us, plus our thriving houseplant collection, a newly discovered passion for ceramics, the addition of two cats—not to mention, a global pandemic.”
Pick up a copy or head to our website, link in bio, to learn more about this project! Photography by

02/18/2022

The next stop on our 21st Street residence archive tour is the kitchen and breakfast nook. Before its redesign, another room separated the kitchen from both daylight and the beautiful views of the city. Malcolm integrated the two spaces to increase the size and functionality of the kitchen, and also added a glazed bay onto the rear of the home for the breakfast table. The new "breakfast nook" was a favorite hang-out spot of his while he lived in the home and has inspired countless other breakfast nooks in MDa projects.

Scroll to see photos of these spaces over the years. Check our previous posts and our website to see more of this house!

01/27/2022

21st Street, continued! When Malcolm purchased the house in 1998 he was tasked with finding a solution to better integrate a 10' rear addition that was constructed in the 70's. The rear of the home had been enclosed to provide additional conditioned square footage, but nothing was done to soften the stark separation or transfer natural light to the newly "landlocked" original rooms of the house. Malcolm decided to rewrite the story of the addition, but not erase it. He chose to retain a porch-like aesthetic in the new dining room through materiality and implied spatial separation. The open layout and improved exterior glazing greatly improved the internal living room, which no longer feels a world away from the natural light.

Scroll to see photos of the dining room over the years. Check out the last post and our website to see more of this house!

01/19/2022

We are excited to kick off 2022 with some new photos of an old project. MDa's 21st Street project was Malcolm’s personal residence in San Francisco until 2006. He extensively renovated the home, creating an early MDa case study on the celebration of daylight. Now, more than 15 years later, the home was recently sold and rephotographed with minimal changes to Malcolm's timeless and enduring design.

Scroll to see some images of the home over the years. We'll be posting additional 21st Street imagery over the coming weeks and you can also visit our website to see more of this house!