Linsey Dunn Architecture

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Linsey Dunn Architecture

A California architect specializing in custom homes, ADUs, remodels, and small commercial projects across the Bay Area.

22/05/2026

On the last day, Michael Reynolds stood in front of a room full of people who had traveled from across the country to learn from him. He looked around and said: "This is an adventure. It's a silent, quiet revolution."
Some had come to build their own home. Some were curious about off-grid living. Some, like me, just felt a pull they couldn't explain.
The revolution he is talking about isn't loud. It doesn't ask you to move to the desert or renounce anything. It just asks you to look at your roof and wonder why it isn't collecting water. To ask what your walls are actually doing. To question whether the home you design or live in is taking care of the people inside it.
I find I can't stop asking those questions. Maybe you can't either.

Architecture: Earthship Biotecture / Michael Reynolds

20/05/2026

Why aren't all homes designed to incorporate edible gardens?

Earthships have an indoor greenhouse that runs along the entire south-facing wall. It uses the same sunlight that heats the home and the same water that flushes the toilets. It produces food year-round regardless of season or climate.

Every system connects to every other system. The sun heats the home and grows the food. The roof feeds the water supply. The waste feeds the garden. Nothing is wasted.

And the plants take care of themselves. No watering schedule. No maintenance anxiety. The home does it for you. In return they clean your air and bring something alive into your daily life that most homes are missing entirely.

The visionary behind Earthships, Michael Reynolds, says his mentor is a tree. After a week in Taos I think I understand what he means. A tree collects its own water, draws energy from the sun, cleans the air around it, and produces no waste — everything it sheds becomes nutrients for the soil it stands in. It has no utility bills. Reynolds spent sixty years asking one question: why can't a building do all of that?
The Earthship is his answer.

16/05/2026

Last week I was pounding dirt into tires in the New Mexico desert. This week I am back at my desk in the Bay Area designing homes.
The two feel more connected than they ever have before.
What struck me most about the Earthship Academy was how accessible the skills are. No prior experience required. Students who had never held a sledgehammer were building by afternoon. Watching strangers work together to house each other felt like the oldest form of community there is.
Architecture doesn't have to be complicated to be profound.

15/05/2026

These walls are made of used tires rammed with earth. In this photo they are left exposed to educate visitors — typically the entire wall is finished with adobe plaster, as you can see beginning at the top.
Not repurposed decoratively. Packed with dirt, by hand, with a sledgehammer, until the tire becomes a dense thermal mass unit. I did this myself last week. It is harder than it looks and more satisfying than almost anything I have done in my career.
Reynolds has been pulling tires out of landfills and turning them into load-bearing walls for sixty years. Each tire that goes into a wall is one that doesn't sit in the ground for the next five hundred years.
They are about 30 inches thick. They store heat from the winter sun and release it slowly through cold nights. They maintain 70 degrees year-round in a climate that swings between brutal heat and bitter cold. Without a furnace. Without an air conditioner.
The profession called him a radical. Sixty years later the walls are still standing and so is he. I'm not sure radical is the right word. Ahead of his time might be more accurate.

14/05/2026

Last week, I went to Taos, New Mexico to study at the Earthship Academy. Nearly everyone I told had the same reaction. "Why are you going there?"

Because this man has been quietly solving the most important problems in architecture for sixty years and I wanted to learn from him firsthand.

Michael Reynolds. 81 years old. Stage 4 cancer. Still shows up every day and pounds dirt into tires to build homes that take care of the people inside them.

There is something unforgettable about a person who still shows up every day not for recognition or profit, but for the greater good.

He said many remarkable things during the week, but one thing he said won't leave me: "Buildings should grace the earth and take care of people."

13/11/2025

I want to share two stories that happened recently in my practice, because they illustrate something important about the value of professional architectural services.

Story 1: A potential client had a vision for her project and thought she just needed someone to formalize her sketches. When I reviewed her concept, I identified code violations and spatial issues that would have made the home uncomfortable to live in. My proposal reflected the work needed to get it right. She chose someone who charged half my fee.
Two months later, she called asking for legal advice. The project had become a legal nightmare with unbuildable drawings, missed goals, and delays that far exceeded what she "saved."

Story 2: Another client needed architectural drawings for permit. They hired an unlicensed designer to save money. The city rejected the application (their project legally required a licensed architect). Not only can we not ethically "stamp" another professional's drawings, but those drawings typically lack the technical rigor our training provides.
They paid twice and started over.

Here's what I want people to understand: Licensed architects don't just draw. We bring:
• Years of training in spatial design and how people actually use space
• Deep knowledge of building codes and regulations
• The ability to foresee and solve problems before construction
• Professional liability insurance and accountability
• A streamlined permitting process that saves time and stress

Quality architectural services aren't an expense, they're protection. They're an investment in getting your project right the first time.

The real question isn't whether you can afford to hire a good architect. It's whether you can afford the cost of not having one.

Read the full post: https://linseydunnarchitecture.com/the-true-cost-of-cheap-architectural-services/

11/11/2025

That moment when your toddler gasps in pure wonder? 🤩

Last month in Barcelona, my 2-year-old Benjamin had that reaction inside Gaudí's Casa Batlló. We were in this incredible mirrored room with AI projections swirling around us 360°, and his unfiltered joy reminded me why I love what I do.

The whole building is honestly mind-blowing—but what struck me most wasn't just the beauty. It was how thoughtfully EVERYTHING works. The "decorative" ironwork? Actually ventilation grills. The varied window sizes? Perfectly balanced for light and air. Materials chosen to age beautifully over 120+ years.

I just wrote up 10 lessons from this trip that translate directly to residential design.

Whether you're planning a major renovation or just want to make your home work better:
✨ Natural cooling strategies that lower bills
✨ How to get daylight without glare
✨ Why transitions between rooms matter so much
✨ Storage that feels like part of the architecture
✨ Tech that enhances rather than dominates

None of this requires a massive budget or radical changes. It's about understanding principles that make spaces truly work for daily life.

Check out the full post and let me know which lesson resonates most!

https://linseydunnarchitecture.com/10-residential-design-lessons-from-gaudis-casa-batllo/

20/06/2025

This one is special.

When this family first found me, they were so frustrated. They'd been trying to figure out how to add a second story for months and couldn't make it work. I totally get it, working within Saratoga's zoning can be tough. We only had 1,000 SF to work with and a 26' height limit. Not a lot to play with, but that's where things get interesting.

Here's what we figured out together:
-12' ceilings in the great room (yes, really!)
- Primary suite and large office space upstairs
- An amazing loft space with views of the mountains and the backyard below
- Opened up the whole downstairs so it feels connected

The funny thing? They came in wanting to add 4 bedrooms upstairs. But as we worked through the options, we realized renovating the downstairs bedrooms and adding just 2 bedrooms upstairs was better. Sometimes the best solution isn't what you first imagined.

I love projects like this because we took something that felt impossible and made it beautiful.
The Mediterranean vibe they wanted? Check.
The extra space? Check.
That view of the Santa Cruz mountains? Check.

Now I'm putting together the planning submittal and honestly, I think the city's going to love this one as much as I do.

Address

94530

Telephone

+14156047984

Website

http://linseydunnarchitecture.com/

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