Architecture
as an act of
staying.
Cliffhaven is a small studio of seven, founded in 2009 in Truckee, California. We work in architecture, construction, and land stewardship — three disciplines we treat as one.
Site first
We begin every project on the land, in person, in every season we can manage before drawing.
Few clients
Two to four new commissions a year. Enough to draw deeply; few enough to draw well.
Build & draw together
Architecture and construction live in the same studio. Drawings are detailed by the people who will build them.
Material honesty
Concrete, steel, timber, glass, stone. Finishes are what the material is, not what it pretends to be.
Annika founded the studio in 2009 after eight years at Olson Kundig in Seattle. Her work has been exhibited at the Venice Architecture Biennale and is held in the SFMOMA permanent collection.
Marcus leads our build practice. Twenty years as a residential and small-commercial contractor in the Sierra Nevada, with a deep specialty in board-formed concrete and mass timber.
- 01Site & program · 2–3 monthsVisits across seasons, conversations with the people who will live with the work, geotechnical and tree survey.
- 02Schematic · 3–4 monthsDrawings exchanged in person, in plan and section, until the building is found.
- 03Design development · 4–6 monthsDetailed drawings, material selection, structural and MEP coordination, costing.
- 04Construction documents & permits · 3–4 monthsFull set of CDs by hand of the people who will build the project.
- 05Construction · 12–18 monthsBuild practice on site. Weekly walkthroughs with principal and contractor.
- 06Handover · 1 monthOperations manual, soft year of follow-up visits.
- 2025Dwell · Featured: Fall Line House
- 2024Architectural Record · AIA Honor Award · Residential
- 2024Wallpaper* · Design Awards Longlist
- 2023Dezeen · Meridian Pavilion · Project of the Week
- 2023California Home + Design · Studio Profile
- 2022Architectural Digest · Obsidian Row · Open House
- 2024AIA California — Residential Honor Award
- 2023Architizer A+ Award · Pavilion
- 2023AIA Sierra Valley Chapter — Merit Award
- 2021AIA California — Emerging Practice
- 2018Architectural League Prize · Finalist
The studio.
We work from a small renovated mill outside Truckee. Visits by appointment.
Truckee, CA 96161