About Steve McKee

In 1983 I earned a masters degree in architecture from UCLA, then worked for two different firms in northern California for several years, became a licensed architect in ’86, and opened my own office in ’88.

It’s been mostly houses ever since, in every kind of way. I design them, I engineer them, I even used to build them as part of a Design-Build firm. I was “hands on” from foundation to finish, using my general contractor’s license, which I studied for and acquired in 1990 for occasional use on personal projects. This construction background has been extremely valuable in shaping my ability to advise my clients and problem solve.

I am the rare architect who does his own structural engineering. This streamlines the process, avoids misunderstandings and, most importantly, allows me to make sound decisions during the design that will be structurally advantageous and create a strong house in cost effective ways.

I perform all design work myself. I use a drafter to help with some of the drafting chores. I am, as they say, a small office. I’m happy about that. There’s no danger your project will be handed off to be completed by some junior associate with limited experience and skills. By staying small, I can maintain top quality in all aspects of the job. And because I work out of a “home office” my overhead is minimal. This keeps my fees low and my quality very high.

Degrees:

1980 Bachelor Degree Economics UCLA

1983 Masters Degree Architecture UCLA

Licenses:

1986 Architect’s license C-17890 (California)

1990 General Contractor’s license B7549-11 (California) inactive

Awards:

1983 Dean’s Award for Community Service UCLA Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning

1984 First Place Design Award – Design Competition for the Orinda Theater

1997 Preservation Award – City of Vallejo