Tag Archives: David Stark Wilson
David Stark Wilson: Design rooted in the great outdoors
David Stark Wilson began designing homes when he was still very young, and the first one he built, with the help of friends and family, was for his mother. Now a sought-after Bay Area designer, Wilson is also a serious mountaineer and accomplished photographer. Broad similarities in form, color and texture between the built environment and the natural world have always permeated Wilson’s architecture. A new book about his work, “Houses: Origins,” explores how emotional responses to a building are similar to those to the natural world by pairing images of some of Wilson’s projects next to photographs of nature. Wilson lives in Berkeley, and the Berkeley hills boast several of the striking homes created by his firm, WA Design, which operates from a building he designed on Folger Avenue. Berkeleyside caught up with Wilson before he is scheduled to give a talk and sign copies of the book at Berkeley Mills on 7th Street on July 14th.
Your new book is called “Houses: Origins”. Why did you choose that title?
The design process for a given project begins with the site and the clients, but also involves the vision of the architect/designer. That vision is developed in a large part through personal experience. My earliest and strongest experiences were all rooted in the outdoors. I realized over time that my experiences in nature had informed my design work. … Continue reading »
The “before” pictures: Berkeley Art Museum/PFA
Call it “beautiful decay”: these stunning photographs, taken by David Stark Wilson, show the interiors of the future home of the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAM/PFA).
Just as with the new Magnes, which unveiled its new space on Sunday, BAM/PFA is to be housed in a 1920s-era 1939 building originally designed as a printing plant for UC Berkeley. It is located at 2120 Oxford Street at Center Street, in the heart of downtown.
Is it not fitting that, as the demand for printed thesis, documents, books and monographs has waned, the engine rooms that produced these volumes are now being put to good use while remaining in the cultural realm?
Pick of the listings: Architect designed with big views
David Stark Wilson is a Berkeley based architect whose style has found a loyal following in the Bay Area. His contemporary homes are invariably large and luxurious. He uses lots of natural materials such as granite, iron and wood and is fond of sweeps of hand-plastered walls in delicate shades of terracotta. There’s usually a statement staircase, often vaulted ceilings and always a top-of-the-range, gourmet kitchen.
The recently listed five-bedroom, three-bedroom home at 961 Miller Avenue … Continue reading »
Berkeley architect Stark Wilson lists his home
Berkeley architect David Stark Wilson has left his mark on the East Bay with his striking contemporary homes. Now his own home at 7124 Norfolk Road is on the market for $3,275,000
Read about it on Home Girl.
[Photo: www.7124norfolkroad.com]
