Here at Studio BANAA, we always consider the broadest context—what do the cities, people, businesses need? And then we dive in on the human view. The one that holds identity. Perspectives. Stories. Like homes made out of abandoned masonic temples, restaurants with the owner’s culture literally etched into the walls, or a brandy experience that takes you back to the Californian gold rush.
Because rare and authentic spaces do wonders for the heart and soul of a city.
Two sides of the big picture. United in the detail.
Studio BANAA is run by Dane and Nas. Dane, a San Francisco local by birth, and Nastaran, a Northern Iranian expat who grew up surrounded by mountains and the Caspian Sea.
They met in architecture school and bonded over a shared love of everything in their right brains: art, design, craft. It was at this point the pair—with two different life journeys, and many different perspectives—united as architects and designers. They still hold some common interests: staring at buildings, absorbing art, being in nature, meeting new clients, throwing dinner parties full of Persian food. But their differences are what keep things interesting.
Dane—who studied business and economics before moving into the world of architecture—likes pondering future cities, the business of architecture (or the business of anything, really), and the craft of architectural drawing. Whereas Nas can more often be found delving into the study of villages and micro communities, resilient structures and materials, biomimicry and ecological architecture.
While their right brains are aligned, their left brains are always thinking differently. So when they come together, they can question, inspire and challenge each other to think deeper. To collaborate. And to explore new ground.
TEAM
NASTARAN MOUSAVI, RA
Partner, Principal Architect
DANE BUNTON, RA
Partner, Principal Architect
BEN CLAIR
Collaborator, Architect
LEEANNE BROWN
Designer
CLAY HAKES
Designer
The Buzz
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RECOGNITION
BANAA has been featured as one of 18 Best Architecture Firms on Architizer
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PRESS FEATURE
Madame Architect: Nastaran Mousavi on Rapid Growth, Belonging, and Optimism
Read on as Nastaran sits with Julian Gamolina to talk about seeking connection with the environment, making small changes, and celebrating rapid growth of her firm.
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PRESS FEATURE
Archinect’s Studio Snapshots: Studio BANAA on Turning Diversity into a Creative Force
Come read as Archinect interviews Studio BANAA Founders Dane and Nastaran on their new housing research campaign, surviving the pandemic as a small practice, and launching new, innovative business endeavors.
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PRESS FEATURE
Interior Design Magazine: Studio BANAA Deconstructs the Cocoa Bean for a San Francisco Chocolate Shop
Our tribute to the palettes and material found in Southeast Asia where the shop owner is from.
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RECOGNITION
Home Snapshots: 55th Street Live-Work Townhouses
Thanks to Home Snapshots for featuring how we transformed a Masonic lodge from the 1920s into much needed housing for the neighborhood of Bushrod.
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RECOGNITION
HOSPITALITY SNAPSHOTS: KOKAK Chocolate Shop
Hospitality Snapshot loved our patterned lines and eclectic tiles at the KOKAK Chocolate Shop in San Francisco.
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PRESS FEATURE
HOSPITALITY SNAPSHOTS: “THE ALAMEDA” FEATURES
Our project Voyager “The Alameda” gets featured once again! This time, on Hospitality Snapshots online platform.
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PRESS FEATURE
Hospitality Design Magazine: “The Alameda” Features
Our project Voyager “The Alameda” gets featured in the September 2020 Food and Beverage Issue of Hospitality Design Magazine.
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PRESS FEATURE
Design Milk: Friday Five with Nastaran Mousavi
Our co-founder Nas joins Design Milk for Friday Five to share places, designs, and things that inspire her.
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RECOGNITION
Mini Village nominated for 2020 Architizer A+ Awards
The crux of our solution was to create a self-contained mini village where work and play coexist, and space is shared like never before. Check out the full project below.