Holly Street
Studio
The Studio
Holly Street Studio is a design practice dedicated to creating places in the public realm. Our inspiration comes from civic discourse and community engagement. Our process begins with careful attention to both physical, social, and global contexts. By bringing these tools of planning to the stakeholder level, we are able to uncover the essential spirit of each project and create solutions that set their roots in the history of site and aspirations of our communities.
Our staff is known for holistic solutions at multiple scales, a high level of service, and technical proficiency. This is revealed in projects for municipalities, centers of education, community members, non-profits, and private clients alike. We often begin with complex constraints and leverage multiple priorities to make places that change the way we see, feel, and connect. To set this in motion, the studio integrates a collective of industry experts to form seamless, multidisciplinary design teams that focus on long-term, sustainable solutions, regularly going above and beyond client expectations.
Diane Jacobs FAIA NOMA
Founding Principal
Michael Jacobs AIA
Managing Principal
Tyler Wothers RA
Associate
Sergio Carrasco AIA
Associate
Annette Park AIA
Associate
Juan Carlos Gutierrez AIA
Associate
Steven Warnick
Communications Director
Haley Allen AIA LEED AP
Architect
Nikki Hernandez RA
Architect
Sienna Vasquez
Studio Coordinator
How We Work
Our inspiration comes from a persistent belief that it is possible to build community through design, and that we can use our role to lead, conjure, and create truly resilient spaces for all - regardless of client, context, or building type.
1
Guide the Process
with Distinct leadershipOur mission is to harness the collective talent of our team to envision architectural solutions that address the true needs of clients and the public at large. To achieve this requires leadership from all sides of the project - but especially from the design team. This is realized in the deliberate stewardship of human relationships - on and off the job site, in and out of the conference room, and in our every day lives. Our ability to navigate the human side of public building projects with humility, reason, and curiosity has led to decades-long relationships with clients, contractors, consultants, and community members alike.
2
Develop an
intelligent design strategyOur task is to provide clients, consultants, and the public with not only tools for decision making, but also confidence in our team's collective solution. Consensus is reached via a strategic design approach that shares often, iterates only when necessary, and remains acutely aware of logistical parameters, no matter the project scope. We create and enforce checks and balances for design solutions that seek to justify their intent and impact - from physical materials to building systems to the overall user experience.
3
Design for
the whole communityThe allocation of public funds for construction doesn't happen overnight. It is often evaluated again and again over many months or even years to ensure the responsible use of public resources. As the architect of these places, the stewardship of the public process with respect and dignity has defined our work for over two decades. We take this responsibility seriously, and share it with our clients to instill a sense of ownership and pride for all who engage with public spaces and seek to benefit from the critical opportunities that they provide to our communities.
Our process seeks clarity, first and foremost, developing projects via a choreography of experience – efficiency, wonder, and connection.
Our strategy is to focus on these experiences in conjunction with the effective use of public space. It’s in the balance of these aspirational and practical needs that a great building is revealed, and along with it -
a story worth sharing.
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Design
Building programs are authored from a variety of perspectives — community members, leadership groups, and maintenance staff, to name a few. Our role as the Architect is to synthesize sometimes disparate voices, not by forced compromise, but by distilling what matters most and unveiling the common threads of each request. We translate these ideas into an iterative design process that brings form to life, while remaining flexible enough to adapt as reality unfolds. Our design process is about unveiling the truth of the challenge at hand while forming a resilient solution that all can support and call their own.
Implementation
Whether it's a neighborhood restaurant or an urban master plan, good design has to hold up under pressure, on paper and on site. We approach implementation as a shared responsibility, earned with trust and applied with rigor. Our team maintains close relationships with contractors and crews, welcoming necessary friction when it leads to a better outcome. With dedicated Construction Administration staff, we stay present through the mess and momentum of building to ensure details are not lost in translation and clarity is apparent between intent and execution.
Celebration
Public projects are subject to a variety of difficult circumstances well up until opening day. To champion this process and see it through to completion is paramount to our ethos. We celebrate the hand-off between our team and the public as a milestone rather than a finish line. Well after occupancy, we stay connected to project sites and the people they serve, always curious how spaces take on new life in the hands of their true owners — the public, the caretakers, and the staff. As they shape the building and spaces for themselves, our role is transformed from Architect to co-inhabitant, bearing witness to, and sometimes partaking in, the stories that unfold in place.
Holly Street excels at problem solving and remaining sensitive to the needs of stakeholders and the community.
As architects, they design buildings with character and materials that endure the ages.—
City of Scottsdale Project Manager
With 25 years of practice in the rear view, we often evaluate the patterns that shape our work as a way to get closer to the truth — asking ourselves: what catches our focus, propels our passion, and what makes exceptional public spaces for all?
Our team has led public projects with nearly every municipality in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, as well as renowned cultural institutions, higher education systems, local non-profits, and small business leaders. Throughout the past 25 years, we've established a network of advocates for the stewardship of public spaces throughout Arizona.
If your project features public components, or simply adds value to the public experience of our towns and cities, we'd love to connect.
