Infinity pool and terrace with wood-clad columns overlooking hills and a valley town at sunset

Bjella Architects — Est. 1993

Art to live in.

Custom homes designed across North America — from Malibu to Manhattan, and everywhere in between.

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Modern Zen Mountain House — California

A home should be as singular as the people who live in it. For more than three decades, Tim Bjella has designed residences that pair fresh, modern forms with classical principles — open, light-filled spaces shaped by the land they stand on.

1993

Studio founded

30⁺

Years of residential practice

15⁺

Publications featuring the work

Tailored to meet the lifestyle of a family whose souls are deeply intertwined with nature yet find their physical presence tethered to the vibrant heartbeat of the city, this home serves as a tranquil refuge and an urban oasis in one.

Stone and heavy timber evoke a sense of stability and permanence, while steel and glass allow the structure to open up to its surroundings. The materials combine with unique forms and intricate layers of detail to create a modern home with a touch of Zen.

Glass-walled dining nook with a glass floor and round table, floating over green hills and a valley neighborhood — The glass dining room

Circular sunken roof deck with lounge chairs around a fire bowl, overlooking city lights and hills at sunset — The sunken roof deck

Night view of a lit infinity pool beside an outdoor dining table with an orchid, city lights in the valley below — The infinity pool at night

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Featured Projects

Gallery →

The work has appeared in

Architectural Digest Better Homes & Gardens Residential Architect Artful Living Midwest Home Home & Architectural Trends Great American Kitchens

Including the cover of Architectural Digest — RAVE Award · Sub-Zero Best Kitchen Award

Hillside modern home at night with upswept wood-lined roofs, glowing glass rooms, stone base and lit stairs through gardens

Modern Zen Mountain HouseCalifornia

Stone Tower House rising from a boulder hillside, its stone tower and timber gables framed by autumn aspens

Stone Tower HouseSpanish Peaks, Montana

Silhouette of a stone tower home with a pergola-topped tower against a pink sunrise over a sea of fog

Tower Home on a VineyardSonoma County, California

Classical pavilion home at dusk with arched colonnades, carved wood doors and a fountain ringed by fire bowls

Modern Classical Pavilion & HomePalm Beach, Florida

The Monolith Retreat at dusk, a lit pergola terrace with olive trees, fire pit and pool between stone and concrete walls

The Monolith RetreatTexas

Stone and glass desert home at dusk with a glowing lantern roof, lit infinity pool, fire feature and mountain views

Desert Lantern HouseArizona

Sculptural cream stucco house with sweeping curved walls and a curved band of clerestory windows under a blue sky

Curves and Colors HouseMinneapolis, Minnesota

Bird’s Nest Artist’s Retreat: weathering steel volume beside a concrete canopy, terrace lounge chairs and round pool in native planting

Bird’s Nest Artist’s RetreatFlorida

Stone and shingle home with diamond-pattern copper cladding, curved eyebrow dormer and a terrace with lounge chairs by a pool

Copper Clad Eclectic HomeMissouri

Stone and timber pool house with a standing-seam roof, glass gable end, perforated wood sliding screens and a firepit

Modern Colorado FarmhouseColorado

Kitchen after remodeling: figured-wood cabinetry, black counters, arched window at dusk and an island with two stools

Architectural Digest Before & After Remodeling

Hillside pavilion with metal hip roof and angled concrete columns beside an infinity pool overlooking the ocean and palms

Canopy PavilionKauai, Hawaii

Stone and timber lake house with a tall glass gable on a wildflower hillside, reflected in the lake below

Stone & Timber Lake HomeLake of Bays, Canada

Arches House at dusk: a lit wood arch and steel tension rod above a stone wall, tall windows and a covered patio

Arches HouseSouthern California

Sunlit living room with a rough stone fireplace, bolted timber-and-steel mantel, corner window wall and vineyard view

Tower Home on a VineyardSonoma County, California

Heavy timber mountain home with stone chimney and copper cap, shake roof, lattice porch rails and aspen trees

Heavy-Timber Mountain HomeThe Yellowstone Club, Montana

The Lair kitchen at night beneath a suspended ring light, with a curved concrete bar, stools and a corrugated black island

The Lair: A Cinematic KitchenMiami

Italianate villa entry with an arched iron-and-glass door, Corinthian columns, balustraded balconies and red tile roofs

Classical Italian VillaNaples, Florida

Glass-walled living room with curved wood ceilings, concrete columns, woven chairs and an ocean and island view at sunset

Wings in Flight HouseHawaii

Desert Rotunda Home at night: an illuminated radial timber crown over an outdoor kitchen, loungers and a fire pit by the pool

Desert Rotunda HomeTexas

Stone tower with a white windowed lookout and flower box, metal roofs, white pergola and a red Japanese maple

Lakeside Tower HomeMinnesota

Curved white rotunda with a glass corner window and lit pergola at night, framed by palm trees and a glowing pool

The Inland OasisFlorida

Riverfront Minimalist Penthouse living room at dusk, floor-to-ceiling windows framing the lit Minneapolis skyline

Riverfront Minimalist PenthouseMinneapolis, Minnesota

Covered lanai with wood ceiling, wicker seating and dining set, stacked stone walls and a pool among palms

Relativity HouseMarco Island, Florida

Modern gabled home with a tall glass gable, concrete stairs and planters, wood shutters and a timber pergola porch

Sunlit Atrium HouseNova Scotia, Canada

The Sonoma Vineyard Estate at dusk, lit windows above arched wooden winery doors set into a vine-covered hillside

The Sonoma Vineyard EstateSonoma County, California

Warm wood kitchen with black geometric-patterned glass cabinets, slatted island base, stainless column and three bar stools

Geometric Modern KitchenTampa, Florida

Entry with gridded wood double doors, copper diamond cladding, stone walls and a sweeping curved wood soffit

Copper Clad Eclectic HomeMissouri

Facets and Angles House, white faceted walls and angled glass under wood roof overhangs, framed by palm trees and ferns

Facets and Angles HouseFlorida

White bedroom with arched openings, lattice screens, teal damask accent wall, coffered ceiling and a window seat

Modern Fairytale ApartmentManhattan, New York

Limestone home with steep gables, planted roof, timber pergola over a glass wall and a curved stone terrace

Timeless Gable EstateTennessee

Aerial view of the Sustainable Earth-Sheltered Concept Home, its grass-roofed concrete arches above a circular pool

Sustainable Earth-Sheltered Concept HomeHawaii

Tropical modern house with thin curved roof planes, wood-lined eaves, concrete columns and a mosaic-tiled raised pool

Tropical Light and Shadow House

Modern white home at night with a two-story glass facade, fireplace glow, lit concrete walls, stairs and poolside loungers

Modern Glass Beach HomeFlorida

The Winter Green Atrium at dusk, warm light glowing from tall windows of the white gabled house beyond a dark meadow

The Winter Green AtriumSouthern Minnesota

Modern home with a curved steel-framed arched roof, board-formed concrete walls, glass living room and pool among palms

Concrete Arch HomePalm Beach, Florida

Dark wood kitchen with laser-cut branch-pattern panels, concrete island, woven pendant lights and walnut bar stools

Modern Textured KitchenMiami, Florida

The Edge Wilderness Retreat at night: a curved stone terrace and fire pit below the lit glass sky room and cantilevered deck

The Edge Wilderness RetreatColorado

Glass-walled lanai with crisscrossing dark timber beams, louvered screens, cream sofa and views of tropical mountains

Glass Living LanaiKauai, Hawaii

Lit infinity pool at night beside a candlelit outdoor dining table, wood-clad columns and valley city lights

Modern Zen Mountain HouseCalifornia

Bespoke round dark wood table with a glass-covered screen ringed in light at its center, steel supports and four grey chairs

Bespoke Furniture

Coast to Coast

Mountain lodges, desert villas, beach houses, urban lofts, lake cottages — each one designed for its climate, its site, and its view.

What We Do

One studio,
the whole picture

Entry with gridded wood double doors, copper diamond cladding, stone walls and a sweeping curved wood soffit

Architecture

New homes designed from the ground up, and remodels that rethink what a house can be — always melded with the land and oriented toward the views.

New house design
Remodeling & renovation
Custom additions
Site planning
Engineering coordination
Project management

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Sunlit living room with a rough stone fireplace, bolted timber-and-steel mantel, corner window wall and vineyard view

Interior Design

Interiors conceived alongside the architecture — not applied afterward — so every room, finish, and fixture belongs to the same idea.

Interior design
Kitchen design
Lighting design
Space planning
Finishes & materials
Custom furniture

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In Their Words

“We didn’t realize that a house could move us emotionally.”

Kristen Fitzmorris

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Lit infinity pool at night beside a candlelit outdoor dining table, wood-clad columns and valley city lights

Bjella Architects

Every home begins with a conversation.

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