It’s hard to imagine an architecture practice more intimately linked to the land and lifestyle of Northern California than Backen & Backen, founded in 1996 by Howard Backen and Jim Gillam. Now led by four partners, Ann Backen, John Taft, Tony Selko and Tom Spoja, the firm is looking toward the future. Their mission — “We are a multi-faceted design firm integrating architecture, lifestyle, and wellbeing” — resonates so deeply with what I believe good design is. It was a joy to join them in their studio at the ICB Building in Sausalito to talk about their incredible legacy, inspiring vision, and where they are headed next. And be sure not to miss the end of our interview, when Ann tells us about the firm’s passion for health and design, its commitment to learning, and how nature acts as her North Star. I hope you enjoy the conversation…"
Mead: Backen and Backen is one of our region’s most iconic architecture firms. How did each of you start your journey with the firm?
John: I started work with Backen and Backen 27 years ago, and I’ve been here ever since — why would I leave? I fell into winery work early on, and in my time here, I’ve designed a lot of our wineries, watching the industry evolve and change. There is a high barrier to entry now, and the entitlement process can be long, so it takes a great deal of experience to navigate. My work now spans all project types — wineries, residential, commercial and hospitality.
Tom: I joined the firm in June 1999 — after my junior year of high school — as a summer intern. I ran blueprints, sharpened pencils, and did whatever needed to be done. I returned the next summer, and worked here through college. I came along at an incredible time, when the industry took a leap to digital design. Autodesk had donated equipment and software to my high school, and our generation of architects incorporated it into practice. My work is primarily residential. Since I’ve been here, it has been one incredible project after another.
Tony: I joined the firm in 2011 and had been following Howard’s work for many years. My first project working directly with Howard was a large estate in Aspen. From there, we collaborated on several residences which naturally took me into resort work as well. What’s interesting is how much overlap there is in the way we approach residential and hospitality projects. Our homes are often orientated around entertaining and gathering while our resort work feels welcoming, comfortable and residential in scale.
Mead: Howard was such a defining presence. How did you work together?
Tom: Howard was always very collaborative. He established the vision, direction and key elements for each project. How that vision and direction evolved was a joint effort by the entire project team.
Tony: Howard wanted the big concept to come across and always had a strong vision, but he was very open and collaborative on how to get there. He was always sketching new ideas and it was our role to turn those sketches into plans. There was a rhythm to it: his ideas, our development and the back and forth process to refine and deliver the vision.
John: As we progressed, our ownership of the project direction increased. We evolved into our roles as our relationships grew.
Mead: Your firm is iconic, yet it is also evolving and feels new. How does that happen?
John: The progression has been a natural one. We’ve all been around for so long that we are now the essence, the ethos of the firm. Our projects are all connected to the land and reflect the lives of the people inhabiting them. In that sense, no matter what each individual project looks like, they are all modern.
Tom: The philosophical underpinnings are what drive our work. We are inspired and motivated by what architecture should be: contextual design that is deeply rooted in place. That philosophy can be taken anywhere. We’ve learned it, internalized it, and now we carry it forward.
Mead: It is so impressive to me that a leading architecture firm has wellbeing in its opening statement. It speaks to my own heart and design practice.
John: That’s Ann. Lifestyle, wellbeing, sustainability, respect for land and place, we were doing all of it, but Ann articulated it and made it part of our process. It was the lifestyle that Howard lived, and what he espoused. It came naturally to him, and we internalized that.
Tom: We don’t always know why spaces make us feel the way they do, but we do feel it. Now we have acknowledged it, articulated it, and made it an intentional element of our design process.
We’re given words to what was there all along."
Mead: What does your process look like?
John: We ask a lot of questions and have a lot of conversations to help our clients figure out what they need to live the lives they envision living in our projects. This is why they come to us, and they are committed to giving the process the time and intentionality it needs. We also help them understand the impact of their relationship to the land and to the design. It’s an iterative process that evolves through the course of the project.
Tony: It starts with listening to the clients, but also to the land. We have a detailed questionnaire that guides clients through their needs and goals. We visit their current home to see how they live there, how their current environment does and does not meet their needs. We visit the land at all times of day and night and experience the elements. We spend a lot of time just absorbing and understanding the land and the clients’ needs.
It’s about spending time getting to know the land, and listening to the client’s experience on the land, or in the region."
Mead: There are the technical aspects, but there is also the soul of a place.
John: You learn that deeper story by spending time on the land and being willing to let the design evolve and change if it needs to.
Tom: That comes from Howard — being willing to change direction in pursuit of the best option. It’s how we end up with projects that are about the heart and soul of a place.
Mead: How do you talk to clients about the value of this process?
John: The inherent value of the time we spend shows in the resale value of the projects we design.
Tom: Because of the strong philosophical underpinnings, the architecture stands the test of time. It can take on different layers of finishes or landscape over time, but the underlying values are still there.
Mead: How do you bring the various disciplines together… architecture, landscape and interiors?
John: We are on site early, generally right after it is purchased. We look at the site holistically to gain the big picture, which enables us to work seamlessly with the entire team, from landscape to interiors. The design process is iterative, and there is a lot of back and forth. Over time, it all becomes one, from the edges of the property to the fibers in the rug, and it takes on a deeper meaning.
Mead: The final question — what’s next?
Tom: What’s next is the next project, driven by context and place… We have this wide-open future ahead of us that we get to experience.
Tony: We’re continuing to evolve the legacy of the firm, building on everything Howard started. We are reaching for new challenges, new complexities, and new regions.
John: We’re four equal partners starting a company. We’re also four partners leading a firm we’ve been involved in for a long time.
It’s a blessing to continue something that was created, while also building something new."
Thoughts from Ann Backen…
Mead: Can you tell me how you all came to the decision to expand the definition of the firm’s work?
Ann: With a passion for health and design, it was a natural evolution to declare our commitment to each pillar. We build legacy buildings, which hold legacy moments and experiences. With this in mind, health and longevity must drive the design. Unhealthy buildings are not sustainable for the planet or those who inhabit them. Creating a healthy legacy structure for future generations is something we feel compelled to do, morally and ethically. While our firm always focused on light and air, we deepened our research to include healthy materials. This hyper granular approach makes us pioneers in our field.
Mead: I love this — “We believe in the search for new systems that respect the land, human health and the environment.”
Ann: We have cultivated a culture of learning through research, curiosity, and self-assessment. With both qualitative and quantitative design outcomes, we have a solid foundation and commitment to truth and honesty in the practice of architecture and design. We constantly ask these questions…. Why do we do it this way? How can we do this better? More regeneratively, with health, wellness, and longevity in mind.
Mead: This phase in the history of the firm both builds on the incredibly strong existing foundation and forms something brand new. If you can put it into words, what is your vision for the next decade at Backen & Backen?
Ann: Staying committed to designing legacy buildings that honor the land, human health, and our environment. With nature as our North Star, along with great leadership and talent, we are confidently crafting a future for a human-centered built environment. Our RPD (Regenerative Practice Department) at Backen & Backen is on a mission to rapidly transform the built environment from a contributor of carbon emissions to a central part of the solution. This can only be done in a holistic firm-wide, project-based, and data-driven way.
Your front door opens your home. Your home is your body. It’s essential to take care of both dwellings."