You’ve heard of tiny houses – but tiny restaurants? Well, that’s not too far off one of the many innovative new design concepts from Stephen Francis Jones and his team at SFJones Architects. They’re going against the cliché that “bigger is better” with the beer garden located at the Fields LA (home of the LA Football club), where Jones has repurposed shipping containers to function as affordable and mobile eateries. The same holds true at the Pavilions at Veranda in Concord, CA, where tiny brick and mortar structures (not much bigger than a food truck) and a common seating area offer a refreshing outdoor twist on the traditional mall food court.

His other recent projects run the gamut: restoring the classic Ashley residence (built 1908) in Coronado; developing the Foundry and Lux business campus at Oyster Cove; rebuilding homes destroyed by fire in Santa Rosa; and creating new spaces for clients ranging from medical collectives to legendary restauranteurs. Whatever the project, Jones brings thirty years of experience and success, making him well-prepared for the challenges of the future.

His assignments are all reflections of the ways in which Jones is evolving his business from mere architecture and design to “placemaking” – using thoughtful and efficient design concepts to make businesses, offices, and homes more sustainable, livable, and unique. As the business and commercial world reimagine where and when we do business, Stephen Francis Jones and his design team continue to think outside of the box, to imagine spaces that unify as well as define us.

Common open spaces, integration with the natural landscape, and user-friendly amenities are just as important to Jones’ projects as basic form and function.



Even though the term might be new, the idea behind placemaking has always been at the heart of Jones’ work, including his most high-profile accomplishments. Whether you are talking about his first “tiny” project, Li’l Simzy’s at the Point in El Segundo; the innovative El Camp office complex (also in El Segundo); Wolfgang Puck’s signature restaurant Spago in Beverly Hills; farm-to-table landmark MB Post in Manhattan Beach; the flagship location for La Brea Bakery; the Lucky Strike Bowling chain; Japan’s Mister Donut franchise; or the Java House chain in Africa, Jones’ designs are more than just places to eat – they are highly crafted social spaces where relationships are formed, collegial and familial bonds are reinforced, and communities are built.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/g2dj58wzsemtmn3/sf%20jones.mp4?dl=0