John Toya has a deep passion for how things are made. With more than two decades of experience as an architect, he uses a thoughtful and collaborative approach to craft contemporary custom homes.

Building is in his DNA. John grew up touring project sites and historic structures with his architect father and credits his art-obsessed mother for inspiring his admiration of the designers and craftspeople that make dreams into reality. John honed his own craft in high-end residential and boutique commercial projects in Chicago and New York. As a partner with the award-winning firm Ike Kligerman Barkley, he started the IKBA West Coast offices in 2008 to start a new chapter, oversee the construction of the Stanford Institute of Economic Policy Research; and manage the firm’s projects west of the Mississippi. John’s projects have been featured on the covers of Architectural Digest, Luxe, and other publications.

John started TOYA Studio in 2015 to create homes that suit not only the needs and lifestyles of their owners but reflect the community and environment in which they’re built. He combines modern and historic ideas with the defining building traditions of each region to create his contemporary work. Dedicated to SF’s design community, he sat for years on the board of Northern California’s Institute for Classical Architecture and Art. And when he’s not drawing plans or on a job site, he can be found hiking, biking, woodworking or geeking-out over his collections of records, old stereo equipment and tools.