Hidden Gems: Meet Chris Varone & Sasha Varone of Studio Varone Architecture

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Varone & Sasha Varone.

Chris Varone & Sasha Varone, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
We met in Chicago in 1998 through mutual friends while working at separate large architecture firms in the city. We quickly realized that we had a lot in common, including both graduating with Bachelor of Architecture degrees from Virginia Tech (although we had never met in school), both having grown up on the east coast (Chris in New Jersey and Sasha in Maryland), and both having a love of architecture and a strong desire to eventually start our own architecture firm. After several years of suffering through Chicago winters, we decided we needed a change of pace, and started researching new possible places to live. San Diego checked a lot of our boxes, including beautiful weather, lots of palm trees, vibrant neighborhoods, and the potential for ongoing growth and new development. In 2003, we planned a trip to San Diego, scheduled interviews at architecture firms for that week, and decided that if we liked San Diego, we would take any job offers that we got, and if we didn’t, we would just go back to Chicago and carry on. Well, we were only in San Diego for about an hour, when we decided that, yes, this is where we want to live! We spent the next several years working as Project Architects and Project Managers at several different local architecture firms. Although we were working at separate firms, we worked together on design competitions in our free time whenever we got the chance. Those experiences confirmed that we were able to work well together, so when the timing and economics finally felt right to join forces and start our own architecture firm together, we didn’t hesitate. We have now been in business for 10 years and are grateful for all of the opportunities that we’ve had.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As a small business, we face a lot of the same struggles that most small businesses do, including marketing, local competition, and global economic uncertainty. Almost all our work to date has come from word-of-mouth referrals from previous clients, contractors, and consultants. We are flattered and grateful for these referrals, but we are also always looking for new opportunities and new ways to introduce ourselves to a larger audience. That’s why we were excited when SDVoyager contacted us for this interview. Since we work on both large scale and small scale commercial and residential projects, we find ourselves competing against a variety of different architecture firms and designers. When we first started out, we tended to worry about what our competitors were doing and how we compared. As we’ve gained more experience, we’ve realized that, although it may sound a bit cliché, our best strategy to gain a client’s trust and their business is to be authentically ourselves, and to provide the best possible service, design, and overall experience that we can throughout the process.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Studio Varone Architecture is a full-service architecture firm that specializes in commercial, residential, and mixed-use projects. We provide architecture, interior design, and site planning services. Our commercial projects include ground-up, new construction as well as improvements of existing office buildings and tenant spaces. Our residential work includes multi-family residential developments, mixed-use projects, and custom homes. We enjoy working with developers, businesses, and homeowners to achieve their goals by providing great design and clear communication throughout the process, from the first concept sketch to the final building inspection.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Chris Varone: One of my favorite childhood memories was on Christmas Day in 1979 when I opened up my very last present. I tore open the wrapping paper and saw that my parents had gotten me the much-coveted Millennium Falcon toy. I was and continue to be a huge Star Wars fan. It sounds silly to say, but Star Wars really opened my eyes to the fact that the world could be so much more than what I experienced in my day-to-day life. I spent hours with that Millennium Falcon in my backyard sandbox creating spaceports and structures for all of my action figures. Sometimes a simple toy can help unlock a child’s imagination and I always look at that Christmas morning as a turning point as to how I viewed the world.

Sasha Varone: One of my favorite places to visit when I was a kid was Xanadu “A Foam House of Tomorrow” in Wisconsin Dells. I was fascinated by the futuristic shapes and spaces (very dated now, but very cool back in the 80’s!). I was even more excited by the idea that architecture and thoughtful design have the power to actually change and influence the way you live and the quality of your life. I still keep a Xanadu postcard on my desk to remind me of that early inspiration.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.studiovarone.com
• Instagram: studiovarone