Our Team
Brunner Architecture is a small three-person office located in Joshua Tree, California. We specialize in residential design that requires a higher level of care. Our design process is responsive to the needs of the client and the challenges of the site. We draw inspiration from the desert environment, and seek design solutions that are honest and appropriate. With a collective sixty years of experience working in the Coachella valley and High Desert area, our team is well versed in the requirements and challenges of desert construction.
Martin Brunner
A native of Switzerland, Martin studied Architecture at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich. After graduation, he started a Zürich-based architecture office that enjoyed early success. In the mid-90’s he sold his office and began an architectural pilgrimage across the world. His travels took him to the USA, where he drew inspiration from the Earth Art movement and the iconic modern architecture of Southern California.
It was in Southern California where Martin connected with the simple beauty of the desert environment in Joshua Tree. Now, over 20 years later, Martin has enjoyed a successful career with multiple award-winning offices in the Coachella Valley. In 2019, he established Brunner Architecture with the goal of providing quality design services that reflect his love and respect for the place he calls home.
Jeff Bicknell
Jeff is a fifth-generation Californian who grew up in the neighborhoods of Pasadena. He developed an early interest in architecture while avidly biking through the urban environment of his youth. Inspired by ‘La Miniatura’ before he even knew who Frank Lloyd Wright was; Jeff has always had an intuitive appreciation for the built environment.
Today, Jeff is still riding his bike. After a successful professional career in bicycle racing, he has found a home in the desert among the endless trails and expansive wilderness. His appreciation for nature, and his love of the local climate is manifest in his buildings. Now with over 20 years of local building experience, Jeff enjoys an architecture career that includes work with many of the desert’s modern masters.
Jeff joins Martin and Stephen as a longtime friend and collaborator, with the shared goal of helping clients realize buildings that are loved.
Stephen Gardner
Stephen is an architect and designer with an eclectic background of innovation, travel and public service. His architectural roots are in the Coachella Valley where he began his education at College of the Desert. He completed his undergraduate degree at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo before returning to the desert for professional practice.
During this time, Stephen had the great fortune of working with forward-thinking offices which allowed him to grow as a designer and pursue his passion for innovative, socially conscious design both domestically and internationally.
Domestically, Stephen has split his time between Palm Springs and San Francisco, specializing in single family residential projects. Most notably, he was on the design development team for a prefabricated steel housing system that spawned multiple projects in Central and Southern California. These projects, and many others were accomplished in partnership with Martin Brunner.
Internationally, Stephen has donated his time to remote humanitarian projects that require a high-level of construction and supply chain management. His humanitarian efforts continue at present, through the actions of his nonprofit Bay-Build Foundation..