- ABOUT -

  Derek Knowles has twenty-eight years of experience in luxury hospitality design. He has guided the technical development and construction of numerous world-class resorts including the Four Seasons Silicon Valley, and the Rosewood at Sand Hill, playing a critical role in shaping their design and ensuring their constructability. Most recently, he led the exterior design effort on two signature projects: Montage Big Sky and Phase II of the Yellowstone Club.

In 2025, Derek began a series of architectural studies that attempt to sidestep the formulas so prevalent in contemporary residential design. These studies explore ways to synchronize the personality of the client with the character of the building. They embrace idiosyncrasy, work to introduce richness and complexity of pattern back into architecture, and approach structure and geometry with unbridled creativity. While placing the highest value on imagination, the studies are informed by decades of built experience, technical rigor, common sense, and respect for classical principles of design.

Derek is now seeking clients interested in building a home that is eminently personal. Drawing on his professional background and a truly collaborative process, he aims to create homes that not only meet all conventional measures of success—budget, schedule, function, sustainability, and constructability—but go a step further, creating buildings that offer a renewed sense of Vitruvian delight. His ambition is not novelty for its own sake, but inventive and playful architecture that brings enduring joy to those who live within.