Our mission is to offer our clients the most creative use of existing conditions, budget and time while honoring the desired aesthetics, programmatic needs, social considerations, and the well-being of the natural environment.

TBE Architecture was founded in the spring of 2016 by Ray Willett. The firm’s first focus was the emerging commercial cannabis industry. Following the wild fires of 2017, the firm made a commitment to a balanced portfolio of residential and commercial projects.

Architecture is a team effort requiring the vision of the owner, the input of numerous consultants, the constraints of site, zoning and code related issues, and the inevitability of the unexpected. Working together to find the opportunities within all of the constraints, it is the role of the architect to coordinate these efforts and disparate requirements to find the most appropriate forms, systems, and ethos that defines ‘best-of-era.’

Ray has over 20 years experience in Construction and Architecture and has worked at firms including: RossDrulisCusenbery Architecture in Sonoma, Safdie Rabines Architects in San Diego and DECA.inc in Portland, OR.

Throughout his career, Ray’s objective has remained the same, “to work with a team of designers practicing ‘best-of-era’ design, and to continue engaging architecture’s role in the long term sustainability of this planet and its’ diversity.”

Ray Willett, AIA | LEEDAP

Benjamin Cobb

Ben studied architecture in his home state at the University of Illinois. He moved to the west coast and spent a dozen years pursuing the spirit of the builder, working as a carpenter, timber framer, and woodworker before returning to architecture. Ben is TBE's Project Coordinator and Revit Expert.

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Ray Willett AIA | LEED AP

EDUCATION: Master of Architecture, B. Arch. with Electronic Design minor, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Savannah, Georgia. – 2004

HONOURS: Magna Cum Laude, Harold M. Cerra Scholarship for academic achievement, Tau Sigma Delta Honour Society

THESIS: The Role of Architecture in Demand Side Managed Distributed Power Urban Infrastructure: High performance building design for integrated generation of renewable energy in symbiotic resource networks.

AWARDS: Silver Prize – 2002 Hanssem “Design Beyond East and West” International Competition. Assembly House – High-Density modular housing.

CERTIFICATIONS:
CALIFORNIA NATURALIST – 2017
USGBC: LEED Accredited Professional – 2006
USACE: Construction Quality Management For Contractors, #SW9-02-15-00253

WORK HISTORY FOR RAY WILLETT
TBE Architecture – Sonoma, CA , (March 2016 – present) Architect/Owner
Safdie Rabines Architects – San Diego, CA (Jan. ‘15 – Feb. ‘16) Project Manager
STRATAap – Sonoma, CA (Oct. ‘11 – Nov. ‘14) Job Captain
RossDrulisCusenbery Architecture – Sonoma, CA (May ‘05 – Sept. ‘09) Job Captain/Project Manager
Bellomo Architects – Palo Alto, CA (June ‘04 – April “05) Project Designer
deca Architecture – Portland, OR (June ‘03 – August ‘03) Intern
John McAvoy, Architect – Savannah, GA (September ‘99 – March ‘03) Carpentry/Intern
Savannah College of Art and Design (September ‘99 – May ‘04) Student
Clark County School District – Senior Graphic Artist (Feb. ‘90 – Aug. ‘99)
USAF – Graphics Specialist – Sgt., Nellis AFB (March ‘86 – Feb. ‘90)s)AP