Things fail when forced, so we take a path of less resistance.

Not less effort - less friction.

We’re an architecture practice based in Austin, Texas, working with clients who believe their buildings should carry cultural weight, operate with integrity, and stand up to real-world use. Our focus is on non-residential spaces—places where people gather, move, learn, play, and build community.

You won’t find us chasing trends or selling false certainty. We build clarity through process, working through constraints rather than around them. Our approach is highly collaborative, grounded in real dialogue with clients, engineers, and builders alike.

We’ve designed climbing gyms and taprooms, boutique retail centers and school campuses, public art installations and suburban restaurants. What ties our work together isn’t a particular look—it’s a way of working:

Strategic when the path is unclear.
Responsive when the variables shift.
Direct when decisions matter.

We call ourselves a studio because we work hands-on. Everyone here designs. Everyone here listens. Everyone here cares about whether the drawings on paper actually work in the field.

If you’re looking for a partner who can help turn vision into place—and do it with intention—we’d love to talk.

Tim Derrington

FOUNDING PRINCIPAL
Tim's youth was split between the realities of his conventional suburban upbringing and an education in the arts. These worlds were often difficult to reconcile, but finding connections between dissimilar cultures has instilled an idealistic pragmatism in his work. Tim believes that inspiration and purpose are best delivered through hard work and collaboration between client, architect, builder, and craftsman. This translates to DBS and their projects through an active concern for creating unexpected results from simple, creative, and engaging design decisions.
NATALIA LOPEZ

OFFICE MANAGER
Natalia was exposed to architecture early in her life by visiting job sites along her architect dad at her Mexican hometown in Saltillo, Coahuila. She was instantly enamored by the impact architecture has to everyone’s daily lives, and compelled by the responsibility the architect holds by shaping people’s experiences. She believes that good design is a basic human necessity that should be accessible to everyone, and strives to work along people that share the passion and thoughtfulness of providing impactful designs.
MICHAEL RAHMATOULIN

PROJECT DESIGNER
Hailing from Cyprus, Michael was exposed at an early age to the unique mixture of cultures and arts of the beautiful Mediterranean. Having a mixed background and traveling a fair amount in his early life, Michael fell in love with cities - leading him to pursue a multidisciplinary interest in architecture, urban design, fabrication technology, and historic preservation. He believes that the transformation and reuse of our existing structures, combined with the thoughtful integration of sustainable design, has the power to enrich our urban environments and provide historic richness into our lives.
MINTA STOHRER

PROJECT MANAGER
Minta’s diverse background bridges architecture and design strategy by embracing technical craftsmanship and thoughtful communication. Her curiosity and love for storytelling as a designer supports a collaborative approach to architecture at the human scale. Minta believes the future of the profession is responsive and responsible architecture that helps make good design accessible to all.
OSA DERRINGTON de LOPEZ

HUMAN RESOURCES
Dog.