About

Erik Karstan Smith founded ArkSmith Design in 2020 after 20 years of applied practical construction experience and 20 years of design experience in the built environment. Erik earned a BA in Architecture from The University of California Berkeley in 2006 and graduated with honors having won an Eisner Prize in Architecture. Erik was moved to the graduate studio his final undergraduate year where he completed a graduate level thesis. The Thesis focused on the use of a property owned by Del Monte and traced the changes of the property from the indiginous Ohlone tribe to the eventual decay of urban sprawl.

Erik’s training and experience includes…

-working at Bill Gould Art and Architecture (Artik Architecture) focusing on educational design.

-an instructor of digital technology and design visualization at San Jose State University.

-a Parks and Recreation Commissioner for the City of San Jose.

Erik is presently…

-on the Board of Directors for the Non-Profit Resiliency Village where he has invented a new housing typology.

-a commissioner for the Tuolumne County Historic Preservation Commision.

-a father of three incredible human beings

Erik brings a comprehensive background in design collaboration with a specialty in experimental design, high-quality custom homes and affordable housing solutions. Erik was an early adopter of BIM technologies by implementing Revit in his visualization practice in 2004.

Erik hopes to complete testing for the ARE by 2027.

Erik Karstan Smith

erik@arksmithdesign.com
(209) 330-0300