Jim Zack, FAIA

Owner / Managing Principal

Jim has an irrepressible interest in how buildings are designed and detailed. Licensed as both an architect and contractor, he brings a wealth of knowledge, deep commitment and emphasis on craft to lead Zack | de Vito’s practice of architecture and design build. Hands-on experience and a love of making is evident in Jim’s attention to exquisite detailing and intuitive sense for what materials can do.

He learned to build before he learned to design, tinkering and working with metal, wood and motorcycles, then working as a journeyman carpenter and contractor in Carmel, California—designing and building his first residential projects by age 23.

Deeply respected, Jim’s body of work spans a diverse range of project types—all with a focus on modern principles. He is also an accomplished furniture designer and maker, with a number of custom furniture pieces in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) permanent collection. Jim received both a Bachelors and Masters degree in architecture from UC Berkeley, before founding the firm in 1995.

Elevated into the AIA College of Fellows in 2025, Jim joins a prestigious group of architects who have demonstrated outstanding work and lasting impact on the field of architecture.

Email Jim | LinkedIn

Lise de Vito

Owner / Design Principal

Lise de Vito is an innovative designer, strategist, and problem solver with a high level of design, project management, construction management and interpersonal skills. Her work integrates a curiosity in creativity and making with informed knowledge of construction techniques, detailing and materials. She has a deep commitment to the essential cross-functional collaborative process for team building and successful project outcomes. An interest in human-centered design and biophilic principles inform her work.

Lise has extensive experience in single-family and small-scale multi-family residences as well as retail, hospitality, and residential design-build-development projects—often serving as both the designer and “client” for market-driven projects. Lise’s creative passion for architecture and design was nurtured by a family of architects, industrial/graphic design professionals and fine artists. Originally from Montreal, Canada, Lise grew up in Marin County, which has influenced her design perspective.

Continued creation and development of design-focused programming, public speaking and committee engagement with leading design institutions and professionals, particularly in conjunction with the AIASF and Center for Architecture + Design, has kept Lise directly connected to, and helping to grow, design and arts awareness within the Bay Area.

Email Lise | LinkedIn