Bernard Architects opened in 2021, built around a straightforward premise: great design comes from collaboration, and the details matter regardless of project size. The firm leads projects from conceptual design through entitlements, permits, and construction, setting the design direction, developing site layouts and building concepts, and coordinating every outside consultant the project requires. Because the firm is a sole proprietorship, each client works directly with the principal. One point of contact, start to finish.
The outdoor hospitality focus grew out of a longer arc. Before founding the firm, Kevin Bernard spent 25 years in architecture and design working as an architect, owner’s representative, construction project manager, environmental graphics designer, and project manager, then joined AutoCamp as director of design during a period of rapid expansion. That combination shapes how Bernard Architects approaches campgrounds, RV resorts, and glamping developments today: respect what the site already offers, design for the experience the owner wants to create, and build for adaptability rather than for the trend of the moment.
Key Highlights
- Full-service architecture firm leading outdoor hospitality projects from conceptual design through entitlements, permits, and construction, including coordination of all outside consultants
- Sole proprietorship model where every client works directly with the principal as a single point of contact
- 25 years of prior experience across architecture, owner’s representation, construction project management, and environmental graphics informs how each project is planned and sequenced
- Former director of design at AutoCamp, where outdoor hospitality became a primary focus
- Mutual firm partnership with Clockwork Architecture and Design established in 2025, expanding production capacity for Bernard Architects and project management resources and geographic reach for Clockwork
- Three outdoor hospitality projects currently in design and entitlements across California: a 64-site campground in Fresh Pond, a high-end park model glamping resort in Smith Flats, and a 145-site RV resort and boutique camp on 375 acres in the Los Padres mountains
Q&A with Kevin Bernard, Prinicple Owner at Bernard Architects
Background
Tell us a bit about your company’s history?
Bernard Architects opened in 2021 as a sole proprietorship, with a mission of serving a diverse clientele and project types through innovation and collaboration. We emphasize the importance of providing great design solutions in everything we do. Regardless of project size, the details matter when it comes to communication and execution of your design.
I have always felt strongly that there is a need for a balance between human centered design, its influence on nature and nature’s influence on design. Architecture shapes the quality of our lives, so we have an obligation to respect the natural environment, create structures that reduce, improve, and respect our impact on the environment, conserve natural resources, and create responsible architecture.
Creating great design empowers us to guide those impacts, and collaboration results in successful projects. We believe in creating elegant solutions, merging simplicity of form with functional solutions produce great designs. Focusing on the outdoor hospitality industry was a natural extension of this philosophy.
Prior to starting Bernard Architects, I gained 25 years of experience in architecture and design. As an Architect, Owners Representative, Construction Project Manager, Signage and Environmental Graphics Designer, and Project Manager, I collected a diverse background of knowledge and skill. This diverse history fuels our ability to achieve success for our client’s goals.
What inspired you to work in outdoor hospitality?
After leaving the corporate world and a fortune 500 company’s corporate real estate department in 2019, I was looking for a new direction for my career. I found Autocamp and joined them as their director of design during a period of rapid expansion.
As a lifelong adventurer, this new direction was exciting to me. Developing projects which focused on creating innovative outdoor design experiences for guests stimulated me both personally and professionally. Because of this experience, when I opened my firm in 2001, I wanted outdoor hospitality projects as a primary focus.
Services and Expertise
What services do you offer, and what sets your approach apart?
Bernard Architects is a full-service architectural firm. We offer design services geared to lead your project from conceptual design through entitlements, permits and construction. We manage your project as the lead entity creating the design direction and all site layouts and architectural building concepts. We coordinate all the consultants required for the project and incorporate their work for the entire project into ours.
We currently welcome all project types including Outdoor Hospitality, Commercial, Retail, Restaurants, Multifamily, Single family, and Office space.
What sets us apart is our ability to take a very personal approach to each project. As a sole proprietor, each client works directly with the principal. We have a single point of contact for all your communications. We have a network of partners that help us maintain a high capacity of projects in the office, while still being able to give your project the personal attention it needs.
In addition to this framework, we also established a mutual firm partnership with Clockwork Architecture and design in 2025. This arrangement expands the production capacity for Bernard Architects and expands the project management resources and geographic reach for Clockwork.
How do you address current trends in the industry?
Trends in the outdoor hospitality industry need to be tracked over a 3 to 5 year period or longer to really understand where things are moving. I prefer to look at how trends affect the industry globally, rather and each specific trend.
The challenge is that it can take time to design, entitle, and build a new property. Sometimes you are looking at a two-year period start to finish before you are up and operating. If you don’t pay close attention to where a trend is going by the time you open the trend may have changed.
For this reason, I don’t tend to recommend building for a trend. Trends come and go, so building for adaptability in the future is a key factor in ongoing success. Tracking where the industry is heading overall is important when you are planning a project. That said, I find that when starting a new project, it is more important to listen to the client and discover what type of experience they are looking to create for their guests.
Taking that input I look for the unique opportunities each site can provide to support the client’s vision. From there we build on those unique opportunities to find an adaptable and timeless creation.
Projects and Achievements
What’s a standout project your team has worked on?
As a young firm we have several significant projects on the boards, and at various stages of design and entitlements. Look for more updates on this for our projects in Fresh Pond CA. Smith Flats, CA. and Ventura CA. Each will be a unique experience tailored to their sites and local vernacular. As a young firm we have several significant projects at various stages of design and entitlements. Look for more updates on our projects in Fresh Pond CA. Smith Flats, CA. and Ventura CA. Each will be a unique experience tailored to their sites and local flavor. “
What outcomes do your clients achieve with your help?
We believe that the depth and breadth of our experience across multiple project types over the last 30 years provides a unique perspective to our clients. Our diversity of experience informs how we approach every project and our ability to strategically plan for its success. It also allows us to provide a framework to develop realistic goals for the client, identify predictable outcomes, and potential problems we will need to overcome.
We help our clients achieve their vision in a timely, cost efficient manor. Providing personal guidance and attentive design we make our clients project a reality.
Sage x Bernard Architects Partnership
How has your partnership with Sage Outdoor Advisory impacted your work?
Sage’s in-depth feasibility studies have made it easier to help shape the direction of our projects. In some cases, analyzing the results have allowed us to pivot the scope and vision towards a more successful profile.
What do you enjoy most about collaborating with us?
Sage’s honesty and responsiveness make for an easy partnership. Detailed reports and clear communication support our clients’ projects insuring they are successful after construction has finished.
Looking Ahead
What exciting projects are on the horizon?
We have three very exciting projects on the horizon. Fresh Pond, CA is a 64-site campground mix of full hook up RV sites and Park models. Amenities include on site wetlands and hiking, a fishing pond, an event space and store. It has several different camping areas targeted to serve a diverse guest profile from the traditional family camper to long term seasonal workers in the Sierras, and high-end glamping cabins.
Located in Smith Flats, CA we are working on a large high end park model glamping resort with some very unique on-site features. It will provide a high-end glamping experience, for families and groups or individuals looking to explore the activities in the Sierra foothills. located near Apple Hill, the site is home to a former mining camp and has several historic mines on the property. The project intends to lean into this history in its design, creating a modern high-end interpretation of this mining camp. Offering multiple recreation areas with pools, tennis courts, activity meadows, a spa, an event space and club house. Guest tours of the mines may also be added.
In the Los Padres mountains, we are working on a new high end RV resort and Camp. The property sits on 375 acres of land with extensive trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. The owners envision a high-end resort with two separate components. A 145-site RV resort with large event meadows, fishing and swimming ponds and a diverse mix of RV sites accommodating multiple family groups in shared campsite areas, pull through and back in sites. The second component is an exclusive boutique summer camp with cabins and a large event space. The site also contains two rustic wedding event venues, and horse stables.
How do you see your role (or your company) in shaping the future of outdoor hospitality?
The outdoor hospitality industry growing. What was once an industry of small mom-and-pop operations with smaller properties is adding corporate owners with higher visibility properties. The larger projects are impacting smaller projects that once flew under the radar. They are now more visible to municipalities and are gaining more scrutiny from local planning and building departments. Knowing how to navigate these more intricate systems and processes is key to a project’s success. With our extensive experience in outdoor hospitality design and knowledge of industry trends, Bernard Architects offers a masterful approach to our clients’ helping them find success in their projects, both small and large.