Steven and Cathi House are alumni of the Virginia Tech College of Architecture, where the couple met in 1970. They received their B. Architecture degrees in 1974 and 1977, respectively. In 1982 they opened their own architectural and graphic design firm, House + House Architects, in San Francisco, California. They have completed a variety of award-winning projects throughout the United States, Central America, and the Caribbean. Their diverse body of work has included original design and construction as well as restorations and renovations of residential, commercial, and institutional buildings. Graphic design projects have included design of display, publicity materials, signage, and stationery letterheads for various companies.

Cathi and Steven House have lectured extensively, served on the Advisory Board for the School of Architecture and Design at Virginia Tech, and established a study abroad program based in Mexico. As previously indicated, the Houses have devoted much of their time to travel and have traveled throughout Europe, Asia, and Latin America. They have also written several monographs together exploring vernacular architecture, their love of travel, and their design philosophy, including:

House + House: Choreographing Space (1999)

Mediterranean Villages: an architectural journey (2004)

Houses in the Sun: light movement embrace (2008)

Villages of West Africa: an intimate journey across time (2018)

From their book Houses in the Sun: “[T]heir work focuses on enduring design that incorporates natural light and ventilation, passive solar heating, gray/rain water systems, local and recycled materials, shading, high-efficiency glazing and mechanical systems, and development of microclimates and strong connections to the outdoors” (292).