BRU Architects was founded by Bernardo Urquieta in 1994, after over a decade under the tutelage of icons such as William Turnbull, Charles Moore, and Joseph Esherick, where he obtained a training that informed his focus on clean, contemporary design, paired with an attention to regional construction practices and site requirements.The studio has been recognized for outstanding work in both commercial and residential projects at a great diversity of scales.  BRU Architects is located in San Francisco, California.

Bernardo is also lauded internationally for his avocation for the preservation of vernacular religious architecture on the Island of Chiloe --which has now received UNESCO World Heritage status.