The house that Gap built. Elegant San Francisco home with Bay views hits market

The elegant, contemporary San Francisco house that a family member of the famous Gap clothing brand built for himself is up for grabs.

The longtime Russian Hill home of Bob and Ann Fisher has hit the market for $17.25 million, a single-owner sale at 888 Francisco St. with front-row views of the Bay, Alcatraz and the Marin Headlands.

It’s a 6,272-square-foot, three-bedroom residence, completed in 1998 and born from what the listing calls “an inspired partnership” between architect Sandy Walker and builder Bob Fisher, brother of Gap founder Donald Fisher.

Native San Franciscan Robert Fisher died in October at 94. In his career, he built more than 1,000 homes in Northern California. He was the uncle of John Fisher, owner of the Athletics baseball team.

To understand why the place feels so intentional, it helps to understand the builder. Bob Fisher spent decades figuring out how to build fast, build well and build at scale. In his obituary, Fisher is described as someone whose career pivoted when retail history came calling.

Building the Gap

“Bob’s company, Fisher Development, took an interesting turn in 1974, when his brother, Donald Fisher, founder of Gap, Inc., asked if he could help build his stores more quickly,” according to the obituary. “With his trademark humble confidence, he responded, ‘sure I can, I’m a builder.’ ”

What followed, the obituary notes, was a three-decades long partnership that turned store-building into something closer to choreography — “a system of rolling out stores across all the Gap’s brands throughout North America and Europe that became a model for the industry.”

The obituary adds that “in the late 1990s, Shopping Center World Magazine ranked Fisher the largest retail contractor in the United States several years in a row.”

Now, decades after Fisher helped industrialize the art of retail construction, the home he built for himself is being offered as something rare in San Francisco luxury real estate: a ground-up house with a single set of hands and eyes guiding it from start to finish.

Stacey Caen and Joseph Lucier of Sotheby’s International Realty – San Francisco Brokerage are the listing agents.

Sotheby’s International Realty is marketing the property as “a rare opportunity to acquire a high caliber, ground-up constructed home perched along Russian Hill’s Gold Coast,” adding that “the storied history of this property and its architectural legacy will make for one of the spring market’s most exciting sales.”

Sol LeWitt wall

The first hint that this isn’t a standard trophy-home tour comes immediately. In the foyer, a Sol LeWitt wall drawing anchors the entry — less of a decorative accent than statement of intent. From there, a sculptural spiral staircase pulls you up toward the main living level, where a skylight pours daylight down like a spotlight.

And then San Francisco does what it does: interrupts the architecture with the outside world. The home’s panoramic view living room is designed stage the bay — water and sky framed precisely. A pair of French doors opens the room to fresh air, while herringbone-patterned wood floors and a grand fireplace bring warmth back into the space.

Across the central foyer sits the formal dining room, sized for a table of 12 — an old-school nod to dinner parties that start with cocktails and end with cable-car bells outside.

The kitchen is built for real living, with an eat-in banquette that suggests coffee, newspapers and conversations that don’t require a reservation. A butler’s bar, powder room and an elevator stop round out the level.

Upstairs, the house becomes deeply personal. The entire level is dedicated to the primary suite, where the same cinematic views return, this time paired with a second gas fireplace. The suite connects to dressing rooms and multiple baths, and includes an office with its own private terrace.

Below, the tone shifts again. A club room — described as “sumptuous” — sets the stage for casual entertaining and everyday comfort. Next door: a mirrored exercise studio. The large walkout terrace reconnects everything to the Bay, then a spiral staircase drops down toward a private landscape below, a layered indoor-outdoor progression that makes the property feel larger than its already generous footprint.

Walled garden

On the garden level, two ensuite bedrooms open to a walled garden, creating guest spaces that feel sheltered and quiet—ideal for extended stays. Support spaces include a wine cellar and laundry.

There’s also a two-car garage and security alarm system, practical details that matter on a hillside where parking can be a sport and privacy is part of the luxury.

The listing leans into the neighborhood’s everyday pleasures: the north waterfront, North Beach, the Financial District, Hyde Street’s cable car line, Francisco Park, Ghirardelli Square — San Francisco icons stitched into a daily loop.

This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 2:53 PM with the headline "The house that Gap built. Elegant San Francisco home with Bay views hits market."

David Caraccio

The Sacramento Bee

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David Caraccio is a video producer for The Sacramento Bee who was born and raised in Sacramento. He is a graduate of San Diego State University and a longtime journalist who has worked for newspapers as a reporter, editor, page designer and digital content producer.