Classifying the Los Angeles architectural scene into one category is impossible. Famous architects like Frank Lloyd Wright and Frank Gehry have made a mark in the city. Los Angeles’s neighborhoods are a time capsule of the city’s evolving style. From traditional Victorian bungalows to Avant-Garde residences, the rich and famous homeowners of LA are willing to spend millions on the home of their dreams.
A lot of creative residential architects are based in LA because many locals are willing to take creative risks and have to budge to execute these complex designs. Some of the most expensive houses in the country are found in the city. In fact, a Bel-Air mega-mansion is listed at a whopping $250 million.
Narrowing down the best architects in LA will be challenging, especially for a busy homeowner. Luckily, this list has the 15 best architects who have designed some of the best residences in the city. All of the architects who service LA were taken into consideration but these chosen firms were critiqued based on portfolio, awards won, and publications that have featured its works.
This list includes both licensed architects and residential designers who can both design stunning homes but differ in other services offered. Architects are trained in design, engineering, and project management and have passed a licensing exam. Residential designers typically don’t manage projects and plans will need to be approved by a structural engineer. Whether you choose to hire an architect or a residential designer will depend on your project needs and complexity.
Belzberg Architects
2321 Main St Santa Monica, CA 90405
Internationally-renowned Belzberg Architects is known for designing memorably unconventional award-winning projects in North America. Many of these memorable projects are award-winning South California institutions like the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust and The Pavilion at the City of Hope—these two projects are just some which exhibit the firm’s holistic design approach that analyzes how natural elements affect a project. Although the firm’s famous works are a mix of cultural, and commercial projects, the firm has designed homes for some of LA’s big names. Named as an Emerging Talent by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Founder and current Fellow of the AIA, Hagy Belzberg, said in an interview with Hypebeast that designing homes in LA is exciting because of the locality’s willingness and excitement for bold and experimental architecture for commercial and residential homes. AIA LA recently recognized two residential projects of the firm. Both projects have received an AIA Single-Family Residential citation and Merit Award.
Featured project:
Grammy Award-winner Pharell Williams purchased a Belzberg-designed home for $7 million. The Hollywood Hills West property is a modern concrete-and-glass house perched above the city with breathtaking views of the Laurel Canyon, Downtown LA, and beyond. Belzberg Architects created a facade made of window walls that made the home closer to the outdoors. It also has a stunning guest house with an exterior screen that can also be viewed from the main home’s entertainment area.
Bestor Architecture
2030 Hyperion Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027
Bestor Architecture specializes in designing one-of-a-kind communities and office spaces. AIA Fellow Barbara Bestor founded the firm in 1995 to design creative residences that promote accessible urbanism. Bestor Architecture is known for pushing the limits of traditional architecture. The firm designs spaces for stylish brands like Beats By Dre, Roxy, Stussy, and Dangerbird Records.
In its 25 years in business, the firm has received several awards including an AIA National Design Award for Interior Architecture, AIA California Council Design Awards, and a Los Angeles Conservancy Awards. Its most recent accolade is being featured in Architectural Digest’s 2020 AD100, a special annual issue that features the best residential design companies in the country.
Featured Project:
John Lautner’s Silvertop residence is known as a landmark in the Los Angeles architectural scene. Originally built in 1976, the Silvertop is one of the first residences to have a futuristic look. This home features Lautner’s first attempts at using monolithic concrete as a sculptural and architectural component.
When new homeowners moved into the home in 2014, Bestor Architecture reconstructed the home back to its former glory. The firm did not change much of Silvertop’s original design but it digitized many of its features. Home accessories such as the lighting and heating system were modernized and improved. Most of the firm’s renovations enhanced the original designs of Lautner. As for the exterior, curving walls were added to emphasize the dramatic facade of the home. The firm also built a concrete vault that has a stunning view of the ocean and the mountainside.
Burdge Architects
24911 Pacific Coast Hwy., Malibu, CA 90265
Douglas W. Burdge founded Burdge Architects in 1987. In the past 30 years, the firm has designed over 300 projects in Southern California. Many of these projects are for celebrities and Fortune 500 executives. With a focus on eco-friendly coastal homes, Burdge Architects has been featured in Architectural Digest, The Wall Street Journal, Veranda, and Traditional Home. Burdge designs have also earned a number of Gold Nugget awards and appeared on luxury real estate national programming.
Featured project:
Domino Magazine featured a Malibu Farmhouse that Burdge Architects designed for Swedish model and chef Helene Henderson. Henderson has lived in her Malibu home for ten years but the California wildfire destroyed a third of the surrounding property. Despite the incident, the architecture remained untouched. Burdge decided to showcase the home’s ocean views by installing floor-to-ceiling windows that faced North.
What Henderson loves about the open floor plan is her new open-concept kitchen. She has a great view while she’s cooking and the natural light makes the home look more spacious. Since the property is near the ocean, a cross-ventilation system was installed so AC and heat were not often used.
Clive Wilkinson Architects
6116 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232
Architect and Interior Designer Clive Wilkinson is one of the pioneers of urban office design. He is best known for designing Google’s Silicon Valley headquarters because he transformed the corporate office into a trendy free-flowing space. Wilkinson mentioned in an interview with Dezeen that he believes cubicles are “disenfranchising and isolating” which is why he always utilizes an open floor plan. Like his office projects, Clive Wilkinson Architects designs residential projects that maximize space through effective planning and urban interior design. Most of the firm’s designs are office spaces but whenever it designs a residential project these homes always catch the attention of architecture and interior design publications. The founder designed his last residence as a getaway from the busy streets of West Hollywood. Located next to the busy Melrose Avenue, Wilkinson wanted his home’s architecture to blend with the commercial strip and sparse residential area.
Featured project:
The founder designed his last residence as a getaway from the busy streets of West Hollywood. Located next to the busy Melrose Avenue, Wilkinson wanted his home’s architecture to blend with the commercial strip and sparse residential area.
Corsini Stark Architects
3630 Tyburn St., Los Angeles, California 90065
Collaborators since 1997, Rick Corsini and Anthony Stark have been in the architecture industry for more than 20 years. They established Corsini Stark Architects in 1997 to offer a diverse range of services that will showcase both of their expertise. Corsini is an expert in urban design and formerly taught architecture at Cal Poly Pomona, Woodbury University and the University of Southern California. While Stark has years of experience in designing retail and mixed-use projects that are found all over the world. Corsini Stark Architects has designed numerous projects that include amusement parks, creative office spaces, and custom residential projects.
Featured Project:
The Callow residence is the firm’s latest award-winning project that received a 2018 Merit Award from AIA LA. This new construction contemporary home definitely stands out in its traditional neighborhood. Nontraditional materials like basalt stone and cumaru wood were used for the unique facade. A walled courtyard will lead guests into the home and inside is a modernist space with high ceilings that gives an illusion of a wider space. The homeowners wanted their new home to be more connected to the outdoors so a south-oriented deck and rear garden serve as focal points and it also brings natural light into the home.
Dan Brunn Architecture
6363 Wilshire Blvd. Ste #503, Los Angeles, CA 90048
Bringing sustainable architecture to Southern California has been the primary goal of Dan Brunn Architecture for the past nine years. Founder Dan Brunn has worked on high profile projects that have garnered much attention within the architectural industry. His first residential project has been published by over 135 design publications and Architectural Digest named him a “Rising Star”. His firm, Dan Brunn Architecture, implements modern architectural principles that create a functional relationship between a project and its environment. Many of the firm’s green designs have won awards from AIA LA, Architizer Magazine, and the American Architecture Award.
Featured Project:
A visionary architectural exploration born in the heart of Hancock Park, Bridge House LA has reached completion after 2 years of construction. Designed by Dan Brunn, AIA, Principal of Dan Brunn Architecture, the one-of-a-kind “bridge house” literally bridges 65’ over a natural stream. Staying consistent with Brunn’s “less is more” approach to building, the home occupies 4,500 square feet on a 15,000 square-foot lot. The project’s commitment to sustainable solutions serves as a demonstration of innovative systems and forward-thinking processes. The design exemplifies Brunn’s signature minimalist aesthetic, evident in dynamic spatial choreography of light and volume. “The idea is to do something extraordinary with ordinary means,” says Brunn.
Edward Ogosta Architecture
8800 Venice Blvd. Ste. #312, Los Angeles, CA 90034
Edward Ogosta established his own firm in 2011 after working for more than a decade for many architectural firms in Los Angeles. Edward Ogosta Architecture specializes in designing custom residences and cultural establishments. While maintaining deep ties with the local architecture community, the firm has earned recognition from AIA and Residential Architect Magazine. Whether creating a high-end single-family home or designing for a large-scale institution, the firm keeps an eye on the details of how a space can be more functional for the client. Edward Ogosta Architecture’s intuitive and inventive designs are featured in Dwell, Fast Company, ArchDaily, and Detail.
Featured Project
Alison and Jeff Goad used to live in a cramped bungalow built in the 1950s. Instead of buying another home, her brother Edward offered her a cost-saving design strategy that will increase the value of their family home. The couple hesitated at first because Ogosta’s modern style was different from their traditional taste but his hands-on approach gave them confidence. The result is a contemporary pocket house designed to withstand street noise. It was a very economical renovation because Ogosta only demolished the front of the house and retained the three bedrooms and the garage. Instead, a 1,000 square foot addition was installed in the living area to create large openings between the rooms. AIA LA and Long Beach recognized Edward Ogosta Architecture’s efforts to modernize this home and it has earned a Design Citation and Honor Award from the said organizations.
Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects
10865 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232
Award-winning firm Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects is an internationally renowned architecture company that promotes multicultural modernism. The firm’s design process has a humanistic approach that considers the correlation between the client and the site. Its designs are determined by the environmental impact and cultural relevance of the project. Founding partner Steve Ehrlich calls himself an “architectural anthropologist” whose design practices are largely inspired by indigenous buildings. Ehrlich encourages his firm to design sustainable plans that can benefit the environment. He has received the prestigious Maybeck Award from AIA California. Alongside Ehrlich are his partners Residential Studio Director Takashi Yanai, AIA Fellow Patricia Rhee, and Principal-in-Charge Matthew Chaney.
Featured Projects:
Located in Beverly Hills, The Coldwater Canyon home is a gorgeous oasis that is surrounded by trees and secluded from its neighborhood. The homeowners wanted a home that isn’t intimidating but private enough for them to have their own space. The firm designed a home that had a long composition with a sense of graciousness. A guest house that also served as a project studio was found on the north end and a pool courtyard was found in between the property. From the entryway, an entry foyer leads guests to the main home. Once guests take north, the home becomes bigger and it will lead to the open dining and living space that captures the stunning landscape of the hillside.
Griffin Enright Architects
4201 Redwood Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90066
Led by AIA Fellows Margaret Griffin and John Enright, Griffin Enright Architects practices strategic planning for complex design problems. The full-service architectural firm is established by two seasoned principals who have more than 347 years of experience. Griffin is an AIA Fellow who has studied the relationship between urban spaces and architectural design. While Enright is a LEED Accredited Professional and AIA Fellow who specializes in integrating construction information systems and innovative building systems. Together, they have upheld a technically-complex firm that values collaboration and sustainability.
Featured project:
This award-winning Hollywood Hills Residence is a 2,300 square foot house that was created with simple materials. Stone and metals are the most utilized elements in the home. These elements are mostly found in the minimalist front exterior. One of its focal points is a ladder found on the second story that leads to the secret roof garden which has a gorgeous view of Hollywood and the Pacific Ocean. This home has won a Merit Award from the Residential Architect Design Awards, a Special Focus Award from the Builder’s Choice Award, and a Grand Award from the Remodeling Design Awards.
KAA Design
4201 Redwood Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90066
For more than 30 years, KAA Design is known all over Los Angeles for designing homes for celebrities like Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and The Pritzker Family. When founder Grant Kirkpatrick established the firm 31 years ago, it focused on mostly retail and cultural projects. It has made several Hugo Boss Stores and completed projects for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Now, Grant along with KAA Design’s fellow partner, Duan Tran, focuses on residential projects that have garnered the attention of many design publications like Architectural Digest, Luxe Interiors + Design, and Design LA.
Featured Project:
One of the firm’s latest celebrity home projects is Maria Sharapova’s private Los Angeles residence. It was important to create a private home that had a relaxing aura for the veteran tennis player. KAA Design calls the home a “balance between architectural sculpture and nurturing cocoon” because it integrates indoor and outdoor spaces together to form a cohesive contemporary home. Sharapova gave Architectural Digest a tour of the home and mentioned that she always wanted a Japanese-inspired home by the beach. When guests enter the home a beautiful courtyard with Japanese pine and a custom fountain welcomes them into a beautiful entryway made entirely of overlooking windows and a double-triple height ceiling. The interiors were made of entirely concrete to showcase Sharapova’s extensive art collection.
Landry Design Group
1818 S. Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025
A fixture on the Architectural Digest AD100 List for the last 15 years, Landry Design Group has an A-list clientele that includes NHL legend Wayne Gretzky, actor Mark Wahlberg, and boxer Sugar Ray Leonard. Founder Richard Landry has grown the firm from its start in 1987 into the go-to brand name in luxury California homes. California Homes Magazine, Luxury Living, and Variety have covered the firm’s high-end contemporary estates and rural villas. A 74-time Gold Nugget Award winner, Landry Design Group has also earned honors from Pacific Design Center, Business of Luxury Design, and the Robb Report.
Featured Project:
One of Landry Design Group’s best project is the Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen’s Brentwood home. The couple enlisted the help of architect Richard Landry to create a cozy eco-conscious home for their growing family. The family made sure that their sustainable home will have a positive impact on the lot. Asides from using environment-friendly materials, gray-water technology for irrigation was installed and the home is powered by a solar panel energy system. The gothic exterior is a modern interpretation of old-world European architecture and the romantic tone of the home is given a more rustic look with the interiors. Most of the elements in the home are reclaimed or repurposed materials that were supplied by Belgian dealer Koen Van Loo.
Lehrer Architects
2140 Hyperion Ave., Silverlake, LA, CA 90027
Michael B. Lehrer, FAIA, began his career as a sole proprietor in 1985 in Los Feliz. Lehrer Architects has since expanded to a corporation but has stayed true to its LA roots. Besides single- and multi-family residential plans, their portfolio includes commercial and institutional projects, including the first LEED-Platinum museum in the world. The firm has won more than 120 major awards for design and sustainability. Homes by Lehrer Architects have earned recognition from the Los Angeles Business Council and Southern California Development Forum. It has also been featured in Architectural Digest, Dwell, and Interior Design magazine.
Featured Project:
The Canyon Residence is one of the firm’s most successful projects that has won an Honor Award from the Southern California Development Forum and a Gold Nugget Grand Award from Pacific Coast Builders. This contemporary project is more than a home because it also has a sculpture studio, workshop, and a vegetable garden. Located a mile away from the beach, the residence was quite challenging due to the natural site constraints. The firm designed the home around its environment. It has two planes made around the home and one of them is supported by a horizontal plinth that holds the garden patio leading to a private garden. The other plane is a vertical datum spine that connects the various parts of the home.
Michael Maltzan Architecture
2801 Hyperion Ave. Studio #107, Los Angeles, CA 90027
In 1995, Founder and Principal Michael Maltzan, FAIA, established his eponymous firm to create designs that set progressive trends for urbanism. The architecture and urban design house creates comprehensive designs that consider not just the interior experience, but how a residence interacts with its context. The firm’s museum-worthy designs works have been featured in Architectural Record, Artforum, Domus, and The New York Times. In addition, the firm has won five Progressive Architecture awards and dozens of citations from the AIA.
Featured Project:
For three years, the Pittman Dowell Residence has garnered different citations from AIA for its unique geometric facade. The Pittman Dowell Residence is located in a gorgeous six-acre land sitting on the edge of the Angeles National Forest. The home is a heptagonal figure that is surrounded by intersecting diagonal slices. The unique exterior was designed to give a unique floor plan for the interior. Non-parallel walls make up the interior of the home and there are also no doors inside the home. These walls layer space and limit view access so every room has a sense of privacy. An irregularly shaped outdoor room is found at the center of the home and its edges connect the rooms together.
SPF:architects
8609 Washington Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90232
Led by husband-and-wife tandem Zoltan Pali and Judit Fekete, SPF:architects is an architectural firm that specializes in residential, cultural, and commercial projects. The couple both have experience in working with some of the best architects in the industry. Pali has worked with Jerrold Lomax, a member of the legendary architectural collective LA Twelve. While Fekete worked with Hungarian artist Ferenc Latos and trained her to become an expert with Bauhaus architecture. The firm has drawn renovation designs for the Gibson Amphitheater, Greek Theatre, and Getty Villa Museum, having been entrusted with some of the city’s most iconic buildings. But they excel not only at that large scale but also in designing private homes in Southern California neighborhoods. The firm’s works have earned Architecture Magazine’s Home of the Year Award, an AIA National Honor Award, and even more accolades from the Los Angeles Business Council.
Featured Project:
The stunning Orum residence definitely stands out in the Los Angeles neighborhood. Seated on the Bel Air Hilltop, the home was designed to look like it was floating above the Los Angeles skyline. The 18,800-square-foot home has a stunning mirror exterior that reflects the views of Long Beach, Century City, and Downtown. The structure is described as a three-winged propeller. These divisions were created to have a space for private and public events. It was important for the homeowner to have a space for large events but still have a private area for her family.
Tighe Architecture
5747 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90019
Young architect Patrick Tighe is an emerging architect in LA who has won the AIA Young Architect Award and the 40 under 40 awards. Tighe formed a studio in 2004 to design civic, commercial, and residential developments. 15 years later, Tighe Architecture’s works can be found all over the world and it has been published in acclaimed design magazines like Architectural Digest, Interior Design magazine, and the New York Times. The company also earned AIA and American Architecture awards for their affordable housing designs for downtown L.A., adding to a number of achievements that includes more than ten national and regional AIA Honors Awards and a Progressive Architecture Award.
Featured Project:
The futuristic Hollywood Hills House is an eco-friendly home that was made under the jurisdiction of the Mulholland Scenic Parkway Specific. Inspired by the home’s mountainous surroundings, the architecture was made to be a secluded residence hidden from onlookers but also have the best view of The Hills. Creating the angular facade was challenging because it required two bar buildings stacked on top of each other. But it was worth it because the home has a full view of the three-acre hillside. A unique feature of the home is that the second level is pivoted 170 degrees to have different rooms for private functions. Each room also has a view of the beautiful hillside.
Best Residential Architects in LA 2018 List
Overview
Top Architects
10
SPF:architects
Architects:
Principals Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA, and Judit M Fekete, LEED
Awards:
Architecture Magazine’s Home of the Year Award, AIA National Honor Award
Address:
8609 W Washington Blvd Culver City CA 90232
About Studio Pali Fekete Architects
SPF:architects is a team of about 20 designers led by Principals Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA, and Judit M Fekete, LEED. Pali, also the company founder, established the firm 30 years ago in Los Angeles. The firm has drawn renovation designs for the Gibson Amphitheater, Greek Theatre, and Getty Villa Museum, having been entrusted with some of the city’s most iconic buildings. But they excel not only at that large scale but also in designing private homes in desirable Southern California locales. SPF:a homes have earned Architecture Magazine’s Home of the Year Award, an AIA National Honor Award, and even more accolades from Los Angeles Business Council, AIA LA, and Residential Architects Magazine.
Featured Projects
The Oberfield residence is a sculptural modern home in West Hollywood. Its L-shape design and glass-walled first story maximize views of the Los Angeles basin. Vertical Swisspearl louvers along the back of the house contrast the building’s horizontal spread and control sun exposure. Natural materials in the 10,000-square-foot interior connect indoor living spaces to the grand lawn and angled infinity pool. In Los Feliz, SPF:a redesigned a 3,000-square-foot historical property now known as the Morgan Phoa Library Residence. Originally designed in the 1920s by Southern California architect Wallace Neff, the house had undergone an undesirable renovation before SPF:a revised the space to accommodate modern living and complement Neff’s plan. The new designs called for the renovation of a family room and addition of a two-story structure containing a garage and a library. To prevent glare from natural light, SPF:a added perforated screens of bronze anodized-aluminum, the patterns of which recall the original concrete window grilles. A pool lined with tiles from a local historic home, is the centerpiece of the new outdoor living area. The house garnered an Honorable Mention for Renovation/Adaptive Reuse in the 2016 Residential Architect Design Awards.
9
Lehrer Architects
Architects:
Michael B. Lehrer, FAIA
Awards:
Recognition from Los Angeles Business Council and Southern California Development Forum
Address:
2140 Hyperion Ave Los Angeles CA 90027
About Lehrer Architects
Michael B. Lehrer, FAIA, began his career as a sole proprietor in 1985 in Los Feliz. Lehrer Architects has since expanded to a corporation, but has stayed true to its LA roots. Besides single- and multi-family residential plans, their portfolio includes commercial and institutional projects, including the first LEED-Platinum museum in the world. Working out of a self-designed award-winning office space, the firm has won more than 80 major awards for design and sustainability. Homes by Lehrer Architects have earned recognition from Los Angeles Business Council and Southern California Development Forum, plus features in Architectural Digest, Dwell, and Interior Design.
Featured Projects
Canyon Residence, winner of an LABC Award of Excellence, is not just a home, but also a working sculpture studio and has a vegetable garden, satisfying the client’s desire to have a living space that is also a creative environment. As featured in The Architect’s Newspaper, the new construction designs respect the surrounding wooded landscape. A horizontal plinth runs through the center patio and into the home, joining indoor and outdoor living areas and splitting the residence into two wings. A glass wall opens out from the studio, creating a translucent awning for the interior courtyard. The house, despite its amenities and size, is net zero, consuming no more energy than it generates. AIA Los Angeles awarded Lehrer Architects for Excellence in Design of the Davisson Residence, a quintessential California home. Lehrer maximized on a small and crowded yet coveted seaside plot by shifting the axis of the home. Sitting catty-corner on its base, the home is afforded sweeping views of the ocean through the back glass wall without giving up the feeling of a private beach retreat.
8
Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects (EYRCA)
Architects:
Steven Ehrlich, FAIA, Takashi Yanai, FAIA, Patricia Rhee, AIA, and Mathew Chaney, AIA
Awards:
AIA National Firm Award, AIA California Council Firm of the Year
Address:
10865 Washington Blvd Culver City CA 90232
AIA National Firm Award-winner Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects is an international practice with nearly 40 years of history. Founded by Steven Ehrlich, winner of the AIA LA Gold Medal for outstanding lifelong achievement in architectural design, the studio is now led by partners Ehrlich, FAIA, Takashi Yanai, FAIA, Patricia Rhee, AIA, and Mathew Chaney, AIA. Their 40-person team in Los Angeles has earned over 150 awards for their portfolio of education, civic, and residential designs. The firm taps into modernism from a multicultural perspective, drawing on Ehrlich’s travels abroad and the diverse fabric of the city. EYRCA designs are featured in eight monographs, and articles in Architectural Record, Concept, Custom Home, and Ocean Home Magazine.
Featured Projects
EYRCA led an extensive redesign of a 1939 Rudolph M. Schindler House on Ellis Avenue in Inglewood. The 981-square-foot single-story home had fallen into disrepair, but the firm’s designs salvaged features like the original brick fireplace and clerestory windows. The front yard landscaping joins the home’s outdoor living space with the neighboring Schindler house. The restorative update earned awards from Chicago Athenaeum, Los Angeles Business Council, and AIA California and Los Angeles. The Boxenbaum residence is home to a couple with adult children, and also serves as a gallery space for painter Kharlene Boxenbaum. The Beverly Hills home has an open floor plan and is oriented toward private exterior spaces. Cubic volumes of stucco and bonderized steel bring a sculptural element from the facade into the interior. Windows sit high on the walls, bathing living spaces in natural light and preserving wall space for large format artwork. Stone floors run through the family room and open kitchen out to the back patio entertaining space.
7
Tighe Architecture
Architects:
Patrick Tighe, FAIA, FAAR
Awards:
AIA Honors Awards, Progressive Architecture Award, AIA Los Angeles Residential Design Award
Address:
5747 Venice Blvd Los Angeles CA 90019
About Tighe Architecture
Patrick Tighe is a name to know in LA architecture. Winner of the AIA Young Architect Award and the Mercedes T. Bass Rome Prize in Architecture, Tighe formed a studio in 2004 to design civic, commercial, and residential developments. The firm isn’t afraid to experiment with materials and techniques, just as readily designing with hand-cut stones as laser-carved interior elements. You can find Tighe Architecture designs in Asia, Africa, and across the U.S. Not just focused on luxury budgets, the company earned AIA and American Architecture awards for their affordable housing designs for use in downtown L.A., adding to a trophy case that includes more than ten national and regional AIA Honors Awards and a Progressive Architecture Award. Interior Design, Architect’s Newspaper, and more have covered Tighe Architecture’s commercial and artistic endeavors.
Featured Projects
Tighe Architecture won an AIA Los Angeles Residential Design Award for the Nurizzo residence, an urban infill project in West Hollywood. Dark cement cladding on the ground floor recalls the traditional siding of surrounding homes, but updates the aesthetic. The white faceted second story overhangs the lower level. Recessed wrap-around windows and a roof deck offer views without forgoing privacy. At the Collins Gallery home in Los Feliz, Tighe Architecture seamlessly blended living quarters with public art space. West Hollywood Magazine and Brave New Houses both featured the 14,000-square-foot building on their covers, and the AIA recognized the design with an Honor Award.
6
Edward Ogosta Architecture (EOA)
Architects:
Edward Ogosta, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP
Awards:
AIA Small Projects Award, Residential Architect Design Merit Award, AIA Los Angeles Residential Architecture Award Citation
Address:
11157 Barman Ave Culver City CA 90230
About Edward Ogosta Architecture (EOA)
Before establishing Edward Ogosta Architects (EOA) in 2007, Ogosta worked with two other firms on this list, Michael Maltzan Architecture and SPF:a. Now Principal of a firm with diverse design capabilities, Ogosta also finds time to work as a Professor of Architecture at Woodbury University in Burbank and serve on the Culver City Planning Commission. While maintaining deep ties with local architecture community, the firm has earned recognition from AIA and Residential Architect Magazine. Whether creating a high-end single-family home or designing for a large-scale institution, the firm keeps an eye on the details of how a space will be constructed and, eventually, experienced. EOA’s intuitive and inventive designs are featured in Dwell, Fast Company, ArchDaily, and Detail.
Featured Projects
In Culver City, EOA designed the Rear Window House, a modern but understated bungalow. The project was a redesign of a seventy-year-old dwelling, plus a master suite addition. The addition continues the distinctive sloped roof of the original structure, but is finished in contemporary asphalt shingles. Besides a master bedroom, bathroom, and closet, the new volume also includes a library and a laundry room. The suite is capped with a broad window that cantilevers above a reflecting pool, offering broad but private views of the backyard greenery. The new and existing structures were updated with bleached wood floors and skylights. AIA Los Angeles awarded the design a Residential Architecture Award Citation. EOA also designed a multi-award winning building in Coachella Valley known as the Four Eyes House. As featured in Dwell, Angeleno, and Architect magazines, EOA designed the home around site-specific experiences rather than the interior living experience. Each of the four “sleeping towers” direct their view toward a spectacular sight; sunrise, the mountains, city lights, and the night sky. With no designated “master” space, each resident and guest is welcome to orient their experience toward any of the views. The common spaces on the ground floor are just barely distinct from the outdoors, wrapped in floor-to-ceiling glass panes.
5
KAA Design Group
Architects:
Grant Kirkpatrick, AIA
Awards:
Honors from Leaders of Design Council, AIA Long Beach/South Bay Design Award
Address:
4201 Redwood Ave Los Angeles CA 90066
About KAA Design Group
Southern California-native and USC graduate Grant Kirkpatrick has built up an architecture firm with celebrity recognition. KAA Design Group, Kirkpatrick’s studio since 1988, has designed homes for Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The Pritzker Family, and other clients prepared to build their dream homes. Having already made a mark on retail design with storefronts for Hugo Boss, the firm now focuses exclusively on their residential business. Their portfolio has drawn attention from more than 30 design publications, and award juries at AIA, Architectural Record, City of Beverly Hills Architecture, and Los Angeles Design Council.
Featured Projects
Matt Damon put down $15M to purchase a KAA-designed mansion in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. The compound sits on a .68-acre corner lot, and consists of a seven-bedroom house, a pool and spa, and a guest house. A two-story atrium anchors the center of the Zen-modernist three-story mansion. Sleeping porches, a koi pond, and a jewel-box garden are among the amenities that make the home a truly indoor/outdoor estate. At 34th & Strand, KAA flipped the typical floor plan, putting family living spaces on the top level, away from the bustle of the public beach at street level. The finishes reflect the family’s interest in sailing; glass, bronze, and mahogany add richness to continuous white plaster planes.
4
Michael Maltzan Architecture
Architects:
Michael Maltzan, FAIA
Awards:
Los Angeles Business Council Architecture Design Award, AIA LA Residential Architecture Design Award
Address:
2801 Hyperion Ave Studio 107 Los Angeles CA 90027
About Michael Maltzan Architecture
Founder and Principal Michael Maltzan, FAIA, established his eponymous firm in 1995. The architecture and urban design house creates comprehensive designs that consider not just the interior experience, but how a residence interacts with its context. With work featured in Architectural Record, Artforum, Domus, and The New York Times, Michael Maltzan Architecture has a reputation for museum-worthy forward-thinking design. The firm has won five Progressive Architecture awards and dozens of citations from the AIA.
Featured Projects
The Pittman Dowell Residence sits on a six-acre site in La Crescenta. The site, originally designed by Richard Neutra as a hillside subdivision, developed over decades, with the Pittman Dowell Residence rising out of the last clearing. The 3,100-square-foot house adds an urban inflection to the landscape, a form of basic geometric shapes interlocking in a faceted living space. In lieu of typical doorways, non-parallel walls, and staggered rooms create private zones. The negative space carved out by the polygons serves as an outdoor room. The dynamic home earned awards from AIA National, and the California and Los Angeles chapters. At the Hergott Shepard Residence, Michael Maltzan Architecture employed geometric volumes to different effect. The 5,000 square-foot hillside home in Beverly Hills invites meandering, with two main forms arranged along a zig-zag. Sliding glass walls integrate views of the city with the owner’s contemporary art collection. A model of the home is in the Museum of Modern Art’s collection in New York City.
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Burdge & Associates Architects
Architects:
Douglas W. Burdge, AIA
Awards:
PCBC Gold Nugget Award of Merit
Address:
24911 Pacific Coast Hwy Malibu CA 90265
About Burdge & Associates Architects
Douglas W. Burdge, AIA, founded Burdge & Associates Architects in Malibu in 1987. In the past 30 years, the firm has designed over 300 projects in Southern California, many for celebrities and Fortune 500 executives. Their extensive local portfolio of residential and commercial designs has helped the firm build productive relationships with developers and city officials. With a focus on eco-friendly coastal homes, Burdge & Associates has been covered in Architectural Digest, The Wall Street Journal, Veranda, and Traditional Home. Burdge designs have also earned a number of Gold Nugget awards, and appeared on luxury real estate national programming.
Featured Projects
The Burdge-designed Malibu mansion that music producer David Foster, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Yolanda Foster, and their children, supermodels Bella and Gigi Hadid once called home, sold for $19M. The 11,260 square-foot, Mediterranean-style abode has six bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a screening room, and a recording studio spread over three stories. The three-acre property has breathtaking views of the Pacific and the Santa Monica Mountains. Il Divo member Sèbastien Izambard’s Zuma Beach home is on the market for $16M. Burdge & Associates Architects designed the luxury take on a European farmhouse. Known as the Harvester French estate, the 6,000 square-foot house has eight bedrooms, four bathrooms, and 270-degree views of the ocean. Also on the six acre property are private gardens, a tennis court, playgrounds, a horse corral, and outdoor dining rooms.
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Richard Meier & Partners Architects
Architects:
Richard Meier, FAIA, FRIBA
Awards:
AIA Los Angeles Chapter Merit and Honor Awards, Los Angeles Business Council Architecture Award
Address:
1001 Gayley Ave Los Angeles CA 90024
About Richard Meier & Partners Architects
Recipient of the Pritzker Prize and an AIA Gold Medal, Richard Meier gained experience working with Marcel Breuer and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill before founding his own practice in 1963. The firm led by Meier and partners James R. Crawford, Vivian Lee, Dukho Yeon, Reynolds Logan, Bernhard Karpf, and Michael Palladino, designs projects around the world out of offices in New York and Los Angeles. Outside of residential design, the firm also leads educational, governmental, and cultural projects, such as the Getty Center. Natalie Portman, Calvin Klein, and Hugh Jackman have purchased Meier-designed homes, and the firm has been honored by the national AIA more than 30 times.
Featured Projects
The billionaire founder of Oracle, Larry Ellison, spent $48M to add a Richard Meier & Partners Architects home to his collection of real estate along Carbon Beach in Malibu. The house, originally designed for Lissette Ackerberg, is 7,700 square feet and sits comfortably alongside a private tennis court and the palatial abodes in the neighborhood known as “Billionaire Beach.” The house is laid out like an unfolding box with a central double-height space that extends out into horizontally-oriented wings. In the Southern California tradition, the building makes the most of its surroundings, with a loggia along the interior courtyard, a wraparound granite terrace, and skylights. From the pool, residents take in expansive views of the Pacific. Also in Malibu, the firm designed a Beach House that is made up of two structures joined by a sand and grass courtyard. Both houses are clad in teak, bronze, and wood, materials that will patina in the ocean air.
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Landry Design Group
Architects:
Richard Landry, AIA
Awards:
PCBC Gold Nugget Award of Merit, National Association of Home Builders Gold Award
Address:
1818 S Sepulveda Blvd Los Angeles CA 90025
About Landry Design Group
A fixture on the Architectural Digest AD100 List for the last 15 years, Landry Design Group boasts an A-list clientele and a knack for both contemporary and classical design. Founder Richard Landry has grown the firm from its start in 1987 into the go-to brand name in luxury California homes. NFL legend Wayne Gretzky, actor Mark Wahlberg, and boxer Sugar Ray Leonard have called Landry designs home. California Homes Magazine, Luxury Living, and Variety have covered the firm’s high-end contemporary estates and rural villas. A 66-time Gold Nugget Award winner, Landry Design Group has also earned honors from Pacific Design Center, Business of Luxury Design, and the Robb Report.
Featured Projects
Landry Design Group created a $14M manor for Mark Wahlberg. The French-style estate sits on a six-acre property in Beverly Hills with 30,000 square feet of living space between the main house and guest buildings. Despite its expansive size, every inch is designed for traditional, family living. Each room, including the two-story library, serves a purpose beyond being grand. That’s not to say the home lacks in celebrity-grade amenities, such as a wine cellar, gym, movie theater, and putting green. There is also a 2,200 square-foot outdoor room overlooking the rock-scaped pool complete with a waterfall and diving rock. The Wahlberg project came after Landry Design Group completed a Brentwood home for Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen. At half the size of Wahlberg’s estate, the residence is still a mansion encompassing almost 14,000 square feet. Patinaed limestone and Vermont gray slate evoke old-world architecture, but the design takes contemporary measures to be eco-friendly.
