Located northeast of Downtown Los Angeles, Pasadena is a shopping and dining district best known for its diverse architecture. It is particularly noted for its Victorian and art deco spaces and structures. Our editorial team decided to showcase seven of Pasadena’s leading multifamily architects. These companies were chosen because they had impressive portfolios and a broad range of unique skill sets.

KFA Architecture

3573 Hayden Avenue, Culver City, CA 90232

KFA takes on projects throughout the greater Los Angeles area and is known for its highly collaborative approach. The firm tailors its processes on each project to better cater to its client’s specific needs. The firm’s portfolio contains a fantastic range of campuses, mixed-use housing, retail, and office projects, affordable, senior, family, and special-needs housing; hotels and restaurants, educational facilities, and adaptive reuse projects. The firm has been in business since 1975 and is also known for its project management. 

The firm has won countless Preservation and Merit Awards from vital organizations like the Westside Urban Forum Design Awards and the California Preservation Foundation Preservation Awards. Featured above is one of the firm’s best projects. Designed and completed for the Skid Row Housing Trust, this project contains over 100 units and spans 42,600 square feet. It offers excellent spaces for its formerly homeless residents to gather, relax, and enjoy. Inside, there are also several community rooms, laundry rooms, computer rooms, and recreation spaces.

TCA Architects

18821 Bardeen Avenue, Irvine, CA 92612

TCA Architects works out of offices in Los Angeles, Oakland, Irvine, and Honolulu. The firm offers its clients a complete and comprehensive range of architectural services and is known for its multifamily projects as well as its hospitality and retail spaces. Since the firm’s establishment, it has had the opportunity to work with some of the area’s best and leading subcontractors and professionals. Some of its most impressive client partners include JP Morgan, The Mayer Corporation, and the Wolff Company. 

Completed back in 2010, the showcased project spans over 516,621 square feet. Located in an eclectic urban village, this project is LEED Silver Certified under the City of Pasadena’s Green Building Ordinance and is the first smoke-free community in Los Angeles County. It includes over 820 units and over 15,000 square feet of retail space.

KTGY

433 S Spring Street, Suite #750, Los Angeles, CA 90013

KTGY is an award-winning firm that provides a complete and comprehensive range of architecture and planning services. The firm’s approach integrates planning, interior design, and branding. It has multiple offices and studios and can take on projects regardless of size or complexity. The firm also incorporates modern sustainable practices into its work, assuring both brands and homeowners alike of the high efficiency of its homes and commercial spaces. The company takes great pride in its national rankings, having finished 35th nationwide in the 2020 Architectural Record’s Top 300 Architecture Firms. Its team draws inspiration from over three decades of industry experience.

Located in the heart of Pasadena, this project here is an excellent example of the firm’s talent and expertise. Labeled as “Theo” in the firm’s portfolio, this project was completed for the Summerhill Apartment Communities. It has a clean, smooth simple, Modernist take on its previous theme. The project also contains several outdoor spaces, including a pool, a spa, a cabana area, and a rooftop lounge.

Nadel Architects

1990 S Bundy Drive, Suite #400, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Regarded as among Los Angeles’ best and leading architectural firms, Nadel Architects offers its clients a complete and comprehensive range of design and planning services.  The firm provides excellent cost-effective solutions. It also maintains affiliations with various vital industry organizations, including the AIA, the Association of Commercial Real Estate, and the Building Industry Association. These memberships allow the firm to stay up to date with the best and latest industry techniques and methods. Nadel’s impressive portfolio features commercial, retail, education, and hospitality spaces. It has also taken on several mixed-use and multifamily projects. In Los Angeles and cities across the country to Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and beyond, the firm has secured a solid reputation for its innovative solutions to challenging work. Since its inception, the firm has received over 91 industry awards. It operates out of three offices in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Scottsdale. 

Located in Los Angeles, the featured project was completed in 2013. It contains over 204 units and over 7,000 square feet of retail space. Other great details include its central courtyard, roof decks, and three below-grade parking levels.

wtarch (Warren Techentin Architecture)

2801 Hyperion Avenue, Studio #103, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Warren Techentin Architecture is an award-winning practice that works out of its office in Los Angeles. It has had the opportunity to work in some of its most sought-after communities in the area. It is highly regarded for its expertise in a wide range of vernaculars. The firm makes use of an interdisciplinary method and site-specific processes to best address each of its projects’ needs. The firm has won numerous accolades from the American Institute of Architects and has been featured in publications like Dwell, Los Angeles Magazine, and Wallpaper* Magazine. Featured below is an excellent example of the firm’s talent and expertise. 

Labeled in its portfolio as the “Mariposa Apartments,” this project includes seven stories. It sits on a busy street and offers many amenities—a rooftop garden, a swimming pool, a courtyard, and a gym. It also has a cafe, dog wash services, and a yoga studio.

Tyler+Kelly Architecture

80 South Lake Avenue, Suite #500, Pasadena, CA 91101

Founded in 1988, Tyler+Kelly Architecture has provided a full range of creative architectural, interior, and landscape design solutions to public and private sector businesses and institutions throughout Southern California. The firm is known for creating contextual architectural solutions that balance the unique confluences of the urban setting, aesthetic preferences, market opportunities, and jurisdictional constraints.  For decades, Tyler+Kelly Architecture has produced engaging architecture and designs that have withstood the test of time. Its portfolio spans over 300 built projects throughout the Southern California area and beyond. The firm is led by principals Rob Tyler, AIA, and Jon Kelly, AIA, LEED AP.

Located in Pasadena, the showcased project spans over 106,538 square feet and contains around 72 units. The firm’s team opted for a traditional New York high-rise-inspired exterior.

Onyx Architects

2540 East Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91107

Onyx Architects works out of its office in Pasadena and has had the opportunity to work in some of its best neighborhoods. Its comprehensive list of services includes not only architectural design but also cost estimating, construction management, and handling construction documents. The firm also provides LEED-certified design services, value analyses, and project management. In terms of design, it can take on any project regardless of size or scale. Featured below is one of the firm’s most impressive spaces. 

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Labeled in its portfolio as Marv’s Place, these apartments provide 20 units of affordable housing for formerly homeless families. It features a great Mediterranean theme, a central courtyard, and several lounges.