Office projects can prove difficult in that firms are often challenged with having to address highly specific needs for brands and their visual identities. This list showcases six of Pasadena’s best and leading architects behind some of its most elegant and lauded office spaces. It is curated based on their various experiences, backgrounds, and unique services.


Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects

10865 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232

Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects has built an exceptional reputation over the years. Headquartered in Culver City, the company offers its clients a comprehensive range of architectural services. In 2015, the firm was distinguished with the National Firm Award from the prestigious American Institute of Architects (AIA). It has been in business since 1979 and extends its services throughout Los Angeles and San Francisco. It is composed of a talented team of forty-five members, who together have completed a multitude of houses, courthouses, libraries, university centers, and corporate and government facilities.

Led by its founders and namesakes Ehrlich, Yanai, Rhee, and Chaney, the firm has become regarded for what it calls its “multicultural modernism.” The depicted project was designed for the Barranca Parkway office campus. It serves as part of an ongoing redevelopment in Tustin and Irvine.


Corsini Stark Architects

3630 Tyburn St, Los Angeles, CA 90065

Operating out of its office in Los Angeles, Corsini Stark Architects specializes in a wide variety of architectural services. It is particularly regarded for its creative workspaces, custom homes, and historic preservation. Its portfolio also includes various institutional, multifamily, restaurant, and retail projects. The firm has been in business since 1997 and is composed of a talented team, who together, bring over four decades of combined industry experience. Since its establishment, it has been the recipient of a multitude of accolades from the AIA, the Los Angeles Business Council, and the Southern California Development Forum. 

Depicted above is the firm’s work for the Ayzenberg Group Expansion. It is composed of over 9,200 square feet of new construction and 12,400 square feet of renovated space. The firm’s team interconnected three existing structures with a new building, and designed the interiors connecting workspaces and meeting places on multiple floors.


The CBA Partnership

99 South Raymond Ave, Suite 104, Pasadena, CA 91105

With over three decades of industry experience, CBA is a comprehensive architectural practice that has had the opportworked in and around Southern California. Since its establishment, it has worked with countless household brands. These include the Unilab Corporation, Sony Pictures, Warner Brothers, and Minolta. It has also worked on projects for Starbucks and Disney. At the firm’s helm are its principals: John Camianica and Gabriel Baron. Cambianica has practiced architecture for over three decades and primarily focuses on institutional and commercial projects. Baron, on the other hand, specializes in commercial, institutional, and residential architecture and oversees the production of construction documents and construction administration. 

Showcased above is one of the firm’s best works. Located in Los Angeles, this space was completed for Musician’s Union AFM Local 47. It is a workers’ union that represents over 80,000 musicians. The project features a dynamic campus environment, which includes rehearsal rooms and offices.


PECK

25 South El Molino Ave, Pasadena, CA 91101

PECK specializes in architecture, civil engineering, and structural engineering. The firm is led by Chris Peck, the firm’s founder, who has expanded its project range to include commercial, multifamily, and mixed-use projects. The firm has secured partnerships with some of the best architects and designers across the Los Angeles Area and beyond. 

Prior to his establishment of the firm, Peck first gained experience in high-rise structures with a firm in New York and London, in addition to civil engineering and architectural design with a company in Los Angeles. Under his leadership, the firm has been distinguished with numerous awards including the 2019 Westside Urban Forum Design Award and the 2017 Pasadena Heritage Award for Historic Preservation. The firm has been published in magazines like Architectural Digest and the Los Angeles Times Magazine. As a result, the firm has secured a presence across Southern California and maintains affiliations with organizations such as the AIA and the US Green Building Council.

The depicted project was completed for ING’s Direct Offices. Located in Los Angeles, this project entailed having to work on various floors, its mortgage divisions, call center, board room, and administrative offices. The firm’s design for its cafe, located on the project’s ground floor, is particularly impressive.


Moule & Polyzoides Architects & Urbanists

180 E California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91105

Founded in 1982, Moule & Polyzoides operates out of its headquarters in Pasadena and extends its services throughout the area. Since its establishment, it has worked on over 300 projects. The company is regarded for its innovative techniques and stellar designs. It is noted for being published worldwide in countless magazines and has also been showcased in various museum and university exhibitions. The company also often infuses sustainable practices into its spaces, assuring clients of the high efficiency of its work. Depicted below is one of our favorites from the firm’s portfolio.

Located in Santa Monica, this project was designed for the Robert Redford Building for the Natural Resources Defense Council. This project won the firm the 2004 Congress for the New Urbanism Charter Award and the Los Angeles Business Council Architectural Award. The structure was also awarded a LEED Platinum rating and is among the greenest buildings in the world. Inside, it houses various offices and meeting rooms, as well as the Environmental Action Center that includes educational and retail space.


SWA Architects

48 East Holly St, Pasadena, CA 91103

SWA Architects offers its clients an excellent design-build approach, which means that it can keep the entire process in-house. It is also regarded for its master planning, land-use studies, renovations, and tenant improvements. The company specializes in spaces rendered for the medical, commercial, and industrial markets. It can manage  projects regardless of size or scale and is also proud to be a certified Minority Business Enterprise and Small Business Enterprise. The firm has been in business since 1985 and is composed of a variety of  LEED Accredited Professionals.

Showcased above is one of the firm’s best works. It was completed for the Glendale Medical Office Building. It spans over three stories and approximately 30,000 square feet. It also features eighty-one parking spaces, and inside, it has a full range of specialty clinics.