architecture350
Inserting modern design throughout the city.....
architecture350 is a Los Angeles based architecture and development firm steeped in the history and continuing innovation of modernism. We share a deep passion for contemporary sustainable design and its particular execution in the temperate Southern California climate. Architecture is, for us, a rigorously integrated process that values the continual, direct and engaged input of clients, consultants, craftspeople and contractors. We seek to establish strong teams of contributors through mutual respect and obsessive attention to detail. Our process is holistic rather than linear allowing for a broad range of influences and inputs in the search for a unique expression of each project. We believe that the best design is not timeless, but rather is profoundly of its time and place. We embrace design that is firmly rooted in the specific social, cultural, and geophysical conditions that give rise to it and aspires to convey meaning and value to the broader culture.
With extensive experience in a variety of project types including residences, multi-unit housing, commercial interiors, educational institutions, restaurant design and digital media facilities, architecture350 provides an unsurpassed combination of design thought and practical execution. Coupled with an extensive knowledge of sustainable design strategies and a high level of principal involvement in each project, we are a client focused practice committed to innovative solutions and collaborative engagement. At architecture350, we refuse to accept traditional limitations and are ceaselessly engaged in exploring better, more efficient methods to construct modern living and working environments within the real world constraints of time and budget limitations.
Why 350?
Why architecture350?
350 is the most significant number in the goal of a sustainable future. 350 refers to the parts per million of carbon dioxide that a global consensus of scientists has deemed sustainable for human life to carry on as we know it. At the dawn of the industrial revolution, the atmosphere contained 275 ppm of CO2. In 2024, that number has risen to 424 ppm.
Buildings are one of the largest consumers of energy and raw materials. Buildings produced 39% of the total atmospheric CO2 in North America. This equals 10% of all global CO2 emissions and is more than the total emissions of any country except China. CO2 production in the U.S. rose 30% between 1990 and 2003. This increase was predominantly due to more and larger homes and more household appliances.
High performance building design offers a significant tool in the global fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Through passive heating and cooling strategies, better thermal performance (insulation practices, building envelope design, etc.), daylighting and high efficiency artificial lighting and lighting controls, alternative energy sources (solar, wind, geothermal), and more efficient mechanical systems (water heaters, heaters, air conditioners) and better appliances, energy use could be reduced by up to 70% in a typical building.
By 2030, approximately 50% of all buildings in North America will have been built after 2000. Thus, in the next 20 years, we will be responsible for building or rebuilding a significant volume of our built environment. How we choose to build these buildings will be our lasting legacy, for better or for worse.