“ One of the great, but often unmentioned causes of both happiness and misery is the quality of our environment: the kind of walls, chairs, buildings and streets we’re surrounded by.” Alain De Botton I started exploring design early, making cardboard buildings and vehicles for my toy army men. But through high school I focused on music. In college I tried my hand at drawing, sculpture, type setting and bookbinding, but I majored in economics. Only after all that did I settle onto architecture and again find myself making cardboard models of buildings. My first job with a residential architect had me drafting and building furniture, custom light fixtures and engineering sewer systems for developers along with designing homes. My next job with Cannel and Chaffin moved me into the world of commercial tenant improvements, Saudi palaces, banks and custom furniture. For a number of years I worked with commercial firms doing industrial, transportation, historic, education and civic designs culminating in leading the ADA redevelopment of the Los Angeles City Hall. After that I moved back into custom residential work, again doing unique furniture and lighting designs as well as designing custom homes. All along I have continued to practice drawing, painting, sculpture as well as furniture and product design. I’ve been fortunate that several publications including Architectural Digest have published my designs. I enjoy design because it is constantly challenging. The process can be smooth or scary, but starting with a blank sheet of paper and finding a solution to the problem at hand gives me a unique satisfaction while allowing me to contribute in a tangible way to our shared built environment. My personal work tends to the minimalistic and modern. But I have mastered several historic styles such as Neo-Classical, Monterey Revival, even Tudor and Victorian Gothic as the project required. The task of Architecture as I have practiced it is to blend the pragmatic needs and requirements of a building with the art of form and space to create coherent and meaningful environments reflecting our dreams and values.