20 Best Architecture Firms in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is arguably regarded as the capital of the film and television industry. The sprawling city is the epicenter of theatricality and luxury of the Western world. The cinematic scenery, the countless studio setups as well as the historic movie palaces have all imbued the cultural identity of Los Angeles with the ‘cinematic flare’, and architecture is no exception.

Home to iconic landmarks such as Frank Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall and Richard Meier’s Getty Center, Los Angeles’ architecture has become greatly influenced by the entertainment industry. Starting from its architectural schools, the city promotes alternative design practices. For instance, founded in 1972, SCI-Arch is one of the most notable, experimental architecture schools in the world. It combines state-of-the-art technologies with the desire for innovation and a reimagining of architecture as a design practice and world-building.

In addition, being a pole of attraction for many celebrities, architectural offices have thrived in designing creative residential homes throughout the city. The housing scenery is an accumulation of intricately designed forms that could easily be considered settings from out of this world.

With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in Los Angeles based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.

How are these architecture firms ranked?

The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firm’s level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firm’s ranking, in order of priority:

• The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2023)
• The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2023)
• The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2023)
• The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2023)
• The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2023)

Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of Los Angeles architecture firms throughout the year.

Without further ado, here are the 20 best architecture firms in Los Angeles:

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20. David Hertz Architects, Studio of Environmental Architecture

The work of David Hertz Architects Inc, Studio of Environmental Architecture (SEA), focuses on designing and constructing environmentally responsible residential and commercial buildings. SEA engages in multiple facets of design, including product design, furniture design, public sculpture, environmental consulting, and the research and development of resource-efficient ecologic building products.

In 1983 Hertz founded Syndesis Inc and invented the material manufacturing process of Syndecrete®, the innovative pre-cast lightweight concrete surfacing material. Hertz sold the technology in 2006. Evolving from a generalist nature of practice to a more specified studio has allowed for a comprehensive understanding of creative problem solving and an opportunity to view design challenges from multiple perspectives.

Some of David Hertz Architects, Studio of Environmental Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

• Sail House, Grenadines, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• 747 House, Malibu, California
• Navy House, Los Angeles, California
• Californication House, Los Angeles, California

The following statistics helped David Hertz Architects, Studio of Environmental Architecture achieve 20th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Los Angeles:

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19. Anonymous Architects

It’s hard to spot an Anonymous house. And that’s the way we like it. Always adapting and evolving, our buildings strive to craft an individual response to site, budget and, of course, client – so there’s no such thing as a signature building, and no such thing as two similar clients. Nature works in a similar way. It is endlessly adaptable and evolving, able to thrive in nearly any situation and abstain from obsolescence. Buildings should evolve in a similar manner. They should each be a unique response. For this reason no signature building can ever realize its full potential.We also love to play with the connection between human beings and their environments.

Some of Anonymous Architects’s most prominent projects include:

• Eel’s Nest
• BIG & small HOUSE
• Car Park House, Los Angeles, California
• House in Trees, Los Angeles, California

The following statistics helped Anonymous Architects achieve 19th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Los Angeles:

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18. Steinberg Hart

For 70 years, Steinberg Hart has shaped environments and created inspiring places through and idea-driven, results-oriented approach to design that spans education, arts, residential, urban mixed-use, hospitality, civic and commercial sectors. The firm’s team of architects, designers, planners and sustainability experts share the belief that design can create profound and unexpected connections between people and place.

Our full-service architecture firm creates environments that sculpt space to shape lives in subtle and empowering ways. From the foundation established in 1953 by Silicon Valley architecture pioneer Goodwin Steinberg, FAIA and in 1967 by New York design trailblazer Malcolm Holzman FAIA at Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates, and now under the leadership of David Hart, Steinberg Hart has built a progressive portfolio of award-winning projects spanning multiple continents and diverse sectors.

Some of Steinberg Hart’s most prominent projects include:

• UCLA, Hitch Student Residences, Los Angeles, California
• Crafton Hills College, Public Safety & Allied Health Building, Yucaipa, California
• Suffolk Office Interiors, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
• Harvey Mudd College, McGregor Computer Science Center, Claremont, California
• University of Wisconsin-Madison, Hamel Music Center, Madison, Wisconsin

The following statistics helped Steinberg Hart achieve 18th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Los Angeles:

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17. Assembledge+

Since its founding, Assembledge+ has been pursuing an architecture driven by a commitment to collaboration and craftsmanship to create enduring environments that are user-focused, innovative, and sustainable. We believe in the art of collaboration.

The name Assembledge+ was deliberately chosen to convey the firm’s passion for “assembling” all the often-complex elements of the design process to produce an architecture that is precise, considered, and of exceptional quality. The + signifies an approach that looks at the whole combination of interrelated parts and that architecture is more than drawings and an arrangement of building materials. It includes the process of collaboration with clients, specialist consultants and builders.

Some of Assembledge+’s most prominent projects include:

• Laurel Hills Residence, Los Angeles, California
• [in]tension, Los Angeles, California
• Sunset Plaza Residence, Los Angeles, California
• Stephenson House, Washington, DC
• Vernetti, Los Angeles, California

The following statistics helped Assembledge+ achieve 17th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Los Angeles:

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16. Kovac Design Studio

Established in 1988, Kovac Design Studio is a multidisciplinary architecture and design practice focused on the realization of meticulously crafted, highly personalized projects. Over our more than two decades of experience, we have honed our expertise working with a wide range of constraints and creative challenges. Our values, forged by years of frequently invigorating, and occasionally humbling experiences, are simple. We are not ivory-tower designers. We are committed to the environmental integrity of our work. We strive to provide the highest level of service to our clients, and to imbue our projects with meaning and enduring quality.

Some of Kovac Design Studio’s most prominent projects include:

• Pye’s Landing, Maine
• Madison Desert Club, La Quinta, California
• Bonsall, Malibu, California
• Casa per Amici, Santa Monica, California
• Carbon Beach House, Malibu, California

The following statistics helped Kovac Design Studio achieve 16th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Los Angeles:

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15. Pfeiffer, a Perkins Eastman Studio

Pfeiffer, a Perkins Eastman Studio, is a design firm of architects, interior designers and planners, with offices in downtown Los Angeles and New York City. The firm works nationally and internationally with an emphasis on cultural and educational projects for both public and private clients. Its projects marry smart planning with unusually effective client and team engagement for imaginative architectural solutions.

Some of Pfeiffer, a Perkins Eastman Studio’s most prominent projects include:

• Chapman University Musco Center for the Arts, Orange, California
• Colorado College Tutt Library Expansion & Transformation, Colorado Springs, Colorado
• UCLA Northwest Campus Housing Infill, Los Angeles, California
• University of California, Santa Barbara Library, Santa Barbara, California
• Taylor Centre for the Performing Arts at Mount Royal University, Calgary, Canada

The following statistics helped Pfeiffer, a Perkins Eastman Studio achieve 15th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Los Angeles:

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14. XTEN Architecture

XTEN Architecture is an award-winning international architecture firm based in Los Angeles, California and Sissach, Switzerland specializing in custom residential, cultural and commercial buildings. The full-service firm is led by President and Founding Partner, Monika Haefelfinger and Principal, Scott Utterstrom. Founded in 2000 by Monika and the late Austin Kelly (1966-2015), XTEN approaches architecture with Swiss precision and rigor along with the progressive and experimental spirit of Los Angeles. Through thoughtful design analysis, our architects distill the parameters of site and project brief into meticulously structured plans that are then developed into distinct sculptural forms. Interior and exterior spaces flow seamlessly, creating a strong connection to the landscape and the buildings’ immediate environment.

Some of XTEN Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

• Nakahouse, Los Angeles, California
• Fairfax Condominiums, Los Angeles, California
• Openhouse, Los Angeles, California
• Sapphire Residential Gallery, Los Angeles, California
• Madison House, La Quinta, California

The following statistics helped XTEN Architecture achieve 14th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Los Angeles:

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13. Synthesis Design + Architecture

Synthesis Design + Architecture is a forward thinking and multi-award winning design firm based in Los Angeles, California with architectural licenses in California, Arizona and Colorado and experience with international projects (Thailand, China, Italy, and the UK). We specialize in producing innovative design work that not only challenges convention through technological, material and computational innovation, but also work that purposefully enlivens the public imagination and makes a case for the role of innovated architecture in our contemporary creative design culture.

Our office engages the discipline of architecture through the dual lenses of design and research at the intersection of technology, performance and craft – a territory that we explore through the design of architectural projects of all scales that experiment with computational design processes as a means of investigating the synthetic relationships between form, structure and skin.

Some of Synthesis Design + Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

• Data Moire, San Francisco, California
• Chelsea Workspace, London, United Kingdom
• Pure Tension Pavilion, Milano, Italy
• [C]space DRL10 Pavilion
• Central Plaza Lampang

The following statistics helped Synthesis Design + Architecture achieve 13th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Los Angeles:

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12. asap/ adam sokol architecture practice

asap/ is a collaborative design practice founded in 2011 and based in Los Angeles, with a second office in Buffalo, New York, USA. We seek to identify and advance design opportunities to develop the art and craft of design at all scales — from tableware to entire cities, while also reinterpreting and re-energizing programmatic imperatives. Our work is devoted to understanding and contributing to existing cultural and architectural contexts while deploying advanced design and construction technology in ways appropriate to contemporary life.

Some of asap/ adam sokol architecture practice’s most prominent projects include:

• Zhen Fund, Beijing, China
• X-House, Beijing, China
• Emperor Qianmen Hotel, Beijing, China
• Skid Grow
• Himalayas Museum, Shanghai, China

The following statistics helped asap/ adam sokol architecture practice achieve 12th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Los Angeles:

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11. Martin Fenlon Architecture

MFA, an architecture firm based in Los Angeles, is committed to seeking a sustainable architecture of innovative space; a space that is shaped by the specific needs of the client, the unique qualities of the site and region, and the logic and efficiency of construction.

Some of Martin Fenlon Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

• Lopez House, Los Angeles, California
• Brucato House, Los Angeles, California
• The Annex, Los Angeles, California
• Rodgers ADU, Los Angeles, California
• Morris House, Los Angeles, California

The following statistics helped Martin Fenlon Architecture achieve 11th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Los Angeles:

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10. Whipple Russell Architects

Since 1985, we have enjoyed continued success creating architecture inspired by the people who work, live and play in our environments. During every phase of a project we ask ourselves these five questions: Have we listened deeply to our clients? Have we drawn from our breadth of experience? Have we distilled the design to its most simple, appropriate form? Have our plans and systems provided clarity and peace of mind for our clients? Are we exceeding expectations? We believe it is our commitment to achieving a resounding ‘yes’ to each of these questions.

Some of Whipple Russell Architects’s most prominent projects include:

• Laurel Way, Los Angeles, California
• Hopen Place, Los Angeles, California
• Mandeville Canyon, Brentwood, California
• 9342 Sierra Mar
• BigHorn, Palm Desert, California

The following statistics helped Whipple Russell Architects achieve 10th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Los Angeles:

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9. Atelier Scale

Atelier Scale is a landscape studio that focuses on people’s livelihood with the power of design. It aims to explore the relationship within different scales in landscape, that is, to find creative solutions and expressions from the relationships between the whole and parts, groups and individuals. We focus on public space and hope to bring more meaningful experience through our thinking. At the meantime, we don’t mind participating in commercial projects, but we look forward to collaborating clients with similar values to create win-win works that benefit public interest.

Some of Atelier Scale’s most prominent projects include:

• The Wave, Shenzhen, China
• Restroom in the Mountains, Yantai, China
• The Vortex, Shenzhen, China
• The Fire Tower, Yantai, China
• The Folds, Changzhou, China

The following statistics helped Atelier Scale achieve 9th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Los Angeles:

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8. John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects (JFAK)

John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects was formed in 1996, when John and Alice recognized a shared aesthetic and social vision for the power of architecture. Since then, the firm has become renowned for an innovative design process dedicated to creating vibrant architectural spaces that catalyze creative interaction and redefine both social and individual realms. The firm’s portfolio encompasses a range of building types and sizes that have been widely recognized for their technological, material, and sustainable intelligence, as well as their spatial fluidity, quality of light and social significance.

Some of John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects (JFAK)’s most prominent projects include:

• Council District 8 Navigation Center , Los Angeles, California
• L.A. Residence, Los Angeles, California
• L.A. Design Center, Los Angeles, California
• Graduate Aerospace Laboratories, Caltech, Pasadena, California
• Pinedo Stealth, San Marino, California

The following statistics helped John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects (JFAK) achieve 8th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Los Angeles:

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7. CO Architects

CO Architects is nationally recognized for architectural planning, programming and design in the higher education, science and technology, civic and healthcare sectors, and works with leading institutions from coast to coast. In over 35 years of practice, CO Architects has led innovative and successful projects in 30 states, Canada and the UK. The firm’s specialized expertise includes transformative projects for schools of medicine and the health professions, advanced research and teaching laboratories, leading-edge museums and civic landmarks, and innovative clinical facilities on higher education, healthcare and urban campuses. The firm has been nationally and internationally recognized with over 205 design awards.

Some of CO Architects’s most prominent projects include:

• University of Arizona Health Sciences Innovation Building, Tucson, Arizona
• Biomedical Sciences Partnership Building, University of Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona
• Arizona State University Health Futures Center, Phoenix, Arizona
• California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Administration Replacement Building, Pomona, California
• OHSU Collaborative Life Sciences Building & Skourtes Tower, Oregon

The following statistics helped CO Architects achieve 7th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Los Angeles:

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6. RIOS

RIOS is an international design collective working beyond boundaries to inventively combine disciplines and amplify the impact of design. Within our practice, the built environment and landscape architecture are interconnected to harness the positive impacts of wellness and define design as a continuum. We use the power of story to connect us to place and to one another. The practice operates at the intersection of architecture, landscape, urban planning, interior design, video, graphics and signage, experiential, and product design to inform design at all types and scales. We believe that design is better when you think inclusively about ways to solve a problem.

Some of RIOS’s most prominent projects include:

• Spotify At Mateo Campus Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
• GoodRx Headquarters, Santa Monica, California
• Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine, Los Angeles, California
• 639 Larchmont, Los Angeles, California
• House of Love/Beit Ha-Ahava, Los Angeles, California

The following statistics helped RIOS achieve 6th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Los Angeles:

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5. Morphosis Architects

Founded in 1972, Morphosis is an interdisciplinary practice involved in rigorous design and research that yields innovative, iconic buildings and urban environments. With founder Thom Mayne serving as design director, the firm today consists of a group of more than 60 professionals, who remain committed to the practice of architecture as a collaborative enterprise. With projects worldwide, the firm’s work ranges in scale from residential, institutional, and civic buildings to large urban planning projects. Named after the Greek term for ‘to form or be in formation’, Morphosis is a dynamic and evolving practice that responds to the shifting and advancing social, cultural, political and technological conditions of modern life.

Some of Morphosis Architects’s most prominent projects include:

• 8850 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California
• Orange County Museum of Art, Costa Mesa, California
• Genesis Electric Vehicle Charging Stations, Seoul, South Korea
• Bloomberg Center, New York City, New York
• Gates Hall, Ithaca, New York

The following statistics helped Morphosis Architects achieve 5th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Los Angeles:

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4. FreelandBuck

FreelandBuck is a full service architecture design practice formed in 2009 and based in Los Angeles. Partners David and Brennan have over 15 years of experience in architecture and landscape architecture. The firm has exhibited widely and received the 2011 ArchIs Prize for emerging architects from the Los Angeles AIA. California Home + Design magazine recognized FreelandBuck as one of the “10 to Watch” new architecture offices in 2011. Our work has been featured in Architectural Record, Detail, Frame, Azure, Surface and LOG as well as several recent books on architecture and technology.

Some of FreelandBuck’s most prominent projects include:

• Stack House, Los Angeles, California
• Second House, Los Angeles, California
• Stack, Los Angeles, California
• Over View, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• MINI Living Urban Cabin, Los Angeles, California

The following statistics helped FreelandBuck achieve 4th place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Los Angeles:

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3. kevin daly Architects

“Kevin Daly Ar­chi­tects is a prac­tice rooted in the be­lief that ar­chi­tec­ture has the power to trans­form the every­day built en­vi­ron­ment. Since es­tab­lish­ing the firm in 1991 as Daly Genik Ar­chi­tects and now as Kevin Daly Ar­chi­tects, Kevin Daly has guided a de­sign process that up­holds the prac­ti­cal magic of ar­chi­tec­ture  — an alchemy of craft, ma­te­ri­als, and form. But­tressed by pro­ject-di­rected re­search, the work of Kevin Daly Ar­chi­tects in­ter­weaves in­no­va­tion in tech­nol­ogy and fab­ri­ca­tion, sus­tain­abil­ity and ur­ban­ism, liv­abil­ity and econ­omy. The firm’s award-win­ning port­fo­lio in­cludes en­vi­ron­men­tally and so­cially re­spon­sive ed­u­ca­tional, res­i­den­tial, and in­sti­tu­tional pro­jects rang­ing in scale from sin­gle-room artist work­spaces to cam­pus mas­ter plan­ning. Kevin Daly Ar­chi­tects is par­tic­u­larly rec­og­nized for re­claim­ing and trans­form­ing sites char­ac­ter­is­tic of the ur­ban fab­ric, turn­ing generic back­ground build­ings into mod­els of com­mu­nity iden­tity.

Some of kevin daly Architects’s most prominent projects include:

• Broadway Affordable Housing, Santa Monica, California
• Bi(h)OME, Los Angeles, California
• Ostin Basketball Center at UCLA, Los Angeles, California
• Robertson Recreation Center, Los Angeles, California
• Berkeley Global Campus, Berkeley, California

The following statistics helped kevin daly Architects achieve 3rd place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Los Angeles:

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2. WOODS + DANGARAN

Many firms describe their work as “transformative” — architecture as an accomplished fact. At Woods + Dangaran, we create modern homes through dialogue and exploration. By collaborating closely with our clients throughout the design process, we are better able to inspire them with the finished product. By working closely with trusted tradespersons, we can deliver work that is uncompromising in craftsmanship.

Working across the country, we design holistically and at every scale: from integrating architecture and interiors to creating custom furnishings. The result are projects that are subtle and disciplined, pure in form, and focused on realizing sublime experiences of space and light. WOODS + DANGARAN was named Best Medium Firm in Architizer’s 11th Annual A+ Awards.

Some of WOODS + DANGARAN’s most prominent projects include:

• Desert Palisades, Palm Springs, California
• Clear Oak, Los Angeles, California
• Mar Vista, Los Angeles, California
• Twentieth, Santa Monica, California
• Case Study, Culver City, California

Top image: Moore House, Los Angeles, California

The following statistics helped WOODS + DANGARAN achieve 2nd place in the 20 Best Architecture Firms in Los Angeles:

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1. Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects [LOHA]

Founded in 1994 by Lorcan O’Herlihy, FAIA, LOHA is an award-winning architecture and urban design firm of twenty-five talented designers, with offices in Los Angeles and Detroit. Collectively and collaboratively, driven by O’Herlihy, passion and creative vision, we have built a robust portfolio of work that is rooted in embracing architecture’s role as a catalyst for change. With a conscious understanding that architecture operates within a layered context of political, developmental, environmental, and social structures, LOHA seeks to elevate the human condition via the built environment. We work with a diverse group of stakeholders to deliver work ranging from art galleries, bus shelters, and large-scale neighborhood plans, to large mixed-use developments, supportive housing and university residential complexes.

Some of Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects [LOHA]’s most prominent projects include:

• Granville1500, Los Angeles, California
• Jeanette301, Santa Ana, California
• MLK1101 Supportive Housing, Los Angeles, California
• Cloverdale749, Los Angeles, California
• Dillon617, Los Angeles, California

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Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking?

With more than 30,000 architecture firms and over 130,000 projects within its database, Architizer is proud to host the world’s largest online community of architects and building product manufacturers. Its celebrated A+Awards program is also the largest celebration of architecture and building products, with more than 400 jurors and hundreds of thousands of public votes helping to recognize the world’s best architecture each year.

Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.

A Guide to Project Awards

The blue “+” badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award.

The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizer’s Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a project’s likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status:

• Project completed within the last 3 years
• A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs
• Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value
• High quality, in focus photographs
• At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building
• Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings
• Inclusion of construction photographs

There are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizer’s Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers.

 

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We’re constantly look for the world’s best architects to join our community. If you would like to understand more about this ranking list and learn how your firm can achieve a presence on it, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at editorial@architizer.com.