Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects is internationally recognized for distinctive design, which extends the traditions of modernism through an approach that fuses new technologies with cultural and environmental sensitivity. Winner of the 2015 National AIA Architecture Firm award, the firm has been recognized with prestigious accolades including eight National American Institute of Architects (AIA) awards and was named California Firm of the Year in 2003.
Embracing the convergence of complex global factors that challenge today's architects, the firm has evolved a unique approach to architecture and planning called Multicultural Modernism. Largely developed through the travels and experiences of founding Principal Steven Ehrlich, Multicultural Modernism centers around architectural anthropology and incorporates the following key elements: sensing place and listening to people; courtyards as an antidote to density and stress; and cross-cultural fusion. Multicultural Modernism is not a formula but a path towards an architecture that can respond sensibly, flexibly and with great exuberance to our increasingly urbanized world, celebrating both global aspirations and local cultural uniqueness.
The firm is led by Partners Steven Ehrlich, FAIA, Takashi Yanai, FAIA, Patricia Rhee, FAIA, Mathew Chaney, AIA, Ashley Richardson, AIA, and Bryn Garrett, AIA.