Our Mission:It has been said that architecture is construction of a society’s values. An insightful observer can “read” the aspirations and obsessions of a people by studying its cities. Apart from what buildings say about their inhabitants, architecture is most directly a setting for human experience. It is a setting with great power. When carried out with insight, deep experience, and near-obsessive care, architectural design contributes to the quality of daily life like few other human activities. Paul Davis Architects (PDA) is a full-service, Los Angeles-based design firm that bases its practice on this belief. With avid dedication to the needs of our clients and an appreciation of the responsibility inherent in any opportunity to build, we craft projects that promote life at its best. Our work does this with beauty, “fit” (a rightness in its role and place), and an economy that celebrates intelligence in choice-making. The latter attribute doesn’t exclude the possibility of utmost quality or even luxury; either is appropriately realized with an acute consciousness of suitability and value.PDA is particularly focused on advocating for sustainable design, and maximizing the functional and spatial impact of our clients' budgets. We achieve greater sustainability in our projects through studied application of best principles in building location and configuration, as well as strategic use of "green" materials and technologies. While the maxim “bigger is better” will always retain its appeal among many, we tend to argue for “Small is Beautiful” (after economist E.F. Schumacher), at least when the thing in question is big enough to do its job, and exceedingly well-conceived. This approach is at the heart of sustainability, and obviously yields real benefits in a realm of endeavor where costs are accrued on a “per square foot” basis.Although rooted in a speculative, arts-based design culture, PDA’s working method emphasizes the business of collaboration with clients, consultants, and the broader community as the process through which building of enduring significance is accomplished. In that mode, we guide clients through a detailed exchange about project requirements, and serve their needs with a balance of ambitious, contextually appropriate design and highly responsive service. The firm and its personnel are experienced in a broad range of residential and commercial project types, including new modern single-family homes, historic renovations, multi-family building interior and shell work, retail stores, restaurants, and corporate facilities with institutional or cultural components.In successfully realizing such diverse project types, we coordinate our work with a range of top-flight professional consultants and contractors, whose experience and technical skill enable us to offer an integrated suite of services, tailored to the needs of each project. The resulting work is rich in detail, technically apt, and stands out strongly for its design quality.