Architects

A Passion for Projects Celebrating Black Culture Philip “Phil” G. Freelon was an influential architect whose work embodied African American culture and history. Freelon was born March 26, 1953, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1975, he graduated from North Carolina State University with a bachelor’s degree in environmental design and earned…

Proby served on the California State Board of Architectural Examiners for eight years Architect Vincent J. Proby was born in Wichita, Texas in 1928. Proby, as a child, moved to Los Angeles where he attended public school before majoring in architecture at the University of Southern California. Proby helped design…

People and groups behind the places The place names might be well-known—Hearst Castle, Ahwahnee Hotel, Union Station—but do you know the architects behind the buildings? Get to know 25 of California’s must-see structures and their architects, as compiled by USA Today and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) California Council:…

Scientists looking for ways to develop stronger construction materials have found inspiration in an unlikely source: a bug. More precisely, a beetle. Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, and Purdue University report in a study published in the journal Nature that the diabolical ironclad beetle—its actual name—has a unique…

The newest tagline on the television news is “[fill in the blank] is going to look different this year…” Well, guess what: Everything looks different this year, thanks to the pandemic. In the fall issue of DCA’s Consumer Connection magazine, the writers take a look at what’s become different in…

Want to incorporate them into your home or yard? Contact a licensed professional They were elemental in the midcentury modern design movement, but they’re making a major comeback in the new millennium: breeze blocks, the pierced cement blocks that circulate air, soften light, and offer structural security and patterned privacy.…

As many cities across California slowly reopen for business, the thought of a COVID-19 resurgence lingers. The buildings we are all returning to were not designed with social distancing in mind. Architects and engineers have a new challenge on their hands with a strong focus on infection control. Not only…

After a devastating fire turned their community into a ghost town, residents of Paradise in Northern California are ready to start over. California architects and contractors are stepping up to help rebuild their town, making way for a new Paradise. One property owner isn’t taking any chances and will use…