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#227: “ON FIRES AND SOCIAL AGENDA,” PART 2 OF 2 | A TIPPING POINT?

July 17, 2026

Stahl House, Case Study House #22, Los Angeles, California (photo by Anthony Poon)

Following up on Part 1 of the 661st episode of the podcast, Convo by Design, here are additional highlights (edited for length and clarity). Host Josh Cooperman and I discuss, “Redefining the ‘Strength’ of Southern California Architecture,” and a “tipping point” in architecture.

Proposed house designs from Case Study 2.0: upper left: WORD; upper right: BSPK Design; lower left: Emre Arolat Architecture; lower right: Solkatt

Anthony Poon: Josh, you’re suggesting that we may be at a tipping point in our industry because of all these things from AI to fires. And the last time we had one was with veterans coming home. That launched a lot of new ideas for Mid-Century architecture.

But the interesting thing is that I haven’t yet seen anything impactful come out of all these discussions we’re having. The reference to Mid-Century design is obviously the Case Study program. Right now, there are multiple Case Study-like programs going on. Architects are calling them Case Study 2.0 or Case Study: Adapt. Have any of these houses been built yet? Any of them being permitted? They’re just ideas and renderings. I’m still waiting to see all these new ideas executed. What’s come out of this so-called tipping point?

Josh Cooperman: Can I challenge you on that for a second?

Anthony: Sure.

Josh: I don’t know if this is a perfect example, but I was talking to companies that are looking at ways of using technology, using AI, using actuators, using certain things, etc. So here’s the example: A home is wi-fi enabled, and it’s smart enough, and it’s connected to the weather service. When a fire breaks out, it can calculate the direction of the wind, force of the wind, where the fire is, in which direction. If the fire is a mile to two miles away from the home downwind, the house automatically closes the eaves. Is it a perfect solution? No, I don’t think there is any such thing as a perfect solution, but it is a thing. So does that fit as an evolving thought process into a new Case Study program?

Anthony: I think it does in the sense that these kind of ideas push something larger, which is kinetic architecture. And the fantasy is that if this computer can figure out that a fire is coming, it’d be great if this house could pick itself up and get out of the way. Or maybe the house drops down metal shades or soaks the roof with water. But I think the ideas must be bigger than that, because the fire’s still coming and could wipe out another 10,000 homes.

I think one of the reasons to slow down this reconstruction effort is to look at a new social agenda. We’re basically rebuilding the same way. We’re building spacious single family residences on the same spacious lots, when Southern California is plagued with not having enough housing. There’s a housing shortage. Why aren’t people looking at different density rules? Why isn’t multifamily design one of the more prominent approaches to rebuilding? Why are we just plopping down the same houses on the same lots?

Pacific Palisades, California (photo by Myung J. Chun, Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Josh: I think time really does fly when you’re having fun. Let me end it with this. I’m asking you to get your crystal ball out. What is going to be the next and most impactful thing that comes? What’s the next domino in architectural evolution? I’m curious how things are going to change for you in the next 18 months to three years.

Anthony: I know AI is being talked about a lot, but that’s a subset under the umbrella of technology. Actually, what I think is going to drastically change is the role of the architect. We were joking earlier: When doing a house for a husband and wife, we’ve become marriage counselors. Or in working with a family who has lost everything in a fire, we’ve become an emotional support professional/therapist.

I think the role of the architect is shifting, happily expanding into many other things. We are not just designers. We’ve become civic leaders and community engagement experts. We’re rethinking how entire communities and towns should be rebuilt. Josh, you’ve once used the word “futurist,” and architects are that too. We’re looking at social agendas and how we can affect such things through our skills in creativity, design thinking, and problem solving. So my guess is that the role of an architect is going to continue to evolve into broader and broader fields.

Poon Design Inc., Los Angeles, California (photo by Grant Bozigian)

#225: “ON FIRES AND SOCIAL AGENDA,” PART 1 OF 2 | RESILIENCE AND DINGBATS

June 5, 2026

Marquez Residence, Pacific Palisades, California, by Poon Design (photo by Anthony Poon)

On the 661st episode of the podcast, Convo by Design, we examined, “Redefining the ‘Strength’ of Southern California Architecture,” with host Josh Cooperman and architects Ben Ballentine and Luis Murillo. From our 90-minute conversation, here is part 1—highlights between Josh and me, edited for length and clarity.

2025 Fires, Pacific Palisades, California (photo by Anthony Poon)

Josh Cooperman: It’s incredible to think that a year and four months after the wildfires in Southern California on January 7th, 2025—that absolutely decimated the Pacific Palisades and Altadena—that we’re still talking about it in terms of recovery, because the process has been so slow. And in the wake of the devastation, the architectural community in Southern California is facing a reckoning. It has no choice.

The idea about strengthening the enclosure, strengthening the envelope of an architectural structure—be it residential, hospitality, commercial, healthcare—the ideas about it haven’t necessarily changed much, but the perceptions have. In five short years, we’ve gone from something that was globally impactful like a pandemic to something that is regionally impactful like the fires, which made everyone think more about the changing nature of architecture. How did all that change the way you work?

Marquez Residence, Pacific Palisades, California, by Poon Design. Under the Fire Rebuilt Executive Order, this new house replaces the previous one lost entirely to the 2025 Palisades Fire. Fire-resistive and noncombustible strategies include: all metal framing (no wood); exterior walls and roof of Grade A metal panels; moisture-resistant gypsum sheathing; unvented attic, and mineral wool insulation. The removal of exterior decor eliminates where embers can collect, and also achieves the desired contemporary, bold character of the home. For an expedited schedule, Poon Design qualified as a licensed professional under the Los Angeles Self-Certification Pilot Program.

Anthony Poon: Well, Josh, you mentioned “strengthening” of the building. That’s only one small part of the exercise. I think this conversation should also be about resilience. There’s really no way you can strengthen a building enough to survive the disasters that may come. It’s equally important to think about how a building recovers from a fire, hurricane, earthquake. And how does a building support the community after something catastrophic? So it isn’t just about being stronger. It’s about being resilient and resourceful, and how to rebuild what we just lost.

STEM Classroom Building, Berkeley Hall School, Los Angeles, California (photo by Bradley Wheeler)

Of course the fires are on everyone’s mind, but building strength and resilience involve much more. Being that we design schools, we have to be conscious about designing strength in new ways—for example, school shootings, unfortunately. It’s a difficult conversation when you’re designing a great school, and a teacher asks where the students should hide during a shooting. Will this amount of windows, which we all want for natural light and the indoor/outdoor connection, be an issue?

If we’re just going to design for strength, you’re going to have a house that is a bomb shelter. Or a school that is all concrete with metal bars in the windows. So there must be a balance. It’s not just “form follows function,” because if the function is strength and security, what kind of form are you ending up?

Concrete bomb shelter (photo by Alexander Fox | PlaNet Fox on Pixabay)

Josh: I don’t think that there is any real critique of architecture anymore. How there are still dingbats in this city is just staggering to me.

Anthony: But it’s great that dingbats still exists.

Josh: Is it?

Anthony: Dingbats are such a legacy of Los Angeles—the period, the style, something so unique and cool within our architectural culture.

Josh: Okay, great point. But Dingbats were notorious for crumbling in earthquakes. They were not well built, just like the Googies. I’m going to put a pin in this—I love my debates with you, and I’m definitely coming back to it. I feel that there is an opportunity for architects now to do something significant. Maybe the last time this happened was when the GIs came home from World War II.

The Pink Flamingo, Dingbat-style apartment building, Studio, City, California (photo on laconservancy.org)

Josh: So okay, are you changing the way you specify?

Anthony: With specifications, we have to talk about investment and value. If we’re designing, say a hotel lobby, it could be an affordable ceramic tile flooring or something that’s twice as expensive like terrazzo. But we point out how ceramic tile is not going to last as long as terrazzo. Tile is going to chip, need to be regrouted, and/or replaced altogether. Terrazzo can last 50 years, a hundred years.

Terrazzo flooring, Via Adalberto Catena, Milan, Italy (photo by Patricia Haller-Anguela on Unsplash)

New materials in fashion (photo by Faheem Ahmed on Unsplash)

I believe it was Ben that mentioned, “authenticity” in materials. I think with growing technology, the focus on authentic and real materials might start to fade.

I think back to the older days of fashion. Then, it was important that a suit was 100% real wool or a tie 100% real silk. But nowadays, fashion is driven by all kinds of new materials, like polyblends, synthetic stretch materials, plant-based latex—things that old school fashion designers would have never considered.

Similar options exist today in architecture. Yeah, I agree that fake stone trying to look like real stone is not good, but there’s so many other kinds of new materials. And this gets back to fire resistance. There are materials— like natural wood—that may not do as well as some of these new material combinations and technologies.

Josh: How do we find the time to research all this?

Anthony: It’s almost like how can you not, because of the risk of doing something wrong? Something I think about is scale. If you do a single custom house, you could try some new things and even take a few risks. But we’ve done mass production housing, as in tract homes, where a single house design is replicated a hundred times. If you get one material thing wrong, like, “We tried that and it didn’t work,” well, you’re not just getting a call from one client, you might get a class action lawsuit. So that’s when we experiment less and go back to best practices.

Mass production/tract housing, Escena, Palm Springs, California, by Andrew Adler and Poon Design (photos by Anthony Poon)

#197: BOOK RELEASE: INFLUENCERS | ARCHITECTURE

December 13, 2024

Book cover (photograph by Anthony Poon)

Of his recent 464-page publication, author Oscar Asensio explains, “At Influencers | Architecture we show the professional careers of the most relevant and influential architects in the world. They offer us their experiences, ideas, knowledge and thoughts . . .”

Book pages 354 and 355 (photograph by Anthony Poon)

Am I an influencer? This new book believes I have some influence that might impact behaviors and attitudes. Published internationally by Linea Editorial in English and Spanish, the author curates and presents groundbreaking architects from around the world: Austria, China, England, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Switzerland, and others. Below are edited excerpts from my contributions to this book simply entitled, Influencers | Architecture.

Book pages 356 and 357 (photograph by Anthony Poon)

“It all began with some crayons and cardboard. I was probably five years old. Then, I liked to make things, to dream up a world for my toy soldiers, for my spaceships to race, or where stuffed animals could have thoughtful discussions. Whether paper and scissors, or clay and a knife, whether Lego or wooden blocks, I made cars, planes, rockets, and of course buildings—buildings upon buildings and cities within cities. I imagined civilizations where everyone would be able to be who they are destined to be. As I grew up, I realized there was a station in life, a job for me to pursue such ambitions. Though I must admit, I also wanted to be a musician since childhood. I made my final decision when applying for graduate school: Julliard vs. Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. I chose the latter. Today, I am an architect and fortunately still have space in my life to make music. I could not have done it the other way around, be a concert pianist and run an architecture company.

“An idea can come from anywhere and everywhere, from no one place in particular nor one kind of process. An architectural concept can arrive through a piece of music or work of poetry, perhaps from a conversation with a colleague or the view out of a hotel. I can try brainstorming for days, drawing ideas, and jotting notes endlessly in my sketchbook. Sometimes, a design concept appears, and other times, the obsessive process results in nothing of worth. Or maybe an idea will arrive in my head while driving to a meeting. The point is simply this: Inspiration is elusive, but always there. One just needs to be ready to grab it when it passes by.

Book pages 358 and 359 (photograph by Anthony Poon)

“The currency of social networks is both potent and immeasurable. The art of architecture relies on influences and inspiration, sometimes examined through any number of social media outlets, media/press, and online articles and treatises. The business of architecture relies on exposure, as well clients, consultants, and a community of colleagues—typically powered through social media and networks. The evolution of architecture relies on communication, on the sharing of ideas, testing of concepts, and critical discourse. The success for all of the above are the current venues (not even in existence last decade) created through technology, apps, social media, digital forums, and crowdsourcing—and having a very powerful compact computer in the palm of our hands.

Book pages 362 and 363 (photograph by Anthony Poon)

“Consider architecture as storytelling. Every project should have content—a narrative of concepts that drive the process and its final product. Also, because architecture is communication, know your audience.

“I think it was concert pianist, Rubenstein, who suggested that one should not practice piano too much: Limit your practice time, enjoy your life, and you will have much to express when playing piano. Same thinking applies to architecture.

“Be original. Be remembered. If you do the same thing over and over again, you will always get the same results, of which, most have already been done, or might be boring and forgettable.”

#193: SWINGIN’ IN STYLE

September 20, 2024

(photo by Hunter Kerhart)

“Do you golf?” This is a common even trite question within business relations. But for serious golfers, the inquiry is not just a part of transactional dealings. No, golf is a religion for some. Since my answer was, “Uh, no. Sorry, I don’t golf,” I was certain we failed at the job interview. To our surprise, we won the project: Poon Design was commissioned to design a ground breaking golf facility, where tradition meets technology.

We probably won because we brought the appropriate blend of creativity, attentiveness, professionalism and a down-to-earth demeanor, as compared to a “starchitect’s” ego, arrogance and self-interests.

For this 3,200-square-foot recreational and practice facility, known as the Golf Performance Center, we blended the legacy, tradition and culture of golfing with the latest technological developments in golf simulation—a simultaneous look back with an eye towards the future. Our architecture is modern, with abstract hints, such as proportion and scale, towards the Neoclassical style of the nearby 1911 clubhouse.

Floor plan and massing concept by Poon Design.

The overall design of our Golf Performance Center began in response to the size and scale of nearby homes. For a “good neighbor” approach, we reduced the mass of our structure, splitting its singular form into two. We then slid the two masses in opposite directions, east then west—further breaking down its scale and creating an entry patio.

The composition provided an opportunity for an innovative roof, one of two roofs actually. Such an approach delivered an iconic building form seen from nearby and the upper golf course, while also offering a dynamic ceiling and volumetric form within. Our creative journey explored a dozen roof forms: from gables to sheds, an undulating living roof to simply flat, and diagonally folded to a Mid-Century Modern accordion—to name a few.

We arrived at a double roof, where each is both gable and shed. At the west end of the building where visitors arrive, two gable facades provide the most traditional and welcoming of roof lines for the public. At the east end of the building, the gables transition to two long shed roofs, reducing the building’s volume as it approaches nearby homes and the hillside.

The front mass of the facility houses the entry, two practice driving studios and equipment fitting studio, whereas the back mass contains a multipurpose event area, practice putting studio, office and restrooms.

Swinging out of the building and design sketches (photos by Hunter Kerhart)

The three front studios open to the 400-yard driving range, where golfers swing out of the building through an 11-foot tall, six-panel, glass folding doors. With the retractable screen down, one can experience the virtual motion-capture swing platform. The practice putting studio contains an ground breaking feature: a topographical moving floor that can be programmed and shaped to numerous inclines and undulations.

On the interior walls of the event area, we reinterpreted the traditional beadboard wall surface used elsewhere around the property. This style of wood cladding originated from England centuries ago. Within our Golf Performance Center, the vertical wood planks sweep around convex and concave curved corners, a metaphor for the arc of a golf ball or swing of a golf club.

The exterior design comprises white acrylic-resin plaster, standing seam galvanized metal roof, glass and aluminum accordion doors and a steel and wood trellis. Situated at the north end of the practice range, the Golf Performance Center provides a landmark structure that honors the history of this campus while looking towards the future.

#180: PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

December 22, 2023

Study models, Golf Performance Center, Los Angeles, California (photo by Anthony Poon)

We architects call our industry the “practice of architecture.” This is so, because we are still practicing. It is not called the accomplishments of architecture or the perfection of architecture. It is rare that architects consider themselves accomplished. Even after several decades of professional practice, I am still just practicing.

Poon Design Inc. (photo by Anthony Poon)

The practice of architecture embraces the unreachable goal of perfection. As a classical pianist, I relate. To perform a work of Bach or Chopin, for example, you have to practice…and practice…and practice. The goal is perfection, but in classical music, is perfection attainable? Consider the odds: Can even the most accomplished concert pianist play a piano sonata consisting of one-million notes and not make a single mistake? And make it beautiful?

In architecture, no matter how great a completed building is, we always think it could be better—should be better. Even when a glorious beam of sunlight gracefully illuminates an art gallery the we successfully designed, we will still judge our work. “Oh, the stone trim should have had a sandblasted finish instead of honed, then the reflection would be a few degrees softer. And the window should be moved over two inches for optimal, blah, blah.” No one cares, but we try and try again to get it right.

Construction mock up for the acoustic wall treatment of a music room, Pacific Palisades, California (photo by Anthony Poon)

A moving target, we must try to learn all the code requirements, whether structural engineering, fire exits, energy compliance, water percolation, or ADA compliance. Such items and hundreds more change constantly as a city plan checker issues yet another addendum. The process has become so convoluted that even the plan checkers themselves do not know the requirements they have drafted.

Sketches, Golf Performance Center, Los Angeles, California (by Anthony Poon)

At times, technology moves at a pace faster than the practice of architecture. With AI, 3D printing, modular, BIM, AR/VR, computational design, robotic fabrication, building performance analysis, etc., we are always learning, or falling short of learning, the latest and greatest in software and equipment.

3D printed models for an office-to-housing conversion, Beverly Hills, California (photo by Anthony Poon)

If each new client, good or bad, was the exact same as the previous, then we could practice our client service skills to perfection. The meetings, presentations, and decision-making processes would become routine, hence being well-practiced and eventually needing no more practicing. But of course every client is different in personality, expectations, experience, and thinking.

Studies for Enzoani Bridal Salon, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (photo by Anthony Poon)

Poon Design is a boutique design studio. Each project is custom designed, never a cookie cutter solution. If our work was like Richard Meier’s elegant white structures, then when it comes time to pick a paint color, the choices are white 1 vs. white 2. That’s it. But for our projects, each being unique, the choices are endless, not just the 98 shades of white, but maybe vivid colors, pastels, or earth tones.

Material research for The Improv, Los Angeles, California (photo by Anthony Poon)

Beyond the creative world of design, the practice of architecture also involves the logistics of running an office, e.g., marketing and business development, hiring and staffing, payroll and accounting, insurance and rent, state employer laws, and so on.

So in the end, with each project, with each client, with another year under our belt, with another national design award, we get closer to being accomplished as a professional. But even then, we will all say this is still the “practice of architecture.”

Sketch for mixed-use project, Redlands, California (by Anthony Poon)

Bruce Lee once said, “Practice makes perfect. After a long time of practicing, our work will become natural, skillful, swift, and steady.” But for architects, such perfection may take a lifetime or longer.

#139: JORDAN ESTES INTERVIEWS ANTHONY POON: THE WHAT / HOW / WHY’S OF ARCHITECTURE

August 13, 2021

Poon Design Inc., Los Angeles, California (photo by Poon Design)

Exploring personal interests and college ambitions, Jordan Estes, Santa Monica high school student, interviewed me on a broad range of topics swirling around being an architect. Hope you enjoy this well-rounded primer—from collaboration to fluidity to technology.

For a modern picnic experience, custom benches with artificial grass, by Poon Design (photo by Poon Design)

Jordan Estes: I’m Jordan Estes, and I’m here helping you understand the basics of design jobs. Today I’m talking to Anthony Poon, an architect from Los Angeles. Architecture is not just based on you and your own skill, right? It’s very team based?

Anthony: It’s a collaboration, and not just within my team at the office. It’s often a collaboration with the client too. When a client says they are interested in designing a house, library, or church, we have to understand what their vision is. They become part of the creative team.

Architecture is a collaboration of dozens of different trades and personalities. There are architects focusing on interiors or furniture design. Some focus on lighting. There’s the exterior of a building, or how one moves through space. Every project can be broken down into hundreds of little pieces.

Jordan: Even outside of your team, there’s other professions that work with you?

Anthony: The architect is like the conductor of an orchestra. An orchestra has all these different musicians—violinists, cellists, trombone players—and it’s the conductor’s job to make sure it all stays organized and sounds great. We’re organizing not just all of the designers, but helping to organize the construction trades from painters to electricians, plumbers to framers. Also, we’re coordinating the work of a structural engineer or technology consultant, security expert or elevator specialist. Many spinning tops

Conductor and his orchestra (photo by Yoon Jae-Son from Pixabay)

Jordan: And with the contractor, would you say that you work with them to actually get the project built?

Anthony: The general contractor is the conductor of his construction orchestra: plumbers, electricians, carpenters. Our job as the architect is to check in on construction regularly, make sure it’s meeting the design goals. And of course, every project has questions that come up during construction, and we’re around to work through them.

Construction for WV Mixed-Use Project, Manhattan Beach, California, by Poon Design (photo by Poon Design)

Jordan: How did you realize that you wanted to get into architecture? What traits did you have that allowed you to realize that architecture was right for you?

Anthony: I think most of my colleagues chose architecture because they started off very young with creative interests. It might be drawing, building things, playing with Lincoln Logs, or even taking a washing machine apart and trying to put it back together. I built a lot of model kits, cars, tanks, and rocket ships. I really liked making things. For me, it’s the interests in imagining some new world, some place where people can meet, where kids can go to a school, or a family live in a house. Realizing that you can actually do something creative like this in real life as a grownup is exciting.

Lego (photo by Xavi Cabrera on Unsplash)

Jordan: When you went into architecture, is there anything that you didn’t expect—that you ended up just being surprised about?

Anthony: The thing that surprised me most was how challenging it is. The creative aspect is the enjoyable and rewarding side of architecture. But there’s so many other aspects to architecture. Every design you come up with has to meet a budget and a schedule. Getting through the city permitting process can be lengthy and torturous. And of course, there’s always those clients making changes and coming up with ideas different than what they said a month ago. The design process has a few more hiccups than anticipated.

Jordan: How do you choose clients, and what kind of structures do you design?

Yet another trendy faux Georgian/Cape-Cod/Shingle/Ranch-inspired home—a blend of architectural styles that has little relevance to our Southern California context and climate (background photo from Pixabay on Pexels)

Anthony: The clients that we like to work with are the one that are interested in design, that are interested in the creative approach and being part of the artistic process. If someone comes to us and already knows what they want—saying, “We just want to have something like Cape Cod style”— that’s less interesting to us. That’s more of a cookie cutter approach. We’re looking for clients that are interested in the design process.

We don’t identify with any particular kind of building type. Some architects do. Some architects only design hospitals or parking structures, or maybe only performing arts centers. We specialize in design and that can mean helping any client to solve any kind of project. We focus a lot on hospitality, like restaurants and bars, sometimes retail. We also get our hands into educational design, and we do religious projects like Buddhist temples. And we also do cultural projects, visitor centers, multi-family buildings. It’s a wide range, and we’re excited by how far we are able to extend our talents.

Pico Mixed-Use Project, Los Angeles, California, by Poon Design

Jordan: It seems like architecture is focused on fluidity. Fluidity in architecture is about change, making sure what you’re keeping and/or changing to adapt to the best possible situation.

Anthony: “Fluidity” is a really good word. I also like to think of the metaphor of jazz music and being able to improvise—stay loose and keep the process organic. If there’s a design question, there are dozens of ways of approaching it—lots of answers to the same question. We’ve got to stay “fluid” as you say, to come up with the best creative solution.

Jordan: How do you think architecture is changing as new technology gets developed?

Anthony: When I started in architecture, there were no computers. We were drawing by hand and putting pencil to paper. Then came computers. Computer-aided-design (“CAD”) became the software that replaced drawing by hand. It was a whole new world.

And now we’re entering 3D modeling. Rather than just drafting things, we’re actually building our projects in the computer in three dimensions digitally. On top of that, there’s AR/VR. We’re able to use these 3D models and take our clients for a walk into our projects. There are limits though. With all technology, it is four steps forward, three steps back.

From The Matrix, 1999 (photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash)

Jordan: I know a lot of jobs are being replaced with new technology. Are you concerned something like that could happen to architecture?

Anthony: It’s definitely a possibility, but I’m not too concerned. I think it will be some time before we’re replaced by some kind of machine. What we do is based on human relationships and a creative process. It’s not just cataloging; it’s not just drafting. But I do believe that software will eventually be able to design buildings for people. Ten years ago, people didn’t think computers could replace authors, but there is software out there that can write entire novels. The question is whether these novels are good.

Jordan: I think one of the best things about architecture is that because you focus on so many experiences, you could find a new profession somewhat easily.

Anthony: A bunch of classmates didn’t go into architecture. Architecture teaches you to problem solve, teaches you to think creatively about The Big Picture. A lot of architects moved into software engineering, graphic design or book publishing—even photography, furniture design, fashion design. I heard of one that started knitting sweaters—another one designing wedding cakes. Design is a broad field. It could be designing a car. It could be creating with paint colors for Home Depot.

Jordan: Thank you for letting me interview you. And to everyone who’s listening, I hope you learned something.

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