5 Best Architects in Los Angeles (2026)

Independently ranked by our review of ratings, reviews and reputation · How we chose

By Brad Smith, Home Services Expert · ✓ Data verified August 2026 · 8 min read

Hiring an architect in Los Angeles usually starts with a specific project, a fire rebuild, a restaurant buildout, a custom hillside home, and the firms on this page range from a global 6,000-person practice to a two-person boutique with a perfect rating. Review counts run from 12 to 57, and four of the five firms hold at least a 4.5, so fit matters more here than sheer size.

Short answer: Gensler has the most reviews (57, 4.6 stars) as a major global architecture firm with a downtown LA office. Make Architecture (5.0, 29 reviews) and Synthesis Design + Architecture (5.0, 15 reviews) both hold perfect ratings, with Make Architecture specifically reviewed for custom residential and fire-rebuild work. Architecture fees vary enormously by project scope, so always request a proposal specific to your job.

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1. Gensler
2. Make Architecture
3. Kelly Architects
4. Synthesis Design + Arc…
5. Gerami Architectural C…
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Matching the Right LA Architect to Your Project

#	Business	Rating	Reviews	Best for
1	Gensler	4.6 ★	57	Large-scale & commercial projects	View ›
2	Make Architecture - Los Angeles Architecture Firm	5.0 ★	29	Custom homes & fire rebuilds	View ›
3	Kelly Architects	4.5 ★	34	Restaurant & hospitality design	View ›
4	Synthesis Design + Architecture	5.0 ★	15	Bold, conceptual design	View ›
5	Gerami Architectural Corp.	5.0 ★	12	Renovations, ADUs & permit-ready plans	View ›

Our top picks, reviewed

#1 Overall🕑 Open 5 days/wk

Gensler

4.657 Google reviews

Gensler is a global architecture, design and planning firm with 58 offices and over 6,000 professionals worldwide, including a downtown Los Angeles office on South Figueroa Street. Its practice areas span workplace design, hospitality, healthcare, aviation and large-scale urban projects, making it the largest firm on this list by a significant margin.

What people praise

Highest review volume on this page
Global scale and cross-disciplinary expertise across sectors from healthcare to hospitality
Downtown LA office with an established local presence
Reviewers describe the workspace and design quality positively

Worth knowing

Reviews on file are largely general workplace impressions rather than detailed client project accounts, so ask directly for case studies relevant to your project scale

Reputation scorecardrank in Los Angeles

Rating4.6 / 5

Review volume57 · 97th

Confidenceearly

Recency6 weeks ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown82% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The largest, most established name here, well suited to sizeable commercial or institutional work. For a smaller residential project, the boutique firms below may offer more hands-on attention.

Website +1213-327-3600 Directions

500 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90071

#2🕑 Open 5 days/wk

Make Architecture - Los Angeles Architecture Firm

5.029 Google reviews

Make Architecture is a Los Angeles architecture firm led by William Beauter, specializing in custom residential projects across Pasadena, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades and Malibu. Reviewers, including builders and repeat residential clients, describe detailed, construction-ready drawings and active work on fire-rebuild projects.

What people praise

Perfect 5.0 rating across nearly all reviews
A builder reviewer specifically praises the thoroughness and buildability of the firm's construction documents
Reviewers describe active fire-rebuild projects handled with care for the original architecture
Repeat clients cite the firm's ability to balance client vision with practical execution

Worth knowing

Positioned toward custom residential and hospitality work, so a large commercial project may be better suited to a bigger firm

Reputation scorecardrank in Los Angeles

Rating5 / 5

Review volume29 · 87th

Confidenceearly

Recency4 months ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown97% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: A standout for custom homes and fire rebuilds specifically, with a builder's own review vouching for how construction-ready its drawings actually are.

Website +1323-669-0278 Directions

2664 Lacy St, Los Angeles, CA 90031

#3🕑 Open 5 days/wk↩ Responds to reviews

Kelly Architects

4.534 Google reviews

Kelly Architects is a Los Angeles firm specializing in restaurant architecture and interior design, with a portfolio including Beverly Hills hospitality projects. Reviewers describe both one-off restaurant buildouts and ongoing commercial collaborations.

What people praise

Reviewers describe the firm as a top restaurant architecture team in Los Angeles
Praised for balancing aesthetics and functionality in hospitality spaces
Strong communication cited on ongoing multi-phase commercial projects
Diverse portfolio spanning several named LA restaurant and retail brands

Worth knowing

Specializes specifically in restaurant and commercial hospitality work, so it's not the natural fit for a residential project

Reputation scorecardrank in Los Angeles

Rating4.5 / 5

Review volume34 · 92th

Confidenceearly

Recency3 months ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown82% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The clear specialist here for a restaurant or hospitality buildout, with reviewers specifically naming this as the firm's strength.

Website +1213-380-8498 Directions

2404 Wilshire Blvd #1E, Los Angeles, CA 90057

#4🕑 Open 5 days/wk

Synthesis Design + Architecture

5.015 Google reviews

Synthesis Design + Architecture, led by Alvin Huang, is a Los Angeles architecture firm known for innovative, boundary-pushing design across residential, commercial and international projects, including landmark buildings in Bangkok. Reviewers describe both feasibility studies and fully realized bespoke spaces.

What people praise

Perfect 5.0 rating across all reviews
International clients cite the firm's ability to balance bold design ambition with practical business needs
Detailed, interview-driven process described for feasibility studies
Reviewers highlight innovative solutions, including hidden compartments in a bespoke home office design

Worth knowing

Reviews on file date back several years, so ask directly about the firm's current project load and availability

Reputation scorecardrank in Los Angeles

Rating5 / 5

Review volume15 · 79th

Confidenceearly

Recency7 years ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown100% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Worth a call if you want genuinely distinctive, conceptual design rather than a conventional approach, though confirm current availability given the older review dates.

Website +1213-438-9967 Directions

724 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90014

#5🕑 Open 6 days/wk

Gerami Architectural Corp.

5.012 Google reviews

Gerami Architectural Corp. is a Los Angeles firm providing residential and commercial architectural services, including custom residences, ADUs, tenant improvements and permit-ready construction documents. Reviewers describe the firm stepping into a stalled whole-house renovation and turning it around successfully.

What people praise

Perfect 5.0 rating across all reviews
Reviewer specifically describes the firm rescuing a stalled renovation project midway through
Praised for navigating tricky permitting and layout issues on a coffee shop tenant improvement
Handles a wide range of project types, from ADUs to apartment complex retrofits

Worth knowing

Smallest review base on this page, though consistently positive

Reputation scorecardrank in Los Angeles

Rating5 / 5

Review volume12 · 66th

Confidenceearly

Recency8 weeks ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown100% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: A strong pick if your project involves navigating permits or a renovation that's hit a snag, given reviewers describe exactly that kind of rescue.

Website +1310-310-8800 Directions

1001 Wilshire Blvd #2051, Los Angeles, CA 90017

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How we score

Every number on this page comes from public Google data collected on the date shown, not from opinion or payment. Rating is the firm’s live Google star average. Review volume is how many clients have rated them, ranked against other Los Angeles architects. Confidence weighs the rating by that volume, so a rating built on dozens of reviews carries more weight than one from a handful. Recency reflects how recently people are still leaving reviews. No firm can pay to change these numbers.

How much does an architect cost in Los Angeles? (2026)

Architecture fees in Los Angeles vary enormously by project type and scope, a small ADU or tenant improvement costs far less than a custom hillside home or ground-up commercial building, and fee structures range from flat rates to a percentage of construction cost. We don’t have a trustworthy, cited rate table covering this range of work, so ask each firm for a proposal specific to your project before committing.

Serving all of Los Angeles

These firms are based across Los Angeles, including Downtown, Highland Park and the Wilshire corridor, and most take on projects across the wider LA basin, from Pasadena and Beverly Hills to Santa Monica and Malibu. If you’re searching for an architect near me, check the address on each listing above for the option closest to your project site.

What to ask before you hire an architect

Have you handled projects similar in scope and type to mine?
What’s the fee structure, flat rate, hourly, or a percentage of construction cost?
Will you provide permit-ready construction documents, or just design concepts?
How involved will you be during the construction phase?
What’s a realistic timeline from initial consultation to permit approval?

Frequently asked questions

How did you choose these architects?

We started from every architecture firm in Los Angeles with a public Google presence, then ranked by rating, review volume, consistency and recency. See How we score above.

Are these rankings paid?

No. Rankings come from the public Google data in the scorecard. A business can pay to be a Featured Partner, which adds a badge and top placement, but that never changes another business’s score or position on the underlying data.

How often is this updated?

The data carries a verified date (August 2026 on this page). We refresh listings periodically so ratings and review counts stay current.

Should I hire a large firm or a boutique architect?

A larger firm like Gensler brings scale and cross-disciplinary resources, useful for big commercial projects, while boutique firms like Make Architecture or Gerami often offer more direct, hands-on attention for residential and smaller commercial work.

Do these architects handle permits?

Several firms above, including Gerami Architectural Corp. and Make Architecture, specifically describe navigating permitting and producing permit-ready construction documents. Ask directly whether this is included in the fee.

The bottom line

For a custom home or fire rebuild, Make Architecture has the strongest documented track record. For a restaurant or hospitality project, Kelly Architects is the clear specialist. Request a proposal specific to your project from a couple of firms before deciding.

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