Success By Design: Revealing Profiles of California Architects by Noozhawk contributor and Santa Barbara writer and photographer Jenn Kennedy is now available online and in stores.
Through interviews, the book chronicles the rise — and fall, at times — of 25 successful California architects. Kennedy also made original portraits of the architects and told their stories — complete with key decisions, philosophies of business and lessons learned.
“Success by Design provides an intimate, accessible look at some of my favorite architects,” said Sam Lubell, editor-in-chief of The Architect’s Newspaper, California edition. “It was refreshing to learn about their personalities, histories, inspirations, struggles and philosophies.”
Architects featured in the book are located in San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego. They specialize in a range of disciplines, including sports arenas, performance centers and civic buildings, to residential and modular housing.
Notable subjects include Ray Kappe, founder of Sci-Arc; Stephen Kanner, modernist and founder of the A+D Architecture and Design Museum; Lauren Rottet, celebrated interior architect; and Art Gensler, founder of the largest architecture firm in the United States.
In addition to the stories and portraits of these innovators, Success by Design also includes renderings of each architect’s work.
“This book is unique in that it tells the stories of the innovators behind the buildings we celebrate,” Kennedy said. “I wanted to better understand their success and pass along their lessons to others entrepreneurs interested in starting their own firm.”
Kennedy tapped USC School of Architecture Dean Qingyun Ma to write the book introduction.
Success by Design will launch in February at the A+D Architecture and Design Museum, located on Los Angeles’ Museum Row, with an exhibit of large-scale prints of the 25 featured architects.
The soft cover edition of Success by Design retails for $29.95.
— Noozhawk contributor Jenn Kennedy can be reached at jennkennedy@noozhawk.com. Click here to see more of her work. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk or @NoozhawkNews.