Synthesis Design + Architecture

STUDIO

Who we are

Synthesis Design + Architecture is a progressive Los Angeles based design firm with a global profile led by Alvin Huang, AIA, NOMA. The office was orginally established in London in 2010 and eventually relocated to Los Angeles in 2011. Our body of work embraces new definitions of craft, merges form with performance, and makes a case for the role of innovative architecture in our contemporary creative culture.

We do not believe that the agendas of a thoughtful, economical, and socially responsible architecture, and those of an innovative, iconic, and formally expressive architecture are mutually exclusive. By embracing a position of “form follows performance”, we seek to both capitalize on the potential of form to shape and engage the world around us while simultaneously expanding the definition of performance beyond the scientific to include the experiential, fiscal, social, and cultural.

Just as much as we believe in the ability of design to be informed by culture, we see our office as an opportunity to create a culture of design that celebrates diversity, equity and inclusion. As a result of our unique connections to both London and Los Angeles, two dynamic and diverse international cities with a rich history of importing talent and exporting ideas, our office has embraced a culture of both gender and global diversity as well as multi-disciplinary and geographical collaboration. In 8 years we have had staff from the US, UK, Denmark, Austria, Portugal, Taiwan, China, Jordan, Mexico, India, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Poland, and Iran, while projects, collaborations, and speaking opportunities have taken us throughout the US, Canada, Mexico, Chile, UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Israel, India, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, and China.

What we do

We are a full-service architectural design firm with licenses in California, Arizona, and Colorado. Our diverse portfolio includes objects and furnishings, installations, pavilions, interiors, public art, facades, residential, retail, hospitality, civic, cultural, & commercial projects in the US, Canada, UK, Italy, China, and Thailand. We don’t specialize in a particular project typology – but prefer to think of ourselves as specialists in using design as the medium, and technology as the means, for challenging the status quo. As a firm that values provocative questions as much as innovative solutions, we believe firmly in the ability of design to change the world around us.

How we work

We Collaborate.

We design through collaboration. Our role is to facilitate the dialogue between architect, client, user, engineer, fabricator, and builder. By provoking an open dialogue and challenging traditional preconceptions, we are able to extend our clients’ ambitions and produce groundbreaking work.

We analyze.

We explore design as an exploration of both building and material performance as well as an expression of contemporary society and cultural values. We seek to enhance the way people experience the built environment by capitalizing on the potential of time, space, and form to affect and inspire those who inhabit it.

We challenge convention.

We see constraints as opportunities to question the status quo. We see design as an opportunity to pose questions and establish problems to solve. We view each project as a unique opportunity to integrate diverse and often contending conceptions and constraints into a coherent whole.

We leverage technology.

We believe that the catalyst for every major advancement within the discipline of Architecture has been a parallel advancement of technology. We focus on the merging of creative, intellectual, and technological design processes with intelligent fabrication and construction techniques to create beautifully crafted designs.

We synthesize.

We seek to balance both the experimental and the visionary with the practical and the pragmatic to achieve the extraordinary.

Alvin Huang, AIA, NOMA

Architect, Designer, and Educator

Alvin Huang, AIA, NOMA is a Los Angeles-based architect with a global profile. He is an award-winning architect, designer, and educator who explores the intersections between technology and culture to produce innovative design work that challenges convention and expresses universal values. He is a vocal advocate for justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in design culture. His work spans all scales ranging from hi-rise towers and mixed-use developments to temporary pavilions and bespoke furnishings. He is the founder and principal of Synthesis Design + Architecture and an Associate Professor at the University of Southern California, where he is also the Director of Graduate and Post-professional Architecture. Prior to establishing SDA, he gained significant experience working in the offices of Zaha Hadid Architects, Future Systems, AL_A and AECOM. He received an M.Arch from the Graduate Design Research Laboratory at the Architectural Association in London and a B.Arch from the USC School of Architecture in Los Angeles.

His design work has been published and exhibited widely and has gained international recognition with over 40 distinctions at local, national, and international levels including being selected as one of 50 global innovators under the age of 50 by Images Publishing in 2015, being featured as a “Next Progressive” by Architect Magazine in 2014, and being named one of Time Magazine’s 25 Best Inventors of 2013. He has been an invited critic, guest lecturer, and keynote speaker at various institutions in the US, Canada, Mexico, Chile, UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Israel, New Zealand, India, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, and China.

SELECTED HONORS / AWARDS / DISTINCTIONS

AWARDS (INDIVIDUAL & FIRM)

2021 ACADIA Digital Practice Award of Excellence
2020 American Institute of Architects LA Chapter, Presidential Community Contribution Award
2016 American Institute of Architects California Council, AEP Young Architects Award
2016 American Institute of Architects LA Chapter, Presidential Emerging Practice of the Year
2015 Perspective Magazine, 40 Under 40 Award
2015 Engineering Record News, ENR California Top 20 Under 40
2013 Autodesk Small Business Success Award
2013 American Institute of Architects Committee on Design Knowledge Scholar
2013 Wallpaper* Magazine Bespoke, Selected Designer
2012 Rami G. Holland 30 Cultural Pioneers for 2030

AWARDS (RESEARCH & TEACHING)

2016 Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, ACSA Faculty Design Award, Durotaxis Chair
2015 Architect Magazine, Research & Design Award, Pure Tension Pavilion
2014 Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, ACSA New Faculty Teaching Award, Alvin Huang, AIA
2014 Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, ACSA Faculty Design Award, Chelsea Workspace – Honorable Mention

AWARDS (DESIGN)

2020 A+D Museum Design Awards – Still on Paper Award, Uxmal Arts District Center
2019 Architects Newspaper Best of Design Awards – Healthcare (Honorable Mention), YPMD Pediatric Neurology
2019 Architizer A+ Award – Architecture + Technology, (Finalist), Data Moire
2019 Architizer A+ Award – Architecture + Collaboration, (Finalist), Data Moire
2018 Architects Newspaper Best of Design Awards, Unbuilt Commercial + Mixed-use, Nansha International Trade Center
2018 American Institute of Architects Los Angeles Design Awards, NEXT LA Award, Nansha International Trade Center
2016 American Institute of Architects Los Angeles Design Awards, Pure Tension Pavilion
2016 The Plan Magazine, Plan Awards – Industrial Design (1st Place), Durotaxis Chair / La Burbuja Lamp
2016 The Plan Magazine, Plan Awards – Transportation (Finalist), Pure Tension Pavilion
2016 The Plan Magazine, Plan Awards – Hospitality (Finalist), The Groove @ CentralWorld
2015 2AAA Asia Architecture Awards – Commercial (Shortlist), The Groove @ CentralWorld
2015 2AAA Asia Architecture Awards – Cultural (Shortlist), Fuzhou Cultural Center
2015 Perspective Magazine, A&D Trophy Award -Best Commercial/Retail Project, The Groove @ CentralWorld
2015 SXSW Eco Place By Design Award for Data + Technology, Pure Tension Pavilion
2014 American Institute of Architects Los Angeles Design Awards, NEXT LA Award, Daegu Public Library
2014 Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture Award, Pure Tension Pavilion
2014 Exhibitor Magazine Portable/Modular Awards – Ziegler Award (1st Place), Pure Tension Pavilion
2014 Architizer A+ Award – Architecture + Mobility, Finalist, Pure Tension Pavilion
2014 Architizer A+ Award – Pavilions, Special Mention, Pure Tension Pavilion
2014 American Institute of Architects National Small Projects Award, Pure Tension Pavilion
2013 Time Magazine’s Top 25 Inventions of 2013, Pure Tension Pavilion, Pure Tension Pavilion
2013 American Institute of Architects Los Angeles Design Awards, NEXT LA Award, Pure Tension Pavilion
2013 American Institute of Architects California Design Award for Small Projects, Merit Award, [C] Space Pavilion
2009 D&AD Award for Environmental Design, [C] Space Pavilion

AWARDS (DESIGN COMPETITIONS)

2018 Guangzhou Nansha International Trade Center Design Competition (invited), 1st place
2018 University of Rhode Island College of Engineering Public Art Competition, Finalist
2017 Nathan Benderson Park and University Town Center Public Art Competition, Finalist
2016 Redmond SR 520 Trail Separation Public Art Competition, 1st Prize
2014 Los Angeles Metro Slauson Station Public Art Competition, 1st Prize
2014 Fuzhou Cultural Center International Design Competition (invited), 3rd Prize
2013 Switch to Pure Volvo International Design Competition, 1st Prize
2013 Shanghai Wuzhou International Plaza Design Competition (invited), 1st Prize
2008 DRL10 Pavilion Competition, 1st Prize

SELECTED Clients

Arts Center Development – https://www.artsdistrictcenter.com/
Steelwave – https://www.steelwavellc.com/
Ying Peng MD – https://www.pengmd.com/
Central Pattana Limited – https://www.centralpattana.co.th/en
Linc Housing – https://www.linchousing.org/
ASICS – https://www.asics.com/
IBM Watson Analytics – https://www.ibm.com/watson
Volvo Italia – https://www.volvocars.com/it
MOCA Shanghai – http://www.mocashanghai.org/?lang=en
City of Redmond – https://www.redmond.gov/185/Arts-Culture
LA Metro – https://www.metro.net/about/art/
Stratasys – https://www.stratasys.com/

SDA TEAM (COLLABORATORS PAST & PRESENT)

CURRENT TEAM:
Yang Li, China (Senior Designer)
Mitchell Foo, Canada (Designer)

PREVIOUS COLLABORATORS:

Madelyn Rosen, USC/USA (Intern)
Rafael Galli, Cal Poly SLO/USA (Intern)
John Vincent Hernandez, Philippines (Designer) @johnjvhernandez
Sarah Hammond, USA (Designer) @sarahkorkoh
Ian Beals, U. of Texas – Austin / USA (Designer/Intern) @bool.ian
Suky Ho, USA (Designer) @suky_ho
Farnoosh Rafaie, USA (Designer) @frafaie
Timothy Harmon, USA (Designer) @mo_harmon
Chia-ching Yang, Taiwan (Designer) @greenpo77
Filipa Valente, Portugal (Associate) @filipalvalente
Joseph Sarafian, USA (Designer) @josephsarafian
Kais Al-Rawi, Canada/Jordan (Designer) @kais.rawi
David O. Wolthers, Denmark (Designer) @davidwolthers
Sydney Nguyen, Cal Poly SLO/USA (Intern) @syddaddie
Aleksandra Belitskaja, University of Applied Arts, Vienna / Estonia (Intern) @violent_tomato
Henry Wang, SCI-Arc / USA (Intern) @henrywangdesign
Ariel Padilla, U. of Texas – Austin / USA (Intern) @arielpadilla_
Bryan Dimagiba, USC School of Architecture / USA (Intern) @abigamid
Kealani Jensen, CalPoly SLO / USA (Intern) @kealanij
Xiaoyin Xie, CalPoly SLO / China (Intern)
Ansh Vakil, USC School of Architecture / India (Intern) @avakil
Clark Cyr, CalPoly SLO / USA (Intern)
Behnaz Farahi, USC / Iran (Intern) @behnazfarahi
Jurgen Strohmeyer, Angewandte / Austria (Intern) @juergenstrohmayer
Thomas T. Jensen, Architectural Association / Denmark (Intern)
Kevin Yen-Po Chen, SCI-Arc / Taiwan (Intern) @aboforever
Yueming Zhou, USC / China (Intern) @candicechou0815
Marta Piaseczyńska, Angewandte / Poland (Intern) @smarta_pi
Mohamed Nazmy, Yale / USA (Intern) @manazmy
Yuan Yao, USC / China (Intern) @yuan_yao_yy
Alex Chan, SCI-Arc / Hong Kong (Intern)
Justin Kim, SCI-Arc / USA (Intern)