As Architects, we wear many hats—advocating for affordable housing, staying up to date with the latest design trends, etc. The list goes on and on. As much as we love writing long, educational blogs about housing in Los Angeles, we thought it was time to write something fun and easy. The best part about designing...Read More

Have you heard? Los Angeles has a housing problem! We’re over 450,000 housing units short based on the latest RHNA (Regional Housing Needs Allocation) assessment. Need a recap on why? Check out our short history lesson on housing and how we got here: Part 1 and Part 2, and then read up on the latest...Read More

You know it’s bad when we get an email from a fellow architect, developer or client with the subject line “Please help!” and find they are attempting to navigate the convoluted City of Los Angeles’ permitting process. While COVID has rendered many business processes more difficult or even obsolete, residents are questioning how to get...Read More

UPDATE: Since writing and posting this blog back in January 2022, Los Angeles City Planning has created an info page and implementation memo. Check it out! —– There’s been a lot of buzz surrounding the recent Senate Bill 9 (SB9) that just went into effect earlier this month. It is California’s most recent attempt to...Read More

This blog is part two of the latest in our “Architecture in Practice” Series. If you didn’t catch the first part of this post, start here. Why houses cost so much in Los Angeles We were SO excited to officially own the lot, and somehow, we came up with a design approach almost immediately. (Fun...Read More

First comes ownership, then comes design. I know what you’re all thinking. What ever happened to that spec house you guys were doing? Well, package a really strange pandemic that keeps going on and on and on with a very busy practice and next thing you know, the spec house got moved to the back...Read More

If you follow Tracy A. Stone Architect on Instagram, you may have noticed that we recently got to visit John Lautner’s Tyler House. Tucked away in L.A.’s Laurel Canyon, this lesser-known work was built in 1953 and then restored in 1995, with the help of our very own Tracy Stone. The owner, Peter Tangen, was...Read More

The building sector is a major polluter. In fact, in 2018, if we include energy consumption and emissions from the manufacture of building construction materials, our industry accounted for the largest share of energy use and emissions, globally. Following on the heels of the American Institute of Architects’ recent symposium on climate change, Tracy A....Read More

As you may have noticed from our previous newsletters, we have signed on to the “Architects Declare” manifesto demanding urgent climate action within the design and building sectors. For more information on the manifesto and the movement, visit: us.architectsdeclare.com. Our last blog article reviewed 6 Simple Ways to Reduce Your Home’s Carbon Footprint. Next stop...Read More

Last month, nearly 150 U.S. architects and over 4,000 architects from other countries announced their support of an international movement called “Architects Declare,” adding their names to the growing list of firms supporting a manifesto demanding urgent climate action within the design and building sectors. We’re happy to announce that we are among the signatories...Read More

#OperationPPE For many, the days have been long and are blurring together. Fortunately, our office has been able to operate our business as usual which has allowed us to participate in Operation PPE. If you have been following us on our instagram, you’ll see we’ve been 3D-printing pseudo N95 mask components for Keck Medicine of...Read More

We love it when our clients are as committed (or more!) to the design as we are. One of these amazing clients, Roger, is utilizing his engineering knowledge (normally applied to his work in the aerospace industry) to act as General Contractor for the remodel of his residence in La Canada. Frustrated by the inability...Read More

About three years ago, our team started looking for properties to develop in-house. If you haven’t noticed, there isn’t a ton of vacant land in Los Angeles. Finding something affordable with decent building opportunities is even harder. To evaluate each lot that came up in our land search, we had a mental checklist to see...Read More

Tracy A. Stone Architect was recently featured on a list of “Best Residential Architects in Santa Monica, California” by Home Builder Digest.  As the new year of 2020 begins, we’re especially thankful for our amazing clients and colleagues who make projects like this happen! Thanks to Home Builder Digest for showcasing why we love what...Read More

Last month we had the opportunity to participate in FixNation’s Architects for Animals “Giving Shelter” event. Every year, architects and designers from Los Angeles use their talents to design, construct, and donate feline-focused shelters. Our team rallied together to build an efficient, collapsible structure. As we initially sat down to brainstorm, our imaginations were running...Read More

In our endeavor to be lifelong learners, we’ve started a new tradition at Tracy A. Stone Architect called… wait for it… “read the magazines that get mailed to the office.” Originally, we had decided to purge all the unwanted subscriptions (and if you know the design and construction industry, there are TONS that mysteriously show...Read More

3D PRINTING FOR ARCHITECTS Creating a 3-dimensional model of an architectural project is huge benefit to both the client and the architect. Gone are the days of cutting foam core into the wee hours of the night. These days, when we want to create a project model, we have access to the wonderful world of...Read More

  In our travels around Los Angeles presenting projects to various community groups, we face a lot of fearful residents concerned about increased density in the city. Everyone wants more affordable housing, but no one seems to want more housing. And as long as people keep moving to Los Angeles, we need more housing. After...Read More

Those of you who know us are aware that the Tracy A. Stone Architect team is small and productive.  The office generally includes one licensed architect (Tracy) and 3-4 designers with varying levels of experience.  Recently, one of our designers, Angel, decided to move back to Chicago.  I know…go figure.  He remains with the office,...Read More

You’re ready to start your next project. What should you do first? Whether your project is a home remodel, office renovation, or new construction, you will likely need an architect for the project.   But do I really need an architect? Although you may not “need” to hire an architect to get a permit for...Read More