Walnut has been listed among the Best Places to Live according to the Money website numerous times—it has also been the highest-ranked California city several times. One factor for this is quality housing. Most residents in Walnut are homeowners, with houses reaching up to 11,200 square feet. It also follows that the best homes in this Los Angeles suburb have the best architects.
So, if you are planning to own a home here, you would need a residential architect that deeply understands quality housing. In this list, you will find the best five residential architects in the city. Our editorial team ranked them based on principal expertise, work history, and design familiarity.
FoxLin Architects
392 Camino de Estrella, San Clemente, CA 92672
FoxLin Architects was born out of the reunion of then-schoolmates Michael Fox and Juintow Lin. Fox and Lin’s backgrounds have then shaped the designs of the firm, which focus on technology and sustainability. Specializing in technology, Fox has been active in academia—researching, publishing, and lecturing on interactive, behavioral, and kinetic architecture. Lin has worked on numerous projects, including sustainable urban housing in China, a panelized house design for post-earthquake Haiti, and prefabricated modular cabin designs for the California State Park System.
The impressive designs of FoxLin Architects are in Greater Los Angeles, China, and Israel. And one of our favorites is the Ramona Residence, featured below. This sustainable home has solar panels, active water heating, greywater recycling, and green roofs. We also love how the spaces of the house are masterfully clustered around a central pool and courtyard, giving an open and harmonious appeal.
Toblesky-Green Architects
1450 West Sixth Street Suite #115 Corona, CA 92882
Founded by Ken Toblesky and Steven Green, Toblesky Green Architects ventures in both commercial and residential architecture. Under residential architecture, the firm specializes in multi-family, single-family production, single-family custom, and accessory dwelling units. These residential projects vary, including both cost-efficient and luxury homes.
Toblesky Green Architects uses a collaborative approach, in which the client can avail of extensive architectural services. A perfect example of the firm’s collaboration projects is this contemporary Bluewater custom home in Newport Beach. One of the highlight features of the house is its Great Room with a floor-to-ceiling glass wall and steel pocketing doors, maximizing the Pacific Ocean views.
RAD Designs
4561 Paloma Ln. Yorba Linda, California 92886
RAD Designs can go backward and move forward, for it is an expert in traditional and contemporary designs. For one, the firm can preserve a home’s historic character. At the same time, the company can transform a home in a contemporary direction. Having expertise in different worlds attests to the firm’s creativity and openness to possibilities. A perfect instance is when the company worked on an ultra-modern cabin out of cargo containers. This unique project has garnered press attention from Santa Cruz Sentinel and Santa Jose Mercury News.
Before hiring RAD Designs, clients can access the list of the firm’s services and the respective fees. These services include a one-hour in-home consultation, 3D modeling, construction document, and structural engineering. The firm then starts the communication with the client using CAD software with photo-realistic 3D features. The company can also assist in the selection of contractors. And afterward, the firm negotiates pricing and then supervises the subsequent steps.
Pirona Design Group
1215 N Red Gum St, Anaheim, CA 92806
What makes Pirona Design Group a stand-out firm is its design innovations. Aside from architecture, the firm also ventures into interior design, product design, and custom fabrication. Driven by passion and curiosity, the company looks at design solutions for various shapes and sizes; its product designs, for example, include chairs, faucets, helmets, and even measuring cups.
Pirona Design Group also brings life to structures through custom fabrication. The firm partners with a creative digital fabrication company to bring out statement pieces in different forms such as chandeliers, walls, and presentation boards. The constant eagerness for innovation then reflects in the residential designs of the company, whether traditional or contemporary. A perfect example is the modern Moore Residence, pictured below.
