Situated on the seaside of Greater Los Angeles, Oxnard is a city known for its gorgeous beaches. Surrounded by important biological communities, the city is a postcard-picture perfect California town. With this picturesque scenery comes a rich architectural background that includes Italian, Spanish, Victorian, Rural Gothic, Contemporary, and Modern homes.
Architects and residential designers in Oxnard have an appreciation for the local architectural history, yet also are developing active responses to the evolving needs of a constantly evolving California. Firms on this list are not only fluent with the architectural language of Oxnard but are also sensitive to the concerns of sustainability and efficiency.
Our editorial team looked at dozens of architecture and design firms in the city and the surrounding areas. We examined each firm’s quality of work by considering awards, press features, and each firm’s overall work history. This list is the result, and if you’re looking to build in this gorgeous Southern California town, we trust you’ll find a professional here that can help you do it.
This list includes both licensed architects and residential designers who can both design stunning homes but differ in other services offered. Architects are trained in design, engineering, and project management and have passed a licensing exam. Residential designers typically don’t manage projects and plans will need to be approved by a structural engineer. Whether you choose to hire an architect or a residential designer will depend on your project needs and complexity.
Archipelago Workshop
PO Box 1772, Ventura CA 93002
American Institute of Architects (AIA) 2019 Merit Award for single-family residential and 2019 Merit Award for a small projects winner Archipelago Workshop is the extension of CJ Paone’s expertise in residential architecture and landscape design. Paone attended California Polytechnic State University, Czech Institute of Technology, and Virginia Tech Architecture Consortium; he has worked with a wide variety of projects, including large-scale projects, civic building design, and residential design.
Paone’s work has been featured in publications like Architect Magazine and The Art of Outdoor Living. His ability to contextualize the California lifestyle in tranquil spaces, as you can see in the home featured below, has endeared him to architecture critics and clients alike. This stylish, modern home frames the scenic view of the Ventura horizon. Paone did an admirable job combining this Modern home style with more established design norms: the recurring use of wood perfectly fuses the two styles.
Arketype Architects
275 San Clemente St., Ventura, CA 93001
Founded in 2001, Arketype Architects is a value-oriented, environmentally-conscious architecture firm led by 30-year industry veteran David Ferrin. A Southern California native, Ferrin understands West Coast lifestyles, challenges, and needs. Ferrin received the Environmental Excellence Poinsettia award from the Ventura Chamber of Commerce in 2005, and he also picked up the Outstanding New Mixed-Use Building Design from the City of Ojai in 2006. He has served as the Chair of the Midtown Ventura Community Council for four years.
The firm’s operations are designer-led, design-build deliveries: Arketype takes full responsibility, allowing their guidance and craftsmanship to guide the entire project. Arketype handles the budget management, the design, and the quality control of the projects. Projects like the Independence House, a 2,030 square-foot residence, show the quality of work Arketype consistently delivers. The home reflects the eclectic life of the homeowners. Via two stories and a roof deck the couple maximized space, and in doing so created garage space for their classic cars and an outdoor living space decorated with a tile mural imported from Turkey.
David Watson Architect
920 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Suite #6, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Guided by the simple goal of providing architectural design and generating a vivid representation of the desired home design, David Watson and his team of architects have been successfully designing homes throughout Oxnard. The David Watson Architects team takes pride in its professional approach, a process that has resulted in accolades like the Good Brick Award for Preservation in 2016.
David Watson’s 25 years of industry experience repeatedly manifests in meticulous, high-level execution. This Modern Farmhouse style home displays the firm’s careful attention to detail. The humble and traditional Farmhouse was revitalized and given a modern look with the aid of Titan & Co. For interior design, David Watson Architects used neutral tones, creating an updated classic feel.
Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects
10865 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232
With offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco, Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney (EYRC) Architects specializes in Modern architecture styles and an eye for California Modern living. The firm has garnered over 150 awards, including eight national AIA design awards and the 2015 AIA National Firm Award. EYRC is also recognized by the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Design-Build Institute of America. An institution of over 40 years, the firm has been featured in a multitude of publications including Dezeen, Design Milk, Arch Daily, Architect Magazine, and Voyage LA.
Partners Steven Ehlrich, Takashi Yanai, Patricia Rhee, and Mathew Chaney are known for their fluency in the design language and their eye for Modern design. Their projects across the planet display a strong insight into cutting edge architecture.
EYRC has a strong portfolio that features quite a few award-winning home designs: the 700 Palms acquired the AIA California Council Merit Award, the AIA National Housing Award, AIA/Concrete Masonry Association Grand Award, and the AIA Los Angeles Honor Award. 700 Palms demonstrates EYRC’s strong understanding of California living and site-specific architecture. EYRC designed a home that blurs indoor and outdoor spaces and did so while preserving the two Aleppo pines and the Canary Island Palm Tree on the site.
Horwitz A+D
274 Arcturus St., Thousand Oaks CA, 91360
Dulce Horwitz founded Horwitz A+D in 2001. Right from the beginning, the firm put a strong emphasis on residential projects in Southern California. Horwitz has an inclination for moody, imaginative landscaping that matches her home designs. This attention to detail and adoration for the craft, along with a focused take on residential projects, allowed Horwitz to position itself where it is now in the residential design scene. Projects like this 2,975 square-foot home in Woodland Hills display Horwitz’s distinctive touch.
The team built a home that reflects the couple’s lifestyle and preferences a home that naturally gravitated toward warm, cozy spaces. The home fuses traditional and modern elements; conventional design elements blend in with modern lines and a steel cable handrail.
Hsu McCullough
2934 1/2 Beverly Glen Circle, Unit 378, Los Angeles, CA 90077
Partners Peggy Hsu and Chris McCullough established Hsu McCullough as a full-service architectural firm that considers clients as collaborative partners. Hsu studied architecture at California State Polytechnic University and in Copenhagen. McCullough studied architecture at Carleton University in Canada and kicked off his career in Osaka, Japan. The firm’s work has been featured in major publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and Dwell.
The two-story, contemporary home pictured below demonstrates why the firm has received so much positive press. Hsu McCullough used extensive hardscape, a raised deck, and an outdoor pavilion to define the character of the home. The result: a sturdy, comfortable, cozy home and a feature in Dwell in 2017.
Joseph Spierer Architects
707 Torrance Blvd., Suite #100 Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Known for its client-centric approach and a strong emphasis on creativity, Joseph Spierer Architects designs residential and commercial spaces throughout California. The firm has a knack for updating and elevating traditional design and conventional architectural schemes into recontextualized classics. University of Arizona alumnus Joseph Spierer leads the company.
The firm has been in the business for over a decade and continues to build distinctively California projects, combining contemporary and Spanish elements. The residence showcased here is designed to facilitate the homeowner’s lifestyle with multiple function rooms, a library, and a 20-seater dining room.
Laney LA
725 Cypress Ave., Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
Located in the heart Los Angeles’ iconic coastline, Laney LA is an emerging architecture studio specializing in bespoke residential and commercial architecture. Firm partners, Anthony Laney and Krista Laney, established the studio as an extension of their passion for building both a creative process and a studio that would touch people’s lives and makes an impact on the global community of Los Angeles and the South Bay.
In every project, Laney LA celebrates the unique lifestyle and values of its clients through their high tech and high touch process. The vibrant, driven team of architects have already started to make waves, attracting the attention of circulations like ArchDaily, Southbay Home Magazine, Botena, Voyage LA, Luxe, FormLabs, and Design Milk.
Laney’s distinctive energy and fresh solutions are evident throughout the firm’s portfolio. For example, this Southern California home with a disappearing pool reflects the firm’s enthusiasm for design and progressive technology. Leveraging the AKVO Spiralift system, the Laney team packed versatility and beauty into their unique solution by creating a convertible space that alternates between a a pool and a patio with the simple press of a button. This project was hailed as the Best in Showcase by Southbay Magazine in 2019.
Manson-Hing Architects
920 De La Vina St., Santa Barbara, California 93101
Former AIA Santa Barbara President Christopher Manson-Hing founded Manson-Hing Architects to render full-service architectural design to residences in the area. As featured in Architectural Digest, The Sacramento Bee, and Santa Barbara News, the firm designs elegant, functional homes with varying styles. The Manson-Hing portfolio has projects ranging from Ranch to Contemporary and Modern, and from Craftsman to Spanish.
This estate in Lilac Drives serves as an example of Manson-Hing Architects’ graceful execution and design. The estate has a main house and a guest house with an exercise studio, function rooms, study rooms, and a picturesque garden and courtyard.
Neumann Mendro Andrulaitis Architects
888 Linden Ave., Carpinteria, California 93013
NMA Architects works with people who appreciate what the southern California lifestyle is all about and who not only want a home designed around their own unique lifestyle, but one that’s sensitive to the local environment and connected to the beauty around it. With 30 years of experience, NMA has developed close relationships with local craftsmen, designers, and agencies so clients get the very best results. Client service has always been a top priority and they gauge their success by always striving to meet clients’ expectations.
© Ciro Coelho Photography
NMA has been recognized with numerous AIA awards over the years for their residential work in the community, broadly ranging in style from contemporary to traditional. NMA understands their work needs to be more than just beautiful, it needs to compliment and respect the place they’ve grown to love. They always look forward to designing their next best project and creating their clients’ own unique sense of place. For more information on NMA, you can visit their website here.
Picciotti Design
404 N. Catalina St., Ventura, CA 93001
Ventura-based architect Martha Picciotti is a prominent architectural figure in California. She acquired her bachelor’s from the University of Massachusetts and her master’s at UCLA.
As seen in publications like Ventana, Ventura Life & Style, Design House, and Dwell Magazine, Picciotti designs homes in a range of styles, from Contemporary to Spanish to Traditional homes. Homes like the Charlotte, a Contemporary home situated against the natural backdrop of the California environment, build a strong case for Picciotti’s design prowess. The home has massive windows and a sleek metal exoskeleton. With the luscious trees surrounding the home, it looks and feels like a treehouse for the gods.
Sol Haus Design
PO Box 384, Ojai, CA 93024
The emphasis on fair trade and sustainability motivated Filipina designer Vina Lustado when she founded Sol Haus Design. After working with corporate clients for over 20 years, Lustado decided to focus on smaller clients, hoping to make a more positive and lasting impact on the community. The firm stands out from the competition by providing efficient, ecologically-sound residential projects.
Her pursuits have been featured in major publications, including the Yale Center for Business and the Environment, Treehugger, Apartment Therapy, Tiny House Nation, and Dwell. She has been listed on the Filipina Women’s Network Filipina Summit Global 100 Most Influential Women and earned a Social Venture Circle’s Innovative Entrepreneur citation in 2017.
SUBU Design Architecture
15243 La Cruz Dr., Suite #908, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
SUBU is an architecture and interior design firm based in Los Angeles and founded by May Sung. Sung took her bachelor’s degree in architecture at the honors program at UC Berkeley and her master’s at Harvard. Her design and design process has been repeatedly recognized by design and luxury magazines including Luxe Interiors + Design, The Hollywood Reporter, Luxury Magazine, Glocal, Elle Decor, and Vogue.
The SUBU portfolio is filled with posh, well-designed spaces like this 4,402 square-foot Santa Fe style home with yellow and purple stucco. The home’s essence comes from the Japanese concept of Tokonoma, a recessed space where objects are displayed for artistic appreciation. Tsuboniwa, or courtyard gardens, adds to the character of the home and its artistic appeal. The home also packs a master suite, alluring to the California lifestyle.
Thompson Naylor Architects
900 Philinda Ave., Santa Barbara, CA 93103
Since 1985, Dennis Thompson, FAIA, and Susette Naylor, AIA, have been designing homes across Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Thompson and Naylor lead their team as they design environmentally-conscious projects. Both principals are LEED-accredited professionals and Certified Green Building Professionals.
The firm’s award-winning portfolio includes the LEED Platinum Award and a US Green Building Council (USGBC) California Central Coast Chapter 2010 Energy Efficiency Honorable Mention. Thompson Naylor designs contemporary, traditional single- and multi-family homes that are both fashionable and functional. The project displayed in the photo garnered the Residential Citation Award by AIA Ventura in 2013. The home featured has a cozy atmosphere achieved through courtyards, a well-planned layout, and warm interior tones. For more information on Thompson Naylor, you can visit their website here.
Wolfgang Pichler
17250 W Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
Wolfgang Pichler is a multinational firm serving Europe and the US through offices in California and Austria. The firm has won several design awards: the Red Dot Design, the Interior Innovation Award, and the M Silver Award. The firm provides cross-disciplinary design services from architectural design to interior design to furniture design.
Growing up in a family of construction professionals in South Austria, Wolfgang Pichler picked up a fascination for design at an early age. He founded one design company after another until the establishment of his namesake studio. The company now highlights design works that cater to modern living.
