At Zakian Woo Architects, we practice architecture according to the core values of honesty, truth, integrity and service, establishing a legacy of work that is true to both the individual and society.

Michael Zakian and Eugene Woo were introduced in 1999 by Pei Partnership Architects New York to join forces as its West Coast team for the UCLA Westwood Replacement Hospital (Ronald Reagan Medical Center). The success of this effort, as well as their common background, approach and design sensibilities, sparked the formation of Zakian Woo Architects in 2000. The founders’ goal was to make a contribution to the greater urban fabric according to their shared core values of honesty, truth, integrity and service.

With all of their projects, the complete spectrum of design is considered, from the urban, macro context down to the discrete, micro design details. This methodology is evident in all of Zakian Woo Architects’ work regardless of scale, which includes planning, architecture and interior design for healthcare, commercial, residential and hospitality clients.

Zakian Woo Architects also places tremendous importance on historical precedent, including an appreciation of the great architects of the 20th Century. The firm operates according to the modernist ideal of humanity first, and that people have a responsibility to create, improve and reshape their environment for the betterment of all. To that end, site, massing and volume, composition, color and materials are all given equal consideration in order that the firm’s designs make a lasting contribution to their surroundings.