AO

AO Full service Architectural, Master Planning, and Design firm All phases receive continuous involvement from a Partner in its appropriate division.

With 50 years of experience in architecture and in the building industry working with America’s premier Multifamily, Retail, Commercial, Mixed-Use real estate developers. The firm is one of Southern California’s most respected and sought-after Architectural and Planning firms and is widely recognized as an industry leader in the design of high quality projects. AO emphasizes the team approach - Owner, Architect and Consultants - to interact throughout all phases of the project. AO’s Multifamily Division specializes in medium and high density attached housing and Mixed-Use projects. AO's Retail Division has developed an expertise in Neighborhood, Promotional, Entertainment and Factory Outlet Centers with over 3 million square feet of projects designed last year. AO approaches every project with a fresh perspective and thoughtfully addresses the needs of individual clients and their specific sites, context, program and end user. Our philosophy will always to be design and help build places of character and significance for people, companies, and communities. AO also specializes in collaborating with clients to reach their project’s mission while working within their budgetary parameters. The firm understands the need to create viable Commercial, Residential and Mixed-Use environments that produce a valued return on investment. With our corporate offices located in the heart of Orange County, California, AO has provided services for developers and corporate clients Internationally. With the recent project completion of a 2008 Gold Nugget Merit winning project in Yeoju, Korea, the firm is now currently in design with projects in Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, and Korea and is providing Design and Construction Administration services for developers and corporate clients across the globe.

Construction is officially underway on Senoa Resort & Spa in Sedona, Arizona!Set against Sedona’s iconic red rock landsc...
10/22/2026

Construction is officially underway on Senoa Resort & Spa in Sedona, Arizona!

Set against Sedona’s iconic red rock landscape, the $116 million, 70-key wellness resort is designed to create an immersive hospitality experience rooted in its extraordinary natural setting. The villa-style retreat will span 11.5 acres and feature 29 freestanding structures, a 5,500-square-foot spa, creekside dining, event spaces, and indoor-outdoor accommodations that connect guests with the beauty of Sedona.

AO is proud to serve as Architect of Record, collaborating with R.D. Olson Development, R.D. Olson Construction, Inc., and Senoa Investment Partners to bring this distinctive destination to life.

We look forward to seeing the project take shape ahead of its anticipated 2028 opening.

Read more on The Zweig List: https://zweiglist.com/r-d-olson-construction-brings-116-million-quiet-luxury-resort-to-sedona/

Concept Design & Renderings by WATG and Wimberly Interiors.

When people describe where they live, they rarely talk aboutsquare footage.They talk about the path they take home. The ...
10/21/2026

When people describe where they live, they rarely talk about
square footage.

They talk about the path they take home. The courtyard where
they run into neighbors. The spot where they grab coffee before work.

FORME + FRAME was designed around those everyday moments.
The central paseo becomes more than a pedestrian connection. It's the social

heart of the community, creating opportunities for interaction, movement, and shared experiences between two distinct architectural identities.

That's the kind of place-making that excites us, and why we're especially honored to see FORME + FRAME recognized with a nomination for an AIA Orange County Design Award.

Thank you to Episode Companies for the opportunity to help bring this vision to life.


AO is proud to share that 4th & Parkcenter has received entitlement approval from the City of Santa Ana, marking a major...
10/14/2026

AO is proud to share that 4th & Parkcenter has received entitlement approval from the City of Santa Ana, marking a major milestone for the ambitious mixed-use development envisioned by nonprofit Think Education!

4th & Parkcenter will transform Think Education’s existing three-acre Fourth Street property into a seven-story community with 270 new homes, including housing intended to serve the region’s middle-income workforce, from teachers and first responders to office professionals. But the impact goes much further. Think Education is taking an innovative approach to its real estate, creating a development that will not only contribute much-needed housing to Santa Ana, but also help fund the organization’s future and its mission to partner with schools and expand educational opportunities for children across the state.

For AO, it’s an honor to help bring that vision to life. We commend Think Education, and nonprofits everywhere, that continue to think boldly about how they can leverage their resources to strengthen communities, sustain their missions and create opportunity for generations to come.

Congratulations to Think Education, the project team and everyone who helped achieve this important milestone. We’re excited to see 4th & Parkcenter take its next step forward!

Read more about 4th & Parkcenter: https://www.aoarchitects.com/project/4th-parkcenter/

Retail repositioning is entering a new phase.Across the country, aging malls and underperforming retail properties are m...
10/13/2026

Retail repositioning is entering a new phase.

Across the country, aging malls and underperforming retail properties are moving beyond ambitious master plans and toward entitlement, construction, and redevelopment. But what does it take to turn these complex visions into viable, lasting communities?

In the October issue of Mann Report, AO Partner Ioanna Magiati explores the strategies driving this transformation, from flexible master planning and thoughtful phasing to integrating new uses and navigating the complexities of redevelopment.

Featuring AO projects including The Village at Laguna Hills, Bolsa Pacific, AMLI Brea, and Iowa Apartments, the article offers a closer look at how different approaches are helping reposition existing retail properties for the future.

Read the full article in Mann Report: https://issuu.com/mannpublicationsmagazines/docs/mr_october_2026/46

Sometimes the most interesting communities begin with the toughest sites.Monarch Hillside started with a simple challeng...
10/12/2026

Sometimes the most interesting communities begin with the toughest sites.

Monarch Hillside started with a simple challenge: How do you create a high-density residential community on a steep hillside surrounded by single-family neighborhoods?

The answer was to work with the terrain, not against it. The design steps naturally down the hillside toward Market Street, using changes in elevation to shape the buildings, frame views, and create a welcoming arrival experience. At the center, a thoughtfully integrated piazza brings residents together, transforming a challenging site into a connected residential community.

Now rising from the hillside, Monarch Hillside is beginning to take shape. The project combines the HyTuck prototype, tropical modern design influences, flexible work-from-home living, and rooftop gathering spaces with views toward downtown San Diego. What was once a challenging site is becoming a community designed around connection, flexibility, and a strong sense of place.

Working alongside Monarch Group, we're helping transform a complex site into a neighborhood that feels connected to both its landscape and its surroundings.

The best revitalization projects don't just improve buildings. They create new reasons for people to gather and invest i...
10/09/2026

The best revitalization projects don't just improve buildings. They create new reasons for people to gather and invest in a place.

Yesterday, AO attended the grand reopening of Brea Plaza, a retail repositioning project that transformed a former theater site into a renewed destination featuring new retail, salon, and public-facing improvements designed to support the center's next chapter.

At AO, we view repositioning as more than a physical upgrade. It's an opportunity to unlock long-term value, strengthen market relevance, and transform existing properties into enduring community assets.

Congratulations to the team, including Ether Dai and Jahn Nguyen who attended yesterday's event. It's always rewarding to see a completed project filled with energy, activity, and connection.

10/08/2026

In honor of World Architecture Week, we asked AO architects a simple question: What’s your all-time favorite architectural site?

From iconic landmarks to hidden gems around the world, their answers reflect the places that continue to inspire how they think about design, placemaking, and the built environment.

Did your favorite make the list?

The Cliff has officially broken ground in Henderson, Nevada!Designed by AO, the $100 million transformation will reimagi...
10/06/2026

The Cliff has officially broken ground in Henderson, Nevada!

Designed by AO, the $100 million transformation will reimagine a 100,000-square-foot office property in Green Valley Ranch as a walkable, open-air destination for retail, dining, wellness, fitness, entertainment, and gathering. Plans include a central bar and outdoor lounge, covered patios, a food kiosk alley, children’s play area, and dedicated spaces for events and live entertainment.

Led by VAC Development alongside CAST Capital Partners, The Cliff is targeting delivery to tenants in the second quarter of 2027.

Read more via Commercial Property Executive: https://www.commercialsearch.com/news/100m-las-vegas-area-office-to-retail-project-breaks-ground/

Sometimes the stars align. And when they do, we get to see what really means.At AO, collaboration across studios is pa...
10/05/2026

Sometimes the stars align. And when they do, we get to see what really means.

At AO, collaboration across studios is part of how we work every day. But rarely does a single project give us the opportunity to bring together so many areas of our expertise around one shared vision. Altus Station is one of those projects.

Working with developer Six Ridge Partners, AO helped establish the Specific Plan and architectural guidelines for the Kimball Junction master plan, then continued forward with planning, landscape and full architectural design services for Altus Station.

That level of integration creates something special. With our teams working side by side, ideas move more freely across disciplines, coordination happens earlier, and there is greater continuity from the big-picture vision down to the details that shape the experience of a place.

Transforming more than six acres, Altus Station brings together approximately 170 affordable residences, 60,000 SF of retail and dining, 69,000 SF of Class A office space, and a shared parking structure around a dynamic public plaza envisioned as a new “town square” for the community.

Last month, AO Managing Partner Rob Budetti joined Jason Head of Six Ridge Partners and Braden Moore of Big-D Construction for the Utah Chapter of The CCIM Institute’s Real-World Case Study: Altus Station, sharing an inside look at the development process, the realities of making a project of this scale pencil in today’s market, and what’s ahead.

Now underway, Altus Station is an exciting example of what can happen when the stars align, our collective expertise comes together, and we are truly .

10/01/2026

This week, the AO team joined Orange County’s architecture and design community at the 2026 AIA Orange County Design Awards, celebrating the projects and people advancing design excellence across our region.

AO was recognized across four projects:

Bolsa Pacific
Commendation Award
Multifamily/Mixed-Use Development | Unbuilt

Forme + Frame
Commendation Award
Multifamily/Mixed-Use Development | Unbuilt

Bay Shores Peninsula Hotel
Commendation Award
Commercial | Built

KIA DTLA
Honor Award
Commercial | Built

From multifamily and mixed-use communities to hospitality and adaptive reuse, each project reflects the collaboration, creativity, and thoughtful design that bring meaningful places to life.

Congratulations to this year’s award recipients and all of the project teams recognized by AIA Orange County. It was a great evening celebrating the work shaping our built environment.

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144 N Orange Street
Orange, CA
92866

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