Today we’d like to introduce you to Arminda Diaz.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born in San Juan, PR. My parents were Cuban immigrants who fled Cuba in the 60s. My mother was a seamstress and my dad was a heavy machine operator. They both worked their whole life to make sure both my sister and I got an education with the whole purpose that we wouldn’t have to depend on anyone. I always wanted to be an architect since I was a little girl. I was able to get accepted into Cornell University’s undergraduate architecture program. I graduated at the end of the 5-year program and started looking for work. Work took me to Atlanta GA for 4 years, during which time I reconnected with a college friend who was living in Venice, CA at the time. I went out to visit LA (had been there 20 years previously and didn’t like it) and loved it. Within 3 weeks, I found a job and moved across the country to LA LA Land. I worked at different firms for a few years until I decided to set up my own shop, which coincided with getting my license to practice architecture in California. The following 17 years have been interesting, rewarding, difficult and fun. I have been able to complete both residential and commercial projects. My firm specializes in ground-up residential (primarily hillside) and commercial (primarily restaurants). We aim to make architecture accessible to everyone. We also actively pursue green building as part of our projects. we love our planet, we love the outdoors and we want to be able to always bring nature inside.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Architecture is predominantly a male dominated field and also sensitive to any market fluctuations. Since I started my own business we have been through at least two recessions, one right after establishing my business and then of course with the 2008 market crash. Finding work while going through a recession can be challenging. Homeowners and business owners alike find it difficult to borrow money to do any kind of project. However, we were able to weather both storms by offering consulting to other firms and also taking in work that we might otherwise not take. Also, being a woman/minority owned firm has added other challenges in a world where most architectural firms are male-owned.
d3architecture – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Our company provides architectural design services for both residential and commercial work, while our company started primarily designing residential work. A lot of the residential work we do is on hillside homes, which are very complicated due to the amount of grading and structural work required. Residential design provided by our firm consists of from the ground up new construction to additions anywhere from 400-2000 sf. Over the years, we expanded our work to include commercial projects. Commercial work includes changes of use to existing spaces as well as from ground up construction. We have worked on commercial projects such as retail, office, restaurants, nightclubs, etc. However, our focus has been restaurant/food services locations, which include nightclubs. We love working with clients to realize their goals. We do gravitate towards difficult projects and we like the challenges of getting difficult projects to completion. Although we do prefer modern design, we have worked on a variety of styles such as Victorian, Craftsman, Spanish Revival, Tudor and everything in between. Good design can be translated into any style and that is what we strive to provide our clients no matter how big or small is their budget.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Every project completion is a proud moment no matter how big/small a project is, given how complicated the process can be. However, my proudest moment as an architect was when I obtained my license. Also, when I attained my LEED accreditation for both Building Design and Construction and also Homes. But, aside from individual projects, the proudest moments of all have been getting awards! We received an award for Hotel Covell in 2015- Finalist/Boutique Lifestyle Guestrooms or Suites from Hospitality Design Magazine and also from Faith and Form Magazine award for chapel at Campbell Hall Center for Spiritual Practice in 2014. We also just completed a cat shelter we built for a charity event called Architects for Animals where architects build cat shelters that are auctioned to benefit FixNation.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.d3architecture.com
- Phone: 310-995-1941
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
BJOERN Photography
Paul Vu Photographer
Ryan Tanaka
Leo Breault
Meghan Bob Photography
Bethany Nauert
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