Last updated on November 5th, 2024 at 05:33 am

Crafting a collaborative work environment that embodies your company’s brand, mission, and workplace culture can be challenging. A seasoned architect can help you attain your design vision and goals and translate them into an office space conducive to focused work and team activity.

To help you choose the right designer equipped to handle any building requirements you might require, our team has curated a list of the best office architects in Santa Ana, California. These firms were selected for their accreditations, certifications, and professional affiliations. We also considered the recognition each firm has received in the form of industry awards, client reviews, and press features. We have laid out the range of services the firms offer, their specializations, and the length of time they have been in the industry.


TCA Architects

18821 Bardeen Avenue, Irvine, CA 92612

Inspired by cultural narrative and evolutionary design, TCA Architects is dedicated to creating experiences that champion community and promote forward-thinking change. From a complete evaluation of the opportunities and constraints of each site, TCA explores various ideas through design illustrations in order to generate a “Big Idea.” The overall fabric of a project and its spatial relationship—including façades and a range of construction materials—are then identified. Afterward, clients can experience the potential architecture through sketches, 3-D models, and photorealistic renderings. 

Aram Chahbazian, AIA, LEED, AP is the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TCA. He draws from over 32 years of experience in multi-family design and mixed-use properties. Under his leadership, TCA Architects has completed landmark mixed-use and high-density housing projects, such as G-12 and Olive in downtown Los Angeles (LA) and the Camden in Hollywood. His work has been recognized by the AIA, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), and the Pacific Coast Builders Conference (PCBC), among others. 

Hanover Grand is one of the TA Architects’ finest works, a city block that ties together the commercial Banking District and South Park District in LA. The building’s leasing office and residential amenities are all oriented to an atrium court, enhancing pedestrian vitality. Continuing down the street, the colonnade defines the location of live/work units, providing a brief respite from, yet with a direct link to, the sidewalk.


William Hezmalhalch Architects

680 Newport Center Drive, Suite 300, Newport Beach, CA 92660

William Hezmalhalch Architects (WHA) is a multidisciplinary firm of architects, planners, and designers that manage every aspect of the architectural process to fulfill a client’s goals. With almost 40 years in the business, WHA has formed strong ties with subcontractors and collaborated with agencies, builders, and developers through design, budgets, codes, entitlement, and construction documentation.

Bill Hezmalhalch is the President of WHA. His four decades of hands-on experience spans a wide range of residential building types including custom, luxury, and resort properties, as well as single-family conventional, high-density detached, and attached homes. Hezmalhalch is affiliated with the AIA and accredited by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). Apart from this, he was inducted into the William S. Marvin Hall of Fame for Design Excellence as well as the California Homebuilding Foundation Hall of Fame. He has been sought out as a speaker at many premier industry conferences and has led WHA into winning a Best of 55+ Housing Award from the NAHB.

This office space for Modi is an outstanding representative of WHA’s long portfolio of commercial projects. The interactive hallway showcases the brand mark to create a floor-to-ceiling “world map,” a creative and artful display of the brand’s global focus. Thoughtful and strategic messaging creates engaging focal points for the end of hallway treatments, while environment signage in the central hub strategically generates brand awareness.


Bundy-Finkel Architects

1120 Bristol Street, Suite 120, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Bundy-Finkel Architects provides comprehensive architecture, planning, and interior design services for residential and commercial clients. It is capable of handling document production, construction administration, structural and electrical engineering, plumbing, and cost estimation. The firm produces architectural work that marries function and design through a collaborative process. Bundy-Finkel Architects uses cutting-edge software to visualize projects at all stages of development, allowing clients to completely comprehend and participate in the entire design process.

Timothy Bundy and Richard Finkel both fulfilled their roles as Principals at Blomgren Associates Architects before teaming up to form Bundy-Finkel Architects. Bundy leverages his know-how as a LEED Accredited Professional in growing the firm’s sustainability practice. His design expertise is complemented by Finkel’s prowess in marketing, construction administration, and computer-aided design. The principals supervise the team in achieving clients’ strategic objectives. A product of their integrity and teamwork is the JJS Construction Headquarters in Irvine, which won a Western Builder’s Conference Gold Nugget Merit Award. The 9,800-square-foot warehouse and office building features expansive glass windows that blend the outdoors and indoors and allow plenty of natural light to filter in. Natural textures and stone detailing add to its homey character.


James Gartner and Associates Architects, Inc.

2036 N Broadway, Santa Ana, CA 92706

James Gartner and Associates Architects (JGA) is a full-service architecture, planning, and interior design firm with project management capabilities. Its in-house staff partners with public and private clients to realize their goals, maintaining a sense of curiosity and openness throughout the process. The firm’s core competencies lie in the areas of commercial design, retail interiors, office buildings, tenant improvements, historic restoration, and multi-family housing design. JGA’s familiarity with government processes has enabled it to assist in expediting and entitling projects.

James Gartner holds membership with the AIA and is certified by the NCARB. He honed his skill in design by working in the design department of a large Canadian firm in Calgary, Alberta. James contributes to the community through different voluntary efforts including serving on the Santa Ana Planning Commission. His creativity and talent can be seen in much of his firm’s highly varied portfolio such as the Dr. Do Medical Office in Santa Ana, California. The front face of the building is made transparent with floor-to-ceiling glass panels on the ground floor and along the length of one side of the second floor which has access to a balcony. This gives the office building an air of openness and keeps the spaces inside well-lit with sunlight.


DRA Architects

32 Executive Park, Suite 100, Irvine, CA 92614

DRA Architects specializes in commercial, industrial, medical, interior, worship, master plan, and educational projects.  They partner with non-profit groups and developers, including Dow Jones Corporations, to provide clients with flexible services while taking their budget into account. The firm fulfills its client’s needs and maintains effective communication throughout all phases of design and construction.

Carrie Hoshino and Stephen P. Zieg are co-owners of DRA Architects. Their collaborative leadership has set the company apart as a leading design firm. Hoshino, a member of the AIA, sat as the project design architect at DeReverse & Associates and served as a designer at The Arroyo Group. She has over 29 years of experience and built 100 offices, several industrial and medical buildings, and worship centers throughout her career. Stephen P. Zieg carries an extensive background in commercial, industrial, and religious facilities. Together they have led DRA Architects through a diverse body of work that consists of offices such as the United Pacific Corporate Headquarters.

DRA Architects designed the Alton Corporate Center, a three-building campus containing 235,000 square feet of flexible office and warehouse space. The central cylindrical volume is flanked on either side by geometric and rectangular masses, providing a sense of symmetry and order. Inside, large open workspaces and meeting spaces foster collaboration and fuel productivity.


Author

  • Alex Mericle

    Alex Mericle is the Chief Editor at General Contractors Magazine with five years of experience in the construction space. Alex has always had a strong interest in residential and commercial construction and architecture, and he has built up technical experience with building permit data, subcontractor operations, and materials procurement over the years. On top of his experience at General Contractors Magazine, he has prior experience at BuildZoom. His analytical skillset, honed through a degree in Business Analytics from Creighton University and from his work experience, allows him to transform complex construction data into actionable insights and useful, captivating content. Expertise: Residential and Commercial Construction, Building Permit Data, Home Design and Build, Architecture, Subcontractor Operations, Material Procurement Key Highlights: Over 5 years of experience writing and editing in the construction space, Chief Editor at General Contractors Magazine, Previous experience at BuildZoom Education: Creighton University, Degree in Business Analytics