by Times of San Diego
San Diego’s housing crisis has reached a point where proven, unconventional solutions are no longer optional — they are necessary to make immediate, real headway at scale. Over the past five years alone, rents in San Diego have surged by more than 40%. Nearly half of San Diego households are now considered “rent-burdened,” spending more than 30% of their income just to keep a roof over their heads. Low- and middle-income families — the people who power our economy and anchor our neighborhoods — are increasingly being pushed out of the region altogether.
by Mann Report
Full-service architecture firm AO announced the launch of its Automotive Studio, a practice area dedicated to delivering integrated design solutions for automotive dealerships, service facilities and evolving mobility-focused retail environments. The new studio will be led by Lyle Hutson, NCARB, who joins AO as a principal, bringing three decades of specialized experience designing automotive facilities for national and international brands, including Porsche, BMW, Lexus, Audi, Genesis and more, expanding AO’s ability to meet growing client demand at the intersection of brand, retail and customer experience.
by Mia Laureys | Orange County Business Journal
Leading architecture, planning, and design firm AO is proud to announce the promotions of Rene Boggio, Mike Connell, and Edward Wu to the firm’s leadership role of Partner. These promotions mark an important milestone in AO’s continued growth and evolution, recognizing three individuals who have consistently demonstrated exceptional expertise, leadership, and dedication to the firm’s clients, projects, and people.
by Mia Laureys | Orange County Business Journal
AO is pleased to welcome Lyle Hutson as Principal and leader in the firm's newly launched Automotive Studio. Hutson brings more than 35 years of experience specializing in automotive facility design, branded retail environments, and complex commercial projects across the United States.
by Building Design+Construction
AO’s design reflects Prime’s values of precision and performance, expressed through a material palette of deep navy, teal, graphite, and warm neutrals. Premium finishes—matte black stainless steel, ash veneer, charcoal porcelain, and backlit glass—reinforce a modern identity rooted in trust and technological clarity.
By David Barista | Building Design+Construction
This 71-page report includes six articles that cover the top trends in affordable housing, senior living, and student housing; the 2026 multifamily market outlook; 17 innovations from multifamily firms; and an AIA course on multifamily amenity innovations.
by Multi-Housing News
On December 4th, Multi-Housing News hosted its 19th annual Excellence Awards, recognizing some of the industry’s top developments, business ventures and professionals. The event, hosted at Oasis at 437 Madison Ave. in New York City, awarded 101 Bronze, Silver, and Gold accolades across 33 different categories. AO's Rosette Apartments brought home Silver for the Best Unbuilt category this year.
by AZ Big Media
AO, a leading full-service architecture firm with design expertise spanning the full spectrum of commercial real estate, has announced its latest surf-anchored destination, PHX Surf, a 40- acre, mixed-use resort, expected to break ground in Maricopa city in March 2026. Developed by PHX Surf, the project will deliver an immersive, surf-centered experience powered by Endless Surf’s pneumatic wave technology, producing world-class waves for surfers of all skill levels.
by David Barista | Building Design+Construction
AO developed Archetype, a kit-of-parts-based design system aimed at reducing the time, complexity, and cost of developing multifamily buildings. “By leveraging standardized yet flexible components, the system ensures more predictable budgets, smoother permitting and entitlement processes, and greater consistency across developments, all while maintaining the design excellence and site-specific customization,” according to the firm.
by Orange County Business Journal
The newly opened Bay Shores Peninsula Hotel marks the second hospitality project in Orange County led by Blake Marriott and Spencer Samuelian. The business partners, also brothers-in-law, bought the former 1960s surf motel in 2021. Marriott told the Business Journal he was convinced of its potential after seeing the view from the rooftop of not only of the Balboa Peninsula but also the harbor and the Pacific Ocean. That rooftop has been renovated as one of two ocean-facing venues that can host parties.
by Niall Patrick Walsh | Archinet
The Los Angeles Business Council has announced the winners of its 55th LA Architectural Awards. Taking place less than a year after wildfires devastated areas in and around the Pacific Palisades and Altadena, the 2025 edition of the series was aimed at “honoring organizations that are uniting Angelenos around wildfire recovery and rebuilding and celebrating innovative designs that reflect the region’s leadership in culture, sports and mobility.”
by Steven Sharp | Urbanize LA
Arrimus Capital, owner of the Woodland Hills Country Club, is seeking approvals to redevelop the northern portion of the golf course with housing, per an application submitted to the Los Angeles Department of City Planning. The project, which would span across a roughly 20-acre portion of the golf course at 4868 Canoga Avenue, calls for the construction of a mix of single-family homes, apartments, and affordable housing.
by RENTV
KIA DTLA has completed their conversion of a 100-year-old, 133k sf historic structure located at 2100 S. Figueroa St in downtown Los Angeles into a flagship, next-generation urban dealership. The four-story showroom and service center, designed by AO, blends contemporary automotive retail design with the building’s preserved industrial character.
by Rebusiness Online
Sudberry Properties has opened The Brynn, the fourth apartment community at its 230-acre Civita at Mission Valley in San Diego. Situated on 3.3 acres at 2525 Via Alta, the property features 200 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments in 19 floor plan options, ranging in size from from 612 square feet to 1,455 square feet. Units feature private patios or balconies, nine-foot ceilings, hardwood-style flooring in main areas, carpeting in bedrooms, fully equipped kitchens with LG Energy Star stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops and full-size washers/dryers.
by David Barista | Building Design+Construction
Arcadis North America, Stantec, Gensler, KTGY, AO, NORR, Cline, and Handel Architects top Building Design+Construction's ranking of the nation's largest apartment building and condominium architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2025, as reported in BD+C's 2025 Giants 400 Report.
by Richard N. Velotta | Las Vegas Review-Journal
Red Rock Resorts' Durango property has announced the opening day for its new high-limit slot room and 2,000-space parking garage — December 15. The Monday announcement came days after Durango on Friday opened the expanded casino floor.
by Gabriel Clark-Clough | SF YIMBY
A groundbreaking ceremony was held as site preparation began on a new affordable housing development at 112 Vera Avenue in Redwood City. The innovative modular style development is the product of a partnership between AO and Integrated Community Development. The seven-story project will be comprised of 100% affordable, modular apartment homes.
by MFE Magazine
Once a former warehouse, The Row at Red Hill is a bold reinterpretation of Santa Ana, California's industrial legacy. Displaying the raw character of its past mixed with contemporary lines, the building features floor-to-ceiling windows, gray brick veneer, and steel patterns, and steel X-bracing, while light stucco, bold window patterns, and a glass tower create juxtaposition. Custom LED lighting spotlights architectural features.
by Multifamily Executive
By 2030, multifamily communities won’t just offer amenities—they’ll curate experiences that feel essential, personal, and seamlessly integrated into daily life. From pet-friendly spaces that rival boutique hotels to wellness circuits designed for mind-body restoration, the next generation of amenities is reshaping how residents choose, use, and value their homes. “It’s really about placemaking—creating a sense of place when you come home,” says Ed Cadavona, managing partner of AO, the design team behind The Row at Red Hill, an award-winning multifamily development in Santa Ana, California. “You want to be able to say, ‘I live there and feel proud of it.’ Amenities are key to that lifestyle story, not an afterthought.”
by Roger Vincent | Los Angeles Times
Oil giant Phillips 66, operator of a massive oil refinery near the Port of Los Angeles, has unveiled plans to replace its belching smokestacks and hulking steel tanks with stores, restaurants and soccer fields. Phillips 66 announced last year that it would close the century-old refinery and remove it to make way for a new development intended to provide services and recreation for people who live nearby, along with warehouses to serve the port.