RIOS was founded in 1985 as a multi-disciplinary design firm. We work together to create singular, integrated, and comprehensive solutions for a variety of design challenges.
Combined, our talents comprise a wide range of professional skills including architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, graphic, interior, exhibit and product design.
Based in Los Angeles, we work everywhere — with transformative projects in San Francisco, Austin, San Diego, Sacramento, Puebla, Mexico, and beyond — applying a strong interdisciplinary, collaborative approach to the design process, whether on projects within our office or in consultation with other design firms. Our projects are diverse, including municipal, corporate, retail, hospitality, institutional, and residential commissions.
Transdisciplinary Practice
We have been fortunate to be one of a very few firms which are widely recognized for skill and design excellence across the broad spectrum of design disciplines. In 2009, we were selected as one of two finalists in the category of Landscape Design by the Smithsonian’s Cooper Hewitt National Design Awards program. In 2007 the firm was awarded the ‘Firm of the Year Award’ by the California Council of the American Institute of Architects for our consistent body of unique design work and our redefinition of the boundaries of design practice. Our work embodies our values.
Mission Statement
Design is never without story. It connects people to each other and the world around us.
Together we work beyond boundaries to reveal, explore, and invent designs that amplify experiences.
RIOS Values
Joy
Design is an act of optimism and we meet the process with joy and exuberance. We are forward-thinking and imaginative of future contexts. We find the silver lining in the unknown and adventure in the undiscovered. We don’t resist change, we harness it.
Inclusivity
We believe that positive outcomes occur when we celebrate the differences in our worldviews. The strength of our design comes from the diversity of its authors and the way they work openly to communicate and innovate across disciplines. Our innate way of seeing the world is enhanced by our diversity, belief in equity, and passionate stance for social justice.
Audacity
We are driven by a bold vision to seek the unknown and to find and understand what is on the other side. We dream bigger, take intelligent risks, and articulate these risks through strategy and critical problem-solving. By reframing how things are perceived, we find opportunity and design for that immense potential.
Originality
We practice with conviction. We coax conversation into strategy. We push innovation using an array of tools driven by our profound curiosity. Our deep belief in fearlessness rewards the courageous ideas we pursue by combining the creative power of the individual with the collective momentum of the team.
Attunement
As designers, we are receptive and aware above all. We find harmony in the awareness of place, people, and culture. We immerse ourselves in context, considering the social and cultural context as well as the past, present, and future contexts that influence design outcomes.
Resiliency
We put human experience first. We understand that the boundary of what we create extends beyond any apparent limits. As we adapt to a changing world, we aspire to lead the industry with creativity, agility, and a willingness to address problems as holistic opportunities.