House & Robertson Architects

What House & Robertson Architects does

House & Robertson Architects (HRA) is a Culver City-based private architecture firm founded in 1996 by Jim House and Doug Robertson. The firm specializes exclusively in executive architect and architect of record services, partnering with noted design architecture firms such as Kohn Pedersen Fox, Frank O. Gehry & Associates, Skidmore Owings & Merrill, Cesar Pelli, and Office for Metropolitan Architecture to deliver technical development, documentation, permitting, and construction administration for complex building projects.

HRA serves private-sector corporate, developer, and institutional clients across entertainment (Universal Studios, MTV/Viacom, CNN, Hollywood Center Studios), real estate development (JMA Ventures, Brookfield Properties, Kilroy Realty), healthcare, education (UCLA, Fuller Seminary), and nonprofit/government sectors. The firm operates from three offices — Culver City (headquarters in its own building since 2008), San Francisco, and Houston — with a wholly-owned Nevada subsidiary (HRA Nevada Inc.) and an Arizona operating presence, supported by an employee-owned ESOP structure.

Revenue is generated through professional services fees negotiated on a per-project basis; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The practice model is differentiated by deep technical specialization in the executive architect niche rather than design, long-tenured principal involvement on projects, and a leadership pipeline that has produced AIA College of Fellows recognition (Jim House, 2018). Revenue, headcount, and detailed financials are not publicly disclosed.

Name

House & Robertson Architects

Legal name

House & Robertson Architects, Inc.

Website

https://hrarch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

House & Robertson Architects is a Culver City-based, employee-owned architecture firm specializing in executive architect and architect of record services for design firms, developers, and institutional clients across entertainment, real estate, healthcare, and education sectors in California, Texas, Nevada, and Arizona.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture Services

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Executive architecture services
• Architect of record
• Commercial architecture design
• Construction administration services
• Entertainment facility architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Culver City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architecture Services: Professional architecture services as executive architect and architect of record. The firm provides technical development, documentation, permitting, and construction administration for projects designed by external design architects. Revenue is generated through professional service fees for architecture and project management services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

House & Robertson Architects (HRA) is a collaborative executive architecture firm that provides executive architect and architect of record services to design firms, developers, and institutional clients. The firm specializes in technical development, construction documentation, permitting, and construction administration for complex commercial, entertainment, institutional, mixed-use, office, residential, and retail/hospitality projects, typically serving under the direction of a design architect.

Product overview

House & Robertson Architects (HRA) is a collaborative executive architecture firm offering executive architect and architect of record services. The firm specializes in working with visionary design partners to deliver complex projects across entertainment, institutional, mixed-use, office, residential, and retail/hospitality sectors. Rather than providing a single unified software product, HRA's offering is a professional service practice focused on technical development, project management, and construction document production for architectural projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Architect / Architect of Record Services Provides executive architect and architect of record services for architectural projects, collaborating with design firms, developers, and technical experts to execute projects from concept through construction. Services cover technical development, documentation, permitting, consultant coordination, and construction administration for entertainment, institutional, mixed-use, office, residential, and retail/hospitality projects.

Named customers20 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, major, notable and minor.

• Kohn Pedersen Fox AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration dating back to Langdon Wilson days. HRA has worked as executive architect on projects in collaboration with KPF on high-rise office towers and commercial projects.
• Frank O. Gehry & AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHRA founding principals worked with Gehry's firm during their Langdon Wilson years on key technical development of major collaborative projects.
• Skidmore Owings & MerrillcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly collaboration during Langdon Wilson period on major projects with this prominent architecture firm.
• Cesar Pelli AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on commercial and office projects dating to mid-1980s collaborative practice.
• Michael Graves Architecture & DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration with Michael Graves' firm on various projects.
• Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture OMA-HRA formed for Universal Headquarters project with Rem Koolhaas. Staff exchanged between Rotterdam and Los Angeles offices during schematic and design development phases.
• The Jerde PartnershipmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on HHLA at Howard Hughes Center - 300,000-sq.-ft. full renovation of retail/entertainment mall. Also worked together on Downtown Commons Sacramento.
• Rios Clementi Hale StudiosmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple collaborations including 900 Cahuenga base building, East Los Angeles College Student Center, Downtown Commons Sacramento, and Columbia Square projects.
• Richard Meier & Partners ArchitectsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHRA served as consulting architect on Edie & Lew Wasserman Building at UCLA, working with Richard Meier's firm.
• Wylie-Carter ArchitectsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign architect collaboration on Hollywood Center Studios project - new soundstages and support building.
• William McDonough + PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Fuller Seminary Worship Center project - 600-seat multipurpose assembly with sustainable design features.
• Greg Lynn FormnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Greg Lynn Form team on invited design competition for BMW production plant in Leipzig, Germany in 2002. HRA was one of nine competition finalists.
• Kelly Wearstler StudionotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign collaboration on Sheraton Gateway LAX Hotel renovation - public areas including steakhouse, sushi bar, and ballroom renovation.
• Philippe Starck NetworknotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeamed with Philippe Starck's Paris office to execute Katsuya Brentwood restaurant - minimalist wood box design.
• wHY ArchitecturemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Broad Museum Art Walls - flexible movable walls for gallery configuration within 345,000-sq.-ft. museum.
• Felderman Keatinge + AssociatesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple collaborations on MTV Networks and Universal Music Group projects.
• Altoon + Porter ArchitectsnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on World Jewelry Center - 60-story tower in Las Vegas with jewelry offices, exhibition space, and residential units.
• AvroKOnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerSan Francisco-based design firm listed as collaborator.
• Adjaye AssociatesnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerLondon and New York-based architecture firm listed as collaborator.
• Allied Works ArchitecturenotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortland-based architecture firm listed as collaborator.
• Lever ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortland-based architecture firm listed as collaborator.
• Lake FlatominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustin-based architecture firm listed as collaborator.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about House & Robertson Architects