At Architects FORA, we believe everybody deserves a place to call home.

/ MISSION

Our mission is to create vibrant, resilient, and equitable housing at all scales.

Through thoughtful design, our studio creates living-centered environments that empower communities, families, and individuals, enhance health and wellbeing, and elevate quality of life. Our process starts with people, prioritizing keen listening and meaningful community, client, and civic engagement. Our dedicated team overlays this collective knowledge with cross-disciplinary research and evidence-based design. Every aspect of our work celebrates people and place, whether it is developing multifamily affordable housing in urban areas, improving existing housing quality, or densifying single-family neighborhoods.

We believe in the power of design to create a future that is beautiful, secure, and joyful for all.

View towards downtown San Jose from the courtyard at Iamesi Village - housing for veterans by First Community Housing. Big wavy Planters and people sitting at barbeque & patio area
Mitchell Park Place in Palo Alto - upcoming housing for people of all incomes and abilities

/ PROCESS

Our workflow is highly collaborative, explorative, and creative.

Homeowners, developers, engineers, consultants, residents, community members, and city officials: you’re all on our team. When our mission and goals align, we work better together and our designs are more successful.

Bonus: As a tech-first virtual firm, we’ve mastered transparent, equitable, and most importantly, fun collaboration tools to ensure all voices are heard and the best creative ideas, no matter the source, are embraced and carried forward. We believe diverse perspectives make us and our work stronger.

People moving their mouses around a virtual whiteboard (Miro)Team Design Crit - part of virtual work at Architects FORA

Design is better with diverse perspectives at the table.

We’ve developed a branch of our firm that focuses solely on Community Engagement: Engage FORA, because we know those closest to the challenge often have the most effective ideas for solutions.

Listening / Co-creation / Accountability

/ TEAM

We are problem-solvers, innovators, and creative thinkers.

The Architects FORA team stnading on the Leigh Avenue Roof deck at their 2022 FORA retreat

We’re a 100% women-owned design firm full of collaborative, curious, ambitious, and creative professionals pushing the boundaries of practice. We’re committed to leadership, transparency, communication, and growth - practices which help us provide our clients, and each new project, with the best of our collective expertise.

FOR A -

Collaborative Approach

/

Restorative Process

/

Strong Community

/

Resilient Future

/

Just World

/

Collaborative Approach / Restorative Process / Strong Community / Resilient Future / Just World /

- FOR ALL

Featured Work

At japeantown, a glassy first floor meets the downtown street, while warm colors, slots of vertical windows, and banconies decorate the upper residential floors
a plane flies over the roof line of Iamesi Village. The top floor is recesses while floors below have "pop-out" fins with view toward downtown.
man looks at book in library of leigh avenue, a double heighted space with full window wall and pendant lighting

Our designs are recognized for excellence.

FORA takes pride in our craft, communication, and service, continually re-examining and re-defining our standard of excellence - and people notice. Along with a stellar list of long-term relationships with repeat clients and consultants, we’re proud to have been awarded by national, regional, and local organizations for our sustainable and affordable architecture. Most importantly, these honors help raise public awareness of the critical need for well-crafted affordable housing and the importance of excellent design in addressing this challenge.

  • “Ever since Christopher (who has severe autism) moved into Gish Apartments, I’ve noticed that he is calmer. The green environment helps him cope and process more easily. He really likes the building and is very happy there.”

    - Kim D. / Mother of Resident

  • "Architects FORA led us through one of the best community engagement processes I’ve ever seen – incredibly comprehensive, thoughtful, and responsive. Everyone on the FORA team has been a joy to work with."

    - Susie Criscimagna / Client / Senior Director of Real Estate Development / Eden Housing

  • “OJK Architects [now Architects FORA] have made a leap into tomorrow, into the way Silicon Valley will look in 10 or 20 years. The region will become denser. Satellite urban centers will become more important. The creators of El Paseo Studios have made a bold and intelligent attempt to define how that future might look. The question now is: Will anyone follow their lead?”

    - Alan Hess / Author and Architectural Critic / San Jose Mercury News

  • "Can I just say that you guys are AMAZING!!!!!!!! We are so grateful for the time each of you spent helping us get the spaces ready for use. This week, the doctors were able to come and meet the women on site instead of having to transport them to other locations. YAY! We also transitioned a mother with her 12 year old boy into the other apartment. The young boy went running through the apartment checking out every space asking “Do we really get to live here?” His mother who was overwhelmed with joy had tears running down her face and just kept saying how perfect the space is for them. I hope you know that you are making a HUGE impact in others lives and this is just the beginning."

    - Melody Alvarado / Client / Director of Womens Programs / CityTeam

  • Orchard Gardens has the most wonderful design team in the business! Thanks Jessica and team!

    - José Lujano / Client / Project Manager / First Community Housing

  • "I think back to all the conversations, calculations, and Zoom calls this year, the strategizing, planning, coordinating, and fitting together all of the parts and necessary pieces to plan out real buildings that people will enjoy and love. I think of all the individuals with your years of experience and expertise, focused on making the best of a piece of land. Art, experience, enhancement, passion, betterment, society, community, economy, ingenuity, and beauty… this is what you all do, and I love being a small part of making your dreams and visions become a reality. So thank you. I marvel at what you do. You have been given a special gift to do what you do, and you are blessed and bless others in so doing. "

    - Mike Hubley / Collaborator / Structural Engineer / VerTech Engineering

  • "I am thankful for a roof over my head and a place to call home."

    - Resident / Iamesi Village

  • “I worked with Leah on a large custom home in Portola Valley and was quickly impressed by her meticulous attention to detail, timely production of documents, and her inspiring creativity and talent. She was a true pleasure to work with and I would absolutely hire her again for future projects.”

    - Tracy T. / Homeowner + builder + repeat client