Paul Danna leads SOM’s Los Angeles studio, which he helped establish in 2012. The studio’s award-winning work integrates urban design, architecture, interior and product design across domestic and international markets. It includes projects large and small, from civic centers, courthouses, libraries, education, residential, transportation, and mixed-use environments to public shade shelters and architectural lighting.
As advocates for sustainable design, Paul and his team have led groundbreaking sustainable projects including the first LEED Gold office building in Southern California, the first net-zero-energy large office building in the United States, and the LEED Platinum certified Los Angeles Federal Courthouse, which earned the AIA’s highest awards for design and sustainability.
Great architecture happens through collaboration. It takes the collective effort of a diverse and talented team to answer the complex challenges that face our cities and communities today.
Paul is also a leader in the design community, having served as President of the AIA Los Angeles Chapter and as a member of the Los Angeles Mayor’s Design Advisory Panel. In 2013, Paul was elected to the AIA’s distinguished College of Fellows for advancements in the planning and design of workplace architecture. Committed to practicing design as a collective endeavor, Paul believes passionately in the power of diverse and collaborative teams to break new ground in the design of the built environment.
