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Warren Techentin, FAIA

Born in Pasadena, California, Warren Techentin, is a licensed Architect and the founder and principal of Warren Techentin Architecture (WTARCH). Warren’s work is informed by his long standing interest and study of urbanism, performative infrastructures, and pop culture and their effect on the form, space, color, sustainability, and the participatory dimension of architecture. His design expertise includes single-family residences, multi-family housing, commercial/institutional spaces, and educational projects. Additionally, his design process seeks to integrate new technologies to create responsive environments, active and passive ventilation strategies, and sustainable systems. Warren frequently serves on architectural committees and juries throughout North America and Europe and is actively involved in a variety of Architectural and philanthropic organizations. He has been an Executive Board Member and a past President of the Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design, where he has directed several competitions and events, including “DEAD MALLS: an architectural ideas competition,” in 2002-2003, which was funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Previous to WTARCH, Warren was co-principal of Techentin Buckingham Architecture from 2001-2010. His professional background also includes positions at Morphosis in Santa Monica, CA; Selldorf Architects in New York, NY; and positions with other firms in New York, Boston, Paris, Tokyo, and London. Warren is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Southern California where he teaches multi-family design studios, degree project design studios, graduate comprehensive design studios, and lectures on urbanism. He has also held positions at Arizona State, the University of British Columbia, the Boston Architectural Center, and Harvard University. Warren holds a BA in Architecture from the University of California Berkeley, a Masters of Architecture (MArch), and a Masters of Architecture in Urban Design (MAUD), both from Harvard University.

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Dana Lydon

Dana Lydon received her Bachelor of Architecture from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in 2010 with a year abroad at the Danish Institute for Study Abroad in 2008-2009. She previously worked for Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects, where she focused on multifamily housing including low income housing for formerly homeless veterans and the chronically homeless. Through this work, Dana developed design strategies to promote a better quality of life, blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living, and insert public spaces wherever possible to enhance the urban fabric of the City as a whole. Dana also worked as a Project Engineer for Fortis 17 CRM Corporation, managing the construction of a 6-unit apartment building. This experience taught her invaluable skills in team management, coordination, and construction detailing which she now uses regularly in her role at WTARCH. Dana’s involvement at WTARCH includes a number of multifamily housing projects throughout Los Angeles as well as a few single family homes and a personal training gym in the City of West Hollywood. Her skills include 2D and 3D digital design and graphic representation, code research, permitting, consultant management and coordination, and detailing. Dana’s work on the Monterey Apartments in Hermon includes full design services from feasibility and schematic design, through design development, construction documents, permitting, and construction administration. Dana's passion and advocacy for strong design is an important factor at every level of her work, evident from the large formal moves on a facade to accommodate site constraints, down to the detailing of siding transitions, guardrails, or fasteners.

Outside of the office, Dana is active in a local Dodgeball League, playing regularly in Echo Park and in tournaments in Orange County and Las Vegas. 

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Michaela Cho

Michaela received her Master in Design Research from the Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles, and Bachelor of Architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. She studied abroad for a year in Barcelona, Spain and developed her passion for art, culture and urbanism. Michaela moved to Los Angeles in 2013 to start her career after graduating from Illinois Tech and worked at several different firms in Southern California specializing in various types of commercial tenant improvements and high-end residential. She then moved to Sweden to launch a small design studio based in Stockholm. During the time in Sweden, much of her career involved creative offices, commercial and residential developments. Now as a full-time Angelino, her interests shifted to delivering current architecture and incorporating the lifestyle that comes with it. Outside the office, she’s been trying to pick up a few foreign languages. When she has extra free time, breadmaking and baking are her go-to hobbies.

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Dylan Perkinson

Dylan Perkinson received his Master of Architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles. Prior to his move to Southern California, he received his Bachelor of Architecture from Clemson University, with a minor in Fine Arts. Before joining WTARCH, Dylan was a designer and project manager for Atelier Manferdini, where he focused on public art installation, façade designs, and product design. In his free time, he enjoys surfing, golfing, and camping.

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Bryan Chen

Bryan Chen received his Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Southern California in 2021. He has worked for various small architecture firms throughout Los Angeles specializing in single-family to multi-family residences prior to joining WTARCH. Having studied abroad throughout Asia for a semester, he has developed a particular interest in the transient nature and focus on craftsmanship prevalent in Japanese architecture. As a Los Angeles native, he seeks to incorporate the same design principles and lessons he learned abroad into his work. During his free time, you can find him at a local flea market searching for the perfect vintage tee shirt or obsessing over the most recent sneaker releases.

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Can Derman

Can Derman received his Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Southern California. Prior to joining WTARCH, he has worked in architecture and design offices in Finland, France and Turkey. During his time in Europe he was involved in a variety of projects in different scales from product design to large scale cultural buildings. He used to be a tennis player growing up and in his free time he likes to stay active.

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