Today we’d like to introduce you to William Beauter and Jess Mullen-Carey.
Thanks for sharing your story with us William and Jess. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Jess and I first got together to discuss some ideas we had for furniture and products in the evenings after work. Very shortly thereafter a couple of guys working in the advertising world approached us about helping them design a wine bar concept, and we thought it would be fun to work on with them. The project turned out nicely, and being a space open to the public introduced a lot of people to our design style and led to various calls and projects. Shortly following the wine bar, we set in place a plan to shift the business from moonlighting hours from 8 pm to 2 am to something a bit more traditional.
MAKE took on various projects, from residential additions and remodels to restaurant and bars and even assisting a synagogue with potential expansion options. Our approach has always been somewhat of an old-fashioned approach to business, doing good projects for good people and trying to take care of these customers, leading to referrals and repeat projects.
Our first office was basically alternating between our apartments and kitchen tables, then transitioned to my Model T garage in Beachwood Canyon, which became tight quarters rather quickly! As the projects grew in scale and complexity we moved into our first office in Silverlake and later to our current offices in Lincoln Heights. Our early projects included tenant improvement for retail spaces, offices, bars and restaurants as well as residential interior remodels and additions. Over the years, in addition to the tenant improvement and restaurant projects, MAKE has worked on retail and office buildings, religious facilities, performance space and Amphitheatre projects, various multifamily and mixed use projects, custom residential projects from small to very large, prototype restaurant and retail concepts, and even car washes, many of which have been featured in publications, received accolades and awards.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Gladly, we can say the road has been relatively smooth. We intentionally developed a portfolio including a pretty wide range of project type. Maintaining a wide range of project types is an important part of who MAKE is since we like to engage diverse projects and keep things interesting.
Ultimately, when the last recession happened, the knowledge and ability to provide Architecture for such a diverse range allowed us to stay busy throughout.
We have realized a business partnership is somewhat like a marriage. Lives become intertwined and interdependent in a similar way. It’s funny because previous employers told both of us to “never have a business partner!”, but Jess and I work quite well together and as issues come up we’ve always been able to navigate things together and keep things on course. For us, we’ve actually found the partnership to be a benefit, if for nothing else, the machine can keep rolling full steam while one of us gets a breather on a vacation that I imagine would be quite difficult. But we do also bring slightly different aptitudes and personalities to MAKE and collectively it makes us a stronger entity.
Please tell us about MAKE Architecture.
MAKE is what Architect’s consider a ‘Design Office’ in that we produce unique projects and projects that require a higher level of thought. Clients look to us to deliver projects and concepts that have something unique about them.
We’re a bit of an anomaly in that we both provide higher level design services but also tend to be adept at navigating the more technical aspects of Architecture including both the technical drawings and how the designs can be produced within the framework of the various codes, which seems would be a no brainer, but it’s not something every firm can provide, especially design oriented firms.
Often too, we look for design opportunities in projects that have tight budget constraints. Many of our design features are items or components that are required for the function of the space, and in making those a feature, they are either a zero cost add or minimal add for a significant aesthetic return, rather than adding extraneous things.
MAKE Architecture has developed a reputation for providing good design solutions for various project types, from restaurant, retail and office, to single and multifamily. We do take pride in providing a good value for our customers and the process of conceiving and idea and a space others can experience and then seeing that through to fruition. For us, the beauty is in the built work and the details that craft the product, bringing that initial conception of an idea to life and being experienced by the occupants.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
It’s hard to say we would do much of anything differently. We pretty carefully navigated the waters, building a strong foundation for the business to grow upon. MAKE grew organically and we cultivated the opportunities that came our way and built upon those to develop subsequent opportunities.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2664 Lacy St.,
Studio A
Los Angeles, CA 90031 - Website: www.makearch.com
- Phone: (323) 669-0278
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/make_architecture/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/MAKE-Architecture/342907862460371
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakeArch
Image Credit:
Pacific Amphitheatre – John Linden Photography
Broadway Hollywood Loft – John Linden Photography
Rising Glen Residence – John Linden Photography
California St Residence- Dana Hursey
Antiquarius Jewlrey Mart- Dana Hursey
Beer Belly Long Beach- Monika Siauw
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