Hidden Gems: Meet Adam Sokol of asap / adam sokol architecture practice

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Sokol.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I would start my story at Yale; I was fortunate to be educated at an amazing time when I was able to study with Robert Stern, Frank Gehry, and Vincent Scully among many others. I worked in New York for a while after that and eventually about ten years ago a hotel project brought me to LA and I’ve been here since. Since the pandemic our practice has been more focused on residential work, and also more focused on Southern California, although we do still take on the occasional project on the East Coast or elsewhere.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I very much doubt any architect has had a smooth road! I suspect our struggles are everyone’s struggles: finding both enough clients and also the right clients who appreciate, respect and value what we do; managing cost and quality while still trying to achieve outstanding results; and then lastly effectively communicating those results to the world.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
asap/ Adam Sokol Architecture Practice is a boutique, collaborative architectural design studio founded in 2011 and based in Los Angeles. We believe in creating works of architecture that are grounded in the timeless fundamentals of architecture—space, materials, and light— rather than fleeting trends. Although currently focused more on residential and interiors work, our work nonetheless has ranged across many typologies, including single- and multi-family residences, adaptive reuse, mixed-use buildings, workplace design, hospitality projects, and cultural spaces.

What are you most proud brand wise?

Above all, we’re proud of how delighted our clients are with our work, and how many people have told us about the joy that our spaces have brought to their lives. Of course, it’s nice to have recognition, and we’re grateful for the publications and honords we’ve received, including in publications like The New York Times, Architectural Digest, and The Wall Street Journal, and awards from the American Institute of Architects in Los Angeles and New York; Architizer; NYCxDesign, and Architectural Record’s Vanguard list of emerging talents, among many others.

What sets you apart from others?

I would say that we are very focused on a thoughtful, calculated design process that uses materials and daylight in a very careful way. Additionally I believe that we bring a special sensitivity to history and context, adapting our work in specific ways, often with a precise focus on geometry and proportion, so as to produce work that is of its time but still able to relate to its context, in the broadest possible sense.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Of course we’ve had the luck to receive some special opportunities over time, in terms of working in specific places or with specific clients. One always hopes one’s work receives the recognition it deserves, and that each project leads to the next.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.asap.pro
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asap_architecture
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asap-adam-sokol-architecture-practice/
• Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/asap-adam-sokol-architecture-practice-los-angeles#../

Image Credits
KC Kratt, Jonathan Leijonhufvud, and Brett Beyer.