Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Borukhim.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Ben. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My journey through Architecture started at a very young age. I was lucky enough to have an Architecture program in high school, and found it to be a great fit for my creative mind and constant attention to detail. Once I had solidified that architecture was indeed my passion, I graduated high school at an accelerated pace and began college at 16 years old. During my time at USC School of Architecture, I was also working as a junior associate at Gepner & Associates Architects, where I was fortunate enough to be mentored by veterans in the architecture world. At school, I was given the chance to stretch my imagination and creativity while simultaneously exploring conceptual design and various technical means to communicate my design intent. At work, I was taught how the concepts I was exploring in studio translated to the real world as I saw the lines we were drawing on paper transform into tangible structures. The education I was receiving in these separate worlds worked synergistically to enhance my understanding and application of architectural concepts greatly.
After applying myself at a few more firms, I still felt that there was so much more territory that I had yet to explore in my field. I decided to go out on my own and create an environment where the process of design and architecture played a larger role in a project than just getting plans approved. My team and I were lucky to have started with a few great clients that provided us with ample room for creativity and shared our vision of design. Unfortunately, one of the hardest lessons I learned was the level to which our designs would eventually become compromised in the name of budgets and schedules. Since then we have routinely employed dependable and reputable contractors to reliably bring our visions to life. Most recently we have been developing a few of our own projects, including a new Cape Cod estate in Beverly Hills and a ten unit townhome project in Koreatown, which includes two affordable housing units. Our services have grown from just architecture to a more holistic way of approaching designing and building; today we can not only help a client locate the right property and represent them in its sale or purchase, but also design and permit the project then ultimately managing the build as well. This comprehensive approach to architecture is something our team has worked on diligently for over ten years to ensure each client’s vision is uniquely and efficiently realized.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
One of the biggest and most frequent challenges we face is helping clients understand the value of the work we do. While many see cost as the number one barrier in the way of having their ideas designed and built, we always spend the time to educate our clients on the importance of quality, attention to detail, and continuity and communication among all parties involved. These elements ultimately allow a project to come to completion earlier and with minimal changes orders, thereby saving costs for the client in the long run.
Please tell us about BBA Studios.
Most of our work over the past ten years has been new houses in the Beverly Hills, Brentwood and Santa Monica areas. We excel in areas that have a design review board process in place because our firm values design first and foremost. We have a very rigorous process we go through that differs from other architects; we spend a lot of time on the original concept of the house, ensuring we have a solid foundation from which the rest of the project is built. We take as much of our client’s daily lives into consideration in our design so their house is their home from day one. Furthermore, while many firms slowly adapt to technology, ours has embraced it. We make every effort to stay ahead with software that not only helps clients visualize a project, either through 3D models or even VR, but we also utilize that software on a technical level by overlaying all elements (such as structural, mechanical, and plumbing) to ensure that discrepancies are discovered and resolved before we reach the field. Lastly, we greatly value our relationships with our clients, city staff, and consultants. We rely on each other’s expertise and visions to create a finished project that enhances our community and tightens our relationships further.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I am happy to say that I don’t have many major regrets. Even though at the time certain setbacks at work were frustrating, each became a learning experience — and sometimes you have to learn things the hard way. Overall, I’m very happy with where I am and how I got here. In my personal life, I do wish I would have traveled more. Starting my own business was very (and continues to be) very time intensive, especially because my responsibilities don’t end at 5pm. Much of my workday involves coordination, delegating, meetings, and of course putting out fires, so it is difficult to put that all aside at the end of the day, and even more so to carve out two weeks for a sightseeing trip. Now that I have a family, I’ve been making work-life balance a definite priority.
Contact Info:
- Address: 6404 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 1235
- Website: www.bbastudios.com
- Phone: 3105986330
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbastudios/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbastudiosinc
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