Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Adams and Jeremy Baker.
Jeremy, Lauren – please kick things off for us. How does this story begin?
Lauren became interested in architecture and design at a very early age. She is the daughter of a carpenter and an artist, making architecture an innate calling. She was raised to understand the balance between art and building that is necessary for the design and construction of successful projects. Jeremy Baker has been involved in design and construction for most of his life. He was born in New York and grew up working and learning alongside his grandfather to build houses and cabinetry in his custom carpentry shop. He instilled in Jeremy the importance of craftsmanship and a strong work ethic while encouraging his focus on design. Each of our principals moved from the east coast to continue their careers in design and construction here in Los Angeles, with the aim of having their own firm.
We met through a colleague in 2008 when Jeremy needed a licensed architect for a commercial project. We partnered on a few projects before deciding to officially create Letter Four in 2010. Though the country was in a recession at the time, business continually picked up. Letter Four has consistently grown over the past 7 years and all of this growth can be contributed to positive word of mouth from our happy clients.
We are a fun, professional, full service, end-to-end design-build firm. We offer the seamless integration of architectural design and construction, with a primary focus on design-build. For unique clients, we also offer brand development along with architectural design and construction to create one cohesive brand statement. We are committed to creating inspired, original works, which are feasible and achievable given the project constraints. We work hand-and-hand with all our clients to ensure that the finished project exceeds their expectations, whether it be their dream home, retail environment, restaurant, or office space.
Today, we continue to refine our business as we adapt and grow in response to our diverse clientele. We are currently partnering with other architects as far away as Sweden, retail clothing lines from LA to NYC, and single-family homeowners all over the LA area. We’ve built a team of talented professionals to design and build great spaces for great people.
Great, 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?
We started our business during a recession, which caused us to say “Yes” to every project that came our way. This helped us to grow, while also teaching us the importance of saying “No” to projects and potential clients which are not a good fit with our company’s spirit and vision.
At times, we tried to take on too much and have learned that it is impossible to wear every hat every day in a small business. This lead to inefficiencies and difficulty reaching certain project goals. In response, we learned the importance of hiring key support staff members for long term mutual growth and success. Our office is like a second family and we strive to cultivate a fun and supportive office culture.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
As a young boy, Jeremy sat in his grandfather’s wood shop and learned to hand chisel sections of wood to create a table base. Working hand-in-hand with his grandfather in his wood shop will always be some of his fondest memories. The tools that they shared are still on the grandfather’s work bench to this day.
Lauren’s parents were always working together to remodel her childhood home. She remembers being around 8 years old and working with her parents remodel their kitchen. Her parents let her choose all of the finishes and fixtures for them, as well as help them to install what she could. Lauren was very proud of a job well done.
Contact Info:
- Address: Letter Four, Inc.
8513 Washington Blvd - Website: http://letterfour.com
- Phone: 323-275-1140
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LETTERFOUR/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/letter-four-culver-city-4
- Other: https://www.houzz.com/pro/letterfour/letter-four-inc
Image Credit:
Alen Lin, Inc.
Robert D. Gentry
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