Connect
To Top

Meet Mitra Esfandiari of Retail Design Collaborative in Long Beach

Avatar photo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mitra Esfandiari.

Mitra, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve wanted to be an architect since I was 10, maybe even younger. Growing up, my parents did a lot of construction on our house. I saw the construction crew working and I just wanted to help them. I would sit and watch them for hours. My parents always asked for my opinion when it came to selecting materials and finishes and praised me for my choices. I think it all started from there.

I mapped out my educational path based on my dream. I received my bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Washington and my master’s degree in architecture from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo as well as a certificate of post-professional studies in architecture and urban design from UCLA. Education was extremely valued in our family, and it was viewed as a path for not only gaining knowledge, expertise and making a difference in society, but as a way for me and my two older sisters to become independent women- who aspire to be role models for other women, give back to the community and make a difference in the world.

I did not get a taste of the wok environment while I was in school, so when I decided to start practicing architecture, even though I had earned all these educational degrees, I had to start from the bottom!

In the beginning of my career, I did not have a vision of what specific area of architecture I wanted to focus on. I was very passionate about learning how the design and construction process worked in the real world and looked for opportunities to take a part in at any capacity. Eventually I fell into the world of retail architecture and found it fascinating, as it touches people’s lives daily, helps shapes communities and it is constantly evolving in response to social, economic and lifestyle changes.

I started as a designer at Retail Design Collaborative over 20 years ago and now as a senior principal, I practice architecture by leading teams on projects and collaborate with my fellow partners to lead the firm to the highest level of success.

My passion and expertise lie in mixed-use lifestyle/experiential retail and related projects such as theaters, fitness centers and offices that help create meaningful communities.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I knew from day one that architecture is a very male-dominated field and the current available statistics indicate only about 12 percent of women make it to leadership roles.

As much as I had heard about the low ratio of women to men, I don’t think there’s anything that could prepare me to face some of the work challenges that were to come. I was inspired by my mother and two older sisters, as they were professionals at the highest levels and broke the glass ceiling, and most importantly, having my father be completely supportive and secure with himself. While I was inspired by my family, there is no college course or training that could ever prepare a woman for the challenges they may face in the workplace. Many years ago, I recall one of my male colleagues trying to guide and help me, he said, “you have two things against you in this field: number one: you are a woman, and number two: you were not born in this country and have an accent.” I had no idea those “things” were against me! While I was very shocked and saddened by his remarks at that time, I was even more inspired and driven to prove them wrong.

As a woman, I have learned that to have our points of view and ideas taken seriously and be given opportunities in leadership, we need to dream big, work hard to acquire knowledge/expertise, be prepared, be patient/driven (not lose hope quickly), be extremely collaborative and not wait for things to be handed to us. We need to work hard for what we deserve and not sit back waiting for it to come. It is also critical that we support each one another as women in the workplace.

Beyond the workplace, another challenge is striking a balance between being a busy professional and a mother. I took a short break when I had my baby and then continued working. It does take a village to raise a child when you are a working mother! With support from my husband, family and child care facilities, we were able to create an even balance between work and life.

I’m hoping my story will inspire women to climb the ladder, as I believe having diversity in leadership and the workplace will create a more balanced, inspiring and well-rounded environment.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Retail Design Collaborative – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Our firm, Retail Design Collaborative, is a full-service architectural firm specializing in retail design. We approach retail as an opportunity to create unique experiences and we strive to make everyday places extraordinary and celebrate the retail realm as one of the focal points of human interaction.

We have an award-winning legacy with more than 37 years touching every aspect of the retail realm from designing retail shops, malls, lifestyle centers, town centers and related uses from entertainment, fitness, hotel to creative office. We comprehensively approach retail design by creating unique places that respond to landlords, tenants and consumers’ needs. We work with landlords and tenants, large or small, developing store plans, prototypes and roll-out implementation. In addition to our commitment to design excellence and efficient production/execution of projects, we are constantly educating ourselves. We do this through research, attending conferences, participating in panel discussions, publishing our own unique ideas and interacting with other industry leaders to look out for innovative concepts or examine the popular solutions. This allows us to stay ahead of the curve and help our clients find viable and innovative solutions to the constant changes of the retail industry. I strongly believe that this separates us from others.

Our headquarters is in Long Beach, California, with regional offices in Virginia, Arkansas and China. We also work closely with our partner firm, Studio One Eleven, which is an integrated practice of architecture, urbanism and landscape design dedicated to creating vibrant communities. Studio One Eleven finds ways to make cities more environmentally responsible, resilient, prosperous and joyful while addressing livability and equity for all residents.

In terms of my role, I lead the project teams in all phases of work from early stages to final project delivery, including conceptual design, entitlement, schematic design, design development, construction documents and construction administration. With the current state of retail design, I am very interested in the data-driven design approach, providing statistical back-up and market research for informing the design ideas, instead of relying on our gut and past experiences for design solutions. I am hoping more clients will become interested in this process. I am also very passionate about keeping a nourishing and vibrant culture in our firm by providing a very collaborative atmosphere where staff can learn, exchange ideas and grow.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Having passion and being focused are the keys to success. When you have passion, you welcome the challenges and the hard work. For every project we take on, we encourage our clients to stop and think about the vision, story and purpose of the project. Even if the client comes in with an idea of how they want to do it, we encourage them to think about the story and vision behind it. Establishing this from the start ensures long-term success and makes the design process for everyone involved much more meaningful.

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
The ping pong table photo and outside seating photos can be credited to Retail Design Collaborative.
The outside view of the storefront and the kitchen photo should be credited to Benny Chan.

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

Related Items

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in