The Architect’s Blog

Trends come and go rather rapidly these days. Fads in clothing and hairstyles tend to only last a season or two. That popular dance move that all the teenagers were doing just a few months ago became suddenly uncool once all their parents started mimicking it. One area in which trends tend to hang on a little longer is in . . . Read more...

Here at Grisafe Architecture, we love a good home renovation television show as much as anyone else, but they definitely haven’t done a lot of favors for those of us working in architecture. In a half hour television show, viewers can see house flippers, interior designers, and even DIYers tearing down walls to create an open concept main floor, . . . Read more...

As architects, we are often tasked with coming up with creative solutions that solve multiple problems for our clients. A homeowner may want to add square footage to their home, while at the same time, changing the look of their home’s exterior. Or the owner of a commercial building will ask us to modernize their lobby, and also provide the . . . Read more...

When you live in a high-cost-of-living area, such as Long Beach (or almost anywhere in California, for that matter), there’s always talk about how to provide more “affordable housing.” The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines affordable housing as a dwelling that a household can obtain for 30% or less of its . . . Read more...

As Long Beach architects, we have a special affinity for the buildings in our community—especially the historic ones. Long Beach has such a rich architectural history, dating all the way back to the 1880s. Throughout the City, you’ll see everything from Spanish Colonial Revival buildings and homes, to Art Deco structures, to Craftsman . . . Read more...