For us architecture and urbanism are inextricable – the structure of city blocks, the use of ground floors, the intensity of infrastructure, the connections of public space, the extensive network of space, materials and systems that comprise architecture – these factors help determine whether a city is indeed the platform for a shared, vibrant and diverse culture that our times demand.

PAU therefore designs architecture that builds the physical, cultural, and economic networks of our cities, with an emphasis on beauty, function, and user experience. We seek out projects that celebrate the capacity of cities to delight. At the forefront of our process is a constant focus on the lived experience of our work, with the goal of uplifting both the inhabitants of our projects and the city’s passersby. The joy of architecture lies in its response to human agency, which is why the lasting use of our buildings and the degree to which they age thoughtfully in their context is central to our definition of success.

PAU simultaneously advances strategic urbanism projects, typically with an embedded architectural component, in the form of master planning, tactical project advice, and advocacy. In this capacity, we help clients plan and advocate for density and infrastructure where they belong at an urban scale, while helping to define, intensify and enhance the culture of the city at the architectural scale. Our team has unrivaled experience in implementing innovative plans, not just writing them. We work with our clients and the communities they serve to guide change as it occurs. Towards this end, we deploy our deep expertise working with government to obtain entitlements for projects we believe in, projects that help our cities grow in a way that is economically, socially and environmentally sound.

We pride ourselves on guiding design projects from conceptualization to implementation, with a proven history of making the improbable possible. With our architectural commissions, planning projects, or in combination, our work aspires to be a form of built thought leadership, in which we hope to create tangible prototypes of how cities can and should evolve in response to the challenges before them. For this reason, we are as careful about the nature of the commissions we respectfully decline as we are about those we enthusiastically accept.