Following last week’s visit to New York-based Float Studio, we are moving our Meet Your Next Employer series to Orange, California this week, where we meet McClean Design.

Founded by Paul McClean in 2000, the firm has since grown to 15 architects, designers, and administration staff, specializing in the design of contemporary homes. The firm describes its ethos as “innovate; sophisticate; simplify,” while The Irish Times in 2021 described Dublin-born Paul McClean as LA’s “megamansion king” for the firm’s design of multi-million dollar homes such as The One, Bel Air.

Over on Archinect Jobs, the firm is currently hiring for an Intermediate Architect / 3D Visualization Artist. For candidates interested in applying for a position, or anybody interested in learning more about life at an architecture studio, we spoke with the team at McClean Design for a behind-the-scenes look at the firm.

How did McClean Design get started?

After graduating from architecture school in his homeland of Ireland, Paul followed his dream of becoming a California Architect and founded McClean Design in 2000. Things moved fast and the firm moved into its first office in Orange, making a name for itself in OC. In the 2010’s Paul and company branched into the hills of LA, where international recognition sparked the current wave of projects around the world. The original crew from the garage is still intact with some long-time employees still bringing tons of experience to the table.

How big is your team?

We currently have 15 employees including Architects, designers, and administration.

Describe the area of Orange your office is located in.

Tons of charm in all directions. The Circle is a mix of new breweries and boutique shops. Chapman College, on the other side of The Circle, adds a vibrance to the community. Orange trees, running trails, parks… and only 45 minutes to our plethora of projects in LA.

In 2021, we renovated an old marketplace and still have the neon market sign out front as part of the historic significance of the neighborhood. Inside you’ll be surprised to find our modern/industrial office space with clean lines juxtaposed against rough brick walls and exposed ceilings.

What is your favorite thing about working in Orange?

We work in a mixed-use community of friendly businesses and residents. It’s like City meets small-town rural. And it’s right off the freeway so anywhere is usually no more than 15 minutes. 

Is your team working fully in the office, or on a hybrid/varied schedule?

We are fully in the office. Our style of working is very collaborative which makes it fun and interactive, and allows everyone here lots of exposure to ideas and contributions to exciting projects.

Is your office open-plan, or subdivided?

Hale Lana House We also have laptops so when it’s nice out, we have the option to unplug and work outside in our garden courtyard with music and ample shade.

What is one book (architectural or non-architectural) that you would recommend to our audience?

Some of us geek out on our favorite sci-fi or fiction novels but since our audience is in architecture, we just picked up “Materials for Design” (1 and 2) by Patrick Rand and Victoria Ballard Bell. Great concepts for any designer to get inspired by in there.

If you organized an office trip to one U.S. building, which would it be?

Olson Kundig’s Hale Lana House in Hawaii. This house blends progressive construction with its sensitive surroundings and timeless design principles… and it gets us a trip to Hawaii…

What does your office ‘sound’ like? Do you listen to music or radio at work, can you hear the city life outside, or is it a place of quiet work?

To relieve the stress of monitoring a playlist, we typically leave it to a satellite radio station with downtempo beats like Massive Attack, Tycho, Bonobo, etc. That said we do have an integrated sound system through the office so new DJs are welcome to apply.

Where is the most popular lunch spot in or around the office?

That’s a hot debate. “The Taco Stand” is a crowd favorite but the options are endless.

What is the most popular design tool in the office?

It’s ever-evolving. Hand sketching will always be highly encouraged but SketchUp is currently an excellent tool for us in early design before we head into design development in Revit.

Tell us about a project you are proud of, whether completed or in progress.

Each project has its story, but one, in particular, is our recently completed “Cordell” in LA. This was not an easy site to build on but the constraints led to one of our most creative end results. A true testament to teamwork within our office and with our talented consultants.

What position(s) are you currently hiring for?

We’re currently looking for an intermediate architect/visualization artist and project manager.

What project(s) are the new team members likely to be working on?

We like people to start assisting on a wide spectrum of projects for the first few months to get a feel for how we do things in different scenarios. Lots of variety in tasks, designs, and clientele, as you hop from project to project.

In three words, how would you sum up McClean Design’s ethos?

Innovate. Sophisticate. Simplify.

Meet Your Next Employer is one of a number of ongoing weekly series showcasing the opportunities available on our industry-leading job board. Our Job Highlights series looks at intriguing and topical employment opportunities currently available on Archinect Jobs, while our weekly roundups curate job opportunities by location, career level, and job description.