Southern California architecture studio ShubinDonaldson has been renamed Donaldson + Partners following the departure of Founding Partner Russell Shubin. The firm, based in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, was founded in 1991 by Shubin alongside Robin Donaldson, who remains as a Founding Partner, Design Director, and Head of Studio, alongside Partner and Managing Director Mark Hershman.

“As Donaldson + Partners, we remain committed to delivering the same extraordinary architecture we have been privileged to create as ShubinDonaldson,” the firm said in an update on its website. “We wish Russell Shubin all the best as he departs for new endeavors and thank him for his contribution to the success of ShubinDonaldson.”

“It’s relatively easy to start a partnership, but it’s a lot harder to end or alter a partnership many years later,” Donaldson told Archinect in an email when asked about valuable lessons learned from a restructuring process at the firm leadership after more than three decades in practice. “Communication and robust operating agreements are essential for structuring collaborative endeavors that will not last forever. We all grow, evolve, and re-prioritize as our careers continue to respond to an ever-changing social and economic environment. My recommendation is always the same; communicate and anticipate all possible inevitabilities…in writing!”

The rebranding comes weeks after the firm unveiled their completed restoration of Richard Neutra’s Mariners Medical Arts building in Orange County. The project for client Burnham-Ward Properties sought to bring the three-pavilion design as close to its original appearance as possible, with key elements including the re-installation of water features that had been removed in the early 1970s.

Other new projects currently in the studio's pipeline include a private house in Wyoming, a number of residential buildings across Los Angeles, and a facility "dedicated to new computational advancements," Donaldson told us.

Back in May 2023, meanwhile, the firm was featured as part of our ongoing Meet Your Next Employer series, where we showcased five unique workspace projects by the studio.

Donaldson + Partners is one of several recent high-profile rebrandings in the design world. Earlier this year, HermanMiller debuted a new modernist rebrand inspired by the company’s 1960s-era experimentations. In September 2023, meanwhile, James Corner Field Operations announced a name change and restructuring, while in April, Deborah Berke Partners relaunched as TenBerke.