At TOLO, we believe that the character of our built environment profoundly affects quality of life, so we work very hard to respond with intelligent, creative solutions, while remaining attentive to the client’s schedule and budget. Our portfolio is diverse, ranging from the design of arts-based projects, to single-family houses, to retail and restaurants, as well as larger projects such as hotels, multi-family housing, and mixed-use projects. Our approach is consistent across this range of projects, each design is developed in close working relations with the client, and with a careful determination of needs and constraints. We see every project as unique, with its own set of questions and opportunities, that demands its own design solution. We are proud that many of our projects have been cited for their level of inventiveness, social vitality, and accomplished craftsmanship in design awards and in publications. Our office space, located in an industrial warehouse in Downtown Los Angeles, contains a fabrication shop, which allows us to test the material characteristics of our designs by means of prototypes and scale models.
First established in 1998, the practice’s early work, led by Peter Tolkin, focused on the revitalization and redevelopment of buildings in Old Pasadena, a historic downtown shopping and entertainment district. Peter’s experience in Pasadena led to work in other cities, such as Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Malibu, and Long Beach. The practice has completed residential, retail and commercial projects throughout the region, including Pasadena's award-winning Saladang Song restaurant, the Sherman Residence in Encino, and the Sunglass House in Malibu. In Merced, the practice designed a series of mixed-use buildings, including retail storefronts and lofts, in conjunction with a comprehensive downtown revitalization. In Claremont, the practice was responsible for the planning of the West Village Expansion, a project encompassing retail, movie theaters, hotel facilities, and a town square. The practice’s winning proposal for the development of a two city block mixed-use project called Metlox in Manhattan Beach created a public space connecting the city’s civic center with its main commercial street. A number of these projects have received awards from the American Institute of Architects and many have been featured in publications such as Domus, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Dwell, Architectural Record, and Interior Design.
Renamed after Sarah Lorenzen joined as principal, TOLO has built on Peter Tolkin’s early success. Recent note-worthy projects include the Veilmetter Gallery in downtown Los Angeles, an art studio complex for a well-known artist, and several new houses in the areas affected by the Woolsey fire.
If you are interested in speaking with us please email us at info@toloarchitecture.com
Principals
Peter Tolkin, AIA
Peter is managing principal of TOLO Architecture. Peter founded the practice, previously called Peter Tolkin Architecture, in 2000. He invited Sarah to join his practice in 2015, and they renamed the firm TOLO Architecture in 2018. At TOLO, Peter advocates for the social and cultural agency of architecture, an approach informed by his prior work as a documentary photographer and his studies with American artists Allan Sekula and Lewis Baltz. Peter first rose to prominence in 2002 when Architectural Record named him one of its ten emerging international “Design Vanguard” architects. Since then his designs have been recognized with numerous AIA awards, a James Beard Foundation award, and with publications in the national and international press including The New York Times, Architectural Record, Dwell, Domus, Abitare, and Interior Design. Peter received a Bachelor of Arts in Art and Art History from UC Santa Cruz, a Master of Fine Arts in Photography from California Institute of the Arts (Cal Arts), and a Master of Architecture from Columbia University. Peter continues to practice photography as a complement to his architectural work.
Peter has served as board member of the Armory Center for the Arts, SASSAS, and AIA Pasadena
Foothill, and he served on Pasadena’s Design Commission
from 2007 to 2010.
Sarah Lorenzen, AIA
Sarah is principal at TOLO Architecture and an architecture professor at Cal Poly Pomona (where she was chair from 2012-2016). Sarah has practiced architecture for more than 25 years, working on a variety of building types including residential, institutional, and arts-related projects. Prior to TOLO Architecture, Sarah worked as a project architect at a number of award-winning firms in Atlanta, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Sarah grew up in Mexico City and moved to the U.S. to attend college. She completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Drawing at Smith College and at the Atlanta College of Art, and has two Master of Architecture degrees, the first from Georgia Institute of Technology and a second Masters in "Metropolitan Research and Design" from Sci-Arc. Sarah has published and edited numerous articles on architecture and urbanism, and she has received multiple design awards and grants including several Graham Foundation grants, a Fulbright Fellowship, and a six-week travel fellowship to China. From 2007-2020 Sarah was director of the Neutra VDL House overseeing the restoration of this National Landmark and developing cultural and arts programming.
Sarah has served on the board member of AIA|LA and its nonprofit arm, ACLA, and was Chair of the Government Outreach Committee. In 2023, she received AIA|LA's Citizen Architect Award and in 2015 she was recognized with AIA|LA’s Educator of the Year Award.
Design Team
Trenman Yau, Senior Project Designer / Project Manager
Trenman has experience in all aspects of design, permitting, and construction administration. Since joining TOLO in 2018, he has managed the design of multiple single-family houses, several adaptive reuse projects, two galleries, a number of large-scale art installations including "Moving Chains," and the studio/gallery complex we designed for the artist Charles Gaines. Trenman received his undergraduate degree from Kentucky University and has a Master of Architecture (M.Arch) degree from UCLA.
Patrick Fromm, Senior Project Designer / Project Manager
Patrick has practiced architecture for almost 15 years, working on a variety of building types including residential and education projects. Prior to joining TOLO Patrick was a project Manager at several architecture and design-build firms in Los Angeles. Patrick has extensive experience preparing drawing sets for permitting and construction, specifying products and materials, coordinating with design consultants, and working with contractors throughout construction. Patrick received his Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) from the University of Kentucky in 2008.
Nyree Vertanessian, Project Designer / Project Manager
Nyree has managed the design, permitting and planning entitlements, and coordination of several of our single-family projects. She also has experience with education and institutional project. One of her school designs received a second-place design award from the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH). She graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) degree from Cal Poly Pomona in 2020 with a minor in Regenerative Studies. In 2019, she participated in Georgia Tech’s year abroad program in Barcelona. She also holds an Associate in Arts, Engineering and Technology from Pasadena City College.
Philana Kim, Project Designer / Project Manager
Philana has experience in all phases of the design process on our single-family residences, arts-related projects, restaurants, and furniture. She is a skilled illustrator, model builder, woodworker and has experience casting concrete and resin. Outside of TOLO she serves on the 2x8 committee for AIA LA’s nonprofit organization Architecture Communities Los Angeles (ACLA). She graduated Cum Laude from Cal Poly Pomona with a Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) degree in 2020.
Marco Zhou, Designer
Marco is in his last year at Cal Poly Pomona and will graduate with a B.Arch in Spring 2024. In 2022-23 he was president of CPP NOMAS and he is currently vice-president of the architecture honor society TSD. He has won a number of scholarships and design awards, including HOK's Diversity X Design Scholarship. Before his education at Cal Poly Pomona, he received an associates degree in architecture at Citrus College.
Holiday Hiking trip and Site Visit in Ojai, CA
Past team members: Hien Nguyen, Brittany Jones, Shirley Hsu, Michael Pickoff, Socrates Medina, Albert Escobar, Ismaelly Pena, Denise Nugent, Parker Ammann, Lucia Sanjuan, Chris Crolle, Jeremy Schacht, Angela Uriu, Maria Iwanicki, Nuri Miller, Christopher Girt, Ted Rubenstein, Dina Lopez, Matthew Trujillo, Bill Bungartz, Josh Avina, Alex Hernandez, Harold Ornelas, Natalie Magarian.
We are looking for a highly motivated Job Captain (minimum of 5 years experience) to collaborate with us on a variety of single-family residential, commercial, and arts-related projects (arts spaces and installations in collaboration with artists).
Job Captain:
Candidate should have excellent technical and design skills, enjoy working collaboratively, and be capable of managing multiple projects with support from TOLO Principals (Peter and Sarah) and others in the office. Candidate should have a minimum of five years construction documents experience, experience with Construction Administration, and have an interest in non-standard design and construction detailing. We are especially interested in people that have experience with custom single-family projects and small commercial/hospitality projects.
Desired Qualifications:
- Professional Bachelor or Master of Architecture degree
- 5 years minimum of full-time work experience, including experience leading Construction Documents, experience with Construction Administration, and processing documents with the building/planning department.
- Excellent design and graphic skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, fluency in English.
- Skilled in the use of Rhino, AutoCAD, Revit, and Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Indesign, Illustrator).
- Currently lives in greater Los Angeles (Note: we do not provide sponsorship for international applicants).
Please include a resume, relevant work samples, the names of 2-3 references with contact info as a pdf document (10 mb maximum) in an email addressed to: info@toloarchitecture.com
Please write “Job Captain at TOLO” in the subject line. Salary will be commensurate with ability and experience.
No telephone calls please.
Address: TOLO Architecture, 1024 Wilde Street, Los Angeles, California, 90021
Phone: 1 213 278 0678
Email: info@toloarchitecture.com
Excellence Award, Residential Concrete Building Category, Southern California Concrete Producers, Sunglass House
Award of Excellence, Design Concept Category, Los Angeles Business Council, Pasadena Bike Transit Center
Merit Award, American Institute of Architects, Pasadena / Foothill Chapter, Metlox Development
Merit Award, American Institute of Architects, Pasadena / Foothill Chapter, Marmion Court Housing
Excellence in Design Award, Architecture Category, City of Claremont Architectural Commission, Claremont Village Square
Excellence in Design Award, Public Art Category, City of Claremont Architectural Commission, Claremont Village Square Fountain
Merit Award, American Institute of Architects, Sunglass House
Honor Award, American Institute of Architects, Pasadena / Foothill Chapter, Saladang Song Restaurant
Certificate of Recognition, California State Assembly, Saladang Song Restaurant
Architectural Record’s international “Design Vanguard”
Citation Award, American Institute of Architects, Los Angeles Chapter, Saladang Song Restaurant
Restaurant Design Award, James Beard Foundation, Saladang Song Restaurant
Creative Design Award, Pasadena Beautiful Foundation, Saladang Song Restaurant
Excellence Award, Southern California Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Sherman Residence
Whittier Conservancy Award, Flag Shop
Long Beach Historic Society Award, Z-Gallerie
Sarah Lorenzen to participate on the panel discussion: “Navigating Institutional Hierarchies in Development, Design & Education,” with Gabrielle Bullock, Mia Lehrer, Heather Roberge, Michelle Morehead, and Sarah Lorenzen. The panel held on Wednesday, June 28, focuses on the panelists career trajectories and meanders and provides practical advice for women to progress in the industry.