Thom Mayne explores a new set of ideas in his first major project for his hometown in 10 years.

In 2004, before the real estate crash, the city of Los Angeles and developer Related Companies had plans for downtown's Grand Avenue that were, well, grand. 

It's probably safe to bet that most architects have designed their dream house—on paper, in their heads—many times over. Bob Hale, of Rios Clementi Hale Studios, was lucky enough to make one of his iterations a reality in Los Angeles's Cheviot Hills neighborhood.

The 28th Street YMCA opened in Los Angeles in 1926 on an upbeat: the Spanish Colonial Revival building offered the African-American community a sparkling recreational facility with an indoor pool and affordable accommodations for young men who were migrating from other regions (and prevented by color barriers from staying at ordinary hotels).

Architect Jon Frishman spent more than a decade building his own 1,400-square-foot home and studio located on a steep parcel in Laurel Canyon, the increasingly pricey Los Angeles neighborhood bordering West Hollywood.

There are any number of reasons to envy Ryan Burns and his wife, Aline Nakashima.

This 2,400 square-foot house is located on a steeply sloped hillside property in the Glassell Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Located on a hillside overlooking the Los Angeles basin, this project had a height limit of 16 feet, to maintain the panoramic views.

A 9,600-square-foot office for Rottet Studio's Los Angeles practice.