RIOS

International multidisciplinary design collective working to amplify the impact of innovative design. For more information visit www.rios.com

RIOS is an international design collective working beyond boundaries to inventively combine disciplines and amplify the impact of design. Combined, our talents comprise a wide range of professional skills including architecture, landscape, urban planning, interior design, video, graphics and signage, and experiential and product design. Our work is irreversibly connected to the narrative of place

and the complex order of human culture, creating solutions that are joyful, authentic, and unexpected. Our projects are diverse, including commercial, civic, hospitality, institutional, and residential.

04/24/2026

Good things grow when you share them. 🌿

Our offices celebrated Earth Day with a propagation happy hour — swapping cuttings, rooting plants, and sending everyone home with something new to grow.

Propagation is the practice of growing new plants from a cutting of an existing one, no seeds required. Understanding how plants grow and reproduce grounds us in the ecosystems we design for. It reminds us what landscape architecture is about: connecting people to nature, to each other, and to the plants that bring us together.

04/14/2026

The best landscapes are always in action. They spark joy, build community, and transform the way we experience nature. That’s the power of landscape architecture. ⁠
⁠

04/01/2026

Behind every landscape in action is a designer who believes in the role of landscapes to positively impact everyday life.⁠
⁠
Scroll to hear from our landscape architects on what the craft means to them and how we design landscapes that shape how we move, gather and adapt. ⁠
⁠
Full video at the link in bio. ⁠
⁠

03/16/2026

This International Women’s Month, voices from across RIOS share words that describe the women who inspire us every day.

03/12/2026

What makes a sports and entertainment destination alive with energy year-round? One that works for everyone, on game days and every day in between. ⁠
⁠
Our master plan for the West End Mixed-Use District around ’s TQL Stadium is designed as an adaptable public district: flexible plazas, ground-floor retail, a performance venue, and programming that invites the community in.⁠
⁠
Learn more about how we’re revitalizing Cincinnati‘s West End at the link in bio.⁠
⁠

01/14/2026

How do we design places that inspire wonder? This question guides RIOS as we shape environments that invite discovery, spark curiosity, and create shared experiences.⁠
⁠
Wonder matters because it has measurable benefits. Research shows it reduces stress, strengthens social connection, and boosts creativity.⁠
⁠
We experience wonder through the senses. It can emerge through light and atmosphere, nature and seasonal change, and forms and materials that feel unexpected and inviting. From landscapes and gathering places at the urban scale to the smallest details we interact with every day, we design for wonder to create spaces that feel alive, layered, and worth returning to. ⁠
⁠
For us, wonder is a design framework across scales, reminding us to look closer, ask questions, and design places that restore connection to each other and to the world around us.⁠
⁠
Read “The Roadmap to Wonder”. Link in bio.⁠
⁠
RIOS

10/14/2025

We are celebrating 40 years of RIOS.⁠
⁠
Since our founding in 1985, RIOS has been driven by a powerful belief: overlooked spaces can become transformative places. What began as a practice has grown into a global design collective of across six international offices, united by the goal of creating profound connections through interdisciplinary design.⁠
⁠
This milestone is a testament to our people—the architects, landscape architects, designers, and innovators who bring bold ideas to life.⁠
⁠
Our journey is guided by values that are as relevant today as they were four decades ago:⁠
⁠
● Joy & Audacity: We meet design with optimism and are driven by a bold vision to seek the unknown .⁠
● Inclusivity & Attunement: Our strength comes from diverse worldviews and a deep awareness of place, people, and culture .⁠
● Resiliency & Authenticity: We adapt to a changing world with creativity, turning challenges into holistic opportunities with courageous ideas.⁠
⁠
Thank you to our incredible team, clients, and partners for being part of our story. We are excited to continue harnessing change and creating extraordinary experiences for the future.⁠

Graphic by:
⁠

09/08/2025

RIOS believes the power of a sports district lies in its ability to act as a catalyst for the community around it. Our approach moves beyond the event-day crowd to build a 24/7 destination that resonates with the authentic character of its context. Through regenerative placemaking and dynamic programming that activates districts year-round, we create an environment where people don’t just come for a game, but choose to stay for the life and energy that defines the streets every day.⁠
⁠
Image 1-2: West-End Mixed Use District introduces modern amenities and public spaces anchored by FC Cincinnati‘s TQL Stadium.⁠
Image 3-4: The 1901 Project reimagines the United Center Campus to revitalize and reconnect neighborhoods in Chicago’s West Side.⁠
Image 5-6: Pingshan Sports Park dissolves the boundaries between athletic infrastructure and community life in Eastern Shenzhen.⁠
⁠
Learn more about RIOS‘ approach to district planning. Link in bio.⁠
⁠

08/29/2025

GreenStreet redefines urban living by reimagining an existing three-block mall into Downtown Houston’s experience-driven district. The design creates a vibrant destination where brands, spaces, and local culture converge to tell a distinctly Houstonian story. A dynamic mix of local makers, celebrated cuisine, and live music within engaging retail spaces sparks wonder and invites sensory exploration, shifting the district’s identity from a place of transaction to one of authentic connection. ⁠
⁠
As one of several projects advancing the collective effort to revitalize Downtown Houston, GreenStreet is situated within the Downtown Houston Public Realm Action Plan, a blueprint RIOS took part in developing to enhance street-level vibrancy by improving walkability and climate comfort.⁠
⁠
By crafting an environment where people genuinely want to be, GreenStreet has the potential to drive significant value—attracting premium tenants, increasing foot traffic, and fostering a thriving ecosystem of commerce and community.⁠
⁠
Renders by SAN⁠
⁠

06/06/2025

Traditional design relies on established typologies—predefined categories that often become obsolete as cities transform, cultures shift, and climates change. At RIOS, we question our crutches and shake our assumptions, designing for relevancy and not redundancy to find critical innovation in our work.⁠
⁠
This approach comes to life in our work. The Spotify Los Angeles Content Campus reimagines the office from a fixed environment, into a fluid, responsive work ecosystem that has been able to transform with Spotify and its workplace culture.⁠
⁠
The Pingshan Sports Park Competition in Shenzhen, China questions if a stadium can evolve beyond a single-purpose venue into an integrated piece of urban fabric. By embedding a network of recreation spaces and dissolving the boundaries between sport and daily life, an occasional destination becomes a constant contributor of urban vitality. ⁠
⁠
At The Museum of History and Future in Turku in Finland, we propose that the traditional museum where visitors passively observe can transform into a participatory social hub, where flexible exhibits and communal spaces invite visitors to meet, gather, and play.⁠
⁠
Visit the link in our bio to learn more about RIOS‘ guiding design principles.

05/28/2025

Lynn Wyatt Square for the Performing Arts has been recognized with two distinctions, a Special Mention in the A+Awards in the Architecture + Renewal category, and the Jury Grand Prize in the Landscape Category at the Designverse Awards—celebrating its transformation from a former concrete heat island into Houston’s climate-resilient civic oasis.⁠
⁠
The plaza serves as a dynamic gateway for the Theater District, where fluid topography and adaptive landscapes blur boundaries between performance space and natural environment. Articulating a spatial narrative inspired by performing arts, 19% of hardscaping is replaced with shaded greenery with a 60% expansion in seating capacity creating a comfortable environment for spontaneous community gatherings. ⁠
⁠
More than an award-winning project, Lynn Wyatt Square is a testament to how intentional design can achieve environmental and social revitalization. By extending cultural institutions into the public realm, it invites broader audiences to connect with the arts, creating a climate responsive and culturally vibrant destination.⁠
⁠
Master Planning, Landscape Architects, Design Architects, Urban Design, and Experience Design: RIOS⁠
Executive Landscape Architect for Planting Design: ⁠
Executive Architects: ⁠
Contractor: Manhattan Construction Company⁠
Structural Engineer: Henderson Rogers Structural Engineer⁠
MEP Engineer: E&C Engineering⁠
Civil Engineer: ⁠
Water Feature: Fluidity⁠
Furniture: ⁠
Programming: .la⁠
AV/IT: Jaffe Holden⁠
Lighting Design: ⁠
Waterproofing: ⁠
Streetscape & Mobility: Traffic Engineering Inc.⁠
⁠

Address

3101 W Exposition Place
Los Angeles, CA
90018

Telephone

+13237851800

Website

http://www.rios.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when RIOS posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to RIOS:

Shortcuts

Want your business to be the top-listed Contractor in Los Angeles?