DFH Architects

DFH Architects is a full-service, award-winning firm with over twenty years experience. We strive to blend artistic vision with sustainable design.

DFH ARCHITECTS is an independent, award-winning architecture firm with over twenty years experience. Founded by David Forbes Hibbert, we strive to blend artistic vision with sustainable design. We take a "big picture" approach with an emphasis on community values and sound project economics. Because we have a high percentage of licensed architects, we are able to tackle difficult entitlements, zon

ing and building codes with ease. This has helped earn DFH Architects a strong network of loyal clients with projects all over the Southland, from the greater Los Angeles area to Long Beach and San Diego. We offer full architectural services, from custom interiors to large-scale offices and housing projects. Some of our best-known work includes the Universal Music Headquarters in Santa Monica, the Skechers Headquarters in Manhattan Beach, the Whole Foods on Wilshire Boulevard and the k2LA Apartments in Koreatown.

05/13/2026

We are excited that construction has started on our first of a handful of 100% affordable housing projects that we have in the works. This 7-story project includes 70 residential units with ground floor management office and classroom as well as a large roof deck. The project utilizes the Large Family Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.

04/27/2026

Construction is beginning on the adaptive reuse conversion of this 13-story office building, originally IBM’s Headquarters in Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. The ARO conversion will result in retaining the ground floor commercial spaces and adding 260 new residential units and over 15,000 square feet of amenity space including racquetball, fitness center, game and karaoke rooms and an outdoor amenity deck.

01/28/2026

We are under construction with an adaptive reuse conversion of a single-story multipurpose commercial building, built in 1985, into five one and two bedroom dwelling units, a tenant lounge area, and an entirely new building facade facing the street for SGI-USA. This is one of the first projects processed through the City of Santa Monica’s Adaptive Reuse Ordinance, that went into effect in October or 2024, and shows how empty or underused commercial spaces can become much needed housing for our city.
structural: Ghanim Structural Engineering
MEP: Alliance Energy Partners

01/06/2026

From all of us at DFH Architects, we wish you a Happy New Year full of greatness.

08/14/2025

Our co-living project, LUCA, is now open and leasing up! There are 28 residential units with 140 beds/baths and an abundance of various amenity spaces including multiple co-working spaces, meeting rooms, office center, fitness center, screening room, courtyards and three roof deck areas. We want to give a big thanks to for giving our office a tour of the finished product.

04/17/2025

Sandwiched between the San Diego Bay and Balboa Park, this Bankers Hill apartment project is an exciting addition to the neighborhood. The Spanish-modern styled apartment building is 6 stories with ground floor parking and 29 residential units and is part of the Complete Communities Housing Solutions Program providing affordable housing. The ground floor has a small commercial space and, of course, an amazing roof deck amenity for the residents to soak in the amazing views.

02/24/2025

We are honored to announce that our Skechers Design Center and Executive Office Buildings have won silver awards for Architectural Excellence and Best New Headquarters at the 2025 Commercial Real Estate Awards for the . These buildings are part of the larger vision of Skechers’ South Bay Campus that is bringing notoriety to this area along the Pacific Coast Highway.

Congratulations to the talented and hard working team: .usa

01/13/2025

Our hearts break for our community and everyone in it. We are with you, we are here for you! If your business was affected by the fires, the is hosting a free zoom workshop on January 14, 2025 with resources on how to get help! Please find the link to register in our bio.

12/23/2024

DFH wishes you all a happy holiday season! We are thankful for the clients, design teams and collaborators we’ve had the opportunity to work with this year and can’t wait to continue these relationships to create some amazing projects in 2025!

11/21/2024

Thanks, , for featuring our mixed use project at 1399 Olympic Blvd in Santa Monica, CA. Although in a somewhat industrial area of town, this site is an ideal location to add 222 residential units being across the street from a park and only blocks away from the metro line.
rendering by
landscape architecture by LINK Landscape Architecture

11/04/2024

As residential units are in high demand and commercial office needs are declining, clients like ours are looking to convert the vacant office space into housing. We are working on an adaptive reuse project on Wilshire Blvd. in this 13-story former IBM HQ constructed in 1958 by architects Pereira & Luckman. The conversion adds 260 new live/work units while still keeping the ground floor retail use. Future resident amenity spaces includes a 3rd floor residential courtyard, co-working space, fitness center, racquetball courts and karaoke!
Image #1 is the building facade of today. Image #2 is the original 1958 IBM Headquarters by Pereira & Luckman. Image #3 is of the building remodel done in the 1980’s.

Address

1544 20th Street
Santa Monica, CA
90404

Telephone

+13103944045

Website

https://www.dfhaia.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when DFH Architects 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 DFH Architects:

Shortcuts

Want your business to be the top-listed Contractor in Santa Monica?