Category: Member Spotlight

Haleh is a licensed Architect in the state of California. She has over 13 years of experience in commercial and residential design. She brings her comprehensive and detail-oriented approach to each project. Haleh’s experience blends expertise in Interior Architecture and Architecture. Her diverse background includes a variety of buildings and project typologies. Haleh’s design and problem-solving aptitude have been a great asset in the delivery of complex projects.  In the high profile and complex luxury fitness club Equinox San Francisco, Haleh fulfilled the roles as Project Architect.  Her superb collaboration capabilities and acute responsiveness builds a strong relationship with clients, consultants, and contractors. She is an Associate at RDC working on multiple high-end and complex projects as well as roll-out project. During her time at Patrick Tighe Architecture, she worked on boutique workplace headquarters and luxury contemporary residential projects. Her work at Arya Development Group, established a foundation in high end construction delivery. In compliment to her architectural career, Haleh has a deep passion for innovation and R+D.  She invested her research focus on robotic fabrication and composite tectonics. Her university research work was awarded the Henry Adams Award distinction and her work was exhibited internationally in the Centre Pompidou in Paris, France.

LinkedIn Personal Tag: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haleh-johnson-aia-75634134/

Rick Meghiddo, AIA, is an architect and filmmaker of architectural documentaries. He and his wife Ruth are the principals and founders of Meghiddo  Architects (https://meghiddoarchitects.com/). Through short films, writing, and lecturing, he brings his “architect’s eye” to help both non-professionals and professionals to better understand the meaning, value, and complexities of architecture and art.

“Since the early 1970s, Ruth and I have tried to maintain our architectural practice to be consistently innovative, socially oriented, environmentally responsible, and aesthetic. Knowing multiple languages helped us to cross-cultural barriers. We also traveled extensively throughout Europe and the Americas to see great architecture. Sideways took me to teach urban design and coordinate research on artificial islands at Israel’s Technion. I also taught a class on the history of architecture at UCI. In 2002 we settled in Long Beach, and I was chosen by Mayor O’Neill as a Board Member of the Redevelopment Agency. Since my student days, a passion for cinema led me in 2012 to start producing architecture documentaries. What began as a hobby led me to make over one hundred short films. Last year I was awarded six Official Selections in film festivals and a Gold Special Mention. Although we live in a challenging time, I am optimistic for the long-term future. Architecture will be critical in solving many of the problems of population growth, climate change, and limited resources. And it is my belief that it will once again inspire and lead future generations toward a better world.”

Website: https://meghiddoarchitects.com/

Filmography: https://archidocu.com/

Facebook Personal Tag: https://www.facebook.com/rick.meghiddo

Instagram Personal Tag: https://www.instagram.com/rickmeghiddo/

LinkedIn Personal Tag: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickmeghiddo/

Twitter Personal Tag: https://twitter.com/RickMeghiddo

Asia is an architect and builder. She is the founder and principal of archemy.LA, a design-build firm focused on building spaces for busy people with an eye for good design. archemy.LA consists of a team of passionate individuals, architects, designers, and contractors, who make every project a personal one. Each project focuses on evoking the personalities of the people that inhabit it. Asia brings many years of experience and a multi-cultural perspective to building homes, outdoor spaces, and interiors. Her love of contemporary and mid-century design, combined with strong project management skills, allows her to put all the pieces together to make not only efficient and functional homes but also dazzling ones. Asia is a “serial immigrant” and has lived in Europe, Africa, Australia, and now the USA, where she resides in Hermosa Beach with her husband, three big kids, and three friendly cats. When not absorbed by all things related to architecture and construction, she takes every spare opportunity to soak up the South Bay’s sunshine, ocean breezes, and salty water. She runs, swims, bikes, and loves to read.

Read more about Asia and her firm, archemy.LA in the Design Showcases 2021 edition of Southbay HOME, as well as the May 1, 2022, edition of Southbay HOME digital magazine.

After decades as a recognized architect in Europe and the United States, Ruth Meghiddo has expanded her focus to the urban blueprint and its potential to address both local and global challenges. Ruth founded Farm Urbana as part of Meghiddo Architects, AIA to provide her expertise as a certified permaculture designer. Ruth has practiced architecture in Rome, Tel Aviv, and southern California with an accomplished portfolio ranging from single-family homes to large-scale housing and urban design. She created site-specific artworks, sculptural ceramics, paintings, and digital prints as an artist. Her affinity to Frank Lloyd Wright’s philosophy of Organic Architecture led her to incorporate her artworks during architectural design development in a strategic way. Some of her firm’s projects carry the in-print of her site-specific artwork. In 2012, she expanded her focus from the built environment to urban farming and local food production as a wake-up call for what we can do as architects to minimize the carbon impact and improve people’s life. Her works include educating stakeholders and explaining how her vision can have measurable results on local communities. Her experience goes from garden-farm design to large-scale permaculture master planning design. Her present-day passion for permaculture aims to transform a city lifestyle by creating food-growing areas closer to the people’s residences. Meghiddo was inspired by Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s dream of converting Paris into a “fifteen-minute city,” which has led to major pedestrian-oriented design transformations throughout the city. This short video illustrates Farm Urbana’s vision for a future that embraces permaculture design with eco-friendly urban communities that grow nutritious food locally, recycle waste, and minimize the carbon footprint. It is how we can contribute to becoming more socially and environmentally responsible.

Ruth Meghiddo, AIA Meghiddo Architects – Farm Urbana