Hopson Rodstrom Design is an architecture studio happily entrenched in design at all scales. From architecture and urban planning, to interiors, furniture, and household objects, H/RD seeks relevant, impactful design solutions born from clever and sensitive simplicity.

It is our aim to strike a balance between the desire to be serious and sincere while maintaining a joyful (almost bemused) appreciation of the wonderful and endless possibilities in the human experience and built environment. We strive to weave into any context and to have as minimal an environmental footprint as possible.

Our process is similar to our work; it changes with every project but is underpinned by a low-fi, intuitive, non-linear approach. We utilize a combination of hand-sketching,
being on site, conversations, research, modeling and marinating things on the shelf to reach a consensus on a design solution. We tackle design equally from the inside out and outside-in. We often pass projects between partners, where we find switching between creating, curating and critiquing can lead to synergistic results. We use technology and digital tools to support our effort, but we aren’t beholden to them. Our focus is always on the final product; we reject flashy or overwrought representation and models and instead rely on modest and minimal imagery to sell an idea as a means to an end. Materiality, color, light and texture are each integral to our work. We embrace locally available and modest materials and construction techniques wherever possible and look to use them in simple, honest ways. We obsess over the path of the sun and seek to harvest its rays in a multitude of ways. We aren’t afraid to use color, but we aren’t afraid to not use it either.

We value the power of dialogue, collaboration and respect for a spectrum of experiences, beliefs and tastes. We carefully consider the local context, stakeholder input and project specifics to respond with a carefully crafted and wildly unexpected design solution.

Professionally, Nick Hopson and Klara Rodstrom share extensive experience in both Los Angeles and New York with a variety of design-driven practices (LOHA, wHY, Standard, Leeser Architecture, Work AC, kDA, Sander Architects, Tighe Architecture, amongst others). Both are graduates of Columbia University GSAPP and USC School of Architecture. A shared experience with a wide variety of project types and scales, ranging from large institutional museum, theater, gallery, and academic projects, to fashion, retail, hospitality, and single-family, multi-family, affordable, and mixed-use housing enables H/RD to bring fresh and varied perspectives to each and every project scale. Nicholas Hopson is a registered architect in California.