Meet LUOYA TU | Architect & Developer

We had the good fortune of connecting with LUOYA TU and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi LUOYA, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Looking back, I realize that I am undoubtedly a risk-taker.

Before I made the leap, I was on an upward trajectory in my architectural career in Beijing. However, I chose to leave everything I had built behind, using my life savings and a substantial personal loan to enroll in the graduate program at UCLA. Trusting my instincts, I started from scratch in the U.S. after graduation, seizing any opportunities to survive during the 2008 financial crisis, when it was extremely challenging for a foreigner on a visa to find an entry-level architectural designer job.

With little money in the bank, I launched Archimorphic following the abrupt closure of the previous firm I worked for. During that time, I was so overwhelmed with tasks that I hardly had the chance to acknowledge my fears. It’s a cliché to say that there is tremendous value in taking risks when founding a business. However, I believe it’s crucial to be brave while also understanding your comfort level with risk.

In life, risk and luck often coexist, and no one can predict what will happen next. Knowing your tolerance for risk is essential, especially when facing life-changing events like starting your own business. Some people feel more comfortable having two years’ worth of savings to fall back on in case things go awry. There is no one-size-fits-all advice; this is a personal and psychological journey that we each must navigate on our own.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I was born during a transformative period in China, shortly after the country embarked on economic reforms in the early 1980s. The economic challenges of my early years remain vivid in my memory, even as society around me evolved rapidly. Growing up in a small southern city with hardworking and talented parents, I developed a pragmatic mindset alongside big aspirations. Like many of their generation, my parents were learning to navigate the new economic landscape while working tirelessly to provide for our family. They encouraged academic excellence without imposing rigid expectations, giving me the freedom to dream and shape my own path. Since high school, I’ve aspired to run my own architectural design studio. I even outlined a detailed plan in my journal: to graduate from a top architecture school and establish my firm by age 30.

In late 2015, I seized the opportunity to bring that dream to life by founding Archimorphic, an architecture design firm specializing in designing international large-scale, mixed-use, and residential projects. Archimorphic is a collaborative practice committed to enhancing living experiences and fostering innovative thinking in the built environment. We excel at integrating artistic vision with practical solutions, resulting in unique, forward-thinking designs. Our commitment to advancing architecture through digital technologies has earned us numerous prestigious accolades, including the German Design Award, International Design Award, MIPIM Award, and Asia Pacific Property Awards, among many others.

Navigating the ever-changing economic climate is particularly challenging as a business owner. Just four years into our journey, the 2020 pandemic brought major disruption. Drawing on our international experience, Archimorphic pivoted to focus on local residential projects, responding to the surge in housing demand in California. The transition was painful but ultimately rewarding. As the economy recovered, our work in housing led to the creation of Epilocus, a boutique real estate development firm focused on small-scale urban infill projects. Over the past three years, we have successfully acquired and developed several high-profile properties, delivering much-needed, high-quality housing.

As an architect-developer working at the intersection of design and development, I lead Archimorphic and Epilocus as a collaborative team of professionals united by a shared mission: to build small-scale projects that are healthy, authentic, and resilient. Our designs are guided by a future-oriented vision, not just financial formulas. Building small is often more difficult and time-consuming than large-scale development, but it is also more adaptable, sustainable, and better suited to today’s rapidly changing world. Our approach enables us to deliver projects that are less risky, more pragmatic, and more cost-effective. For our investors, these developments offer greater value and higher yield per acre than conventional projects.

I believe perseverance and resilience are vital to long-term business success. The fields of design and development are inherently demanding, requiring not only deep professional expertise but also strong business acumen—skills that are often difficult to cultivate through traditional career paths. Success in these industries demands a lifetime of learning, adaptation, and dedication.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Day 1: Down Town area, Hollywood walk of fame, TCL Chinese Theater, Griffith observatory
Day 2: Getty center & Santa Monica area
Day 3: Central LA, LAMCA, The Grove, Beverly Hills
Day 4: Universal Studio
Day 5: Disney Land
Day 6: Disney Land
Day 7: Coastal line and The Palos Verdes Peninsula

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
One book that has profoundly impacted me is The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel. It has provided me with a fresh perspective on money, emphasizing that what truly matters is our behavior toward it, rather than just the amount of knowledge we possess. The book reinforces my beliefs about saving, maintaining discipline in spending, and overcoming the fears associated with risk-taking in business—encouraging a mindset of optimism and foresight. Ultimately, things are not always as they appear; they can be neither as bad nor as good as they seem.

Website: https://www.archimorphic.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archimorphic/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/17970770

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/archimorphic-los-angeles?osq=archimorphic

Image Credits
(Personal Photo) Photographer Elin Shu