Meet Oonagh Ryan | Architect

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

Hi Oonagh, how do you think about risk?
Risk has been a defining force that’s shaped my life and career. Growing up in a small townland in Ireland, my dream of becoming an architect led me to take several bold steps to where I am today. Inspired by Frank Gehry’s work, I risked a journey from Ireland to LA during a recession when I won a green card in the lottery on the day I graduated from university.

Navigating the recession in LA was not easy and I secured my first architectural job through a daring jump into an internship at Frederick Fisher & Partners while I was still a full time waitress. Over the next several years I took several leaps of faith – marriage, firm leadership at Koning Eizenberg, and buying a home against financial odds.

Looking back, the biggest risk I took was coming out of the 2008 recession when I decided to leave a job I loved just to see where life would take me. I took on some house remodels to pay the mortgage and buy me time to find the perfect job, not realizing until a couple of years later that I had unintentionally birthed my own architecture and interiors firm – ORA.

Each risk, from my LA adventures, to my personal and professional endeavors has defined my journey both as a woman, a partner and an architect. My willingness to try things on, keep pushing forward no matter what, as well as not being afraid to fail or worrying about what people think of me has given me a life that I love, filled with unexpected opportunities and successes.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I see good design as a way of life, an all-encompassing philosophy that drives my personal life and how I approach my work. I enjoy working on projects with a high level of detail, often marrying architecture and interiors to create contemporary, thoughtful spaces that are both playful and practical and speak to the people they’re built for.

I formally launched ORA in 2014 from a desire to grow a small creative architecture and design studio where I could be hands-on, and involved in all aspects of the work. My team is a tight-knit group whose design approach is founded on listening carefully, working collaboratively and communicating clearly. We understand that our work has a ripple effect and that it’s our responsibility to ensure our impact is one that makes a positive difference to all. We love what we do, and we do it because we love the people, the craft and the opportunities that architecture and design offers. And that joy is infused within the spirit of the spaces we create.

Architecture is a difficult profession and it’s crucial for us to understand every facet of a building to be able to coordinate all the details; from planning, to exterior waterproofing, to the cabinet pulls. It’s a never-ending cycle of ever-changing information, and it’s a challenge to always be on top of the latest information. We are continuously learning and sharing knowledge, both internally and externally with colleagues, as well as lots of lessons learned from seeing our work get built. We’ve learned along the way that having a trusting client and a collaborative contractor who believes in our design as much as we do is key to delivering a successful project.

In 2021 we were awarded the Presidential Honor for the Emerging Practice of the year by the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Institute of Architects Los Angeles. This prestigious award recognized our ability to create change in the Los Angeles region through design as well as our valuable contributions to the profession of architecture. This award came during the pandemic and looking back it was a great moment in time to reflect on our accomplishments and redefine what’s important to us as we continue to grow and build more work.

Today our thriving studio is located in DTLA’s Arts District. We collaborate on diverse projects (that often encompass architecture, interiors and furniture design) with ambitious clients and communities to shape spaces that reflect how we want to live: intelligent, enduring, joyful. We are fueled by curiosity, always seeking to go beyond the expected creating body of work that is truly innovative. We believe that good design solves problems, but great design unlocks potential.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Los Angeles has so much to offer, I could never capture it all. Some of my favorite spots include:

-The Seaview Lane walk in Mt Washington where I live, it’s a quiet trail and the views are spectacular.
-A weekend favorite is playing tennis in Griffith Park followed by coffee at Trails Cafe.
-Another great breakfast spot is Highly Likely.
-We love the California coast, but not the crowds, so we tend to drive to the beaches in northern Malibu or Ventura. But my absolute favorite beaches are along the wild coastline of Sea Ranch in Northern California because they remind me of Ireland.
-Another favorite is sharing oysters and a glass of wine at the Oyster Gourmet Kiosk, then taking Angels Flight up to see the latest show at the Broad Museum.
-I love being above the City at sunset for happy hour at the Wilshire Grand Hotel. It’s 70-floors up and the views of LA are spectacular.
-Our studio is in the Arts District which has so many great things to do. Hauser & Wirth Gallery always has a good show and it’s free! Follow up with a cocktail at the bar at Manuela and a visit to Hennessy & Ingalls bookstore nearby for a great afternoon.
-We’ve designed some great restaurants and bars in LA and they’re always fun to visit. Take a cheese tasting class at Agnes Pasadena, or a Sunday Wine Tasting at Esters in Santa Monica or stop by Uchi in West Hollywood, our newest restaurant for an amazing omakase sushi tasting dinner.
-My favorite new bars to grab a glass of wine and snacks are two small neighborhood spots – Barra Santos in Cypress Park and Dunsmoor Bar in Glassell Park.

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?
I would not be where I am today without these amazing people in my life –

My former employers who over the course of 12-years gave me the life-skills needed to be a considerate, pragmatic architect who is not afraid to tackle design problems head on.
My husband of 24-years who is my rock and who makes everything in my life possible.
My work partner of 10-years whose talent and vision pushes me (and our clients) to create spaces that are beyond the expected.

Website: ora.la

Instagram: ora.la_arch

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ora-architecture-design

Image Credits
Eric Staudenmaier