Meet Parinaz Behbahani: Architectural Designer and Entrepreneur

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

Hi Parinaz, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I believe success is an internal measurement. You can be the most successful person in the eyes of others but internally not satisfied at all. That is because success must be defined for yourself. It could be defined doing something you love, attempting to move forward or in my case, it is being creative with the goal of giving back. I absolutely believe in understanding each space or object’s use before starting the design process. Once I fully understand the use & purpose, I always ask myself” now, how can I make an impact? How can I change for the better? What do I want to achieve?” pBinovs is not only born with creativity and understanding use but also one of its main goals is bringing back the handcrafted & personalized touch to our homes. As the digital world progresses, & we increasingly have more new gadgets & machine-made disposable items around us, bringing back the handcrafted touch & long-lasting quality, has been essential in my creation. Working with my own hands to create is definitely success for me…!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
With a Masters degree in Architecture, over 12 years of experience as an Architectural designer & actively working at Gensler, a global design & architecture firm, has given me the opportunity to work on amazing projects, experiencing the “never been seen before” designs, scales & materials. As we go deeper into technology and new softwares, we can design almost anything with just a few clicks of a button. From exotic materials to prefab 3d printed structures. Is this satisfying? Well, it is amazing to be able to design without limits with total precision with technology, but we are moving too far away from our nature. While deep into technology and large-scale projects, I also needed to go back & start using my own hands on intimate pieces. To feel the beauty and character of organic materials and to let them change the mood in space. The handcrafted mood and touch. Each material comes with its own fascinating personality. I focused on core building materials; wood, stone and concrete. Wood adds a touch of warmth. It also has healing powers to reduce stress. Stone adds a touch of luxury and it transfers confidence and power. Concrete adds a touch of the outdoors while carrying authenticity. I love to let the material drive the form with its texture, color, limitations & capabilities. The natural materials and the clean forms have also helped the seamless transition of indoor- outdoor living which has been promoted even more since the pandemic. I personally create pieces that I can use, in my own home, every day, for any occasion… I hope you enjoy them too…!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
With California’s amazing weather, we just want to be outdoors all the time. As soon as we wake up I will setup a yummy breakfast in the garden with homemade waffles, pancakes & grab fresh baguettes and croissants from the French bakery “Moulin”. After breakfast, we will head to the mountains for a beautiful hike to the top of the world, Laguna Beach where you can enjoy a gorgeous scenery of the ocean. As we walk down to downtown Laguna beach you will start to see unique boutiques and restaurants in between inspiring art galleries. By then, it is time for lunch at one of my favorite restaurants in Laguna Beach which has replaced the romantic Victor Hugo Inn in 1979, “Las Brisas”. There, you are just steps away from the beach. Spend the afternoon on the warm sand and energize at one of the more local beaches called “The thousand steps”. Now we are reaching my favorite time of day, afternoon coffee time. So many lovely coffee shops close by, but I would go to the lobby lounge at the Montage hotel. Sit in the balcony and enjoy great music, gorgeous Montage pool view that leads to unobstructed ocean views. At night, dress up and reserve a table for an amazing steak at Selanne Steak Tavern in a historic 1934 home on PCH. For great shopping day, head to the largest mall in California, “Southcoast Plaza” and the beautiful outdoor mall “ Fashion Island”.

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 like to dedicate all my success to my caring family for supporting me with all their love & encouragement every step of the way.

Website: https://www.pbinovs.com

Instagram: parinazbehbahani

Linkedin: Parinaz Behbahani

Image Credits
Gensler