about us.
Kristen and Chris met during their time at Shubin + Donaldson Architects in Culver City, Los Angeles. They joined forces together on several key projects, and found their partnership to be easy and natural. Their collaboration later continued at Rapt Studio where the duo worked closely in the design, management, and delivery of more successful local and out-of-state projects. However, Chris and his wife were expecting their first child, he left Rapt to pursue construction management while also being closer to home.
A few years later, when an opportunity surfaced to work on a substantial residential project, Kristen tapped Chris to collaborate once again. Kristen’s depth of experience coupled with her vibrant, electric personality balances well with Chris’ in-field experience, ability to problem solve, and calm personality. Their yin-yang duality allows them to intimately connect with their clients, remain approachable through the design process, and ultimately deliver exceptional projects.
> Chris Pilikyan
A Los Angeles native, Chris grew up surrounded by a large extended family. He remembers spending summers with his late grandfather, lending a hand in managing multi-family properties and renovating apartments. Always curious, Chris was interested in the built environment and how things were put together. He often took apart and reconstructed toys, gadgets, and even furniture. This innate sense of curiosity led him to the path of architecture. Chris received his degree from Woodbury University in Burbank where he also pursued urban design studies in both Berlin and China. He now shares his passion with his two sons. He often brings them on site visits and reads them books like Iggy Peck, Architect and Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site at bedtime.
> Kristen A. Woods
Kristen is proud to be a native Angeleno. Her love of architecture and art began at an early age when she dreamed of painting album covers on billboards that peppered the LA cityscape. Educated at Cal Poly in SLO, North Carolina for her master’s, and most recently for a brief program at the Architectural Association in London, Kristen feels she will always be a student of architecture as there is so much to learn and be learned. Suffering from wanderlust, her extensive travels have influenced her visions and informed her work. When Kristen isn’t at the office, she likes to lick buildings by famous architects to acquire their taste.