Optimist by Nature: DNA Architecture + Design's and USC's Valery Augustin on Moving Forward, Letting Go, and Improving Our Communities
Portrait of Valery by Christa Mae Holmes.
By Julia Gamolina
Valery Augustin is a Los Angeles-based architect and educator. He is a University of Miami graduate with a Master’s from UCLA and is the principal of DNA Architecture + Design, an award-winning design practice dedicated to producing contextually aware, community-centered work that emphasizes human experience. Valery is a licensed architect and a professor at the USC School of Architecture. He enjoys traveling, reading, and bad movies. With Haitian roots, he believes in the power of play and can often be found up late, even on school nights.
JG: Throughout your career, you've lived in the cities in the US that are significant bastions of culture — New York City, Miami, Los Angeles. Tell me what you take from all of these contexts to your practice and your approach today.
My understanding of architecture and design has been shaped by everywhere that I've lived. Between New York and Miami, I spent some of my formative years in South Lancaster, Massachusetts, then I lived and worked in London after finishing undergrad before moving to Los Angeles, interrupted only by another pit stop in Miami. The energy and intensity of city life gave me an appreciation of the power of context and the impact of the built environment from a young age. So many memories come flooding back: sitting on a stoop in Brooklyn, our two-story Victorian Revival house in Massachusetts, and the multicultural swelter of Miami and Art Deco-influenced nightlife on South Beach. Living in London in the late 90's was a brilliant mashup of history and contemporary architectural thought, and it is one of my favorite cities.
Los Angeles is an unwieldy, beautiful, magical mess of a place that doesn't give up its secrets easily, but I can't imagine a better place to practice architecture. I imagine that all the places I've experienced show up in our work in different ways. Still, the power of "place" is probably the most important, from the scale of the immediate surroundings to the block, to the neighborhood, the region, and so on. The beauty of the world's great cities is that they could only have happened at that time and place. Cities are living, breathing things that are constantly evolving. The other thing I take from the various cities in which I've lived is the responsibility we all have to do better — better for our communities, better for our environment, and better for our profession. We don't have the luxury of being short-sighted; the stakes are too high.
Trotter Road Residence, imagery by DNA Architecture + Design.
Now let's go back a little bit — tell me about why you studied architecture, and how you chose where you studied architecture.
Looking back, the "why" is likely a bit revisionist, but at least this is how I remember it all happening. Architecture and design weren't part of my world growing up. I hadn't been exposed to many things my undergrad peers took for granted and wasn't even aware of architecture as a profession or a discipline. I often say that drawing was my gateway to architecture, and I still stand by that statement. The short version of the story is that I originally planned on studying civil engineering at the University of Miami — Go 'Canes! I didn't even make it through the intro lecture before hightailing back to the guidance counselor to inquire about other options. The counselor reviewed my file and suggested I try architecture school since I loved drawing and was good at math, according to the SAT. The rest, as they say, is history.
I was hooked from day one. However, I often felt like I was playing catch-up with the students who already knew the names of the various architects and how to use all the tools on the supply list. Though initially daunting, architecture school was also where I discovered myself. I'm eternally grateful to my first-year professors who saw something in me that I didn't yet see in myself, especially to one professor who gave me an old set of Rapidograph inking pens when they figured out I was too embarrassed to admit I couldn't afford them, and encouraged me that first semester. At the end of that semester, I won the prize for best sketchbook. It meant the world to me at the time, and I still own the book I received to this day. In addition to being a full-time student, I also worked two jobs to make ends meet, which didn't leave much time for extracurriculars or sleep, so the remaining four years of undergrad went by in a blur. It was a transformative time that started me on this crazy journey of being an architect.
What did you do between undergrad and grad school?
After graduating with a B.Arch from UM, I worked in Miami and London, which served to only increase my desire to learn more about architecture. I took a five-year gap between undergrad and grad school, which, in hindsight, was incredibly valuable. The break gave me perspective on what was important to me about the profession and architectural education.
Los Angeles was the epicenter of everything cool in architecture at the end of the 90s; all magazines and books seemed to point there. The work blew my mind. Morphosis, Zaha, Gehry, Denari, Eric Owen Moss, and others teaching at Sci-Arc and UCLA made Los Angeles an obvious choice, so I headed west. At that time, I planned on being in Los Angeles for one to two years, but twenty-four years later, I'm still here!
“The other thing I take from the various cities in which I’ve lived is the responsibility we all have to do better — better for our communities, better for our environment, and better for our profession. We don’t have the luxury of being short-sighted; the stakes are too high.”
Tell me about your experiences working for various offices before starting your practice.
My career trajectory was not as laser-focused as others. I’ve always been driven, but I did not feel talented enough, nor did I have the ambition to work for a particular starchitect or a grand plan for world domination while pursuing my studies. I was fortunate to work in offices where I felt valued and that my contributions mattered. I worked in small offices, design firms, and large corporate firms and had the benefit of learning important lessons from a wide range of workplaces. My time in London at SHCA (now defunct), Oppenheim Architecture in Miami, and Fred Fisher's office in Los Angeles all figured significantly in my career. I learned to balance relentless curiosity, vision, and optimism with pragmatism and problem-solving.
My first full-time job was working for a professor who taught at UM. While I didn't stay in that office long, he taught me the importance of being proactive and making a place for oneself wherever you work. He often said, don't wait around waiting to be told what to do. Ask how you can contribute, stay engaged, ask questions, and all these things that sound corny but are true! The importance of organization and attention to detail can't be overstated.
What did you learn that you still apply today?
Learning to listen is huge. If we kept our ears open, we could avoid many missteps and gain so much knowledge. We’ve learned to listen to our clients, consultants, fabricators, and subcontractors, and we are better for it. You’ll learn when it’s the right time to speak. Hearing different perspectives and understanding the importance of collaboration elevates every creative endeavor.
I've also learned that mistakes don't define us. One specific lesson we apply in my office is valuing people and relationships. In my office, that means trying to maintain an environment where people can thrive and grow; it also means being accountable when something doesn't work out as intended. I'll be the first to say I haven't always been successful, but I try to get a little better every day.
Riverside Family Shelter. Photography by Undine Prohl.
Bailey Shelter. Photography by Undine Prohl.
You know that I'm a huge fan of your Architectural Digest videos — they are so fun, informative and showcase you as an educator, which is another big piece of your career, at USC. Tell me about this, and how you got your start in academia.
Thank you! The Architectural Digest videos were a lot of fun to shoot but a lot of work! Being in front of the camera is a lot harder than it looks. Unlike speaking to a live audience, there's no immediate feedback when speaking to a camera, so it's hard to know how one is coming across, but most of the feedback has been positive. The Architectural Digest production team — Skylar, Hiatt, and everyone else — was fantastic and made shooting the episodes a great experience. Oh, and did I mention there were lots of snacks?
My start in architectural education was a combination of serendipity, hard work, and timing more than design. However, sharing my passion for architecture with students is now an essential part of my identity. I don't see teaching as a separate activity from practice. I began teaching at USC in 2002, a few years after graduating from UCLA. I remember how petrifying it was to be left alone with a group of students for the first time......and then in the blink of an eye, class was over.
Now tell me about how you approach bringing the understanding of architecture to those new to it.
For beginning students, I often emphasize storytelling and teach them to think about the principles behind good design. I typically start from opposite ends of the spectrum and then travel toward the middle: first, I create an awareness of what I believe people naturally intuit about the spaces they inhabit daily — the places where they live, the stores where they shop, or the restaurants where they eat. Most importantly, I want them to be curious about how a building or space makes them feel and demystify the spatial knowledge that we all carry within us. I want them to be curious about the power structures that shape the city and ask more from the built environment.
Conversely, I also try to teach them to question everything they think they know about architecture and see it with new eyes — a door is more than a door, a wall is so much more than a wall, and buildings are so much more than the sum of their parts. The education of the architect has evolved dramatically in the thirty-plus years that I've practiced and taught, but I still see the value in the process, rigorous curiosity, evaluation, and the testing of ideas over the pursuit of perfection. I try to teach my students that there are no shortcuts.....typically, I find that the answers we seek are found in the work that we're avoiding. Sketch, draw, and make. The solution is in there somewhere, just waiting to be unearthed.
“I try to teach my students that there are no shortcuts.....typically, I find that the answers we seek are found in the work that we’re avoiding. Sketch, draw, and make. The solution is in there somewhere, just waiting to be unearthed.”
Looking back at it all, what have been the biggest challenges? How did you both manage through perceived disappointments or setbacks?
Looking back, the most significant challenges revolved around navigating the complexities of starting and maintaining a practice. The business side of architectural practice is all-consuming, especially for a small firm. Figuring out cash flow, managing people, marketing, all of it. Another challenge was finding my voice and developing confidence in my abilities as an architect and an educator. Even now, I still occasionally feel like an outsider or imposter in a profession that historically hasn't been very inclusive. A lot of experiences that made me question if architecture was the right path for me.
I do appreciate the fact that your question uses the word "perceived". When setbacks happen, it can feel like the end of the world, but often, when we look back, we realize the setback was a learning opportunity that we needed. Not getting that project you wanted — and probably needed — or getting a bad grade can be demoralizing; however, the key is to move forward regardless of what we feel. Feeling better will come eventually. Finally, maintaining a growth mindset is crucial when dealing with setbacks. We can improve our abilities, and with persistence, effort, and learning, we can develop the resilience we need to approach the inevitable hurdles that life will throw at us. We can’t prevent setbacks, but we can alter the way we respond to them.
What have you also learned in the last six months?
What have I learned since the beginning of 2024? I've probably already forgotten most of it! [Laughs] I've learned that an espresso tonic may now be my favorite way to drink coffee. I'm re-learning the importance of letting go. The best part of learning is realizing how little we know and control and how liberating it can be when we embrace uncertainty.
Who are you admiring now and why?
Present company excluded? How much space do we have? I could go on and on if there wasn't a word count limit. There is a wealth of talented, creative architects, including many whose work is not recognized yet. Ultimately, I admire anyone actively contributing to whatever field they're involved in...be it art, design, teaching, cooking, fashion, science, or history. A few names that come to mind are Melissa Shin of ShinShin Architecture, Germane Barnes at the University of Miami, Alison Brooks, Kevin Sherrod, Frida Escobedo, and so many more. Why? I suppose it's an appreciation for those grappling with the complexities of all facets of building, like craft, context, and materiality, while simultaneously telling stories that need to be told. People who understand that knowledge is a gift to be shared.
Clover Park, courtesy of Valery Augustin.
What is the impact you’d like to have on the world? What is your core mission? And, what does success in that look like to you?
To use design to make a positive contribution to my immediate surroundings. I'm an optimist by nature; it's hard to be creative and not be optimistic, or else why would we make anything? That said, looking at the state of the world right now, it can feel rather bleak. So at least for me, making a difference where and when I can is essential.
We would transform the world if we all committed to improving our respective communities. The built environment is physical evidence that specific communities are excluded and neglected. Architecture, even in its varied facets, can't solve the world's problems, but it makes a difference. It can shape and improve lives. Not sure I know what success in that looks like yet. As the saying goes, the road to success is always under construction....
Finally, what advice do you have for those starting their career?
My advice is simple — always stay curious and be open. Your career may not resemble what you imagined, but that doesn't mean something is wrong. We can become focused on the one door that isn't opening for us no matter how long we knock and miss all the other open doors. The other advice I would offer is to "hold on tightly, let go lightly." To me, that means seeking balance. There will be times to commit and allow things time to work while being ready to let something go if it's ineffective.