Interview with Mebra Kisaka, Business Manager at Laney LA from Los Angeles

REAL ESTATE - INTERVIEW

by Beren Dere

Laney LA was started as a husband-wife team within a tiny garage in 2014. And now they are located in the city of Hawthorne with a twelve staff team that fulfills the dreams of South Bay customers. Laney LA is a boutique architecture firm that takes advantage of all the opportunities offered by technology, listens well to the customers' wishes and exposes designs that the customer can not even imagine. In order to learn more about Laney LA’s approach, projects, and vision, I asked Mebra Kisaka, Business Manager at Laney LA.

Mebra Kisaka, Business Manager at Laney LA

Laney LA is an architectural partnership of Anthony and Krista Laney. Mebra, could you tell us about their careers and architectural design experiences?

Anthony and Krista Laney launched Laney LA in 2014 as co-founders and partners, with the vision of creating a new type of architecture practice. Driven by their commitment to a healthy studio culture and a passion for design, Laney LA strives to set a new standard for custom homes in the South Bay. What started as a husband-wife team, contained within a tiny garage, has now grown to a thriving staff of twelve with over 50 projects. The Laney LA studio is the place of creativity and experimentation, located in the city of Hawthorne.

Laney LA

Could you tell us about Laney LA?

Laney LA aspires to create work that matters. We believe in championing the dreams of our South Bay clients, by creating spaces that celebrate their unique lifestyle. We believe in the power of the creative process, as a platform to touch people’s lives. Laney LA is a boutique architecture studio, dedicated to bringing world-class design services to the families of the South Bay. We bring a passionate and visual approach to the creative design process.

Which type of projects does Laney LA specialize for? What type of services do you offer your customers?

Laney LA specializes in custom, luxury homes in the beach cities. As a studio, we are committed to a visually rich design process. We leverage cutting edge technology to explore multiple design solutions, in an effort to discover the most delightful and intelligent strategy. Every home is crafted digitally as a highly detailed 3D model, allowing our clients to virtually explore the design, before construction even begins. This exciting, fast-paced process is often the highlight of our client’s experience.

Laney LA

Could you explain to us the full process of a residential project?

Our process kicks off with a robust lifestyle interview, and in-depth review of client inspiration images. We want to understand how they live and allow that information to inform the design of a home that best suits their lifestyle. Over the course of the next few months, we conduct regular design meetings until we settle on the best design. From there, our team quarterbacks the project through construction documents and permitting.

Laney LA

Do you offer turnkey projects to abroad customer? At which steps should your client have to be next to you after the first moment of the project?

We have done both development and custom projects. But as a team, we delight in the design process, and we enjoy the richness that a Client brings to a table in a meeting. Typically, a client will come in bi-weekly for meetings over the course of 2 -3 months. After which, the meetings become more sporadic as we build construction documents, and get the project through the city. For our international clients, however, distance is not a problem. We are a studio that leverages technology heavily to mitigate distance, elevate design conversations, and ultimately create the best design.

Laney LA

Laney LA has lots of completed and in-progress projects. Which one is the favorite project of Laney LA team members? What was its story?

While all our projects are near and dear to our hearts, the Culver City residence is one that we are excited about. Our clients were a modern-minded husband and wife duo who met while rock climbing, and throughout the project, we sought to integrate those personal details into the design. For example, the home will feature a rock climbing wall up the chimney as just one element. The project is currently in construction, and we can hardly wait to see it built!

In your opinion, what is the relation between Low Budget - Short Project Time - High Quality? Is it possible to combine all in one project?

Every project is distinct, and every client has varying priorities. As a firm who specializes in the luxury market, we understand high quality well. However, in cases where are clients are more budget-oriented, we are proponents of what we call an unequal distribution of luxury. This allows even small budgets to invest more in areas that will provide the greatest impact, and less in others.

Does Laney LA have an internship program? How to apply?

We do hire interns, and any job applicant can apply by sending their resume and portfolio to yes@laney.la

Thank you Mebra

For more information, please visit website of Laney LA