Steinberg Hart and Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture Combine to Elevate Design, Expand Opportunities and Strengthen Client Relationships

In a move that unites the creative energies of two award-winning legacy firms, Los Angeles-based Steinberg Hart and Manhattan-based Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture are joining forces to deliver greater creativity and insights across a wider range of markets and project types. This combination creates a national architecture firm with shared values, vibrant design cultures and complementary expertise, enabling it to better serve clients, communities and campuses.

Steinberg Hart’s legacy is defined by its work with private developers, higher education and civic institutions on a variety of large-scale, complex projects across California and Asia. Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture is lauded for creating inspiring arts, cultural, civic and academic buildings across the United States. Coming together under the Steinberg Hart banner enables the combined firm to explore new opportunities and set higher standards for design excellence, especially as these various market sectors become more interwoven.

“Evolution, exploration and a commitment to originality is what drives design forward. It’s this creative mindset that excites us about coming to work every day, and it’s a philosophy we know the Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture team shares,” said Steinberg Hart President and CEO David Hart, AIA, LEED AP. “In uniting, we recognized that our teams are stronger together than apart, as it would have taken us each decades to organically develop the talent and capabilities that we now have access to on a national scale.”

Steinberg Hart and Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture share the fundamental belief that architecture and design play a critical role in shaping communities, and each firm’s design ethos prioritizes the human experience above all else. Joining forces provides the team with the opportunity to work collaboratively on projects of all types and sizes and to challenge each other to design unique spaces that endure in people’s memories.

“Joining forces with Steinberg Hart enhances our national expertise in the arts, civic, and higher education projects with expanded resources, more offices and greater technical capabilities”, said Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture Partner Douglas Moss, AIA, LEED AP. “This provides continuity for our current clients while expanding design possibilities and providing unique opportunities for our staff.”

The partnership between Steinberg Hart and Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture is also reflective of the deep and longstanding relationships between the senior leadership of both firms, all of whom will remain actively engaged in the business. This history dates back more than 30 years, with many of the principals having worked together at previous firms including Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates. The teams have carefully planned the integration to make it seamless for clients and employees.

Rob Steinberg, FAIA, Chairman of Steinberg Hart, commented: “We believe architecture is a social art that must be nurtured and cultivated to inspire the best creations. Blending our exceptional talent and establishing an infrastructure that enables us to work anywhere in the United States positions us to advance our craft without limitations, creating designs that enrich peoples’ lives.”  

Steinberg Hart now comprises more than 150 architecture and design professionals situated across six offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego, New York and Shanghai. These teams have led the design on a number of award-winning projects that shape the way people live and learn, including:

• Titan Student Union at Cal State Fullerton: Designed to create a heart for the campus, the project anchors the main campus quads. Its expansive roof canopy reaches out to greet students and visitors alike while its soaring triple-height atrium and grand stair connect three distinct levels into a seamless environment that fuels collaboration and academic engagement.

• Vision on Wilshire: Rising 18 stories above Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, the residential tower exemplifies design-forward urban living with a variety of spaces for social interaction. A continuous, unifying façade forms an elegant composition that gives the structure a lively, dynamic quality, and framed panoramic sightlines offer residents stunning views.

• Thomas Jefferson Hall Library and Learning Center at the United States Military Academy: This project reinterprets the campus’ Military Gothic architecture for the 21^st century, responding to the strong historic campus context, emphasizing unique aspects of cadet life, and incorporating aspects of cadet uniforms and military iconography into the interior character.

• Hamel Music Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison: This innovative design welcomes the community, along with students and faculty, to create and experience great musical moments, serving as a gateway to the campus and the arts. Hamel Music Center was designed to prepare students to perform at the highest professional standards while allowing faculty to deliver exceptional educational experiences.

Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture Partner Malcolm Holzman, FAIA, added, “With Steinberg Hart, we look forward to digging along the vein of architecture we have worked for five decades. Architecture with ethos, gravitas, heart and the full dimension that only design excellence provides.”

Clients of both firms can expect the same high levels of enthusiasm, professionalism and service they are accustomed to. This strategic partnership is indicative of Steinberg Hart’s continued evolution and commitment to accelerating the pace of positive industry change, which has helped it rank no. 23 on Architect Magazine’s 2019 Architect 50 list.

About Steinberg Hart

Steinberg Hart is an international design, architecture, and planning firm that creates inspiring places rooted in design excellence and community. Since 1953, Steinberg Hart has worked with leading institutions, developers, and government agencies to build a progressive portfolio of award-winning projects. Focusing on education, residential, urban mixed-use, hospitality, civic, arts, and commercial office projects, the firm’s team of architects, designers, planners, and sustainability experts create environments that sculpt space to shape lives in subtle and empowering ways.

About Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture

Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture, LLP is a national architectural and interior design firm specializing in the planning and design of evocative cultural, civic, and academic buildings that welcome public use. The heart of HMBA’s practice is a commitment to design excellence. The firm is distinguished by its deep sense of responsibility to clients, communities, and the creation of memorable architecture that provides great value to its users. Click here to explore their work.