--- title: "HERE Design and Architecture — Architects & Building Designers | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/here-design-and-architecture-pfvwus-pf~310435550 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~310435550.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "HERE Design and Architecture" category: ["Architects"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/7073ab290fb6ed45_0634-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "11734 W. Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90064, United States" latitude: 34.0353 longitude: -118.4259 phone: "(310) 880-3091" website: http://www.heredna.com rating: 5 review_count: 10 best_of_houzz_awards: 2 followers: 359 last_updated: 2026-09-04 --- # HERE Design and Architecture Original Houzz profile: [HERE Design and Architecture](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/here-design-and-architecture-pfvwus-pf~310435550) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Architects - **Location:** Los Angeles, CA - **Serves:** Los Angeles, Bel Air, Brentwood Los Angeles, Hollywood, Venice, Glendale, Pasadena, Van Nuys, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Ventura, Inglewood, Burbank, Universal City, Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, North Hollywood, Redondo Beach, Camarillo, Woodland Hills, Encino, Gardena, Canoga Park, Sherman Oaks, West Hills, Culver City, Studio City, Tarzana, West Hollywood, Manhattan Beach, Beverly Hills, Pacific Palisades, Agoura Hills, El Segundo, Fillmore, Carpinteria, View Park-Windsor Hills, Malibu, Marina del Rey, Montecito, Topanga, Ojai, Oak View, Playa Vista, Meiners Oaks, La Cañada-Flintridge, Mar Vista, Playa del Rey, Toluca Lake, Valley Village - **Houzz rating:** 5.0 out of 5 (10 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 2 awards (2013–2019), for Service. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Star Houzzer - Houzz Influencer - Recommended on Houzz - 1,000 Ideabook Saves SMART, BEAUTIFUL DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE How do you want to live? HERE Design and Architecture is based in West L.A., providing thoughtful, integrated design services to projects of diverse sizes and types. As a California native, licensed architect, designer, and educator, Kate Svoboda-Spanbock has more than 20 years' experience in residential design. We at HERE Design and Architecture spend our time devising ways to make life better: brighter, more efficient, easier, happier. Sign up for our newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/f56ea8bfe44e/heredna-subscription-request ### Services Provided - Architectural Design - Building Design - Home Remodeling - Architectural Drawings - Custom Homes - House Plans - Home Additions - Home Extensions - Kitchen Design - Sustainable Design - Kitchen Remodeling - Energy-Efficient Homes - Floor Plans - Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) - Bathroom Design - Green Building - Space Planning - Guesthouse Design & Construction - Universal Design - Multigenerational Homes - Pool House Design & Construction - Home Restoration - Historic Building Conservation - Handicap-Accessible Design - Outdoor Kitchen Design - Barn Design & Construction - Basement Remodeling - Mudroom Design - Basement Design - Attic Conversion - Tiny House Construction - Staircase Design - Deck Design - Garage Design - Laundry Room Design - Home Gym Design & Construction - Art Consultation - Construction Drawings - Exploratory Assessment - Furnishings Fixture and Equipment Specification - Interior Design - Master Planning - Site Selection Consultation - Turn-Key Services - Zoning Studies ### Areas Served - Los Angeles - Bel Air - Brentwood Los Angeles - Hollywood - Venice - Glendale - Pasadena - Van Nuys - Thousand Oaks - Simi Valley - Ventura - Inglewood - Burbank - Universal City - Santa Monica - Santa Barbara - North Hollywood - Redondo Beach - Camarillo - Woodland Hills - Encino - Gardena - Canoga Park - Sherman Oaks - West Hills - Culver City - Studio City - Tarzana - West Hollywood - Manhattan Beach - Beverly Hills - Pacific Palisades - Agoura Hills - El Segundo - Fillmore - Carpinteria - View Park-Windsor Hills - Malibu - Marina del Rey - Montecito - Topanga - Ojai - Oak View - Playa Vista - Meiners Oaks - La Cañada-Flintridge - Mar Vista - Playa del Rey - Toluca Lake - Valley Village ### Typical Job Cost varies ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | HERE Design and Architecture | | Address | 11734 W. Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90064, United States | | Phone | (310) 880-3091 | | Website | http://www.heredna.com | | License Number | CA C-32691, NM 005256 | | Followers on Houzz | 359 | **Social profiles:** - Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/pages/here-design-and-architecture/177964722859 - X (Twitter) — http://twitter.com/heredesignarch - LinkedIn — http://www.linkedin.com/pub/kate-svoboda-spanbock/17/525/8a8 - Blog — http://katesvobodaspanbock.wordpress.com/ ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [HERE Design and Architecture](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/here-design-and-architecture-pfvwus-pf~310435550) - **Website:** http://www.heredna.com - **Phone:** (310) 880-3091 ## Credentials **Certifications & Awards** - NCARB Certification \#75991 , CA CID \#6589 - **Best of Houzz:** 2 awards (2013–2019), for Service. **Affiliations** - [The American Institute of Architects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/schools-and-organizations/the-american-institute-of-architects-pfvwus-pf~1350720471) - [CCIDC, Inc.](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/schools-and-organizations/ccidc-inc-pfvwus-pf~1385158534) - [AIACC](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/schools-and-organizations/aiacc-pfvwus-pf~1863350404) - [AIA Los Angeles](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/schools-and-organizations/aia-los-angeles-pfvwus-pf~1829789113) - [NCARB](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/schools-and-organizations/ncarb-pfvwus-pf~1477640315) ## Reviews **Overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 — 10 reviews** ### All 10 reviews **★★★★★ — stan lefton, Dec. 2018** > Kate was an architect for the remodel at 201 Mabery and I as the general worked closely with her regarding many details. I recall the house had a number of complicated conditions. Kate had a strong vision of the project, was a creative problem solver and most importantly team player. > It was simply a pleasure to work with her **Comment from HERE Design and Architecture:** > Thanks so much, Stan! Let's find another project to do together! **★★★★★ — nicole stevenson, Dec. 2018** > Kate is an incredibly skillful and talented architect. She makes the process of designing a house so much less stressful by being so thorough, thoughtful and considerate. She made us a beautiful house! Thank you Kate!!! **Comment from HERE Design and Architecture:** > Thank you so much, Nicole! That was such a fun project!! **★★★★★ — jared krause, Dec. 2018** > Kate was really wonderful to work with. She's amazingly thorough, thoughtful, responsive, and her judgement is impeccable. She helped us do a full remodel and it came out beautifully. The kitchen and bathroom particularly are amazing, and feel like they should have cost twice as much as they did. > > It was an incredible relief to have Kate guide us through the process. We were always impressed and delighted by her attention to detail, thoughtfulness and willingness to work within our budget. I'd highly recommend her to anyone. **Comment from HERE Design and Architecture:** > Thanks, Jared! I really enjoyed working on it and I'm pretty pleased with the result! **★★★★★ — Jill Meyer, Nov. 2018** > Kate was the answer to my prayers! I wanted someone to help me tweak my westside condo and make a cluttered space feel calm and welcoming. Kate helped me figure out which items to keep and which items I should get rid of. She provided me with different ways to place and use the items I already had and also provided sound suggestions about what things I needed to buy. Kate had very unique and original ideas that were also practical – she never loses sight of the practical needs. No detail was too big or small for her to weigh in on and thankfully I followed her recommendations. Now my place is the calm oasis that I wished for. She’s honest, has a sense of humor and really understands design – she’s the total package! Working with her is a total pleasure – you’ll be so happy to have hired Kate! **Comment from HERE Design and Architecture:** > Thanks so much, Jill! We have really enjoyed working on your place with you! **★★★★★ — HU-291277385, Nov. 2018** > Kate has amazing ideas, great taste, and is a pleasure to work with - we’ve done several projects with her, and are delighted with courtesy and craftsmanship. **Comment from HERE Design and Architecture:** > Thanks so much, HU-291277385! It has been great working with you, even at a distance. I look forward to hearing what your contractor says about building your new bathroom. **★★★★★ — martins69, Sept. 2015** > Kate Spanbock has worked for my company for many years.......she has designed our trade show booths and new product introductions, always with stellar results. She is a wonderful designer and licensed architect, with an incredible work ethic and ideas that are always on the leading edge of our marketplace. > > Her professionalism is beyond reproach and I can only give her the highest of recommendations. **Comment from HERE Design and Architecture:** > Thanks so much, Marty - it has been great working with you! **★★★★★ — Alabama Sawyer, Feb. 2013** > We loved working with Kate and HERE design, because she designed a beautiful piece for us to make. She was interested in the process and the materials. She listened when we gave her advice to manage the price and the integrity of the piece. She is a professional of the best kind. Her work is beautiful and a pleasure to collaborate with. **Comment from HERE Design and Architecture:** > Thanks, Cliff and Leigh! I look forward to our next project together! **★★★★★ — bethstephens1, June 2012** > It is a rare stroke of luck when one happens upon an outstanding talent early-on in her career. Not only does one enjoy the purchase from the artist at a discount to the future value, but the asset appreciation rides on the tail of the artist's rise to fame. > > Cathryn Svoboda-Spanbock is just such a find and I consider Kate's work as the "new classic." Although having worked in the architectural field for some time, she had not yet designed an entire structure from the ground up when her father, my husband, took a chance on her. He commissioned her to design a home on an exceedingly narrow lot he had just purchased. Kate met the challenge and turned the problems of the lot into enviable assets. > > A tireless perfectionist, Kate melds the client's desires with the constraints of reality. She confidently and professionally steers the client's ideas into a work that is fresh and unique with her trademark style that combines intelligence, functionality and beauty. Along the way she explains the concepts behind the details as she offers choices in design decisions. This minimizes the uncertainty that clients inevitably must struggle through. > > Kate created a gem for us that is as original as it is perfect. Stunning. After five years of marriage to this house we are still in love. **Comment from HERE Design and Architecture:** > Thanks, Beth! I am so glad that you are happy with the house! **★★★★★ — User, June 2012** > 1\) The architect, a relative, had us read about house designs and collect photos of houses and features we like, and talked with us at length to help us clarify our tastes and intentions for the house. > 2\) She visited potential builders with us and discussed the plans with them before they bid on the project. > 3\) She created a very intelligently designed house for our challenging situation: > \*The lot is on a street with some very old houses, all of which have their own unique and definite characters; our house had to be compatible with the neighborhood and yet be true to our preferences and tastes. She accomplished this by using some of the same external materials and colors used by the other houses. > \*The lot is extremely narrow with significant setbacks and, of course, we did not want to feel like we were living in a tunnel, so she varied the floor and ceiling heights and provided a great deal of light. > \*Because of the lot's size, the house had to be small, but we didn't want to feel cooped up and claustrophobic; she addressed this with multiple patios and access to the outside from everywhere in the house with large windows and french doors. > \*Ojai can be very hot in the summer, but we don't like air conditioning, so she studied the site's sun and shade and the slope of the land and placed windows strategically so as to use hot air's tendency to rise to suck in cool air from the lowest parts of the house, thereby giving us a small, cool breeze when we need it. She also put no windows on the hot side of the house. > \*We like to spend time outdoors, but since the house takes up most of the lot, she had to find ways to create multiple, small outdoor spaces of what remained of the lot. No space went to waste. > \*And we wanted privacy without being fenced in, despite being right on top of our new neighbors. She solved this problem by discretely positioning the windows and doors and strategically dedicating space for plantings. > \*Our tastes favor, what seemed to us to be, disparate types: Japanese, Midwestern, California Mission. These had to be tastefully integrated. We like color, but we wanted the house to feel cozy and restful as well as happy and lively. By emphasizing natural materials, dark colors and hues below and bright ones higher up she successfully achieved both of these objectives. > 4\) During construction she worked closely with us and the builder (and at times with the subs) to assure plans were followed exactly. She upheld the integrity of the design and kept us informed on the implications of the decisions we were being asked to make during construction. She suggested specific material, fixture and color options. > > Before we engaged an architect, I had sketched many floor plans that I liked, but I must say that it would have been a serious mistake to build any of them. I know people who have built the house they designed and ended up dissatisfied in one respect or another. Professionals identify and solve problems you don't even know you have, and they do it before problems become costly headaches or irreparable. You are making a big financial and emotional investment when you build. I very strongly recommend finding a professional who actively listens to you, is effective at communicating their thoughts, and is not afraid to tell you where you may be making a mistake. In the end, you make the decisions, but it's best to make them with full knowledge and expert advice. > > The steps I've described above all turned out to be critical to our getting the "perfect jewel" we envisioned and keeping the project within budget. **Comment from HERE Design and Architecture:** > Thanks so much! (I just found out that we can thank people for reviews here.) And thanks for the opportunity. :) **★★★★★ — anmering, June 2012** > Here Design and architecture provided the full spectrum of architectural services including drawings, multiple color studies, site visits, and everything in between. I found Kate to be extremely professional, creative, highly skilled, a great problem solver, very available, flexible, collaborative, and highly tasteful. Here Design was adept at anticipating problems and finding excellent solutions. There is major talent there, and I recommend this firm without reserve. **Comment from HERE Design and Architecture:** > Noelle and Adam - thanks so much for the lovely review, and for the opportunity as well! ## Selected projects - [Santa Barbara Remodel](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/santa-barbara-remodel-pj-vj~5490965) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 11 - Description: Santa Barbara Remodel. Modern remodel and new furnishings opening the interior to spectacular views and abundant natural light. (Formal photography with completed furnishings to follow.) Construction by R.J. Spann. Snapshots by Architect, all rights reserved. - [Ojai House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/ojai-house-pj-vj~181226) - Location: Ojai, CA - Photos: 14 - Description: A new house on a wooded infill lot. This warm and bright house is open to the landscape yet still cozy. We used old-school green technologies - and some new ones as well - to keep it comfortable all year round. For more photos, see article by Shannon Malone: https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/2497664/list/My-Houzz - [Ventura Remodel](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/ventura-remodel-pj-vj~182415) - Location: Ventura, CA - Photos: 4 - Description: New fixtures and finishes in a reconfigured kitchen for a young family, opened to adjacent living area. Photos by Skye Moorhead. - [Santa Fe Renovations](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/santa-fe-renovations-pj-vj~5471260) - Location: Santa Fe, NM - Photos: 6 - Description: Renovations and refresh, modernizing and harmonizing with clients' folk-art-inspired furnishings. - [North Valley Remodel](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/north-valley-remodel-pj-vj~181228) - Location: Los Angeles, CA - Photos: 3 - Description: Interior kitchen remodel for a young family. - [South Bend Renovations](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/south-bend-renovations-pj-vj~181227) - Location: South Bend, IN - Photos: 4 - Description: Renovations of a hundred year old farmhouse for a family who likes modern furnishings. [See all 6 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/here-design-and-architecture-pfvwus-pf~310435550) ## Ideabooks - [Hidley Lighting](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/94064671/list/hidley-lighting) — 8 ideas - [1319](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/25423602/list/1319) — 20 ideas - [OJAI HOUSE by HERE Design and Architecture](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/2808463/list/ojai-house-by-here-design-and-architecture) — 21 ideas - [1201](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/23329638/list/1201) — 37 ideas [See all 4 ideabooks](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/heredesignandarchitecture) ## Community Q&A **Q: Shelves** *(in Photo Questions)* Love the design with the shelves above. Also we like the fact that books are in them! A: Thanks, Design Everest! We like to maximize available storage space. :) **Q: Love the painting, whose the artist and where was it purchased** *(in Photo Questions)* A: It's by Leslie Clark. Here is her website: http://nomadgal.com/paintings/ **Q: Accent wall** *(in Design Dilemma)* I am debating on having one great navy accent all or adding navy (instead of cream) to the walls with windows. The opposite wall to the navy will remain cream. Don't want to have to repaint a navy wall if I don't like it but I'm so visual its just hard not to see it unless it's in front of me. (Photo attached is front of the house with bay window.) A: I think it would depend on what else was happening in the room. It sounds very active. The fireplace surround is beautiful but more subtle, and gold patterning around it might make it harder to appreciate. As it is, the dark color around it highlights the stone nicely. **Q: Advice? One spouse is ready, the other feels they don't need any help!** *(in Design Dilemma)* A potential client would love for their home to be a place they can be proud of, one they love coming home to. They really want our assistance & have expressed that they realize an experienced designer can help them achieve a home that is both appealing to the eye and functional. On the flip side, the other spouse feels they can continue to purchase home decor items on their own, mostly from the internet or discount stores. Their purchases do not consider all the criteria good designers consider, such as SIZE, SCALE, STYLE, SHAPE, DURABILITY, QUALITY, PRICE, FUNCTION, COLOR, NOT TRENDY, COMFORT, etc. --- We get the feeling this spouse either loves to shop - or - they'd like to be able to say they did it all on their own? We really feel for the spouse who knows it's best to have an overall plan and feels they need guidance. Any communication ideas you can suggest? A: I always tell my clients to hire a therapist and to include the cost in the project cost - only half joking. Having said that, I would say to them that it appears that they disagree about the best way to proceed, and that you cannot work under those circumstances. Honestly, I think I might run from this one. If you really want the job, write it into the agreement that one or other of them is the one giving direction and you will be responsible to take direction only from that person, or, that written approval of both is required when making design decisions. **Q: Shower/Tub combo** *(in Design Dilemma)* We are remodeling the 2nd floor tub/shower combo. The only tub in the house. We need a good acrylic tub 60x30 left drain. From online reviews, we gather Sterling is not a company that stands behind their products. We also did not find they have helpful customer service. Where should we go to get the alcove tub that is reliable and strong? Where is everyone getting their tubs from? A: Yes - any time you have two different types of material (e.g. porcelain and acrylic) they will move differently from one another and if the location is prone to being wet, caulk is used because it is flexible and can bridge the gap. **Q: how can i become a part of the search list** *(in Design Dilemma)* I would like to be in the search list when people are looking for contractors in Plano. how do I do that? A: You need to set up a professional identity in order to be listed. --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-09-04.*