Hsu McCullough

The architect-design team Peggy Hsu, AIA, and Chris McCullough, www.hm.la, did outstanding work in designing, obtaining permits, and monitoring the rebuilding of my home after it burned to ashes in the January 2025 Pacific Palisades fire. The geotechnical engineer who inspected our home before my wife and I purchased it in 1977, recommended Peggy Hsu and Chris McCullough. Hsu McCullough designed any homes in west Los Angeles. Their other clients also highly recommended them. In addition, I visited other hillside homes that they designed and liked their architecture and design work. They have experience in complex hillside foundation work. During the design phase, Peggy Hsu and Chris McCullough visited the site with me, and in planning meetings, presented design options. By making changes on paper before submitting plans to the city, they avoided the need for costly change orders during construction. Peggy HsuHsu and Chris McCullough did an outstanding job in obtaining expedited planning permission. They submitted plans on July 25, 2025, and received building permit approval on August 19, 2025. Peggy and Chris met me at vendors to select windows, doors, appliances, bathroom fixtures, fittings, cabinets, flooring, and stone for the kitchen counter tops. Chris is a designer and helped me select furniture at an architectural discount During construction, Peggy and Chris reviewed invoices from my general contractor. They met regularly on site with my general contractor, subcontractors, and me to review ongoing work and specify how the work was to be done. Dwelling insurance only covered about 40% of rebuilding cost and my budget was limited. The home that Peggy and Chris designed is beautiful, and I am delighted with the interior and exterior design. Peggy and Chris incorporated numerous earthquake and fire safety features in my home. After construction commenced, I was hospitalized in November and December 2025. At my request, Peggy and Chris reviewed proposals from subcontractors and vendors and with my general contractor and project manager, made wise decision to keep the project moving. My rebuilt home is beautiful, and I am blessed that Peggy Hsu and Chris McCullough designed my beautiful home.

We are so very happy we went with Hsu McCullough as our architects! We did a full gut-remodel of our house and were very indecisive about what layout we wanted in the beginning. They were able to take our very vague description of what we wanted and turn it into a beautiful design. They were incredibly helpful through the whole process, from design through construction. We could not be happier with how our house turned out, it is even better than we imagined.

We were absolutely thrilled with the vision and execution that Hsu McCullough brought to our multi‑townhouse development in Redondo Beach. Their design masterfully balances dramatic contemporary lines with warm, livable functionality—creating an open‑concept floor plan flooded with natural light and effortless indoor‑outdoor flow. The attention to detail—from the full‑height limestone fireplace and sleek Thermador kitchen appliances to the vaulted wooded ceilings, spa‑inspired bathrooms, and high‑efficiency smart‑home systems—speaks to their commitment to luxury and longevity. Hsu McCullough seamlessly integrated solar panels, durable metal roofing, and high‑performance HVAC into a stunning aesthetic that enhances both curb appeal and investment upside. Overall, their thoughtful, site‑specific design elevated the entire property, delivering a premium product that resonates with today’s discerning buyers.

We've had the pleasure of collaborating with Hsu McCullough on several projects, including the standout Longridge Residence, which remains one of our most rewarding builds to date. Chris and Peggy are true design visionaries — but what sets them apart is their collaborative spirit, clear communication, and deep respect for the build process. Their plans are beautifully detailed and thoughtfully considered, which allows us as builders to execute with confidence, creativity, and alignment from start to finish. From pre-construction through final walk-through, the partnership has been seamless. They're open to input, attentive to detail, and committed to excellence in every aspect. Longridge, in particular, was a challenging hillside site — but together, we navigated it with a shared commitment to craftsmanship, client satisfaction, and architectural integrity. We’re proud to call Hsu McCullough a trusted design partner and look forward to many more successful builds together. — Ami & the LA Build Corp Team

Working with Chris and Peggy on our project was the best decision we ever could have made and we are so thankful that we were lucky enough to have them as the first members of the team that built our home. We loved their previous work, and they were so detailed in mapping out the process within our initial meetings and their proposal that they gave us some confidence and traction on starting a daunting process. During the design phase HM were amazingly patient in talking through the specific ideas we had for our family. They created so many special moments throughout our home in reaction to the things we were hoping for. If you look into their work they are highly accomplished, and I’m unsure if we would even get them for a project of our size today, but they listened, discussed and created around every turn throughout the project resulting in everything being so well thought out, and personally detailed. Chris and Peggy developed a house with a soul which is what we were looking for. Lastly and maybe most valued for me, was how involved they stayed throughout the build. They have a roster of recommended GC’s to bid the project, and introduced us to the GC who did the build. They review the contractor proposals with you to help with your decision. They do monthly site visits to talk through things that came up, and plan upcoming phases while adding touches that presented themselves as spaces came together. As Peggy said early on “the design process really never stops”. They were available to talk through and provide guidance on any detail no matter how mundane throughout a two year process and we are so lucky and thankful to have a family home of their creation! Chris always said "no problem we love this work", and it shows. If they are available for your project, you have your architecture team!

Chris and Hsu remodeled 90% of our 2-bdr 2-bath Studio City Home. They did a fantastic job from start to finish, and it was a pleasure to collaborate with them and be guided by them. We also happened to be living abroad during the remodel, but thanks to Chris’s attention to detail, and forward-thinking problem solving we had no issues whatsoever. They even helped us select our contractor and walk us through the contract process with him (Manny of Globus Builders). We highly recommend these architects to anyone who wants an open and smooth remodeling experience. Maricel and Miki

I am the general contractor at ZGB Homes and have worked on multiple projects with Chris and Peggy over the past few years and I have nothing but good things to say about them. They always provide clear drawing details, one of the most detailed we've worked with. They are very fast at responding to questions/ concerns and don't hesitate to meet on site whenever necessary. Their architectural designs are unique and captivating. We have had the privilege to work with them on beautifully designed homes, some widely recognized, such as the Grand View Oak Residence. They are very passionate and knowledgable about their work and it makes working with them easy and enjoyable. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone in need of an architect.

We hired Hsu McCullough to design the remodel of our previously untouched mid-century Venice home. The remodel was almost a completely new build with just a few studs remaining from the existing house. Peggy and Chris were mindful of our budget and designed the perfect home for our family of four. They presented multiple design options complete with color renderings of the key spaces of the home to help us visualize. The pair are professional, passionate and a joy to work with. Hsu McCullough designed a home for us with beautiful moments of light, openness (with minimum square footage added) and exceptional details of which we receive compliments on continually. They helped us find the best contractor for our build, connected us with vendors to select some of the materials of our home, and guided us through the scope of the project from concept to moving in to our beautiful new home. We were very happy with our choice to hire Hsu McCullough and would highly recommend the dynamic pair. Most importantly, we absolutely love the home Peggy & Chris designed for us.

We hired Chris and Peggy to remodel our 1940's home and can't recommend them strongly enough. The result is stunning... Truly a dream come true for us. We found the process of working with them to be rewarding as well. They have strong design opinions, which we appreciate. But they also care deeply about designing specifically for the people that will live in the home and did their best to guide us to our own gut responses about finishes and details. They were also always available when we needed them to nudge the contractor or look at a detail and inspect execution. Best residential architects in LA!

Joni: Chris & Peggy are a winning combination. We hired them to design a full renovation of our midcentury modern home in Los Angeles, and as first-time renovators, we hit the jackpot. Going in, we had NO IDEA what we were doing, and they could not have been more patient, attentive and professional as they helped us navigate this seemingly scary endeavor. They listened to all our wants and needs and came to us with a plan that reflected our wishes, while also maintaining the integrity of our home and its distinct architectural style. We had plenty of what we realize now were bad ideas and Chris always lovingly but firmly brought us back down to planet earth, ensuring we didn’t make any mistakes. I especially appreciate their love of natural materials and deep understanding of lines, light, texture and how all those elements need to work together to tell the story you want to tell with your home. Chris also stayed in close communication with our contractor throughout the construction phase and made sure the plan was being executed properly. Exquisite taste, patience, professionalism, passion … we can’t recommend this team more. Rick: Chris & Peggy had an amazing ability to see all the potential our house had to offer, and they prevented us from making many mistakes. They were always very responsive to any emails and calls, answering us in real time, which is always important when you’re in the middle of such a big project. They have a real passion for what they do, they enjoy their work and that makes working with them that much more enjoyable.

I want to thank Chris for his professionalism and the time he dedicates to his customers even when the project is small. If I ever need an architect, I will definitely consider Hsu McCullough.

My husband and I had never worked with architects before when we decided to renovate our home. The house consisted of small, dark rooms with relatively low ceilings; the outdoor space was unlovely and little used. Chris and Peggy listened carefully to what we needed and what we liked. Their vision and understanding of space allowed them to create a light-filled, open, welcoming space for our family, while allowing plenty of privacy for everyone who lives here. They reconfigured the outdoor space so that it feels bigger and more integrated. We move easily from indoors to outdoors now. Overall, they did a great job combining an understanding of our goals with their own vision and experience to give us exactly what we wanted. They truly were able to see and imagine our home better than we did ourselves. Beyond the concept phase of the project, another reason we loved working with Chris and Peggy was their meticulous attention to detail. They have a great sense of materials, of what will be durable and beautiful. They were incredibly helpful during construction. We used a wonderful contractor they recommended to us, and they collaborated really well with him throughout the project. They were invested in every decision, from major structural choices to the placement of kitchen shelves and light switches. They listened to us, but they were also clear when they had a different insight; they saved us from several choices that, in retrospect, we would have regretted. We moved into our house a year ago. During this past year, there have been a lot more people living and working here than we anticipated when we started our renovation. But not a day goes by when we are not delighted with our home – and it is amazing to look around and see how all the facets of this journey came together under Chris and Peggy’s guidance.