Pali Joins Shigeru Ban, Dominique Perrault, and a Handful of Other Internationally-Renowned Architects at 2nd International Symposium on Contemporary Architectural Details, Design & Innovation

Xi’an, China, December 8-9, 2007 — Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA, design principal and founder of Studio Pali Fekete architects (SPF:a) in Culver City, CA, will offer a lecture at this year’s prestigious International Symposium on Contemporary Architectural Details Design & Innovation in Xi’an, China. The Symposium theme, “Touch Details, Taste Perfection” will be addressed by Pali, Shigeru Ban, Dominique Perrault and a handful of other noted world architects.

This year’s symposium is focusing on detailing “not only because it is what makes each building unique, but because of the depth at which architectural detailing contributes to the overall user experience,” per the conference materials. Pali’s lecture, entitled “How close do you need to look? Exploring the microscopic level of detail at which architects must work,” is expected to cover materials from his residential as well as commercial and cultural portfolio, and per the symposium’s goals, to partner and foster relationships with local architects in China.

Labels: zoltan pali architect lecture china

SPF:a Presents An Exhibition of Jerrold Lomax, Member of the Original LA12, in Honor of the Architect’s 80^th Birthday in 2007

Culver City, Calif., October 5^th 2007 - SPF:a, an award-winning architecture studio in Culver City, will honor Jerrold Lomax this October with a retrospective on the architect’s life and work. Lomax, best known for his leadership on many of Craig Ellwood’s case study homes in the 1950’s and 1960’s, made an indelible mark on the fledgling modernist movement, and continues to produce understated masterpieces with his light touch and clean vision.

“One of the original LA 12, Jerry was a quiet foundation upon which so much of the modernist movement was built” says SPF:a principal, Zoltan Pali, FAIA, who points to his experience with Lomax as a pivotal point in his own career as an architect.

The MODAA Exhibition may include up to six ¼” scale models and numerous photographs of Jerrold Lomax’ most influential projects, including the Rice Residence, Ashton Residence, Steiner Residence, Westgate Residence, Rosen Residence and the house that the architect himself lived in while practicing in Los Angeles.

For more information about the architect’s reception or for general visitor information about MODAA, contact 310-558-0902 or visit www.modaagallery.com. MODAA is located at the offices of SPF:a, 8609 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232.

Labels: Jerrold Lomax, MODAA Gallery

Project Team Recognized For Innovative Development Enhancing the Urban Fabric of Los Angeles
SPF:a was honored June 14th with a Los Angeles Architectural Award for its Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts project in Beverly Hills, for outstanding architecture in the Unbuilt Civic Building category and the MODAA Building for outstanding architecture in the Mixed-Use category. Hosted by the Los Angeles Business Council (LABC), the 37^th annual awards ceremony brought together world renowned architects, contractors and developers to acknowledge and celebrate the most laudable new projects in Los Angeles County. The Los Angeles Architectural Awards are presented to the project teams whose contributions improve the quality of architecture and enhance the urban fabric of Los Angeles.

"We are very pleased to recognize the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and MODAA for helping to showcase Los Angeles as a truly world class city. It is the collaboration and hard work of their entire project team that makes this type of innovative development possible," according to Mary Leslie, President of the Los Angeles Business Council.

In the Wallis Annenberg Center project, SPF:a converts a landmark site -- that of the historic post office building of Beverly Hills -- into a performing arts center and hub for the city’s proposed cultural programs. The board of trustees selected SPF:a for its reputation for historic preservation, and its award-winning, solution-focused design sensibilities.

The design concept restores the historic building, limiting its internal programs to retail, exhibit, and workshop space and routes performance activities into a state-of-the art new building. The new building, slated for completion by 2009, will provide a new visual landmark from Santa Monica Boulevard, Crescent Drive, and Canon Drive, representing entry into the Beverly Hills shopping district from the North.

MODAA, which has already received an SCDF Award for Community Enrichment and an AIA Los Angeles Next LA Award for design, constitutes a block-long case-study for urban renewal, housing the architect’s own studio, a 2,200-square foot public gallery space, and a restaurant on the ground floor, with seven live/work creative spaces on the second floor. The building features 20-foot and 16-foot ceilings with mezzanine space and abundant natural lighting throughout. The building’s façade was awarded the prestigious “Architecture as Art” distinction by the City of Culver City’s Cultural Affairs Division.

Awardees were selected by a nine-member jury of distinguished peers including architects, contractors and developers. To receive an award, projects had to be located within Los Angeles County and completed during 2005 or 2006 (“unbuilt” category exempt). Griffith Observatory received the grand prize for the renovation of the interior of the observatory, as well as its commitment to the conservation of historic materials. The restoration and expansion of the observatory has renewed one of the world’s most famous and treasured leaders in public astronomy.

New Work Explores Layering & Arrangement of Planar Spaces

SPF:architects will celebrate the latest work of local sculptor, Brad Howe, at its MODAA Gallery in Culver City at a May 18th 7:00 PM opening reception. The event is open to the public, but RSVP is requested to info@modaagallery.com. Brad Howe is a Los Angeles based artist who began his sculpture career in Brazil. As a student of International Relations at Stanford University, he attended the University of Sao Paulo to specialize in Brazilian Affairs, which led to the discovery of art and architecture. His first exhibitions were in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. To date he has exhibited in over sixteen countries worldwide and his work is in collections in over 32 countries. His career has been international from the beginning, as much in the aesthetic influences that shaped his artistic language as well as the wide-ranging places and art communities he has sought to engage with his sculptures.

RSVP: info@modaagallery.com or 310-558-0902

Where: MODAA Gallery, 8609 Washington Blvd., Culver City, Calif.

Exhibition Open: May 18 through July 15, 2007

Artist Reception: 7:00 PM, Friday, May 18, 2007

More information: www.modaagallery.com

Oshry Residence and Beuth Residence are Recognized In Categories Featuring Homes Over 3,500-Square Feet

San Antonio, Texas – In a banquet during the National AIA Convention in San Antonio, two SPF:a projects received awards: the Oshry Residence won a Merit Award from Residential Architect Magazine, and the Beuth Residence received a Grand Award from Custom Home Magazine, both in the category of “Homes over 3,500-square feet.”

(Los Angeles, CA) ah'bé landscape architects, an award-winning, Culver City, California-based landscape architecture firm renowned for creating artful and vibrant urban spaces, will unveil shreddings 2: so what, its fifth annual art installation, at the Museum of Design & Architecture on April 24.

A tradition spearheaded by the staff in 2003, the annual installations started out as a decorative expression but have since evolved into a commitment to explore a variety of artistic and philosophical issues, including sustainability and ecological responsibility.

While landscape architects at ah'bé see themselves as stewards of the natural environment, in this installation they acknowledge that the process of design is paper-intensive. The exhibit captures the irony of paper returning to its original form.

“Like our constantly changing drawings throughout the design process, paper moves through various states in its lifecycle,” says firm Principal Calvin Abe. “In shreddings 2: so what, we will interrupt paper’s typical cycle by shredding three months’ worth of materials that were used in the course of our work. Rather than going to the blue recycling bin at the curb, we will transform our discarded diagrams into one more state: an abstract paper forest of shredded paper.”

According to Allen Compton, one of the leading designers of the installation, broad efforts today to make the environment truly sustainable for future generations risk becoming meaningless under the overwhelming blanket of green advertising promises. “As landscape architects, we are both encouraged by the tremendous outpouring of energy in pursuit of a better world and concerned that these efforts will eventually be swept downstream in the torrent of promotional buzz. In light of this, we feel it is important to question our assumptions about what we do.”

Viewers of this year’s installation, the second in a three-part series using recycled paper as the principal material, will be able to walk amongst clusters of 10-to-12-foot-high towering paper columns comprising an abstract forest. Wandering along the "trails," visitors will catch glimpses of shredded architectural and landscape drawings, newspapers, magazines and product catalogs - all vital working materials for landscape architects. These towers of recyclable materials point to our own challenge in managing the immense amount of material we utilize and dispose of in our process of making Los Angeles more livable.

About ah’bé landscape architects:

While the public is generally unaware of the role landscape architects play in fashioning the public domain, spaces designed by ah’bé landscape architects frequently cause people to stop and take notice. ah’bé has contributed innovative spaces to communities throughout California for two decades and is committed to creating extraordinary landscapes that transform both public spaces and the viewers’ perceptions of nature. Focused primarily on urban landscape projects, such as parks and streetscapes, public plazas and mixed-use urban developments, the firm has worked on a wide variety of projects throughout central and southern California since its inception in 1987. Current projects include: landscape design and streetscapes for mixed-use projects in Downtown Los Angeles, including South Park, The Market at 9^th and Flower; and 8th and Grand; streetscape design for City of Brea downtown master plan; landscape design for Burbank Water & Power and Van Nuys City Hall Renovation.

About MODAA:

Designed, curated, and sponsored by SPF:a (Studio Pali Fekete architects), the Museum of Design, Art + Architecture, explores the synergistic relationship between art and architecture through a variety of formats. Situated on the transition line between Culver City’s downtown and its Arts District, two blocks east of Helms Bakery complex, MODAA has become a hub for design and architecture-related exhibits, community dialogue, and other community-enriching events.

Email: pressmanpr@adelphia.net

Phone: 818-988-7444

Mobile Phone: 818-642-7444

Web: http://www.ahbe.com

Michelle Shocked Plays a Surprise Concert at the Museum of Design Art & Architecture

Culver City, Calif, September 7, 2006 – Michelle Shocked paid a surprise visit to the MODAA Gallery in Culver City, playing a full 2-hour concert for lucky last-minute guests and invitees. The rocker delighted a mellow crowd with a mix of hits from her latest musical set, Threesome, along with popular titles from her 80’s and 90’s recordings.

Meanwhile, artist David Willardson painted along to the music, introducing his new 'Pep Art' style to the crowd . While David wielded a stunning portrait of Elvis on canvas, Michelle and her band rocked the gallery with guitars, drums, synths and trumpet.

“Shocked distinguished herself with a trio of striking if hard-to-classify recordings, namely 1988’s Short Sharp Shocked, 1989’s Captain Swing and 1992’s Arkansas Traveler…the Texas native simply went a tad crazy last year, releasing three albums on the same day. Each stylistically different, of course. Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, Mexican Standoff and Got No Strings—also available as a set titled Threesome—feature such Shocked signatures as funky rhythms, emotive vocals, smart wordplay and some very lovely, memorable melodies,” wrote Dan Roos, music writer for the OC Weekly.

Shocked evoked an emotional response from the crowd several times with her intimate lyrics, bringing many to tears with her mid-song commentary during “Forgive to Forget,” and her closing encore, an a cappella solo about a Vietnam War widow, entitled “The Ballad of Penny Evans.”

While MODAA does not typically plan musical events in its gallery, SPF:architects’ exclusive gallery does feature a lively mix of design, art, and architecture shows, open to the public. To receive notifications about MODAA and SPF:architects’ events in the gallery, send an e-mail request to info@modaagallery.com with your name, mailing, and e-mail address.

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June 1, 2006 -- Culver City, Calif.: MODAA will open a new exhibition in June, featuring large scale artwork by Charles Arnoldi, paired with a special premiere installation by sculptor Cheryl Ekstrom. Gallery hours open to the public June 1, in time for Culver City’s first annual “Art Walk” on June 3. A special artist reception event will take place at MODAA on Thursday evening, June 15th at 7:00 PM, hosted by KCRW Art Talk host, Edward Goldman, open to the public at no charge.

Charles Arnoldi’s brightly colored, abstract paintings incorporate the use of wood as an expressive medium, often using tree branches and twigs. The MODAA exhibition will feature approximately ten large-scale acrylic on canvas pieces, all created by Arnoldi between 2000 and 2004, including Jumbo, Jump Start, and I talk To Myself. The artist will be available for questions on June 15 at the 7:00 PM MODAA reception, or by appointment during June or July.

Cheryl Ekstrom's new sculptural series, “Stable inhabitants of a Changing World,” immortalizes the designs of 20th century furniture maestros in breathtaking stainless steel. Named the sole executor for a sculptural installation by the Charles Eames Office and Herman Miller Inc., Cheryl Ekstrom addresses these designs – their iconic stature and their contemporary relevance – with her newest body of work, Stable Inhabitants of a Changing World. “I was struck with the values that are so inseparable from the era that these designs represent,” says Ekstrom, “and found myself wanting to immortalize the stability, the strength of everything that went along with that era. Stainless steel proved a perfect medium to represent that solid essence.” Cheryl Ekstrom, as well as Eames Demetrius, heir and keeper of the Eames estate and legacy, will also be on hand for questions at MODAA’s June 15 reception.

About MODAA
The Museum of Design Art & Architecture (MODAA) explores the symbiotic relationship between art and architecture through exhibitions and special events throughout the year. Curated by artist and architect, Judit Meda Fekete and underwritten by Studio Pali Fekete architects (www.spfa.com), MODAA exhibitions represent organic synapses where different expressions of art and design meet, play, and return inspired. MODAA is open to the public from 5 PM – 9PM evenings Tuesday through Sunday, and by special appointment during the daytime by calling 310-558-0902, or by e-mailing info@modaagallery.com. Situated between the City’s Helms district and East side gallery district, MODAA blends office, gallery, restaurant, and live/work residential in a compact 25,000 square foot footprint at 8609 Washington Blvd. In Culver City. For more information and a calendar of events, visit www.modaagallery.com.

About SPF:a
Studio Pali Fekete Architects (www.spfa.com) houses an award-winning design team and one of the world’s most accomplished technical workshops. The Studio’s projects range in size and scope from custom residences to large-scale institution and commercial projects, including the Getty Villa Museum renovation, Home of the Year award-winners, and prominent education, institution and performing arts projects. SPF:a is located at 8609 Washington Blvd., Culver City, Calif. 90232.

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LOS ANGELES, Calif., May 17, 2006 — Studio Pali Fekete architects (SPF:a) was honored today with three Los Angeles Architectural Award; two for its role as Executive Architect on the Getty Villa Museum and one for its innovative design of a single-family residence in West Hollywood, better known as the “House on Blue Jay Way.” Known for his exquisite modern masterpieces in the local canyons, design principal Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA was on hand to receive the honors.

“We were grateful for the opportunity to work on a project of such significance as the Getty Villa Museum for the city of Los Angeles,” expressed architect Zoltan Pali, whose firm played the role of executive architect. The project took the Grand Prize for the evening, as well as winning the award for public architecture.

The House on Blue Jay Way, which won this year’s single-family residential award for design, is perched on a steep, nearly 45-degree grade, and the structure is a four-level, multi-faceted viewing station for the Los Angeles basin below. The residence features a crisp concrete plinth base of two levels, housing parking garages and a host of recreational amenities. A screening room, gymnasium, wine cellar, and disco lounge (complete with mirrored ball, DJ station and bar) on the lower level.

While one award clearly recognized the architect for his design work, Pali played the more technically rigorous role of Executive Architect on the Getty Villa project, overseeing construction documentation and construction administration for the past five years. “These are different aspects of the profession that I hold in equally high regard. At our core as a design studio, we are often as moved by a beautiful ‘set of instructions’ as we are by a stunning design concept,” expressed architect Zoltan Pali during the festivities.

Hosted by the Los Angeles Business Council (LABC), the 36th annual awards ceremony brought together world-renowned architects, contractors and developers to acknowledge and celebrate the most laudable new projects in Los Angeles County. The Los Angeles Architectural Awards are presented to the project teams whose contributions improve the quality of architecture and enhance the urban fabric of Los Angeles.

“By honoring these project teams today our goal is to illuminate the most outstanding and important projects in our region. Each of the award winning projects demonstrates a powerful respect and appreciation for structures and spaces that create a higher quality of life for us all,” said Brad Cox, Chairman of the Los Angeles Business Council and Principal of Trammell Crow Company.

SPF:a (Studio Pali Fekete architects) is an architecture firm located in Culver City, California, founded and managed by Principals Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA and Judit Meda Fekete. The studio’s award-winning projects include the iconic Hollywood Pantages Theater, The AIA National Honor Award-winning Somis Hay Barn, the Oshry Residence, Wildwood School, Brosmith Residence and House on Blue Jay Way. The firm is currently working on the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, a world-class theater on the historic post office site in Beverly Hills, California. For more information, visit http://www.spfa.com/.

Over 400 People Flock to Washington Boulevard To Catch a Glimpse inside of SPF:architects’ New Studio, the MODAA Gallery, Wilson restaurant and MODAA Artist Lofts

MARCH 31, 2006, CULVER CITY, CALIF. - SPF:architects celebrated the official opening of MODAA, its block-long mixed use development on Washington Boulevard in Culver City. Situated between the City’s Helms district and East side gallery district, MODAA (otherwise known as the Museum of Design Art and Architecture) blends office, gallery, restaurant, and live/work residential in a compact 25,000 square foot footprint between Sherbourne Drive and Cattaraugus Avenue on Washington Boulevard. Culver City planners see the project as a catalyst for creative development on the Eastern edge of the city, and a foretaste of things to come. Guests at Friday’s event represented a fascinating and star-studded cross-section of arts, real estate, fashion, media and entertainment industry players.

“We are thrilled with the addition of MODAA to the life and culture of the city,” exclaimed Susan Evans, Culver City’s Community Development Director. “SPF:a made an essential contribution to the streetscape, bridging the gap between Culver City’s popular Helms district and our burgeoning gallery district to the East.”

SPF:a opened the night in sensory-stimulating style, featuring delectable feasts for the eyes, ears and palette. Chef Michael Wilson teased guests with Hors D’Oeuvres like wild mushroom baklava celery puree “spoons” topped with paddlefish roe. Light and space artist, Ron Reihel unveiled five new pieces of artwork designed specifically for the MODAA gallery, each splendidly changing in tone and luminescence as the night progressed. The fiendishly talented Argentine DJ duo, Pedro & Esteban (oka, “the Hansel Bros.”) spun a perfect soundtrack for a perfect evening on the West Side.

About SPF:architects
Studio Pali Fekete Architects (www.spfa.com) houses an award-winning design team and one of the world’s most accomplished technical workshops. The Studio’s projects range in size and scope from custom residences to large-scale institution and commercial projects, including the Getty Villa Museum renovation, Home of the Year award-winners, and prominent education, institution and performing arts projects. SPF:architects is located at 8609 Washington Blvd., Culver City, Calif. 90232.

Concluding His Semester as USC’s ‘Jon Adams Jerde’ Visiting Design Professor in Architecture, SPF:architects’ Zoltan Pali, FAIA Presents “Plenty of Time,” a Lecture Open to the Public.

University of Southern California (USC), Calif. -- Offering students a taste of modern architecture and urban design, Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA spent the last three months as Visiting Professor to the USC School of Architecture, an honorary professorship made possible by the school’s Jon Adams Jerde, FAIA Endowment. His lecture on November 2nd, 2005, will be the only one that is open to the public, and will highlight the history and philosophy of Zoltan Pali and Judit Meda Feketa's firm, SPF:architects.

“I’ve deeply enjoyed the opportunity to interface with a new generation of architects, and honored to participate in this top-notch program,” said Pali. The architect’s last appearance was well-received by a standing-room only crowd, as part of LA Forum For Architecture and Urban Design’s “On the Map” series last summer. Pali will present the visual history, philosophy, and design evolution of his Culver City firm, SPF:architects.

The Lecture will be held on Wednesday, November 2nd, on the USC Campus at Gin D. Wong, FAIA Conference Center, Harris Hall. For a complete lecture series booklet, tickets, or more information about the lecture location and details, contact the USC Architectural Guild Offices, 213-740-2097.

“We don’t get up every morning thinking that we are going to re-invent the face of architecture or come up with some new trick, devise a new form, or a new shape,” explains Pali. “We do, however, get up every morning hoping to come upon a new structural system that is more elegant than the ones we are working with today; or a new mechanical system to heat and cool and ventilate a space; or a new cladding system that is more waterproof or quicker to install; or something that technically solves a problem, is efficient and poetic at the same time…those are things that are interesting to us.”

About SPF:architects
Studio Pali Fekete Architects (www.spfa.com) is a thirty-person strong, multi-disciplinary architecture firm that houses an award-winning design team and one of the world’s most accomplished technical workshops. The Studio’s projects range in size and scope from 5,500 square-foot custom residences to large-scale institution and commercial projects, including a $300 million museum expansion, historic preservation, education, arts, and public architecture. The studio prides itself on a high level of hands-on client and principal involvement. SPF:architects is located at 8609 E. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232. For more information regarding SPF:a, its principals or project details, contact Dafna Zilafro, Director of Marketing (mail:dafna@spfa.com), 310-558-0902.

Culver City, Calif. -- It was standing room only at the July 28th “On The Map” event, a six month architectural lecture series organized by the Los Angeles Forum for Architecture & Urban Design. The presentation highlighted the work of SPF:a and its principals, Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA and Judit Méda Fekete. Pali addressed a standing-room-only crowd in the firm’s unfinished gallery space, where he walked listeners through an hour-long presentation of SPF:a history, philosophy, and design evolution.

Attendees came from all over southern California, and included prospective developers, urban planners, fans of modern architecture, and other architects in the community. A partial transcript of Pali’s presentation is available at www.spfa.com/forumtranscript.htm.

About On the Map
The Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design annual ON THE MAP series allows the architecturally curious to explore recently finished design projects in situ. Visitors are given the rare opportunity to hear a brief discussion about the project by the designer/s, and are then given a tour of the newly constructed space.

About SPF:architects
Studio Pali Fekete Architects (www.spfa.com) is a multi-disciplinary architecture firm that houses an award-winning design team and one of the world’s most accomplished technical workshops. The Studio’s projects range in size and scope from 5,500 square-foot custom residences to large-scale institution and commercial projects, including a $300 million museum expansion, historic preservation, education, arts, and public architecture. The studio prides itself on a high level of hands-on client and principal involvement. SPF:architects is located at 8609 E. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232. For more information regarding SPF:a, its principals or project details, contact Dafna Zilafro, Director of Marketing (dafna@spfa.com), 310-558-0902.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Dafna Zilafro, Dir. of Marketing
SPF:architects
310-558-0902
dafna@spfa.com

HAY BARN WINS NATIONAL HONOR AWARD FOR ARCHITECTURE
Principal Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA Delights Judges with Wabi Sabi-Inspired Equestrian Dwelling

JULY 8th, 2005, CULVER CITY, CALIF. - In what is probably the first win for equestrian residents at the National AIA show this year, SPF:architects' modern rendition of a horse barn took one of thirteen National Honor Awards for Architecture at the AIA Convention in Las Vegas. For SPF:a Design Principal, Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA, the barn represents some deep philosophical leanings in his architecture and aesthetic, combining an efficient modernism & practical space management with an architectural spin on Eastern Wabi-Sabi philosophy.

'It was not until I began stacking the hay on the building that it all came crashing down on me,' Pali says. 'The smell of nature, the roughness, the imperfection. The sense of passage of time, death and rebirth...actually brought me to tears.' Wabi sabi, an ancient Japanese philosophy that influences much of Eastern art today, attempts to frame and highlight nature as it exists in the world - impermanent, fading, and ever-changing with the seasons and passage of time. 'To cherish and understand in a small way what wabi sabi is and then to express it through my work is extremely important to me,' explains Pali, 'and in the barn the concept came together so emphatically.'

The barn itself can house four horses, tractors, tack room, and other farm equipment needed for maintaining the forty-acre lemon grove that surrounds it. The steel and cedar structural system is designed based on a simple grid, and natural ventilation is encouraged via open clerestories. The large roof overhang protects the cladding from the rain.

When hay is stacked along the outer storage shelves in the winter, it is green; as the season unfolds, the hay turns yellow, and the caretaker removes it from the shelves as it is used for feed. Both factors keep the facade forever in a state of evolution. The hay serves a dual purpose, providing a high degree of insulation to the interior space, and increasing the usable interior space for equestrian inhabitants.

Mr. Pali's award-winning body of work spans residential, arts, commercial, education, civic and historic preservation projects (Hollywood Pantages Theater). His firm, SPF:architects, is located in Culver City, California.

About SPF:architects
Studio Pali Fekete Architects (www.spfa.com) is a multi-disciplinary architecture firm that houses an award-winning design team and one of the world's most accomplished technical workshops. The Studio's projects range in size and scope from 5,500 square-foot custom residences to large-scale institution and commercial projects, including a $300 million museum expansion, historic preservation, education, arts, and public architecture. The studio prides itself on a high level of hands-on client and principal involvement. SPF:architects is located at 8609 E. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232. For more information regarding SPF:a, its principals or project details, contact Dafna Zilafro, Director of Marketing (dafna@spfa.com), 310-558-0902.

JUNE 29TH 2005, CULVER CITY, CALIF. - SPF:architects announces the induction of its Design Principal, Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA into the AIA College of Fellows (COF) at this year’s AIA Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. Founded in 1952, the College of Fellows is composed of members of the Institute who are elected to Fellowship by a jury of their peers, honored for the significance of their contributions to the profession and society. This year's College of Fellows inductees also included Fred Schwartz, Toshiko Mori, and 2005 Pritzker prizewinner, Thom Mayne.

At only 44 years of age, Mr. Pali is younger than most architects inducted into the College, but his work has been widely celebrated by the design community since SPF:a's founding in 1988. "I am both humbled and honored by the nomination, and by the caliber of fellowship that I experience with this group," commented Mr. Pali after the FAIA reception.

Mr. Pali's most notable design awards of late include Architecture Magazine's Home of the Year Award in 2003 (he will sit on the judging panel for 2004) and a 2005 National AIA Honor Award for Architecture (Somis Hay Barn). His award-winning body of work spans residential, arts, commercial, education, civic and historic preservation projects (Hollywood Pantages Theater).

Zoltan E. Pali is one of 66 U.S. architects elevated to the College of Fellows in 2005. SPF:a will celebrate Zoltan E. Pali's honorary "F" with festivities in its newly designed headquarters this fall when the building is completed.

About SPF:architects
Studio Pali Fekete Architects (www.spfa.com) is a multi-disciplinary architecture firm that houses an award-winning design team and one of the world's most accomplished technical workshops. The Studio's projects range in size and scope from 5,500 square-foot custom residences to large-scale institution and commercial projects, including a $300 million museum expansion, historic preservation, education, arts, and public architecture. The studio prides itself on a high level of hands-on client and principal involvement. SPF:architects is located at 8609 E. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232. For more information regarding SPF:a, its principals or project details, contact Dafna Zilafro, Director of Marketing (dafna@spfa.com), 310-558-0902.