Pooja Bhagat, aia

Pooja Bhagat, AIA, is the founder and principal of Pooja Bhagat Architects + Planners, a Los Angeles-based architecture and design practice creating thoughtful, human-centered places for everyday life. With more than 25 years of experience, her work spans residential, educational, civic, mixed-use and community-focused projects.

Her approach is grounded in curiosity, rigor and care. Each project begins with listening and evolves through questioning, testing and refining ideas. She sees constraints as opportunities for innovation, creating solutions specific to each project rather than to a predetermined style. Environmental responsibility and resilience are integral to her work, including a growing focus on fire-resilient design and architecture responsive to California’s changing climate.

Before establishing PBA, Pooja served as Associate Principal at Abode Communities Architecture, City Architect for the City of Santa Monica, and Senior Associate at Moore Ruble Yudell Architects & Planners.

Pooja was the founding co-chair of AIA Los Angeles’ Women in Architecture Committee, helped establish the Powerful conference, served on the AIA Los Angeles Board of Directors, and served as President of Architecture for Communities Los Angeles (ACLA) in 2025.

PRACTICE

PBA is a collaborative design practice, bringing together a network of architects, designers and specialized consultants to form the right team for each project. This flexible approach brings diverse expertise to the work while maintaining close principal involvement, continuity of design intent and a personal relationship with each client.

SELECTED EXPERIENCE

Pooja’s experience spans residential architecture and interiors, educational and civic environments, affordable and multifamily housing, and large-scale planning.

Palisades Rebuild, Lachman Lane — Residential Architecture + Interiors, Pacific Palisades
Mulholland Hill Oak Tree Courtyard House — Residential Architecture + Interiors, Los Angeles
Pine Avenue Kitchen — Interior Architecture + Design, Manhattan Beach
Ashland ADU — Architecture + Interiors + Landscape, Santa Monica
Echo Horizon School Multipurpose Hall — Architecture + Interior Design, Culver City
SEED LA Public Charter Boarding School — Educational Architecture, Los Angeles
2802 Pico Affordable Housing — Multifamily + Affordable Housing, Santa Monica
Ocean Avenue South / The Village — Multifamily Housing + Master Planning, Santa Monica

Selected experience includes projects by PBA and significant work undertaken in prior professional roles.

EDUCATION

Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc)
Master of Architecture, Metropolitan Research and Design, 2001

Sushant School of Art and Architecture — New Delhi, India
Bachelor of Architecture, 1999

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS + CREDENTIALS

Registered Architect, California
LEED Accredited Professional
American Institute of Architects (AIA), Member
Former Board Member, AIA Los Angeles
Founding Co-Chair, Women in Architecture Committee, AIA Los Angeles
President, Architecture for Communities Los Angeles (ACLA), 2025

SELECTED PROJECT AWARDS

AIA California Council Urban Design Award, 2015 — Ocean Avenue South / The Village
AIA California Council Urban Design Award, 2015 — Providence Saint John’s Health Center Master Plan
AIA California Council Affordable Housing Award, 2014 — 2802 Pico Affordable Housing
Los Angeles Business Council Architectural Award, 2015 — Ocean Avenue South / The Village
Westside Urban Forum Westside Prize, 2015 — Ocean Avenue South / The Village
Westside Urban Forum Westside Prize, 2014 — Ocean Avenue South / The Village
Los Angeles Business Council Architectural Award, 2014 — 2802 Pico Affordable Housing