Russell Fortmeyer

Russell Fortmeyer, a contributing editor to RECORD, is a Los Angeles-based sustainability principal at Arup and adjunct professor at the University of Southern California School of Architecture.

Tall Buildings 2026

Ennead's Terrace-Wrapped Tower in Shenzhen Helps its Occupants Connect and Collaborate

Shenzhen, China

Russell Fortmeyer

May 11, 2026

No Comments

Planted outdoor spaces zigzag up the facades of an office building for the developer of TikTok.

A New High School in Malibu Turns the Tide on Learning

Russell Fortmeyer

January 21, 2026

No Comments

Koning Eizenberg and NAC Architecture join forces to design a school that reflects the natural beauty—and vulnerability—of a coastal site in Southern California.

Books

‘Breathing Space’ Explores Respiratory Modernism as a Force That Shapes Buildings and How We Live With Them

Review: ‘Breathing Space: The Architecture of Pneumatic Beings’ by Tim Altenhof

Russell Fortmeyer

January 13, 2026

No Comments

Author Tim Altenhof has 'given us an excellent history lesson that carves out a small place for breathing,' writes Russell Fortmeyer.

L.A. Fires, One Year Later

Deregulation: Faster, Cheaper, Better?

Russell Fortmeyer

January 9, 2026

No Comments

Although made in the spirit of expediting recovery, exemptions from environmental mandates seem like a step back from California's otherwise progressive climate-action policies.

Betty Bazar Community Center and Preschool

Kadre Architects Transforms an L.A. Denny’s into a Resource for Families Transitioning Out of Homelessness

Russell Fortmeyer

November 19, 2025

One Comment

An adaptive reuse project adds color and light for a new community center and preschool along a storied boulevard in the San Fernando Valley.

No Fun at the Drive-in: Tesla Diner is a Dud

Russell Fortmeyer

August 20, 2025

11 Comments

With its subpar food and antiseptic atmosphere, Hollywood’s new multi-tasking attraction—open 24/7—pales in comparison to exuberant L.A. roadside eateries of yore.

HDR’s New Home for the Orange County Sanitation District is as Practical as the Agency Itself

Russell Fortmeyer

June 25, 2025

One Comment

Linked to a neighboring water treatment facility via footbridge, the hybrid mass-timber building has sustainability deeply embedded in its design.

Multifamily Housing 2025

Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects Brings Co-Housing to West L.A. with Barrington 1503

Los Angeles

Russell Fortmeyer

March 24, 2025

No Comments

Located near (but not affiliated with) UCLA, the 18-unit project, which features four- and five-bedroom units and spacious social spaces, was developed as a model for student co-living.

Continuing Education: Prefabrication

Polyhaus’s Tiny Mass-Timber ADU Offers a Possible Solution to a Very Big Housing Problem

San Diego

Russell Fortmeyer

January 3, 2025

One Comment

Using 25 repeating CLT panel shapes, the newly patented housing system achieves a construction cost of $550 per square foot in California’s expensive market.

MAWD Brings Hospitality Flourishes to a California Tech Company’s New Headquarters

Russell Fortmeyer

August 19, 2024

No Comments

Spread across multiple floors of an existing Los Angeles area office tower, the project includes a soccer pitch in the basement and a spacious penthouse terrace with mountain views.

Credits: 1 AIA LU/HSW; 1 AIBD P-CE; 0.1 ICC CEU; 1 IIBEC CEH

Evaluate advanced PVC solutions that improve fire resistance, support WUI compliance, and enhance resilience in residential and commercial building design.

Credits: 1 AIA LU/HSW; 1 AIBD P-CE; 0.1 ICC CEU

Upon course completion, participants will possess a deeper understanding of glass railings to help ensure that safety, aesthetic, and performance objectives are achieved.

Russell Fortmeyer

ARTICLES

Ennead's Terrace-Wrapped Tower in Shenzhen Helps its Occupants Connect and Collaborate

A New High School in Malibu Turns the Tide on Learning

‘Breathing Space’ Explores Respiratory Modernism as a Force That Shapes Buildings and How We Live With Them

Deregulation: Faster, Cheaper, Better?

Kadre Architects Transforms an L.A. Denny’s into a Resource for Families Transitioning Out of Homelessness

No Fun at the Drive-in: Tesla Diner is a Dud

HDR’s New Home for the Orange County Sanitation District is as Practical as the Agency Itself

Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects Brings Co-Housing to West L.A. with Barrington 1503

Polyhaus’s Tiny Mass-Timber ADU Offers a Possible Solution to a Very Big Housing Problem

MAWD Brings Hospitality Flourishes to a California Tech Company’s New Headquarters

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