MO | MAYES OFFICE is an award-winning, interdisciplinary design studio, with projects ranging across a spectrum of type and scale.


Each project we accept presents a different set of challenges and opportunities. Therefore, the design process must be flexible enough to accommodate and adapt to those conditions to achieve the best possible outcome. At the center of this process are drawings, models, and prototypes, which evolve and inform the work. We believe in the active involvement of our clients throughout the process of design, and seek to create a final product, which reflects this. Our work is focused on improving the lives of our clients as well as the communities and environments in which they exist.

TEAM 

COLBY MAYES

Colby was raised in Paducah, Kentucky. He earned a 5 year-Professional Bachelor Degree from the University of Kentucky, College of Architecture in 1997.  During his studies, he participated in a study abroad program with architect Daniel Libeskind in Berlin- Germany and worked for Studio Daniel Libeskind on "Stonebreath"- a memorial in Berlin commemorating the Jewish victims of the Holocaust. 


From there Colby moved to Southern California to work for Frank O. Gehry and Associates (FOGA) |from 1998-2004.  During Colby’s tenure at FOGA as Associate Designer, he participated in many of the firm’s most innovative and award-winning projects both nationally and internationally.  Most notably was Mayes’s design and technical contributions on the Marques de Riscal Hotel in Elciego, Spain, which has become Frank Gehry’s most recognized international hotel to date.  Other national and international projects Mayes was involved in during his tenure at Frank O. Gehry’s include:  the New Guggenheim Museum, New York City; Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO); Canada; Astor Place Hotel, New York City; Maggie’s Cancer Center in Scotland; and The Art of the Motorcycle Exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum, New York City.


In 2005, he started MAYES OFFICE | MO in Santa Monica, CA which focuses on a variety of small to large scale contemporary projects and urban design.  Based in Mayes Office, MO Development | MOD was established in 2016 to provide a home for the development projects of Colby Mayes.  MOD is a development firm counterpart to the design studio of Mayes Office.  Currently, the firm is developing the Lowertown Courtyard Homes in Paducah, Kentucky; Prefab Lofts in Los Angeles; and Old Hickory Homes in Brentwood Tennessee. 

TREVOR KIDD

Trevor was raised in Lexington, Kentucky.  He received his Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of Kentucky 2012.


He joined MO in 2013 as Project Designer and Manager. Trevor brings additional focus on environmental and economic sustainability design into all of his projects.  He has been the Project Designer on a number of MO’s projects, including the Singer residence in Los Angeles, CA; Chime Pavilion in Louisville, KY; Drift restaurant, which sits on a frozen body of water in Canada; PopUp Pavilion in Barcelona, Spain; the Milwood residence in Venice, CA.  He is currently the project designer and manager for the Lindacrest residence in Los Angeles. 


LUCIA COSTA 

Lucia was born and raised in Barcelona, Spain. She graduated from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia with a degree in Building Engineering.  Upon graduation, she relocated to Argentina where she worked as a teacher specializing in sustainability and environment in the Architecture faculty at the University of Buenos Aires. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Architecture at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia. Lucia joined MO in 2017 as an assistant project designer. 



TIMOTHY WALSH 

Timothy Walsh was raised in Salt Lake City, Utah.  He pursued his undergraduate degree at the University of Utah before moving to Eugene, Oregon to attend a graduate program at the University of Oregon. Upon completion of his graduate work, he moved back to Salt Lake City and specialized on residential projects.  Timothy joined Mayes Office in 2018 and brings to MO focus on sustainability and has been instrumental in organizing MO’s virtual reality department. He is currently a project designer for the Blue Jay Way residence project.  

CLAIR VAN DER SWAN 

Clair van der Swan was born in China. She moved to Italy in 2013 and earned her degree in Interior Design from the Istituto Europeo di Design in Rome. Upon completion of her undergraduate studies, she moved to Los Angeles and attended the Fashion Institute Design & Merchandising (FIDM). Clair joined MO in 2018 as an Interior Designer. Prior to joining Mayes Office, Clair founded her interior design studio specializing in commercial and residential interior projects where she had various experiences working with multiple architects and interior designers. 

 

ERIC STEPHENS

Eric Stephens was born and raised in Upland, California. He joined Mayes Office in 2018 upon graduating from the University of Kentucky with a Master's Degree in Architecture. He brings focus to digital modeling and rendering into his projects. Prior to joining Mayes Office, Eric collaborated on various residential and retail projects with several architects while also bringing with him previous experiences from the construction industry and high-end water feature design.  

DOMINIC TAY

Dominic was born and raised in Singapore.  He graduated from CSU Fullerton with a degree in Business Administration and Marketing.  He joined MO in 2015 and has been influential in securing extensive and positive recognition of the firm’s work in mainstream and architecture media both in the United States and internationally.


Dominic is responsible for ensuring that all forms of communications are uniform and is an accurate representation of the firm’s image and aesthetics. With his care and supervision, projects are integrated into the firm’s overall body of work and coordinated with ongoing communications programs, to consistently support the firm’s corporate brand across including marketing, public relations and media (advertising, press, exhibitions, publications and web).

KAREN PINO LOPEZ 

Karen was born and raised in Cali Colombia.  She joined MO Development | MOD in 2016 as an Assistant in real estate development.  Karen is responsible for organizing MOD’s real estate strategies, market research and business administration activities.