Michael W. Folonis, FAIA

Michael W. Folonis, FAIA, is known for his thoughtful, dedicated approach to regional modernist design. Mr. Folonis has more than thirty years of experience in design and founded own firm, Michael W. Folonis Architects, in 1983. Michael leads every project from conceptual design through full realization. He approaches his work with a generous spirit of inquiry, infusing each project with an awareness of context, theory function, and passive solar design strategies.
His broad base of experience ranges from mixed-use, multi-family residential, medical, commercial, and single-family projects. His office has established itself as one of the leading innovative architectural firms in Los Angeles. His work has received National AIA Design Awards, State and Los Angeles Chapter AIA Design Awards. The work has been published internationally in China, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, and France and nationally in Architectural Record. The projects have been exhibited in Japan, France, Italy, Brazil, Argentina, and Germany. Mr. Folonis holds a master's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and a bachelor of architecture degree from the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-ARC).  In 2008, the National Chapter of the American Institute of Architects elected him to the College of Fellows. Michael was recently elected as the LA/AIA California Council Representative.

Linda Pollari

Linda Pollari is an architect and has served as Chair of Architecture/Landscape/Interiors at Otis College of Art and Design since 2000. Prior to her tenure at Otis, Linda taught at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Woodbury University, where she chaired the Interior Architecture Department. Linda maintains her own firm, P XS.  P XS’ projects have won several awards and been published Belgium, Japan, Korea, Russia, Switzerland, the UK and USA.

Mark Rios, FAIA, FASLA

As Founding Principal, Mark Rios, FAIA, FASLA, has been the leader of both the design and business direction of Rios Clementi Hale Studios since first establishing the firm Rios Associates in 1985. Under his design leadership, the firm has developed an international reputation for its collaborative and multi-disciplinary approach, establishing an award-winning tradition across an unprecedented range of design disciplines.
Though formally trained in both architecture and landscape architecture, Mark’s eclectic interests and innate curiosity have propelled his creative explorations beyond traditional professional borders. The firm—renamed in 2003 to acknowledge its collaborative nature—spans the design disciplines of architecture, landscape, interiors, graphics, branding, planning, and product design for clients that include entertainment studios and venues, cultural institutions, schools and universities, city agencies and departments, retail and restaurant establishments, and private individuals. This approach spurred the American Institute of Architects California Council to bestow its 2007 Firm Award to the multi-discipline practice. Mark was Chairman of Landscape Architecture at USC from 2001 to 2007, and has been on the faculty at UCLA. He was elevated to AIA Fellow in 1999 and to ASLA Fellow in 2006.  Mark received his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from USC, and both Master of Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture degrees from Harvard University.