Women in Architecture: Hiromi Ogawa and Lynn Fisher of Ogawa Fisher Architects
Wagner Creative’s interview series is finally back! Our fifth installment is with longtime friends, Hiromi Ogawa and Lynn Fisher of Ogawa Fisher Architects. What do these female co-principals have in common? Both were design-minded from a very young age (with pictures to prove it), worked together at EHDD, had kids at the same time, and have found the secret sauce to modernizing the mid-century ranch home.
When did you know you wanted to be an architect? Was there a defining moment?
Lynn: I have always enjoyed making things and building things. The first time that becoming an architect ever entered my mind was in sixth grade, when I won a competition in our science class building a structure out of balsa wood. The prize was a box of pencils that said, “ARCHITECT OF THE YEAR”! — I still have one left.
Hiromi: There were moments in my childhood that provided glimpses. My favorite toy was a large tin of random Lego pieces; I, too, built a structure out of balsa wood for an elementary school competition; lots of different moments like that come to mind. My decision to pursue architectural studies came much later — my junior year of high school. I had to scramble to put together a portfolio for my architecture school application!
Was there anything about your background or upbringing that shaped your design philosophy?
Hiromi, growing up in Japan, did that impact how you think about design? And does that carry through to how you (both) practice today?
Hiromi: Growing up in both Japan and the US made me see art and design in both countries through the eyes of an outsider. I believe everything shapes one’s design philosophy — it’s just a matter of practicing how to see things.
Lynn: I grew up making regular visits to my family’s very old farm in Delaware. It taught me that a place could hold a lot of power. It also instilled in me the values of resourcefulness, timelessness, and natural beauty.
Hiromi, I met you in 2000 when you were working at EHDD — I assume that is when you first met? What was the series of events that led to the two of you deciding to open your firm? Is there a pivotal event that Lynn can speak to that made her decide to join you?
Hiromi: Yes, Lynn and I met in 2000–2001 at EHDD (I think Lynn started a few months before me). We became friends very quickly while working on the same project. One of our first assignments was to sit shoulder-to-shoulder and color a hand-drawn elevation with colored pencils. We had to make it look like one person did the whole thing. We spent many days and late nights on it. We bonded instantly. I left after a few years to work at a small residential firm while Lynn continued to work at EHDD, but we kept in touch. I started my one-person practice in 2004, and in 2006, Lynn and I started working together again as a small team of 2.
Lynn: From my perspective, it seemed like Hiromi had always known that she wanted to have her firm at some point, but it was not *my* dream. However, I really missed working with her when she left EHDD, so when she asked a few years later if I would consider joining her, it was a pretty easy “yes.”
You both worked on larger, civic, commercial, and mixed-use projects at EHDD and your previous firms. How did you decide to focus on residential work? Was that a conscious decision, and what led to that?
Hiromi: I have always liked smaller, more detail-oriented projects. In fact, my undergraduate thesis was a single-family home. I went to work for EHDD because I thought I should at least try working on large civic and commercial projects to see if I liked it. I did like it, and I especially enjoyed the camaraderie of working with a design team (which is how I met Lynn!) but ultimately, I felt like the right fit for me was in smaller-scale projects.
Lynn: I loved working on larger projects, particularly schools. It was easy to see how the work impacted others and to know that I had made a difference in the world. But large projects involve large teams, long timelines, and a lot of in-person hours in the studio. I knew that I wanted to have a family and that it would be hard to do the same job that I was doing if I had small kids at home.
All of this was in my mind when Hiromi asked me to join her in doing residential work. It seemed like the perfect time to try designing on a smaller, more intimate scale. I really loved the pace and immediacy of the work, along with the gratification of seeing the impact that our work had on our clients’ lives.
You’re both moms — Did starting a family inform your decision to transition out of the city and focus on Peninsula-based work?
Lynn: My desire to start a family was behind my decision to leave a larger firm and transition to a small firm doing residential work. Moving from San Francisco to Palo Alto came a little later after I had children, and we had the opportunity to live closer to family (literally next door to one of my sisters!) I wasn’t confident I would like the move and jokingly called myself a “reluctant suburbanite.” As we started working with other homeowners in the Peninsula, we realized that many people were in a similar situation: young families with urban sensibilities who wanted a thoughtfully designed home.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced throughout your career? And as a woman-owned firm?
Hiromi: When we started our firm together, we did not have many role models to turn to. Plus, we had babies at the same time, and it was important that we didn’t compromise our time with our families. It was also hard to be young and a woman on construction sites. Everything has gotten easier with age and experience.
You have a lot of experience modernizing the “typical California ranch house.” Is there something about that project type that you gravitate towards?
Lynn: The housing stock in the Peninsula is primarily mid-century ranch homes, and we wanted to find a tasteful, timeless way to transform them without disturbing the neighborhood fabric. As we completed a few of these projects, we realized there was an untapped market for helping homeowners take an ordinary Bay Area home and turn it into something very special.
Do you think you’ve unlocked a particular “secret sauce” for this project type?
Hiromi: We’ve gotten very good at creating optimal space layouts and flow based on existing architectural context and property features. We’re also really good at finding unique “nuggets” to inform our design, whether that’s a special object or an architectural concept. We like using the house, the site, and the homeowners’ lifestyle as context for our designs.
Is there a unique perspective you bring to your residential work because you are women (and moms)?
Lynn: I think we’ve had the luxury of drawing from our own experiences and preferences — we’re both moms (and we both love to cook!) It’s allowed us to confidently approach this work from a very family-friendly design perspective — we know how the house will function for a family and can suggest programming elements that we know work well for many families.
How do you typically work together on projects?
Hiromi: We typically do an all-hands design charrette at the beginning of every project. Then Lynn and I and a key designer on staff will work through Schematic Design together. Then one principal with one or two staff designers will take the project through Design Development, Construction Documents, and Construction Administration.
How has the firm evolved since you started working together in 2006?
Hiromi: Our projects and our team have grown in size, but Lynn and I have always wanted to keep the firm a small, tight-knit group.
What do you see for the next ten years?
We have worked hard to build our practice and have developed so much expertise over the past 15 years! Now we see ourselves mentoring and nurturing the next generation of architects to be inspired, thoughtful, intelligent ambassadors of the designed environment.
In terms of projects, we are enjoying the current size of our firm and the current mix of projects. We’d love to keep a good mix of ground-up homes and thoughtful remodels/additions.
How are you doing your part to “pass the torch” to the next generation?
Lynn: We are champions for the younger generation/students that want to learn about the profession. This also fulfills something we are passionate about — like having an office, being part of a community you can contribute to, and expanding that architectural “family.”
What is the best advice you’ve received, and what advice would you give to other young architects (or women?) starting their own firms?
“Think about your intention, write it down, then it will manifest.”
What and where would your dream project be?
Lynn: I’d love to design an infill project that houses several families. There are many examples of this tucked around Palo Alto — lots with two to four small homes on them, shared outdoor spaces, and opportunities for both private and public spaces.
Hiromi: to design and build my own home, in France.
Founded in 2003, Ogawa Fisher Architects is a boutique architecture firm located in Palo Alto, California, focusing on clean and timeless design. Their integrated design solutions and detail-oriented projects execute a thoughtful, holistic approach considering the entire home and its surroundings, as well as neighborhood context, terrain, and site orientation. Throughout each project, they take care to incorporate sustainability and green building principles whenever possible. Visit them at https://www.ogawafisher.com/ or on Instagram.
