With deep roots in Southern California, founder Robin Donaldson studied painting and printmaking at UCSB, earned his Master’s degree in Architecture from SCI-Arc, and spent his early career working closely with Thom Mayne of Morphosis. Since founding D+P, Donaldson has continued to explore the foundations and push the limitations of architectural practice, working with ambitious and innovative clients to realize extraordinary ground-up residential projects; create homes for quantum computers; and—on the home front—founded an R+D lab dedicated to formulating and articulating new materials, methods, design strategies, and architectural applications.

Donaldson is the heart of Donaldson + Partners longstanding relationships with clients, collaborators, and essential partners as well as of the firm’s constant evolution and transformation. Outside of the office, he is a committed member of the local and national AIA, and a frequent contributor to local planning committees. Donaldson has been widely recognized for his interdisciplinary creativity, collaboration-intensive teamwork, and stylistic sophistication, and his work has been published locally, nationally, and internationally in Elle Decor, GA Houses, The Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest, and more. He lives in Santa Barbara, above the store.