FAQ
How is 121 Design Build Inc. different from a traditional architecture firm?
Traditional architecture firms typically design, then hand the set to a separate builder. 121 designs and builds under one roof in Encino / Los Angeles.
Direct answer
Design and construction under one roof, not a handoff.
Unlike traditional architecture firms, we offer both design and construction under one roof, providing a unified, streamlined process that simplifies project management and reduces delays.
A traditional architecture firm usually produces drawings, then you bid the job to a contractor. 121 keeps architectural design and construction on the same Encino / Los Angeles team.
Reducing delays is the aim of that one-team path — not a guarantee. City of Los Angeles reviews and site conditions still shape the calendar. This is not legal advice.
Three common setups
One roof, a design handoff, or build-only.
Design-build under one roof
121 offers both design and construction. One conversation, one set of drawings, one crew. Project management stays with the same Encino team through the build.
Traditional architecture firm
A designer produces drawings, then a separate contractor bids and builds. That split can work, but questions on site often bounce back to a different firm, and details can drift.
GC-only, no design lead
A general contractor builds from someone else’s plans. Construction can move, but the drawings and the job site are not owned by the same team.
Why it matters
A handoff is where delays usually start.
When a traditional architecture firm hands drawings to a separate builder, questions on site often land with two companies. When design and construction are one team, those questions stay in the same room.
121 keeps that loop in Encino / Los Angeles: talk through the project, design it, coordinate permits, then build it. A unified process is how we aim to simplify project management and reduce delays.
How we work
Conversation to build, under one roof.
01
Conversation and brief
We talk through the project and review the lot or existing house so the brief is honest before drawings start.
02
Design
The same team develops a design that can be permitted and built, not a set meant for a separate contractor to interpret later.
03
Permits
We coordinate drawings and submittals with the City of Los Angeles. Approvals are never guaranteed.
04
Build
The same Encino team that designed the project builds it, so there is no handoff from architect to a separate contractor.
Honest scope
What 121 actually does, and what we do not.
We do
Design and construction under one roof
We take the project from conversation through design, permit coordination, and construction. A unified process is the aim — including fewer delays — not a promise we can make before the City reviews the work.
We do not
A design-only handoff, legal advice, or guaranteed dates
We are not a traditional architecture firm that hands you a set and walks away. We do not give legal advice. We do not guarantee City of Los Angeles approvals or a calendar date.
Call, or start with the lot.
If you want one Encino / Los Angeles team instead of a traditional architecture-firm handoff, start with a conversation or a lot check.