Aram Bassenian A.I.A.

Just a few minutes with Aram Bassenian and you feel his contagious passion for life—a man who is proud of his accomplishments and grateful for what he has. Aram’s priorities are clear: family, profession and the Armenian community.

Chairman & CEO of Bassenian/Lagoni Architects, Aram Bassenian founded the architectural firm 35 years ago. A one-man office in a small apartment in Laguna Beach in 1970, the architect now employs 110 people, produces hundreds of designs annually and throughout his long career has authored thousands of homes in California.

Bassenian/Lagoni’s designs are varied in their style, size and scope. They range from single-family homes and planned communities across the United States to international housing, commercial developments and golf resorts from China to Dubai. His approach to design is based on classic values and enhanced by modern innovations that reflect—and inspire—changing attitudes and lifestyles. Shelves in Bassenian/Lagoni’s reception area, filled with awards, evidence the numerous accolades he receives from his peers—recognition that he has reached the top of his profession. Among the striking photographs displayed in the hallways is the firm’s recently received “crown”—National Home of the Year. Awards include Golden Nuggets, Best in American Living Awards, MAME Awards, Professional Builder Magazine’s National Achievement Award, and the coveted Max C. Tipton Award for lifetime achievement in the building industry.

Wanting to catalogue the firm’s accomplishments and to share their designs with a wider audience, Bassenian/Lagoni set out to publish their work. Pure California came off the press in 2003, and just two years later, Tuscan & Andalusion Reflections was published. Immediate best-sellers at Barnes & Noble, the books feature photos, textual tours and site plans of some of the firm’s recent designs. Aram describes the books as “crowning touches to a career”—lending credibility to the firm and drawing international attention to their designs.

The genesis of Pure California was a desire to share some remarkable photos taken of several of their new homes in Orange County. Aram spearheaded the effort and brought the idea to fruition, saying, “it became a labor of love.” Warned that the book would appeal to a small niche audience and probably sell less than 1,500 copies, the firm did a limited initial printing. To their surprise and delight, Pure California was an instant hit. To date they have sold more than 21,000 copies. Tuscan, released in February of this year, is already outperforming its predecessor.

A dedicated partner of HomeAid America and HomeAid Orange County—an organization which provides shelter for the temporary homeless across the United States— Bassenian/Lagoni is committed to giving back to its community. To support one of HomeAid’s annual fundraisers, Bassenian/Lagoni designs some the elaborate playhouses that are displayed in the courtyard of Fashion Island Shopping Center in Newport Beach, California. Auctioned for thousands of dollars each, funds raised from the playhouses support HomeAid’s work. In the past year, the firm has also volunteered the design of three homes featured on ABC television’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

A Russian-educated economist and chemist, Aram’s father Aris moved to Iran in 1935 to direct two major factories in the leather industry. While in Tehran, he met his future wife and Aram’s mother. Zabel was born in Istanbul and educated in France. After completing her education, she moved to the Northern Iranian coast to join her brothers where they had established a sizeable silk factory. There she met and married Aris and they had two children—Aram and Lilit.

Aram and his sister Lilit attended Armenian schools in Tehran and spoke Armenian, Farsi and French. In 1955, the family immigrated to the United States, locating in Burbank, California. Knowing life would not be easy for them in the United States, Aris and Zabel did everything they could to ensure that Aram’s and Lilit’s futures would be filled with opportunity—education the top priority. Crediting his immigrant roots for a strong work ethic, Aram worked his way through the University of California at Berkeley School of Architecture.

Supporting his people—the Armenian community—is fundamental to Aram’s life. For him, it is essential that he participate in efforts to enhance the lives of Armenians throughout the world. Among his many activities, Aram is active with the Armenian Assembly and serves as a regional representative in Orange County. He is also a founding member of the Armenian Professional Society of Orange County, a social and philanthropic organization, which gives assistance to two primary schools in Armenia.

Aram learned about the Armenian EyeCare Project long before accepting a position on the Board of Directors. Aram and AECP founder Roger Ohanesian became acquainted through their children—his daughter went to school with Roger’s son. This gave Aram a chance to watch the organization grow over the years. Upon accepting the board position this year Aram said, “it seemed natural for me to support a nonprofit, humanitarian, medical organization, and the timing was right to get more involved.”

Aram and Terez, his wife of 30 years, live in Laguna Beach. They have two children—a 26-year-old daughter, Taleene, and a 21-year-old son, Gregory. Taleene is a graduate of UC Berkeley and will soon be pursuing an MBA at USC. Gregory is a junior studying film at Boston University.

The family has a “get-away” home in Montana, where they go fly fishing in the summer and another in Utah, where they ski in the winter. Terez shares Aram’s dedication to Armenia, and they have traveled to their homeland four times to visit distant relatives and enjoy the culture and the beauty of the country. Aram believes that visiting Armenia is very important for his children, raised in California, to help them gain a better understanding of the culture and strengthen their connection to their heritage.

Wanting to devote more time to family and individual pursuits, Aram has now “scaled back” time in the office after 35 years of building a successful architectural practice. “You have to have perspective,” he explains, “Life is going by too fast!” Always an active and inquisitive mind, Aram appreciates the Renaissance way of life for its breadth and diversity and enjoys traveling, fishing, painting, reading, chess and philanthropic work.

When asked for advice for young people, Aram says, “Focus, specialize, and do not be afraid of hard work.” He explains, “Work puts rhythm in life and creates a healthy routine.” He recommends getting an education and then being prepared to pay your dues in your chosen field.

“The opportunities that America provides are limitless.”