Founding Principal
Wendy Gilmartin, AIA, received her professional degree in Architecture from Rice University in 2006 and is a licensed architect in the State of California and in Michigan. She is the founding principal of Wendy Gilmartin Architecture (WGA), which celebrated ten years of practice in 2025, and previously served as the Los Angeles partner of Frohn&Rojas, with offices in Berlin and Santiago de Chile.
Over the past decade, Wendy has led the realization of notable public and private projects throughout Southern California, including the 2023 AIA Residential Design Award–winning Cloudrock Residence, the Nobu and Nobu Hotel in Malibu, California, and an artist-focused retirement community at the Salton Sea. Her work reflects a deep engagement with place, culture, and the social dimensions of design.
In parallel with architectural practice, Wendy is an accomplished journalist and author whose writing has appeared in LA Weekly, The Los Angeles Times, The Architect’s Newspaper, Landscape Architecture Magazine, NPR, BOOM: A Journal of California, and KCET’s Artbound. Through this work, she has drawn critical attention to the architectural and urban landscape of Southern California, with a particular focus on housing, urbanism, and real estate development.
A fourth-generation Angelino, Wendy brings a uniquely local perspective informed by experience in residential and urban design as well as critical and journalistic inquiry. Known for her collaborative leadership style, she builds trust across clients, consultants, and project teams, contributing to the success of complex and high-profile projects.
Wendy is deeply committed to mentoring emerging designers, both within WGA and through architectural education. She has taught at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and remains actively engaged as a member of the AIA and as an Advisory Board member of the Los Angeles Forum for Architecture & Urban Design. Outside of practice, Wendy spends her free time hiking in beautiful southern California with her wife, Ariel, and their daughter, Violet.
Team Members (present and past)
Shania Williams, Maribel Ruiz, Luis Montoya, Julio Rodas, Marc Rudy, Dariush Damian, Steven Chodoriwsky
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