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About Alex Riley Associates

Located in Inverness, California, Alex Riley Associates has kept all projects' architectural designs in harmony with their existing environments. With more than 50 years of experience in the industry, we have about 250 projects under our belt. Our portfolio spans many diverse landscapes from Marin County to Asia and Sedona to Tucson.


Organic Architecture

Frank Lloyd Wright introduced the word 'organic' into the philosophy of architecture as early as 1908. Although his mentor's slogan "form follows function" became the mantra of modern architecture, Wright believed the phrase was more correctly stated, "Form and function are one." Simply put, it describes a way of thinking about architecture and design that transcends its surrounding common buildings. It is an approach used to solve design problems in which new solutions are created based on the location and special conditions of each project.

Quote from Frank Lloyd Wright, 1939

"So here I stand before you preaching organic architecture...not cherishing any preconceived form fixing upon us either past, present or future, but instead exalting the simple laws of common sense..."

Our Guiding Philosophy

Organic architecture, based upon a fundamental respect for site-specific form, function, and material, is deeply embedded in the particulars: client, designer, time, site, and region. It eschews mimicry of overwrought, conventional styles and shock value, as well as pastiche elements and superfluous ornamentation. The result is a powerful, graceful solution to the complex equation of the principles of nature and the distinctive character of the client. We deliver with one-of-a-kind structures carefully designed for living, growing, and thriving.


Why Alex Riley

Good design necessitates graceful flow without jarring breaks of continuity and obvious afterthoughts. In other words, we believe a building should be a product of its place and time. It must be intimately connected to a particular moment and a certain site, never the result of an imposed style. We do everything we can to make the process of building for you a thorough and seamless transition. This typically includes rearranging internal spaces to smoothly relate to its external area. We also provide new accesses, and reconfigure living and circulation spaces. Among the problems we solve include road noise, blighted views, or too-close neighbors.