For our latest installment of the Snider Shoutout (the last of the year!) I had the pleasure of connecting with my neighbor, fellow Playa Del Rey Elementary parent, and talented architect: Jessica Christensen. After seeing Jess's beautiful work first hand and hearing about how she treats her clients, I was thrilled to add her to my roster of trusted professionals I can refer clients to. If you have any plans to build / remodel, or just like hearing from inspiring female entrepreneurs, don't miss this interview!
Jessica Marian Christensen is a licensed architect in California. She founded Marian Architecture to connect with and help homeowners after more than a decade working in ultra high-end residential and resort architecture. Born in Indiana and educated at the University of Michigan, Jessica lives in the Del Rey neighborhood of LA with her husband, daughter, and pets.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, can you tell us a little bit about your background and journey to starting Marian Architecture?
A field trip in fourth grade to tour the local Victorian-era architecture sparked the realization in me that design decisions made 100 years ago are still influencing people’s lives to this day. I wanted to be the person making those decisions! After architecture school, I landed in LA and spent 11 years with Milander, shaping high-end homes and boutique resorts. The projects I worked on during that time were incredibly exciting, but only handful of them included working directly with the people who would live in and experience those spaces daily. Building those relationships with homeowners made them my favorite projects to work on! So, in early 2022 I started Marian to be able to focus on those single family home builds and remodels that would have truly meaningful impacts on my clients’ everyday lives.
What do you think makes you / your company stand out?
From a design standpoint, I am a young(…ish) mom in LA! That’s obviously not a design genre, but so many of my clients are also young families in a city that is tough to navigate in terms of building a life. My experiences shape how I approach the design of homes and I believe part of why I’m successful in shaping my clients’ spaces is because I can relate to their needs and wishes.
From a more practical standpoint, because I am so heavily focused on my clients’ experience in the process, I commit to seeing a project through from start to finish. Many small-firm architects do the design and permitting, but then hand over construction to the client and contractor to manage. I prefer to stay with a project until it’s built so that I can keep an eye on the workmanship and the design, and also to act as an advocate (and sometimes like a therapist) for my clients. Most homeowners won’t know what they’re looking at when they walk onto their job site, and construction is stressful! My goal is always to take as much of that stress away as possible.
What advice would you give to homeowners thinking about or planning for a remodel?
Be prepared for there to be unknowns! It doesn’t matter how well prepared you are for a project and how big and great your team is, there will always be things that pop up that you weren’t ready for, especially once you get into construction. Sometimes the impacts are financial, sometimes they’re emotional. Sometimes the issues are just the result of working with an existing building, sometimes there are miscommunications. Plan a little buffer in your budget, where possible. Plan for the work to take a little longer than you originally thought. And plan ways for you and your family to destress and have some fun along the way.
From your experience, what are the most important factors that contribute to (or take away from) the success of a remodel or custom build project?
The team you assemble can make or break the process for you. Work with people you trust and that you feel comfortable communicating with—both on the design side and the construction side. There’s too many good people out there to feel stuck working with the not-so-good ones.
What is your favorite architectural style and why?
An impossible question! I don’t subscribe to any one style in my work, as I firmly believe that context is key (any design choice can feel perfect or awful depending on when and where it’s chosen.) But, if you’re going to make me choose one, I’m currently having a moment with a modern take on French Country architecture. Think heavy, earthy, moody materials but more modern lines and silhouettes. I’ll also never get sick of Midcentury Modern architecture, but that feels like a cliché in LA.
What is your favorite design trend at the moment? What is your least favorite?
I love that bold stone is in! A giant slab of a bold-veined stone surrounded by more neutral materials feels like such a vibe. I could do without maximalism, though. Don’t come for me! I love it when done well in other people’s spaces, but for my own serenity I prefer a good balance.
What’s one thing you wish someone had told you before you started your own business?
Get an MBA. Kidding…sort of. I can do architecture! But the admin, accounting, marketing of it all definitely comes with a learning curve. A “Business for Dummies” class or something like that might’ve helped me feel a little more prepared.
Have you read any books, listened to any podcasts, or watched any shows / movies / documentaries that you’ve enjoyed lately? Tell us about them!
A podcast I’m loving listening to while I work is Permission to Speak. Samara Bay is a speech and dialect coach who has conversations with public figures and experts (mostly women) about using their voices with confidence and as a tool to communicate their message. She just finished writing a book on the topic, and I can’t wait to read it!
What are 3 of your favorite places/ things to do in Los Angeles?
Every time we have family or friends visit LA for the first time, we take them for a stroll around the Venice Canals. It’s such a unique neighborhood with such varied architecture.
Sunday morning Flea Markets! Obviously the Rose Bowl Flea is where to go when I’m looking for something specific, but I really love the Long Beach Flea for less mission-based shopping—it feels bit more casual and manageable. This city is filled with treasures.
The Stoneview Nature Center is an awesome way to spend an afternoon with my daughter. The grounds are beautiful and it connects over the new Park to Playa Trail Bridge to Kenneth Hahn Park which is great for a “hike” and some tree climbing.
Share with our audience where we can find and follow you. (Instagram, Website, FB, etc.)
You can find me on Instagram, @marianarchitecture. A few projects are in construction, so there should be more content coming soon! My website is a great place to find information about how I work and how to get in touch with me. www.marianarchitecture.com
