Barbara Bestor, AIA is Principal of Bestor Architecture and the founding chair of the Graduate program at Woodbury University's School of Architecture and is now the executive director of the University's Julius Shulman Institute. Her work is dedicated to the idea that 'everyone should experience strange beauty everyday'. She has developed a varied, creative and aesthetically progressive body of work over the last ten years propagating the concept that Architecture can and should be a part of all aspects of our creative community. In 2012, Barbara cofounded SoLA, the Sisters of Los Angeles, making design-based gifts and housewares for Los Angeles and California.
The studio is currently designing new headquarters for Los Angeles companies 'Beats By Dre' and Nasty Gal, an innovative small lot housing complex in Echo Park, a variety of custom residences and restaurants. The Floating Bungalow house in Venice, CA was featured in MOCA's 2013 survey of contemporary LA architecture.
Barbara Bestor is the author of 'Bohemian Modern, Living in Silver Lake' (Harper Collins 2006), a book dedicated to the suppressed narrative of informal and eccentric modernism found in Silverlake's rich domestic architectural history.
In her TEDxOlympicBlvdWomen talk, Bestor navigates the questions that arise navigating sunshine and smog as a Los Angeles architect.
About TEDx, x = independently organized event
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)