Patrick Cunningham: Design Build Diaries

About this episode

Patrick Cunningham discusses his approach to architecture and design, emphasizing the importance of understanding client needs and creative expression.

Patrick Cunningham always keeps a sketchpad within reach. Not because a client asked — because the ideas don’t wait. The co-founder of C & C Partners has spent four decades translating the personalities, dreams, and budgets of Southern California’s most discerning homeowners into architecture that feels inevitable. In this conversation, Patrick walks us through what that actually looks like: pools cantilevered off sheer cliffs, underground tunnels connecting guest houses to main residences, and a glass cube engineered to float beside an Antoine Predock landmark in Manhattan Beach. He talks about learning to read a client — whether they’re a fireplace-and-a-book person or a home theater and rooftop infinity pool person — and then finding the architecture that fits that life. He also opens up about what drives him: a sketchpad always within reach, a library full of architecture books, and a biannual tour of high-end custom homes across the country with a network of elite design-build peers. With nearly 30 projects currently on the board spanning seven distinct architectural styles, this episode is a masterclass in creative range without creative compromise. If this episode gave…

People in this episode

Host: Cray Bauxmont-Flynn

Guest: Patrick Cunningham

Topics covered

• architecture
• design
• creative process
• client relationships
• custom homes

Keywords

• architecture
• design-build
• custom homes
• client relationships
• creative process
• Southern California
• Patrick Cunningham

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: C & C Partners

Places: Southern California, Manhattan Beach

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