Mara Solano, AIA
Principal & Founder
Our Story
Mara Solano founded North & Line after a decade at two large firms in Los Angeles and New York. The work was good — but she wanted to work differently. Slower. Closer. With fewer clients and more attention per project.
The studio opened in a small Pasadena office with two staff and a single residential commission. Eleven years later, the team has grown to eight — but the practice still operates the same way: a limited number of commissions per year, so that each one gets the depth of attention it deserves.
"We're not interested in building a lot. We're interested in building well."
The name comes from two things that anchor every project: orientation (north) and dimension (line). Every building starts with where it sits and how it's drawn.
How We Work →