Episode
An Architect's California: From LA's Secret Garden to the Magic of Joshua Tree
- Podcast
- Unpacked by Afar
- Published
- Mar 27, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2819
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://www.afar.com/podcasts/unpacked
Actions
POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/unpacked-by-afar-5453284/episodes/an-architect-s-california-from-la-s-secret-garden-to-the-magic-of-joshua-tree/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/unpacked-by-afar-5453284/an-architect-s-california-from-la-s-secret-garden-to-the-magic-of-joshua-tree.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.
Summary
This is a very special episode of Unpacked by Afar. This week, we hosted Unpacked Live — a live version of the podcast — in partnership with Visit California in Dallas, Texas. The event celebrated California's extraordinary creative landscape, and today's guest has been shaping the way Californians live, work, and gather for three decades. Barbara Bestor is the founder of Bestor Architecture, a Los Angeles studio she's led since 1995 — at a time when very few women were doing so. Her work spans coffee shops and corporate headquarters, wineries and community music centers, private homes and historic restorations. She's on the AD 100 list of top architects and designers and has been called one of the most influential architects working in LA today. In this episode, she shares her process, her influences, and the places in California that never stop inspiring her — from a former cult compound in Joshua Tree to a secret rooftop garden at Walt Disney Concert Hall. On this episode, you'll learn: • What "informal formalism" means — and why it's the best description of California's design DNA • How the LA fires, post-COVID remote work, and multi-generational households are reshaping what people want from their homes • Why adaptive reuse is finally having its moment in California • How to actually crack the code on Ojai and Big Sur (hint: find the vegan restaurant and ask your server) Travel recommendations from Barbara: Los Angeles Take the stairs at LA Phil to the rooftop garden Walk the Bradbury Building lobby (free; you'll recognize it from Blade Runner), then cross to Grand Central Market and ride Angel's Flight back up to MOCA. For neighborhoods: Melrose Hill is the current place to be; Magnolia and Victory Blvd in the Valley are time-capsule California. Northern Californ…