About Paul
“We believe that architecture is a collaborative art. We actively involve our clients and builders in the design process. The image of a project is selected by the owner from a menu of potential images or concepts generated by our office as a starting point for synthesis and refinement. Contractors participate in the budgeting and quality control of each project.”
Because we believe that architecture is a communicating art, brand identity must express the character and message to be conveyed to a target audience. Our work is therefore stylistically diverse. We believe a style must be appropriate before it is correct; no single style is more correct than any other. The scales and types of projects that we do are also diverse.
“We enjoy the complete process, not just conceptual design.”
For Paul Florian, quality design is not only the product of good proportion, form, color, and use. Conceptual design drawings, client participation, project management, construction drawings and observation are all essential to the realization of great design. No one aspect is more important than another.
Paul Florian founded Florian Architects before merging with John DeSalvo Design to create DeSALVOFLORIAN Architects. Florian Architects was founded in Chicago in 1983. Over the years, we have achieved national recognition for the design of new buildings and interior spaces as well as for the renovation and adaptive reuse of existing historic buildings. Our portfolio includes single- and multi-family residences, banks, offices, retail stores, showrooms, museum exhibitions, entertainment environments, and furniture. Our studio is large enough to handle all aspects of design, bidding, coordination, material selection, and construction observation quickly and with attention to detail and small enough to provide personal service from the firm’s principals through all phases of a project.
Paul Florian is licensed in the states of Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, California, Wisconsin, and is a member of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB).