Who We Are

Central Office of Architecture (COA) was created in 1987 by three architects, Ron Golan, Eric A. Kahn, and Russell N. Thomsen. All three partners are licensed to practice architecture in the State of California. COA is distinguished by its dedication to clear, quality design within an atmosphere of creative, innovative problem solving. The firm has a strong international reputation based on signature innovations within the field of architecture and design.

COA has been the recipient of numerous awards for design excellence, including the Young Architects Award, and Emerging Voices, both from the Architectural League of New York. The firm has been recognized, published and exhibited internationally by Lotus (Italy), Dwell (USA), Global Architecture (Japan), Esquire Japan, and Progressive Architecture (USA), among others. The work of COA is part of the permanent collection of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, as well as various private collections. A monograph of the work of the first ten years was published in 1998. COA has and continues to work with a diverse set of clients, including the Getty Conservation Institute (USA), the MAK Center for Art and Architecture (Austria), and the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), as well as multiple individuals.