Chava Danielson

Chava Danielson, AIA, serves as Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern California (USC) School of Architecture and Principal of DSH // architecture. Her practice specializes in design, project advocacy, and non-profit sector engagement, with a focus on revitalizing underserved neighborhoods through educational, therapeutic, and residential projects that prioritize beauty and sensitive programming.

Educational background:

• B.A. in Comparative Literature, University of California, Berkeley
• M.Arch, Harvard Graduate School of Design

Danielson leads innovative civic and child-centered work, including early education centers that employ unconventional approaches to spark children's curiosity. Her landmark project—the Larchmont Charter High School at Lafayette Park—demonstrates her expertise in adaptive reuse, transforming the former New York Life Insurance headquarters into a catalyst for neighborhood revitalization while advancing historic preservation methodologies.

Professional leadership includes current presidency of AIA Los Angeles, prior board service with the Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design, and founding board membership at Larchmont Charter School. Her teaching portfolio spans USC and Otis College of Art + Design, where she instructed design studios and urban history courses focused on community-centered architectural solutions.