BUILT FOR BETTER VISION ARCHITECT SEES COMPANY AS VEHICLE FOR OWN BRAND OF SERVICE TO COMMUNITY.

Byline: Brent Hopkins Staff Writer

Architecture isn't just figuring angles and sketching blueprints to Ronald Altoon. No, it's much more. A founding partner of Los Angeles-based Altoon + Porter Architects, the Encino resident has learned to work in math, humanitarianism, education and psychology into guiding his firm.

This combination has landed the firm a string of high-profile clients, from Southwestern University's law school in the former Bullock's Wilshire building to the large-scale redevelopment of the downtown Music Center. In recent months, the firm snared a plum contract as executive architects for the $615 million Hollywood & Highland project, the firm's most complex yet.

``It's like herding cats,'' he said, breaking into a slow grin. ``The design community is a very special resource, but all of us in it realize there's a lot of egos and a lot of dreams. The role of executive architect, one we rarely take, allows us to manage our egos along with everyone else's and still make the project work.''

To accomplish this task, the firm is coordinating the efforts of three separate design firms, in addition to its own architectural contributions. Atop these tasks, it's also wrangling all the permits and shepherding the project forward. Combining a four-star hotel, six levels of subterranean parking, 640,000 square feet of retail and the Kodak Theatre, the newly announced permanent home to the Academy Awards, is a daunting undertaking.

``It's just about impossible,'' Altoon admitted. ``Every one of those uses, were they to stand alone, would operate ideally. When you put them next to each other, then stack them on top, it's difficult, but it also gives you an opportunity for synergy.''

Synergy seems to be a favorite word for the 55-year-old Altoon, who runs the firm in an unusual fashion. Though A+P started in 1984 as a strictly local architectural firm, handling smaller projects, Altoon grew restless in 1993, and ordered a three-pronged redirection effort.

``It was the seven-year itch,'' he said. ``We were coming up on an anniversary and I was thinking how we'd been very fortunate, working on great projects with great clients and great workers. I just wasn't happy though.''

From that point forward, the company launched forward, aggressively seeking out overseas clients, tackling more institutional buildings, such as the Wooden Center and Arthur Ashe health services building at the University of California, Los Angeles. Though this has complicated running the firm, necessitating the opening of offices in Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Singapore and Moscow, it's more than doubled its staff to a current roster of 75 and brought in major projects as far away as Beijing.

In addition to these weighty undertakings, the firm has also taken on the weighty mantle of community service. All of its seven partners are bound by an unwritten requirement, Altoon said, obligating them to put their talents to work outside of business matters. Accordingly, the firm has done pro bono work in disaster relief in Armenia, donated time to rebuilding efforts in Compton and its partners serve on numerous boards. Both Altoon and James Porter are corporate patrons of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and founders of the Museum of Contemporary Art.

``Architects need to be engaged in the community in order to serve it,'' he said. ``If you hide yourself behind the cape of educational arrogance, you detach yourself from the community.''

This mentality is valuable, not only from a public relations standpoint, but for internal motivation, according to Maureen Rubin, director of the center for community service learning for California State University, Northridge. While traditional corporate volunteerism is appreciated, she said, only exceptional companies go the extra mile.

``To me, a good, truly community-oriented firm would reach out in academia, as well,'' she said. ``Instead of going out on a march or something, they could put their expertise in a way that really helps people.''

And according to Altoon, A+P does just that. In addition to teaching at his undergraduate alma mater, the University of Southern California, the firm endows a scholarship fund and sponsors interns to gain professional experience in the working world while in their senior year.

This broad-based approach is what gives its developments their nature, Altoon said, from the brightly lit neon excess of Las Vegas' Fashion Show to the spread-out urban planning of the Music Center redesign.

``We don't impose our rubber stamp on the community,'' he said. ``We take what it gives us and bring out the very best that we can.''

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Ronald Altoon, founding partner of global concern Altoon + Porter Architects, stands in his downtown Los Angeles office.

(2 -- color) Southwestern University School of Law's conversion of the Bullock's Wilshire building is a Altoon + Porter project.

(3) Altoon + Porter leads the Hollywood & Highland project, jewel of the area's revival and future home of the Oscars.

Phil McCarten/Staff Photographer