A new firm, DPZ-Pacific, has been formed

A new firm, DPZ-Pacific, has been formed by former Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company (DPZ) director Demetri Baches, and three former DPZ staffers: Mallory Baches, Ludwig Fontalvo-Abello, and Kamal Zaharin. The firm, a “DPZ affiliate,” Baches says, will focus on urban design in Australia, New Zealand, China, and Malaysia. DPZ-Pacific will move its offices to Los Angeles — a convenient city for trans-Pacific flights, Baches says. Like DPZ in Miami, DPZ-Pacific will keep its staff fairly small but cultivate alliances with like-minded subconsultants. One such ally is Roberts Day Town Planning in West Perth, Australia. The firm is looking at taking on a partner in China. DPZ-Pacific has the right to use DPZ projects in its marketing, but is otherwise independent. “All of our work in terms of philosophy and technique will be rooted in DPZ,” explains Baches. The US office of DPZ will be available to collaborate on charrettes. There is consideration of a DPZ-Europe structured along similar lines. The website will be www.dpz-pacific.com. Until that is operational, go to www.dpz.com and click on “affiliates.”