The building and construction industry has been forced to rethink and innovate to solve some of the issues affecting it today, with different companies applying new technologies. Synchronis — an architectural startup  founded in 2017 by industry veteran Albert Sawano — combines craftsmanship with advanced information management and virtual reality technology to design bespoke and holistic architectural solutions to real-life problems such as the growing demand for housing.

Recently, the firm unveiled a product line called Inhabio of container-size, factory-built housing “modules” that can be shipped and trucked to construction sites and linked together in building-block fashion with relatively little effort, cutting down on the cost of construction “by at least 20%,” Albert says, and “redefine building and housing in the country.”.

“The world is in the middle of a big change, I think, where buildings no longer need to be separated by use such as office work, living, and so on, since so much of these activities merge through online technology and, in the future, the burgeoning metaverse,” Albert says. Synchronis is focused on building on two concepts: innovation, combined with an artisan, craftsman-like culture to support the best and most refined quality of work that fits the current market and solves existing issues.

They also worked on other projects, including a Zero Net Energy office building, Loft Apartments, Windhouse, Skyhouse, and more. Their approach, professionalism, and expertise set them apart from other firms of similar size.

Synchronis consists of a multidisciplinary team passionate about creating innovative architecture. Albert has been in the building and construction industry for over 25 years, working on some of the top projects in the country.

He started at LA architecture firm Johnson Fain, the firm known for designing the Transamerica Building in San Francisco and the “Nakatomi Plaza” building of Die Hard fame. Albert was one of the few architects producing LA high-rise buildings at the time, which were only being built in a quantity of one every decade or so. This changed in recent years when he was involved with a total of 13 high rise towers as well as the West Berkeley Library, the first Zero Net Energy public library in the country.

After Johnson Fain, Albert moved to Gensler as a senior project and studio leader and then HED as the co-leader of their LA architecture and design group. He was involved with some well-known projects, including Constellation Place, the new Century Plaza Towers, 2000 Avenue of the Stars in Century City, USC Village, and Metropolis and Circa in Downtown.

Albert says he has always been a problem solver and inventor at heart, with some perfectionist tendencies.  Consequently he eventually founded Synchronis as an antidote to large corporate firms who he discovered were more focused on revenue expansion than the work itself.

Albert’s team is leveraging their experience to bring positive change to the building and construction industry and the world. He believes in the first principles design approach, often mentioned by Elon Musk, using it to solve their clients’ problems deeply and holistically rather than using prebaked solutions that risk mediocracy. While they are particularly focused on solutions at the juncture between buildings and product design, Synchronis does a wide variety of project types ranging from multi-family, single-family residential, tenant improvements like offices and labs, mixed-use commercial projects, and industrial buildings.

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