During a career spanning more than sixty years, James Rodney Youngson designed and developed a significant body of custom residences and multi-family buildings, each uniquely varied, aesthetically considered, and specific to each site. Typically serving simultaneously in the roles of developer, architect, interior designer, landscape architect, occasionally owner (and even contractor), Rod could assure his refined, sophisticated attention to scale, proportions, and materials remained consistent throughout every project. His exacting attention to details, whether structural or finished, and his enduring search for unique and high-quality materials, led to an exceptional level of construction quality not often seen in residential work - and non-existent in spec homes.
Projects included small condo buildings, large apartment complexes, and many single-family homes located throughout the United States, Fiji, and the French Riviera. His work has received several San Diego AIA Honor awards, and has been included in prestigious publications including Architectural Digest, Sunset, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times Home Magazine, and Luxe.
In Rod’s own words, “As a residential architect who also does interiors, I feel the architecture must be right before the interiors can be successful. The client’s budget, needs, and lifestyle, as well as the neighborhood and site itself direct the design. There must be a strong point-of-view. There should be drama and romance but never ostentation. I strive for simplicity, quality, beautiful detailing, and perfect proportions. A good design should not be trendy or dated, but timeless.
