Architect Doug Pierson, AIA, LEED AP, BD+C, and environmental graphics designer Youn Choi -- partners in life and in pod architecture + design (pod a+d) -- have joined the flurry of businesses relocating to North Carolina's Triangle region (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill). They’ve moved their architectural firm from Los Angeles to Carrboro, where they’re currently settling into new offices in The Station, the town’s 1882 train depot.

Pierson and Choi relocated to the Triangle because they were ready for a lifestyle change and looking for excellent schools for their two children, Pierson said. They’d also visited the region many times since Pierson’s parents live here.

So why Carrboro?

“Carrboro has a vibrant community, a diverse culture, great food, and music,” he said. “Carrboro shares all the best aspects of the Triangle and keeps us engaged not just in town, but with Durham, Raleigh and beyond.”

With experience in all building types, pod a+d is a hybrid firm, actually.

Pierson, an award-winning architect, worked in Frank Gehry’s Los Angeles office before co-founding his previous firm -- form, environment, research (fer) studio L.L.P. -- in Inglewood, CA. He leads pod a+d’s architectural studio.

A native of South Korea, Youn Choi studied environmental design and architecture at UCLA. She worked with Disney Imagineering and Selbert Perkins Design, an international graphics design firm, before co-founding pod a+d, where she directs signage and wayfinding, interior design, and experiential graphics (the orchestration of typography, color, imagery, form, technology and, content to create “environments that communicate”).

Licensed in five states and staffed with team members who bring LEED AP and BD+C credentials to the table, pod a+d provides all architectural services from concept design through construction administration. Their work has been featured in numerous newspaper, journals, and magazines. The firm’s address at The Station is 201-A East Main Street, Carrboro, NC 27510. For more information, visit www.podand.com.