ORTLAND BEISSEL is a Los Angeles-based architecture and design practice dedicated to turning public and private spaces into memorable experiences by materializing the unique characteristics of each place, community, and cultural context.
This ethos is built on a dialogical design culture that embraces the inherent diversity of the world we work in, and a rich international track record of calibrating creativity, innovation, and operational imperatives.
Since Architecture is where we live, architectural choices are ultimately life choices.
Amanda Ortland - Co-Founder, Principal
Master of Architecture, Columbia University
Amanda Ortland is an architect, educator, and founding principal of Ortland Beissel Architecture. She holds a Master of Architecture from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Minnesota, bringing a distinctive interdisciplinary perspective, informed by her background in architecture, history, and fine art photography.
Amanda spent twelve years at Ateliers Jean Nouvel, a Pritzker Prize-winning practice, working in Paris, Sydney, and New York. She contributed to internationally acclaimed projects including 53W53rd in Manhattan, One Central Park in Sydney, and the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis.
Before pursuing architecture, she focused on fine art film photography, specializing in large-scale black and white silver gelatin printing for artists, galleries, and clients internationally. Her background in photography and printmaking cultivated a refined understanding of light, composition, and spatial relationships that continues to inform her architectural practice.
Since founding Ortland Beissel in 2018, she has focused on creating thoughtful environments that respond to the unique qualities of Los Angeles' landscape and lifestyle. As an educator at USC's School of Architecture, Amanda teaches graduate design studios and received the 2024 New Faculty Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, a national honor acknowledging outstanding contributions to architectural pedagogy.
Amanda's work bridges the rigor of international practice with the intimacy of residential design, while her teaching integrates technical expertise with creative exploration, preparing architects to think critically and design thoughtfully.
Bertram Beissel von Gymnich - Co-Founder, Principal
Master of Science in Architecture / MSc, ETH, Zurich
Licensed Architect:
State of California, #C-38620
State of New York, #42121
France, #079074
Australia, #8768
Switzerland, REG A 33978
Bertram Beissel is an architect and designer with 30 years of experience in the conception and realization of complex international projects across three continents. After graduating from the renowned architectural school ETH Zürich, his professional path includes work with OMA / Rem Koolhaas in Rotterdam and Bernard Tschumi in Paris, followed by 20 years as a partner and director with the Pritzker Prize-winning firm, Ateliers Jean Nouvel.
Realizing a series of major buildings with Jean Nouvel in Europe, Australia, and the US allowed Bertram to develop a deep insight into the makings of complex, high-quality architecture. Each project required the creation of a unique response to specific context and stakeholders.
In 2007, Bertram led the winning competition entry for the MoMA Tower (53W53) in New York. The New York Times critic Nicolai Ouroussoff hailed this project as “the most exhilarating addition to the skyline in a generation.” Bertram also headed the design and construction of the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which was featured in the 2008 Pritzker Prize jury citation. Under Bertram’s direction, One Central Park in Sydney, Australia, won the CTBUH Award for the Best Tall Building Worldwide in 2014.
Bertram holds architectural registrations in the State of California, the State of New York, Australia, France, and Switzerland.