Full-service architecture firm AO announced the launch of its Automotive Studio, a practice area dedicated to delivering integrated design solutions for automotive dealerships, service facilities and evolving mobility-focused retail environments.
The new studio will be led by Lyle Hutson, NCARB, who joins AO as a principal, bringing three decades of specialized experience designing automotive facilities for national and international brands, including Porsche, BMW, Lexus, Audi, Genesis and more, expanding AO’s ability to meet growing client demand at the intersection of brand, retail and customer experience.
The Automotive Design Studio builds on AO’s long-standing work in the sector, including recent automotive retail and brand experience projects such as Kia DTLA and Mercedes-Benz of Encino.
“The launch of our Automotive Design Studio reflects both client demand and the evolution of automotive retail,” said Tom Bergerson, partner at AO. “Today’s automotive environments require more than traditional dealership design. They demand a thoughtful integration of brand, customer experience, technology, and operational efficiency — areas where AO’s collaborative, multi-studio platform delivers real value.”
The studio will focus on a wide range of project types, including automotive dealerships and service facilities, brand-forward retail environments, EV-integrated sites and infrastructure, customer experience–driven showroom concepts and adaptive reuse and modernization of existing facilities
The Automotive Studio will work closely with AO’s Retail, Mixed-Use, Parking, Science & Technology, and Interior Design studios.
“Automotive projects today are no longer standalone facilities,” Hutson said. “They function as branded destinations that must align with evolving customer expectations, new vehicle technologies and operational demands. AO’s integrated studio model allows us to bring together the right expertise to create facilities that perform at every level.”
