Spaces that restore balance and bring people back to what matters.
Design-first architecture for custom luxury residential projects, with select high-end commercial work.
ALDER JAMES is a full service architecture studio based out of Laguna Beach, California. We specialize in custom residential builds, remodels, sustainable design practices, and luxury interiors. Our passion lies in honest materials, collaborative dialogue, and innovative design.
Husband and wife, Matthew James Gummow and Emily Alder Rolfing, founded Alder James in 2018 out of a desire to create designs that celebrate life and nature. We believe that good design fosters meaningful connections between the spaces we inhabit and the land, improving our lifestyles while healing the earth.
Each new project provides an opportunity to design something life changing and lasting. We approach projects with an adherence to our core principles and a collaborative mind. If you've come to share your dreams with us in the hopes that we can help you get there, welcome. We would be honored to guide you on one of the most exciting and rewarding journeys of your life.
You are creating a place that brings you back to what matters in a world of noise, speed, and disconnect. That’s why we design spaces that reconnect people with themselves, with others, and with the natural world through bold, grounded, human architecture. We focus on custom homes and take on select high-end commercial work. From approvals through construction, we work to protect the design intent all the way to the built result.
process
Design and coordinate. We develop the architecture and align the team so the work is coherent, buildable, and permitting-ready.
Align on vision. We clarify priorities, constraints, and the experience you want the space to create.
Carry it through. We support approvals and construction to help ensure the finished work reflects the original intent.
Values
Connection, not disconnect. Architecture that strengthens relationships to self, others, and nature.
Balance, not noise. Spaces that feel calm, grounded, and essential.
Discipline in delivery. Decisions made with care, details, carried through with rigor.
Bold and human. Clear moves, honest materials, and a point of view.
IF you want a design-led partner to create a place that brings you back to what matters, we should connect.
PARTNERS
1% FOR THE PLANET
1% for the Planet is a global organization that exists to ensure our planet and future generations thrive. We inspire businesses and individuals to support environmental nonprofits through membership and everyday actions. We make environmental giving easy and effective through partnership advising, impact storytelling and third-party certification.
Started in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, founder of Blue Ribbon Flies, our members have given more than $265 million to our approved nonprofit partners to date. Today, 1% for the Planet’s global network consists of thousands of businesses, individuals and environmental nonprofits working toward a better future for all.
Learn more at onepercentfortheplanet.org.
LAGUNA CANYON FOUNDATION
Laguna Canyon Foundation is a local nonprofit dedicated to protecting and preserving the open spaces, trails, and natural habitats of the Laguna Coast. Through conservation, education, restoration, and sustainable trail management, the organization works to ensure that this remarkable landscape remains healthy and accessible for generations to come.
Their efforts support thousands of acres of wilderness, safeguard critical wildlife corridors, and foster a deeper public understanding of the ecological value of our canyon and coastline. By partnering with land managers and engaging community volunteers, Laguna Canyon Foundation plays a vital role in caring for the natural environment that defines Laguna Beach.
As part of our 1% for the Planet commitment, Alder James proudly supports Laguna Canyon Foundation and its mission to protect the spaces that shape our daily lives and inspire our work. Learn more at lagunacanyon.org.