Richard Olsen is a Carmel, California-based independent architectural historian. A writer-editor-photographer with extensive experience in evaluating writing and photography for books and magazines, including for Architectural Digest, Richard’s approach is uncommonly holistic and, in its aims, virtuous-cycle focused.

In his three decades in architecture-and-design media, first in New York, then in Los Angeles, and now in Carmel, he’s held positions including:

•Senior Editor, Architecture, FORBES, where, in 2023, he launched its Architecture + Design department, ideating and directing all research, outreach, and evaluation processes; selecting and recruiting its advisory board; adjudicating its “top architects and designers” lists; and authoring the department’s articles.

•Senior Architecture Editor, ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST (Paige Rense Noland, Editor-in-Chief);

•Senior Editor, Architecture + Design, ABRAMS BOOKS;

•Architecture Editor, RIZZOLI INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS;

•and Director, ARCHITECTS & DESIGNERS BOOK SERVICE and ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES BOOK CLUB.

At AMAZON, in Seattle, Richard managed the book divisions of Arts & Photography; Home & Garden; and Travel.

*****

As an author, Richard’s writing on rustic and counterculture architecture has been reviewed widely, including by the New York Journal of Books; the New York Times; The Wall Street Journal; Time; Architectural Record; Architects Newspaper; and Architectural Digest.

A photographic contributor to architecture books and magazines since 2002, Richard also maintains an extensive archive, including, since 2004, an ongoing research project, an historical inventory of the residences of Big Sur, California.