Always on the go, even when he’s at home

The architect who heads the firm Morphosis is one of the founders of the Southern California Institute of Architecture. He co-wrote “L.A. Now, Volume Two: Shaping a New Vision for Downtown Los Angeles: Seven Proposals.” His vision for the weekend is family gardening.

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Soft landing

I have a really chaotic life. I’m on a plane every week in various parts of the U.S. and Europe, and I’m working in Korea, Taipei and Japan. And then we travel. That’s our passion.

For our family, that’s been our connecting tissue with my two boys. So, when I get home, I just want simplicity, stability and routine. Just walking our dog, Isis, going to get a cup of coffee and looking for heirloom tomatoes at the Santa Monica Farmers Market.

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Chores

We have a house that I have been working on for the last 10 years. I just kind of muck around in the garden, flipping, cutting, pruning and watering.

I’ve found if you live an upper-middle-class life in the U.S., especially in L.A. maybe, the children don’t do anything. I came from a Midwest background. I spent my summers on my grandmother’s farm and you work since you’re 6 years old.

So, I have very consciously kept certain things that I don’t want to have serviced like gardening, so that they can work with me. When I wake my son up at 1 p.m. we’re going to do some work on the bamboo. It’s a combination of a family ethic with my kids and my own enjoyment of working in the garden.

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Salmon with strawberries

8:30 on a Saturday night will usually find us at Table in Venice, a new restaurant opened by David Wolfe of 2424 Pico fame.

The place is funky and laid back, very ‘70s Venice. You bring the wine. But the food is sophisticated, quality ingredients, very clean, while imaginative. One night, our wild salmon was served with a salsa containing fresh strawberries, delicious. Surfer son Cooper often accompanies us on this one as he’s an adventurous eater and loves David’s cooking.

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Books about buildings

I must plug Form Zero in downtown, a place I admire and support. It’s not just a great architectural bookstore, but an institution. They moved there about six months ago and they have shows and a lecture series.

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Breathe deeply

I had real severe back problems about 10 years ago. I couldn’t bend over to put my own shoes on. I went to all kinds of specialists, and it’s amazing, they can’t really do that much for you. So my wife, Blythe, got me going to yoga. Just about without fail we go to our yoga studio on Main Street in Santa Monica for a 1 1/2-hour yoga class with Saul David Raye at least three times a week. My back problems have gone away. But I’m not at all into yoga as a spiritual thing.

-- Adam Bregman