With a father in the military, the San Francisco Bay Area-based James Welch attended 7 schools over 18 years. During his high school years in Madrid, Spain, he frequently traveled with his family, often to France and Italy. When young, He lived in Japan and South Korea. After high school, James attended the San Francisco Art Institute on Russian Hill, then transitioned with an architecture focus, and graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in Environmental Design.

That led him to his first job with RNT Architects, of which his professor was a principal. His initial twelve-year work journey took him from RNT Architects in San Diego, then to FMG Architects in San Francisco, and finally to ELS Architecture and Urban Design in Berkeley. James became a LEED Accredited Professional in 2009 and a Registered California Architect in 2010. Today, he collaborates with Charles Doell at MR. IMPORTANT DESIGN. This collaboration has led to many exuberant and highly curated interior design projects that have won awards. Select award-winning projects include W Punta Mita, W Costa Rica, and the Hard Rock Hotel, Palm Springs. Notably, award-winning interiors include those for multi-family projects such as Avalon’s West Hollywood and Belltown Towers, as well as UDR’s The Residences at Pacific City and Vision on Wilshire in Los Angeles.

Together with Veronica Romano, James co-founded Romano Welch Architects and has completed numerous residential, retail, hospitality, and commercial projects. On the interior side, he collaborates with Charles Doell. IMPORTANT DESIGN and leads the hospitality studio of RWA.