WELCOME TO LLA
Lincoln Lighthill Architect is almost 10 years old, and it’s been a wild, exciting ride! This milestone has made me reflect on what we’ve accomplished so far and where we’re going, so I’m starting this blog to give people a better window into my thinking and our process.
From a young age, I always wanted to be an architect. When I was eleven, I made a conscious choice to write in all caps, because that’s what architects did. In the ’90’s, after an exploratory detour into fine art as an undergrad, my desire to be an architect was crystalized by the emergence of the climate crisis and the clear need for architecture to play a central role in the solution.
After college, I began my career in the building profession as an architectural lighting designer. Lighting as an industry was focused on energy efficiency in a way that most other areas of the building profession had not yet caught up with. The switch from incandescent to fluorescent was on, and it gave me a window into how you could do more with less- Building scientist Amory Lovins calls this “tunnelling through the cost barrier”- making things better while also making them more efficient and less costly. This lesson stuck with me and encouraged my pursuit of an architecture degree, licensure, and starting the firm, and helped to define my architectural process.
The good news is that, like tunneling through the cost barrier, making buildings more sustainable comes with a host of other benefits, like making them healthier and more pleasant places to be. Here’s a simple example: Daylighting, or the art and science of brining natural light into a building, has been scientifically proven to increase occupant comfort, health, and overall satisfaction, while at the same time reducing dependence on artificial lighting and the energy it requires. All our projects integrate natural and artificial lighting in ways that provide comfort and promote well-being, as well as reducing energy use.
Similarly, the firm’s modern design aesthetic is the perfect vehicle for solutions that are at once aesthetically pleasing, healthy, and sustainable. The architect Marcel Breuer once said, “modern architecture is not a style, it’s an attitude.” For me and everyone who works at LLA, it is this inquisitive, inventive approach that makes every project exciting and every design decision an important one.
We are excited to share more with you about our process in the coming months and years. Welcome to our blog. I hope you’ll come along for the ride.