A Look Back: 2014 Standout Moments

For the past five years, we have continued the tradition of highlighting our standout moments for the year. During these final weeks of 2014, we look back at a year filled with award-winning design, out-of-state endeavors, collaborative accomplishments and career advancements.

It was hard to choose only a few but here are the top five moments in 2014:

5. Named Most Sustainable Design firm by USGBC

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Orange County chapter named LPA "Most Sustainable Design/Engineering Firm" at the inaugural Eco Awards in recognition of their extraordinary efforts in making Orange County a more sustainable place to live, work and play.

Dan Heinfeld, President of LPA, said, "This recent award from the USGBC Orange County Chapter is really important recognition for the firm's commitment to sustainability for two reasons: one it is acknowledge of the extremely talented and dedicated people at LPA who have made sustainability their passion and purpose. Secondly, it is recognition of our remarkable clients who share our vision that every project regardless of scale or program can and should have a sustainability quotient."

4. Launched Healthcare Studio

A new partnership between LPA Inc. and Rick Wood, AIA, an architect and previous partner at WBSA, means greener, higher quality architecture for health care facilities. Rick Wood and key members of his professional staff joined LPA to form LPA Healthcare, a new studio at the Irvine office.

LPA Healthcare brings a unique approach to design that has not been seen in the industry before. The studio seeks to assist health care facility administration and staff in accomplishing their goals of healing patients and increasing wellness in more efficient ways without sacrificing the quality of care and patient experience.

3. Wendy Rogers Received FAIA Designation

Receiving one of the greatest individual honors from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), LPA Design Principal Wendy Rogers has been elected to the AIA College of Fellows.

Spending her entire 27-year architectural career with LPA, Rogers has been recognized with a remarkable 35 national, state and component AIA awards for her design work.

Reflecting upon the moment Rogers found out of her designation exiting an airplane with more than 30 colleagues for a weekend conference, she explained, “It was somehow just perfectly timed. As the plane landed, there was the e-mail from the AIA. It was so special because I was with my colleagues and my husband.”

2. San Marcos High School Completion

LPA was charged with bringing the oldest high school in the San Marcos Unified School District (SMUSD) into the 21st century with new learning facilities for the students, staff and community at San Marcos High School.

After four years of design, planning and construction, the project was completed in August 2014 with sustainability viewed as a design partner in development of the campus. The idea of a multi-story campus around a central quad to establish a sense of community and maximize the available site area for school programs and amenities was a direct result of this collaborative process.

The community will benefit from this project by having an up-to-date high school that will serve the educational needs of the students, support academic, athletic and cultural events and provide a cornerstone for the educational focus of the community.

1. LPA Expanded to Texas

This year, LPA announced its fifth location in San Antonio and the merger with OCO Architects that makes it possible. Shared core values and design ethics made LPA and OCO a natural match.

Texas is experiencing a period of growth, and LPA is ready to use its increased capabilities to take on new projects.

The San Antonio office will now be known as OCO LPA until January 1, 2015 at which time the office will be simply known as LPA. Mickey Conrad, Principal at OCO LPA, said, “LPA has completed more than 100 LEED certified and designed projects. Their message that sustainability is really a business case where projects do more with less—more design and fewer resources—will resonate with our clients.”