Meet LPA's Austin Managing Director

Sophia Razzaque on connecting LPA with an evolving Austin

By Kyle Benjiman Troutman

Architect and interior designer Sophia Razzaque wears many hats, but her most important role is as a connector — bringing people together and ensuring they have what they need to succeed. She was born and raised in Austin, Texas, and has worked as a designer in New York and London with studios that, like LPA, have won the AIA Architecture Firm Award. At Zaha Hadid Architects in London, Razzaque came to value integrated design while working closely with engineers to realize the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum’s bold form.

Austin is her home, and she joined LPA’s studio there in 2025. Rapid growth has outpaced the city’s cultural infrastructure, and she’s on a mission to fix that. She brings deep expertise to the design and delivery of civic, cultural and hospitality work. For example, she led construction administration for Hotel Magdalena — the first mass timber boutique hotel in North America. And her work on Cedar Park Public Library, in a suburb outside the city, features communal spaces that blend interior and exterior. “I work across diverse typologies and view interior and exterior as one continuous field, not separate disciplines,” she says.

Razzaque leads design teams across civic, mixed-use, commercial, K-12 and higher-education practices. She brings vibrant energy and sharp insights to every project and champions the firm’s people‑first approach to create long-lasting spaces that clients and communities love. “We have a great toolbox at LPA — an integrated team and strong ideas that let us hit our internal goals while delivering what clients actually need.” This, she adds, can also help attract the next generation of designers and engineers in Austin.

Setting LPA apart as a team of interdisciplinary professionals that prioritizes sustainability is important to her role as Managing Director of the Austin studio. “Sustainability is fundamental to great design,” she says. “Being at a firm that understands how to deliver it across budgets and scales makes all the difference.”

Her primary mission is to connect the studio with Austin and the surrounding communities, contribute to the region’s ongoing growth and remove obstacles so people can do their best work locally. “Giving teams the tools, clarity, mentorship and time to build strong client relationships leads to better projects,” Razzaque adds. She wants to give the city exactly what it needs to grow and thrive: good design and sustainable spaces for all to enjoy.