The design firm is now 10th largest sports facilities architecture firm in the U.S.
(IRVINE, Calif.) April 11, 2019 — Integrated design firm LPA continues to expand its influence in designing efficient, community-focused sports and recreation facilities, with a growing team of nationally recognized experts.
LPA was recently ranked as the 10th-largest sports and recreation architecture and engineering firm in Building Design + Construction’s 2018 Giants 300 Report, posting $11.231 million in revenue in 2017, according to the publication’s research. In the 2016 report, LPA ranked 17th, with $5.563 million in revenue from sports facility projects—a 100 percent increase in two years.
Recently completed projects include the Great Park Ice and FivePoint Arena in Irvine, California, the new home of USA Figure Skating, which combines a community center with the training facility for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League, and the athletic complex for Cumberland Academy in Tyler, Texas. New projects include the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District’s Senior and Community Recreation Center, in Camarillo, California; the Tournament Sports Complex for the City of Concord in California; and the University of California, San Diego Canyonview Recreation Center.
“We are connecting with clients in new ways, working with them to create projects that respond to the needs of their schools, universities and communities,” says Arash Izadi, director of LPA Sport + Recreation. “Our expertise and stakeholder engagement process is clearly resonating with our clients.”
The growth is coming from aquatics, stadium, athletic fields, tournament sports complexes and collegiate recreation projects in all sectors of the company, including higher education, civic and K-12, Izadi says. More clients are also involving LPA’s informed design approach early in the planning process for feasibility studies to help them understand community needs, as well as initial capital and operational costs.
“As an integrated firm, we can take a more holistic approach to solving problems,” Izadi says. “Not only does this help develop better projects, but it engages the stakeholders, students, athletes and community members who use the facilities.”
Izadi and LPA Sport + Recreation leaders are frequent speakers at industry events. In addition to the keynote address at this year’s National Intramural Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) National Conference in Boston, the California Parks and Recreation Society (CPRS) event in Sacramento and the Athletic Business Show in New Orleans.
In 2018, LPA expanded its sports and recreation leadership with the hiring of several respected industry professionals. The list includes John Brooks, who brings 38 years of designing some of the most influential stadium projects in Texas, including Legacy Stadium in Katy, Texas and Apogee Stadium at University of North Texas; John Courtney, who has spent decades leading community outreach campaigns and design efforts for municipal and institutional projects; and industry veteran Jeffrey Schaub, who has worked on more than five million square feet of recreation and athletic space at Power 5 Universities across the country, including the Universities of Auburn, Wisconsin, Florida, Oregon and Southern Methodist University.
“We’ve built a team that is changing the face of sports and recreation facilities, creating a lasting legacy for communities and universities around the country,” Izadi said.
About LPA
Founded in 1965, LPA specializes in creating innovative environments that work better, do more with less and improve people’s lives. An integrated design firm with six locations in California and Texas, LPA’s team includes more than 450 in-house architects, master planners, engineers, interior designers, landscape architects and research analysts, working across a wide array of sectors. For more information, visit lpadesignstudios.com.
