The design firm’s new office is a model for its sustainable design philosophy and provides space for its growing team
(SAN ANTONIO, Texas) March 27, 2018 — Integrated design firm LPA Inc. moved its San Antonio office to a redesigned building in the city’s Southtown district. The commercial retail building on South Alamo Street had previously sat vacant for four years. LPA used its own design expertise to repurpose the building into a collaborative workspace to house its growing team of architects, interior designers, landscape architects and engineers.
The design firm embraced the opportunity to transform the underutilized building into a one-story, 10,300-square-foot creative work environment. The new office includes indoor and outdoor areas infused with energy-efficient elements on display.
“The goal was to renovate an existing site to demonstrate LPA’s commitment to sustainability, and create a collaborative workspace we can share with our clients and the community,” says Mickey Conrad, principal at LPA San Antonio.
The redeveloped project incorporates landscaped courtyards with bio-retention features to filter stormwater and reduce pollutants before water is discharged into the San Antonio River; photovoltaic solar panels that produce 50 percent of the energy needed to run the office; natural daylight from existing high-volume windows and automatic daylight harvesting sensors to manage the consumption of energy from lighting; and floor-to-ceiling glass windows surrounded by perforated metal creating the entry and providing a connection from the outside of the street-facing building.
Given there are no private offices, the interior areas needed to function for all working styles. Flexible workspaces combined with a variety of zones, from high-top tables to closed-door conference rooms, provide alternative areas to support the different ways teams work and collaborate.
With a research-based approach, the integrated design firm services education, corporate, civic and healthcare markets. The San Antonio office has grown 136 percent in gross revenue and nearly doubled in staffing since its merger with LPA in 2014. The new office will accommodate expected growth in the region.
“Our clients appreciate that we look at our projects holistically,” says Wendy Rogers, CEO of LPA. “We believe that our approach will impact the region with creative design solutions that perform better. We are excited to be expanding in San Antonio as it confirms our value to clients as an integrated design firm.”
The mixed-use building, designed to LEED Gold standards, will have two tenants including LPA and a 2,300-square-foot future retail tenant.
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 http://www.lpadesignstudios.com.
