Archinect - Features

A Conversation with Mia Lehrer on Her Origins, Civil Service, and Design Leadership

2020-05-27T13:32:00-04:00

Born in El Salvador, Mia Lehrer grew up under a mother and father committed to making a difference in their local community, a quality the pair passed along to their children. It was at a young age that Mia and her siblings began advocating for the well being and empowerment of those around them through pursuits like teaching locals to read at their self-led summer school in the family’s home garage. Later, the family left Central America due to the break out of civil war and young Mia began to develop an inclination towards design. She explored vocations in architecture and landscape design and soon enrolled at Tufts University, pursuing a degree in Environmental Design.

With a growing and solidified interest to work on the design of cities, Mia embarked on a self-directed education through reading and attending lectures, leading her to the Master of Landscape Architecture program at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. In 1982, Mia Lehrer + Associates was founded, and t...

Studio Visits: Studio-MLA

2020-05-19T12:57:00-04:00

The city within a city is a common architectural idea, but few times does one have an opportunity to experience this loose concept as a physical reality. Studio-MLA captures the essence of this dynamic interior urbanism, as it situates itself as a kind of indoor campus greenhouse. But, instead of districts and cities, there are conference rooms, workstations, plazas, and outdoor environments designed to enrich and enlighten the experience of its users. Color, light, and space delineate the the unique character of Studio-MLA, a character that radiates from the studio's eclectic leader and founder, Mia Lehrer.

For our latest Studio Visit, Archinect’s Paul Petrunia sat down with Mia Lehrer to talk about the city within a city that is Studio-MLA, its many uses, the workplace culture, and its special place as a community hotspot.

Studio Visits: Lehrer Architects

2020-01-29T12:00:00-05:00

When you first walk into Lehrer Architects’ studio you’re struck by something you can’t quite put your finger on. It only takes seconds to get a full picture of the studio’s essence. Absent of obstructions and barriers, large arrayed work surfaces centralize the primary workstations and activity, computer screens illuminate the faces of the staff, some peering intently, mouse in hand, and others cutting away at rough mock-ups.

On the western end of the space, adjacent to the centralized desks, are an aggregation of working models of varying scales. The eastern end holds the firm’s libraries and works as a subtle divider of the layout. The south sports two large garage-style doors that lead to a quiet outdoor space and to the north is a raised wooden platform, staging another large model encircled by a gallery of the studio’s numerous awards.

Studio Visits: Assembledge+

2020-01-13T11:54:00-05:00

When David Thompson graduated from Tulane University in 1991, he began searching for his place in the design world. Eager to tackle something manageable for a recent grad, he tried his hand at furniture design, winning some early commissions and gaining some experience as a young professional. To complement this ambitious pursuit, the young grad secured a position with a renowned architect and inventor, a posting that solidified his entrepreneurial inclinations. After 6 years of professional practice, building his chops as a designer and a businessperson, David took a dive and went out on his own — Assembledge+ was born.

Studio Visits: Bestor Architecture

2019-12-18T09:00:00-05:00

Since 1995, Bestor Architecture has upended architecture and design by infusing their projects with a bold use of pattern, color, and graphics. The steadily growing practice is almost single-handedly responsible for generating California’s now-ubiquitous “Bohemian Modern” style that blends Mid-Century Modern formalism with earthy materiality and contemporary image culture references to generate a cool but comfortable aesthetic that has global appeal.

Known mainly for ground-breaking residential designs, lively office interiors, and tasteful historic restorations, as Bestor Architecture hits its mid-20s, the firm has its sights set on going even bigger. With her finger on the pulse of contemporary culture and a self-motivated staff in the office, firm founder and principal Barbara Bestor is striving to broaden her reach to include transformative urbanism, housing, the 2028 Olympics, and more.

For our latest Studio Visit, Archinect’s Paul Petrunia got in touch with Bestor to dig into...