Integrating into the Environment Live Oak Bank The building’s form and concept were inspired by live oak trees, which filter light through their leaves and branches as they provide shelter. The design roots the building into its environment so that, at [Founder James S. “Chip” Mahan III]’s request, it “sits lightly on the land.” The exterior materials are authentic to

Building Strength Dowd YMCA Renovation & Addition Charlotte’s iconic Central Y was one such storied place. Located on Morehead Street adjacent to Uptown in the booming South End neighborhood near historic Dilworth, the Central Y had served as Charlotte’s flagship Y since its construction in 1964. Over the years, a series of ad hoc additions and renovations had addressed pressing

Emergency Operations Centers An Emergency Operations Center (EOC) serves as a secure location for decision making and communication in the event of an emergency. Most often used by government entities (local, state, or national) or corporations, the EOC is a critical facility supporting disaster response. The purpose of this white paper is to identify and evaluate best practices for EOC

Future Forward: Advanced Manufacturing Training Facilities Create Real Results for a New Economy In a rapidly changing economy, one truth unites people across the country: more jobs - and better jobs - are a good thing for everyone. When companies bring new jobs to an area, this job growth not only benefits employees, but also creates ripple effects that extend

Six Feet Apart, Together Maximizing Your Current Schools While Physical Distancing School systems around the nation are grappling with the complexities of opening their facilities to varying degrees this fall. Doing so as safely as possible will require creative solutions to implement CDC and other public health guidelines for physical distancing, face coverings, handwashing, and operational strategies for continuous cleaning.

Post-COVID Restroom Strategy An attempt to create a touch-free environment The office gang restroom is said to be the primary deterrent to companies reopening. To address physical distancing, hygiene, and sanitization needs in gang restrooms, the following strategies may be appropriate. Read more...

Building Towards the Future Aeronautical Training Center at Trident Technical College According to the South Carolina Department of Commerce, in 2019 the aerospace industry employed over 22,000 South Carolinians at 400 firms, with a statewide impact of $19 billion a year. Much of that activity has been driven by Boeing, which located its 1.2 million SF 787 Dreamliner final assembly

Designing for Resilience Adapting Facilities for the COVID Era As our businesses and public spaces begin to reopen across the country, few places will function exactly the way they did before “COVID-19” and “physical distancing” were part of the common lexicon. We have experienced rapid global change at a scale few could have imagined just months ago. Our knowledge continues

Physical Distancing in Formal Campus Learning Spaces As higher education institutions work through the endless logistics of returning to campus, all are facing common problems including incorporating physical distancing guidelines set forth by the CDC and public health experts. Formal learning spaces, including classrooms, lecture halls, and seminar rooms, can meet these guidelines at lower occupancies than their design capacities.

COVID-19's Effect on the Workplace Although the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will not be understood for some time, the workplace as we know it will certainly change. We must strategize new ways to learn and grow from what we are experiencing in order to make the workplace as safe and healthy as possible for all. Employers are now

Transformation Tuesday: Work from Home Edition, Finding the Silver Linings These are strange times. Nobody who is experiencing the spring of 2020 is likely to forget it. It started with a dangerous virus which for weeks had felt far away becoming, suddenly, very local. The early stages of denial that something like this could ever happen here in the Southeast

2019 Year in Review LS3P We are pleased to report that LS3P's 56th year was successful, productive, and rewarding! 2019 was a year of continued political upheaval and came with many global challenges, but it also brought us exciting opportunities to be leaders in our profession. Read more...

Putting It All on the Line Skygarden Apartments Designing buildings for the present tense is a substantial task. Designing buildings which also honor a rich, storied past adds another element of complexity. Designing a building which accommodates the present, the past, and an evolving civic future? That challenge can bring exciting opportunities which elevate a design to the next level.

2018 Year in Review LS3P We are pleased to report our 55th year was very successful for LS3P. 2018 brought exciting opportunities as well as significant global challenges; together, we navigated both and finished the year strong and focused. Read more...

Faith: Contemporary Design Contemporary Faith-Based Project Overview LS3P is extremely passionate about working with Faith clients to design inspiring, timeless facilities for worship. Our significant portfolio of traditional church designs is rooted in the heritage, values, and beliefs which make each faith community unique. Using classic architectural details and established forms, we are highly skilled at creating spaces which are

Skyline Rising 300 South Tryon Willa Cather once wrote, “Either a building is part of a place or it is not. Once that kinship is there, time will only make it stronger.” What is it that creates that kinship between a building and its locale? How do architects design buildings which become part of the fabric of their communities, buildings

Under the Live Oak Wando Mount Pleasant Library Libraries loom large in our childhood memories. From those who are old enough to remember rifling through the card catalog to the youngsters whose trips to the library include time spent watching the book bot do its work, all who love the library are connected by the shared experience of seeking and

The Architecture of Compassion Homelessness, Housing and Hope Homelessness is a complicated issue, one that touches people of every age and race, and from every state in the nation. A third of homeless people are in families with children. Many are youth living on their own, or veterans, or people with disabilities. Some are employed. People may experience a brief

Glow-Up: Celebrating Girl Power Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington First generation college students often begin their educations with a mountain to climb. They may not have the same financial resources as their counterparts with a family history of higher education. They may not have the same frameworks for navigating challenges, and they may not have access to the same levels

Sailing New Waves MUSC Health R. Keith Summey Medical Pavilion A trip to a surgical center can be a bewildering experience that combines the emotional stress of treating an injury or illness with practical hassles such as navigating traffic and finding parking in unfamiliar territory. The anxiety can be exponentially greater for pediatric patients and their families. In developing the

Recreation Experience Overview For LS3P, the idea of transformation is a call to advance clients through a process and approach that culminates in better projects and enriched experiences for individuals, organizations and communities. Transformation means that our designs have lasting impact. Clients realize dramatic improvements in capacity, efficiency, effectiveness and enjoyment through the experience and operation of their project. The

Fine Art Meets Fine Design The Vendue Hotel Renovation When Charleston was first settled in 1670 at the intersection of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers, it was a humble outpost in the South Carolina marshlands, far from civilization. My, how things have changed. By the late 1700s, Charleston had become a bustling port city with a thriving economy. The City

Faith Traditional Faith-Based Project Overview LS3P is extremely passionate about working with Faith clients to design inspiring, timeless facilities for worship. Our significant portfolio of traditional church designs is rooted in the heritage, values, and beliefs which make each faith community unique. Using classic architectural details and established forms, we are highly skilled at creating spaces which are welcoming, familiar,

Library Experience LS3P’s commitment to engaging with our clients, their communities, and the issues they face reflects our passionate investment in client success. We bring the right people to a project and foster engagement among team members and the community, creating a unifying point of departure that opens the path to design free of aesthetic preconceptions or predefined styles. For

Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen - No Such Thing Modern Food Culture and the Rapid Rise of Culinary Arts Education Facilities Weary of convenience foods, tired of rushing through unsatisfying meal times, and craving something more nourishing to both body and spirit, people at dining tables across the country are rebelling one plate at a time. They’re willing to

Causing a Stir International Culinary Institute of Myrtle Beach Any chef will tell you that a successful dish requires layers of flavors. Seasoning at every stage of the process helps to balance ingredients and textures to create an integrated composition. In the finished dish, we can read the hierarchy of the elements; some central, some subtle, but all contribute to

Centering the Students Tri-County Technical College Student Success Center and Ruby Hicks Hall Renovation A building can tell us much about what a community values. At Tri-County Technical College, this community values its students. This commitment has been evident since the college opened its doors in 1962 in Pendleton, SC, and is the driving force for its four campuses, 70

Here Comes the Sun College Park Elementary School Those who live at the coast are no stranger to Mother Nature. They are attuned to the tides, can probably tell you which fish are biting today, and know how to “keep a weather eye on the horizon.” These skills become particularly important during the months from June to November: hurricane season.

Coffee with Hope on the Side Community Matters Cafe A passerby on West First Street strolling along in search of food and coffee may stumble across a charming café and choose to dine there. Inside, though, they’ll find much more than delicious food and beverages: Community Matters Café offers a sense of renewed possibility to the people who work there.

Healthcare: Spaces Designed for Healing Healthcare Overview The new Cardiology Center for NHRMC consolidates multiple offices and departments to provide improved outpatient services. This 3-story, 63,000 SF medical office building is sited on hospital-owned land near the main NHRMC campus. The new location is more convenient for users and helps decrease congestion on the main campus. The ground floor of

Bridging the Classroom and the Clinic Specialized Facilities for Healthcare Provider Education Wisdom tells us that we must learn to crawl before we can walk. We learn our ABCs before we tackle Shakespeare; we memorize our multiplication tables before we apply for work at NASA; we practice, practice, practice our way to Carnegie Hall. In many careers, our elementary steps

2017 Year in Review LS3P We are pleased to report that 2017 was an excellent year for LS3P. In this year of exciting momentum, continued strategic advancement, a heightened focus on design, and record-breaking success, we managed to soar to new heights. Read more...

Getting to the Heart of the Matter New Hanover Regional Medical Center Heart Center Healthcare can be stressful. For patients dealing with the emotions and physical constraints of a new diagnosis, navigating through a medical facility can be an anxiety-ridden experience.  Unfortunate details such as inconvenient parking, confusing signage, or a badly-lit institutional aesthetic all compound the stress of an

Putting a New Spin on Things Central Carolina Technical College Advanced Manufacturing Technology Training Center In a dim chapter in architecture and planning history, the 80’s brought a wave of big-box stores to landscapes across the country. With brick and block construction, massive fluorescent-lit interiors, and asphalt as far as the eye could see, these behemoths filled a niche for

Smooth Sailing The Cotton Sail Hotel Stroll across Savannah’s manicured squares or wander through the orderly grid of the old city, and you’re sure to feel as though you’d stepped back in time. Spanish moss sways languidly in the coastal breeze, and the stately homes quietly observe the rhythms of the workaday world, as they have for hundreds of years.

Have a Nice Flight Charlotte Douglas International Airport Ah, air travel. We don our finest clothes, wait in luxurious gateside lounges where we are treated like royalty, board an expansive shiny aircraft with spacious and luxurious seats, and exchange greetings with a chipper stewardess in a posh hat who welcomes us with cocktails and a lobster dinner. It’s seamless! It’s

A Bridge to the Future Greenville Technical College Center for Manufacturing Innovation In a perfect world, to get from Point A to Point B, you’d be able to walk on a short, easy path in a straight line, and you’d call it a day. Sometimes, though, the process is less straightforward; Point A is on a rocky cliff, and Point

Restoration: New Life for a Contaminated Environment Clemson University Zucker Family Graduate Education Center Port cities are fascinating places, and Charleston is no exception. The endless cycle of regeneration and renewal is as consistent as the tides, evident in the layering of the built environment as well as in the city’s culture, identity, and history. History The old Charleston Naval

Setting the Stage Cape Fear Community College, Wilson Center Georgia O’Keefe once said, “To create one’s world in any of the arts takes courage.”  Her assessment was correct, if not comprehensive. To participate in the arts today, either as an artist or a patron, requires a good deal more than strength of character: years of training, rehearsal spaces, sheet music,

A Healing Journey New Hanover Regional Medical Center Zimmer Cancer Center For those facing a diagnosis of cancer, new research, treatment protocols, and technology offer more hope than ever before. With leading-edge research and new therapies being discovered every day, the odds of healing and recovery after cancer are very optimistic. Improved treatment options offer hope and reassurance, but facing an

On the Wing Butterfly Hut Each year, a hundred million North American monarch butterflies complete a timeless ritual: a mass migration from south to north in the spring, and from north to south in the autumn. The journey, up to 3,000 miles in either direction, is too long for any one butterfly to complete in its short lifespan. How, then,

Vacant to Vibrant Vernon Malone College and Career Academy Share a Coke. An empty building, formerly a Coca-Cola bottling plant, languished in a South Raleigh neighborhood. The neighborhood bore the burden of this lost building, occupying valuable land on a downtown corridor but devoid of activity. Meanwhile, a significant number of high school students occupied nearby classrooms, not fully participating in

The Best is Yet to Be Carolina Bay Continuing Care Retirement Community The good news is that we’re in good company. The American population, on average, is older than it used to be. As the Baby Boomers edge into their senior years, the 65+ demographic will continue to grow. Right now, one in every seven Americans is a senior citizen.

R2i2: Institute of Innovation Richland Two Institute of Innovation Destination: Innovation A hundred years ago, most graduates seeking employment could rely on a dependable set of skills: reading, writing, and arithmetic. Specialized training was necessary for some professions, to be sure, but even in those fields, the body of knowledge you needed wasn’t likely to change much over time. Fast-forward

Pushing the Envelope Diamond Elementary School Pushing the Envelope The US Department of Defense is a massive organization. Overseeing the military departments of the Joints Chiefs of Staff as well as the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard, the DoD employs over 3,000,000 employees across every time zone and in every climate. A substantial number of these employees

IoT Meets PoE: Powering a Modern Workforce CompuCom The new Compucom Digital Campus and Global Headquarters in Fort Mill, SC, embodies a forward-looking workspace with fully integrated technology.  The client, a company specializing in providing businesses of all sizes with digital tools to foster collaboration and productivity, has pushed the envelope with technology for over 30 years. Its new 151,000

Outside the Pacific Box Pacific Box and Crate Upper Peninsula Rising Charleston’s refined historic district, well known for its upscale shops and carriage rides and beautiful neighborhoods, is justifiably world-famous for its many charms. If you stray a bit north of this bustling tourist center, however, you’ll find a different landscape altogether. Just a mile up King Street, the area

Nourishing the Body & Spirit Fork and Plough Despite the rise of supermarkets and impersonal digital grocery shopping, many still recall fondly weekly trips to the local grocery shop and butcher as intimate social events grounded in personal relationships and trust. While picking up ingredients to nourish loved ones around the dinner table, you might have a chance encounter with

Local Food Revolution Daniel Reed Hospitality One of the best aspects of practicing architecture is that every day is different. Likewise, every client is different. Building authentic partnerships with clients, in fact, is one of the most rewarding parts of the job. Some clients come with the germ of an idea and want to turn it over to the architect

Going Underground Duke Institute for Brain Sciences When the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences (DIBS) was founded in 2007, its directors had a vision to create a multi-disciplinary, cross-school think tank to support innovation and collaboration in brain research. The challenge: from its inception, DIBS departments were scattered across the Duke campus in disparate locations. Without shared workspaces, the program

Finding the X Factor AvidXchange CEO Mike Praeger had a full afternoon planned. In addition to the day-to-day responsibilities of running a rapidly-growing payment automation software company, he was scheduled to meet with the team designing his new headquarters, and he still needed to leave on time to pick up his son. When pick-up time rolled around, however, he changed

Every Drop Counts Renewable Water Resources Laboratory & Environmental Education Center Most of us start our days with water. We drink it, shower in it, and use it to boil our eggs, or make our coffee. Most of us, at least in most cities in America, are fortunate enough to be able to turn on a tap and access plentiful,

Cup of Joy Bitty and Beaus What makes us happy? In the short term, our answers may vary - a new car, a big trip, your team winning the championship, an ice cream cone on a summer day - all of which bring momentary delight. In the long term, however, what makes us happy is surprisingly universal. The ancient Greeks defined

Contemporary Design Thinking in Action Laurel Ridge Renovation Imagine, for a moment, you’re back in high school. It’s prom night. You’re putting the final touches on your outfit. Maybe you’re adjusting the wide lapels of your powder blue tux, or snapping on the enormous bow on your pink satin dress with the puffed sleeves. You may be using your second

Brawl Proof Two Keys Public House A good barroom brawl is the stuff of legend, whether it’s captured in song or on film. Consider the lyric “And then a hush fell over the pool room,” just before an epic showdown between a New York pool hustler and the country boy who comes to get his money back in “You Don’t

Best Foot Forward The Spectator Back in the Roaring Twenties, a young man wishing to express a certain brand of bold elegance- moxie, if you will- would have but one choice in footwear: the Spectator shoe. A high-fashion, two-toned, brogued leather wingtip, the Spectator sauntered about on the edges of reputable society on the feet of gangsters, jazz musicians, and

A Penny Well Spent Memminger Elementary School Turns out it’s worth a lot, if it comes in the form of the One Cent Sales Tax implemented by Charleston County in 2010. Those pennies have added up to a $450 million, 5-year building program funding a number of public projects, starting with the recapitalization of 4 historic Charleston school campuses. Historic

All Are Welcome Wesley Commons Continuing Care Retirement Community The city of Greenwood, South Carolina, has a lot to recommend it. Between the mild climate, the annual Festival of Flowers, the charming Uptown district, the golf courses, and the southern charm, it’s little wonder that Greenwood is increasingly popular with a growing demographic: retirees. These seniors have diverse interests, backgrounds,

When Opportunity Knocks The Center for Advanced Studies at Wando High School When Charleston County School District built Wando High School in Mt. Pleasant, SC in 2001, the campus was created for a 3,000 student population filled with high achievers. College-bound students, mostly upper middle class, were filling the school’s Advanced Placement courses, participating in extracurricular activities, and enjoying the

Redemption & Renovation Elevation Church Lake Norman If the renovation of the old Palace Theater were a Hollywood film, it would be a classic redemption story. Upstanding local citizen falls upon hard times. Takes a few knocks, and stumbles. Endures a season of despair. A kindhearted stranger offers words of encouragement and a hand up. The struggling hero rises. Our