Louise wears many hats at L+D. She serves as a senior project architect, regularly lends her expertise to heritage development projects, and undertakes office and resource-management responsibilities.

What does it take to be a great architect?

Obviously you need to be a talented designer, but it’s more than that. You have to be a good listener and communicator to identify and understand clients’ needs. You can’t ever lose sight of the fact that you’re designing spaces for people. Our job is to transform our clients’ dreams into built forms.

What is the mark of a successful project?

There’s no greater testament to the success of a project than a client using a building to its fullest potential and, in return, having the building fully respond to the client’s every need.

How would you characterize L+D’s corporate culture?

It breaks stereotypical office conventions. We work as a collective, not a rigid hierarchical machine. There’s mutual respect among all levels of staff. The strengths of one are the strengths of the entire team. We constantly learn from each other—our mistakes and our successes both.

What drives L+D?

Our energy and passion. Every member of our team, regardless of age or experience, shares the same youthful eagerness and curiosity. Architecture is more than just our job, it’s our lifestyle. Our dedication is the result of our passion.