O L A
Office of Lou Arencibia is a landscape architecture and urban design studio practicing in identity and contextual expression. Our work in North America, South America, the Caribbean, and Asia underscores a diverse portfolio of spaces ranging from master plans and streetscapes to plazas and intimate private gardens. OLA prioritizes collaboration, working closely with our clients, stakeholders, and consultants to provide innovative design solutions. Seeing each project as an opportunity to learn, our work takes to heart user needs and feedback. We are curious and friendly, and believe meaningful design is based on strong relationships.
Founder, Lou Arencibia, PLA, ASLA comes from a cross-disciplinary design background of landscape, architecture, and interiors. Originally trained as an architect, he entered the profession of landscape architecture in 2005 to further explore the relationships between the two disciplines. He believes that the constant shift from macro to micro perspectives informs a richer, more complex dialogue between the two, positively impacting our built environment. Prior to founding the studio, Lou worked at a variety of acclaimed architecture and landscape architecture firms, where he oversaw the design and development of major award-winning projects in the United States and abroad.
MISSION
We value site authenticity and work to achieve designs that serve the people, nature, and functions that inhabit them. Cities are a complex interconnected network of infrastructure, buildings, parks, open spaces, and ecologies. We believe landscapes can connect these disparate parts of a city, fostering a humming and active built environment. OLA’s approach is fueled by people who come from diverse backgrounds including architects, landscape architects, horticulturalists, and urban designers. This interdisciplinary knowledge allows our team to generate thoughtful interventions that consider all facets of the built environment.
At the heart of every project are its users. We design landscapes that connect people to the vital, ecological processes of their neighborhood, city, and region. While we may work on a multitude of scales, we put the emphasis of our design focus on how people interact, utilize, and inhabit a space. By looking at each site through the lens of the user, we address macro and micro scale problems with solutions that nurture connection to place and are true to site identity.
OLA aspires to embolden its clients and collaborators to see the value in place. Careful analysis and research into past and present conditions, native context, and culture are foundational to our process. Creating honest design that is valued by its users requires an openness to different ideas, ways of living, and perceptions of space. Connection between community and place happens when a design considers living patterns, social networks, and cultural values. As our client, we work with you through the design process, inviting you to broaden our horizons, test our assumptions, and envision novel spaces. OLA aims to ensure our projects become defining elements of any home, neighborhood, or city, but more importantly, are instilled with a sense of stewardship by its inhabitants.
