LPA Design Studios has hired D. Alex John, Jr. as an associate principal and design director of the firm’s growing Dallas commercial studio.
A veteran Dallas design leader, John will lead design teams on a wide range of projects, including commercial, science and technology, civic and cultural, residential, and mixed-use developments.
“I feel like you need a firm that has a little bit of that Wild West spirit.”
John was drawn to LPA Design Studios by the firm’s leadership team and their emphasis on collaboration across disciplines and practices. LPA’s innovative design approach, which prioritizes creating healthier, more efficient, and more resilient projects, sets it apart as a leader in the design industry, according to a news release from the firm.
“There’s a number of opportunities in Texas,” John said. “I feel like you need a firm that has a little bit of that Wild West spirit.”
John comes to LPA after 18 years with HKS Architects, most recently as vice president and senior designer. In that role, John was part of the team that designed the Conrad Washington, D.C., at CityCenterDC, the city of Dallas Police Academy at the UNT Dallas campus, the Legacy Commons renovation and future expansion, and the development of several corporate campuses in Texas, LPA said.
“Alex is a talented designer with a deep knowledge of the community,” LPA Chief Executive Officer Wendy Rogers said in a statement. “He works to understand and listen to clients, which is a special skill set and something we value in this leadership role.”
‘Focused on creating inspiring architecture that energizes people’
John serves on the board of directors of The Real Estate Council (TREC), where he helped initiate the group’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
An Oak Cliff resident, John has been involved in the redevelopment of downtown Dallas, as well as a wide range of community projects in South Dallas in the Pleasant Grove and Joppa communities.
LPA said that John joins a Dallas studio that is actively expanding a portfolio of commercial, education, workplace, and life science projects. He will work on a wide range of project types, helping to lead a collaborative design process that prioritizes measurable results in performance, healthier environments, and facilities that work better for the users, LPA said.
“My aim is to grow a design studio that is focused on creating inspiring architecture that energizes people and makes them want to be there,” John said in a statement.
“We want to create memorable experiences in architecture for our clients, designing projects that are more successful than anybody dreamed they could be. Our team is a collection of personable designers who are experienced, talented, and sustainably minded. We want our clients to ‘win’ and will do everything we can to make that happen.”
Bringing value to clients
John brings a wide range of experience to his new role, including transformative work on hospitality destinations, health science facilities, corporate campuses, and education centers.
“Alex understands about good design and welcoming voices to the table,” LPA Dallas Studio Director Craig Drone said in a statement. “He has built strong relationships in Texas and understands how to bring value to clients.”
John says he was attracted to LPA by the leadership team and its focus on collaboration across disciplines and practices.
Founded in 1965, LPA is a multidiscipline firm focused on collaboration, inclusion, and an integrated design process that connects building performance and design excellence. It has six studios in Texas and California and has more than 400 in-house architects, master planners, engineers, interior designers, landscape architects, and research analysts, working across a wide array of sectors.
Get on the list.
Dallas Innovates, every day.
Sign up to keep your eye on what’s new and next in Dallas-Fort Worth, every day.
R E A D N E X T
-
A home nestled in—and open to—nature. A school that buzzes with literary inspiration. A hospital that seems to swoop through the sky. They're just three of the winners of the 2022 AIA Dallas Built Design Awards. Here's a look at the 10 award-winning projects, which all feature "thoughtful architecture that enliven the fabric of their communities," according to the awards committee chair.
-
Daltile explores seven trends in its 2022 interior design Trend Report—Restorative Nature, Self-Expressionism, Origins Exploration, Female Celebration, Noble Simplicity, Nostalgia Escape, and Tech Retreat—and reveals how each is expressed in Daltile's product lines.
-
Dallas-based architecture and planning firm Merriman Anderson Architects announced that Amanda Hendrick is its new director of strategy and development. Hendrick joins the firm's leadership team as an associate principal and brings 15 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry to her new role. “Building on 40 years of impact, we are thrilled to welcome Amanda to the MAA family and are confident she will help the firm innovate thoughtfully and strategically as we enter a new era in commercial real estate,” MAA President Milton Anderson said in a statement. “Amanda joins us with a keen understanding of…
-
John Carmack, the iconic Dallas game developer, rocket engineer, and VR pioneer, is setting his sights on AGI. If successful, his moonshot effort would be a ‘change-the-world-level’ event.
-
Axxess founder John Olajide built his Dallas-based healthcare tech company from a fledgling startup in 2007 to a global company with 1,000 employees serving 3 million-plus patients. But the journey getting there wasn’t a straightforward path. He tells his own story to inspire others and strengthen the ecosystem. And he's confident that "we'll be celebrating several more unicorns going forward."
