Profile
As a firm we are particularly interested in the adaptation of physical spaces to sustainably meet the demands of modern life. We believe there is a need to foster and encourage human interaction, particularly as our environments become more technologically based. We believe a physically present society is important, and our projects look to create places where we can not only comfortably use our smart phones, but also comfortably put them down.
Lewis/Schoeplein Architects, founded in 1998, is a Los Angeles-based collaboration led by partners Marc Schoeplein, AIA, LEED AP and Toni Lewis, AIA, LEED AP. The practice is multi-disciplinary, and includes single and multi-family residential, landscape, urban design, commercial development, and community-based design and planning for institutions, governmental agencies, and not-for-profits.
CULTURE
ENGAGE THE CONTEXT
Our projects strive to engage both their social and physical context. We seek a meaningful understanding of the culture and user groups for a project. For example: how does philosophy shape design decisions; how do the occupants inhabit their surroundings; what building elements make users feel secure/happy/calm/inspired and help them interact as a group? A building must also respond to its physical and historical context: how can we use an understanding of architectural precedent to inform new building types and new uses? How can historical typologies inspire design that is relevant and responds to the needs of our clients?
CONNECT TO THE LANDSCAPE
We look for opportunities to extend building into the landscape, and bring the outdoors in. Even when a physical connection is not practical, a considered visual connection to the landscape is important in establishing a sense of place and reinforcing context.
LIGHT, COLOR & MATERIALITY
We use light, color, touch and sound as building tools. We engage the senses through a rich palate of materials that tap into the range of human experience.
LISTEN & RESPOND
Good design is built on an exchange of ideas. We have the ability to listen to our client’s needs and concerns, and in return communicate design concepts so they can be clearly understood in a process that is fundamentally interactive. Our projects aim to give expression to our client’s identity and aspirations while inherently considering their concerns, desires, and budget.
BALANCE & INTEGRATE TECHNOLOGY
We seek a balance between the humanistic and the technological, both in the design process and in construction. We utilize state-of-the-art computerized documentation tools to bring rigor to the design process, in conjunction with more traditional drawing techniques. A balance of cutting edge technology with traditional means of drawing expression allows us to bring all participants into the process. We seek a similar balance in the application of building technologies. We are particularly interested in new technologies that conserve resources and reduce environmental degradation, and utilize innovative building technologies with a critical eye to issues of longevity, cost and maintenance.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
We approach the organization of a building as a choreography of spaces; an unfolding of experiences. A building should be more than a collection of rooms that define function; the way in which we pass through a building is critical to our experience as a whole. Circulation spaces provide the background of the life for the building inhabitants, bringing opportunities for chance encounters and connections.
RESPECT THE ENVIRONMENT
We have had a long-standing interest in sustainable building practices, and incorporate green design features at a fundamental level in all of our projects. Both principals are LEED accredited professionals, and many of our projects pursue LEED certification or equivalency.
ENJOY
And we do.
We believe that carefully considered design can have a positive impact that goes far beyond the individual, and both principals are particularly interested in the role of architecture in the urban environment. Marc Schoeplein, a graduate of UCLA’s Master of Architecture program, also has a M.A. in Applied Anthropology, where he studied and wrote on urbanism and housing in developing countries. Before joining L|Sa Marc was an associate at award winning firms KoningEizenberg Architecture and then Moore Rubell Yudell. Toni Lewis, a third-generation Los Angeles native, is a UC Berkeley graduate and completed a Master’s thesis at UCLA on the viability of strategic small-scale architectural intervention as a way of effecting larger urban environments. Her previous gigs included stints at the offices of Frank O. Gehry and at Gensler.
PRINCIPALS
SELECTED CLIENTS
Activision | Blizzard
Adat Shalom
American Civil Liberties Union
Anaheim Free Methodist Church
Beth Chayim Chadashim
Beth Shir Shalom
Blackmarket Black Bear Diner
The Broad Museum
Canyon Crest Country Club
Burbank First United Methodist Church
Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters
City of Commerce
City of Los Angeles
Coffee+Food
The Dog Out
Edmunds
Endemol USA
Feminist Majority Foundation
Film Independent
Glendale Community College
Los Angeles City College
Los Angeles County Community Development Commission
Los Angeles County Fire Department
Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative
Los Angeles Southwest College
Manhattan Beach Badminton Club
Morgan-Wixson Theatre
Orange County Fire Authority
Phoenix Pain Medicine
Pierce College
Related California
Restore Neighborhoods Los Angeles
Saddle Ranch Chop House
St. Augustine by-the-Sea
Supercuts
Talpa Media
Temple Beth Hillel
Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Southern California
V&L Properties
Venice Free Methodist Church
Venice Japanese Community Center
Violet LA
Westwood United Methodist Church