LOHA | Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects

Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects [LOHA] harnesses the complexities and latent opportunities of urban society to create transformative architecture. Our work is driven by ruthless optimism, creative pragmatism, and a profound conviction that bold, enlightened design elevates the soul and enriches communities.

We balance ideals and pragmatics, intuition and logic, radical visions and fulfilled expectations. We ground our process in rigorous exploration, persistent questioning, and technical expertise. We craft distinctive, sustainable, elegantly resolved designs that meet the needs of our clients and respond to broader civic and social ambitions.

Grounded in years of experience, we confront preconceptions with an understanding that, while working within parameters, creative improvisation can yield unexpected solutions and remarkable results.

Since 1994, LOHA has built over 90 projects across three continents. Based out of our studio in Los Angeles and Detroit with twenty-five designers, our diverse work ranges from large, mixed-use developments and university residential complexes to art galleries and bus shelters. LOHA has been published in over 20 countries and recognized with over 100 awards, including the Architect Magazine’s 2018 ARCHITECT 50 #1 Design Firm Award, AIA California Council Distinguished Practice Award, and AIA Los Angeles Firm of the Year Award.

Biography

Lorcan O'Herlihy, FAIA, is the founder and principal of Lorcan O' Herlihy Architects [LOHA]. Since LOHA's 1994 inception, O'Herlihy has sought opportunities to engage the ever-changing complexities of the urban landscape, embracing the role of architecture as a catalyst of change. His social concerns and fascination with the structure of cities has inspired an exploration of the creative interaction between public and private spaces and an emphasis on social and civic connectivity.

Lorcan spent his formative years in New York and Paris working as a designer at I.M. Pei Partners on the Grand Louvre Museum. This iconic project’s harmonious integration of art and architecture, instilled in him a passion toward aesthetic improvisation and composition that has persisted throughout his practice.

Lorcan’s professional pursuits have run in parallel to his academic and intellectual ambitions, enriching and heightening both. He received a Master of Arts in Histories and Theories from the Architectural Association in London, writing a dissertation on social connectivity and generative urban strategies. He has taught and lectured extensively over the last decade, including at the Architectural Association in London, Southern California Institute of Architecture [SCI-Arc], Cranbrook Academy of Art, Columbia University, Carnegie Mellon University, Pratt Institute, and the National Building Museum in Washington D.C. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern California.

In 2004 the Architectural League of New York selected Lorcan O’Herlihy as one of the eight “emerging voices” in the United States. In 2009, Lorcan was elevated to the prestigious College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects, an honor awarded to members who have made significant contributions to the profession. Lorcan’s commitment to design excellence in urbanism, housing, and culture has earned over 100 national and local design awards, including the 2010 AIA Los Angeles Firm of the Year Award, and the 2018 AIA California Council Distinguished Practice Award, the 2018 Cooper Hewitt National Design Award, the 2017 Marcus Prize in Architecture, the 2018 AIACC Distinguished Practice Award, and ranked #1 in the Design category for the 2018 Architect 50 Award. Lorcan is a licensed architect in California, Michigan, Florida, and North Carolina and is a GSA Design Excellence Program Peer.