FOUNDING PRINCIPAL

Chris brings forward a breadth of knowledge and experience across a multitude of project types and sectors. Over his 24-year tenure, this exposure has provided unique opportunities to facilitate a collaborative process and a cross pollination of ideas leading to the development of new typologies.

Chris has been involved with many award-winning projects throughout his career, including a ‘Good Design Is Good Business” Award jointly awarded by both Business Week and Architectural Record magazines for The Lab Gastropub while at a leading LA firm, recognizing the impact of design on profitability. Additionally, Chris’ work on the hospitality interiors for the Wilshire Grand/ Intercontinental Hotel project in downtown LA helped earn the project the Best of the Year (BOY) Award from Interior Design Magazine and appeared on the cover.

Following 20 years of practice in the corporate realm, Chris incorporated Local Design Collaborative in 2022 to pursue his interest in engaging in creative collaborations with other designers, creatives and artists.

Chris holds a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Cornell University. He is licensed in California and is a member of the American Institute of Architects. Chris has worked on over 50 projects of various type and size throughout his career. His engagement with local architecture schools includes teaching a furniture design class at the University of Southern California as well as serving as guest lecturer/ critic at both USC and Woodbury University. Chris was invited to present an individual paper & project entitled - ‘The Suitcase (Postcards & Paraphernalia) Redefining the Space of Tourism & Travel‘ at a conference at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in London, later published in a book entitled - Transportable Environments.

PROJECT DIRECTOR

Elizabeth’s passion for design stems from an innate curiosity about people and how physical spaces impact their lives. Global travel from a young age has given Elizabeth the ability to be a storyteller, to help implement her clients' narrative to physical reality. She is a knowledgeable, enthusiastic senior project manager and licensed architect with a proven track record of success in managing all phases of the design process, from concept through construction and move-in.

During her lengthy career, she rose from designer to technical architect to project director, working at large international and small boutique firms before joining Local Design Collaborative in 2022. She has extensive expertise in conceptualization, materiality, lighting design, branding and FF&E with a strong ability to plan, direct, and coordinate architectural and interior design efforts. She’s a proven leader in delivering diverse project types, from residential and hospitality design to museums and workplace.

Elizabeth received a Masters in Architecture degree from Southern California Institute of Architecture, which included a studio abroad program at the Shibaura Institute of Technology in Tokyo. She received a Bachelor’s degree with a double major in Asian Studies and Sociology (with a minor in Studio Art) from the University of Vermont, including a year abroad at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka, Japan. Her knowledge of Japanese was instrumental in the development of her ten-year collaboration with the Pritzker-winning architect, Tadao Ando.

DESIGNER

14 YEARS EXPERIENCE

BARCH, Cal Poly Pomona || MFA, RISD (Interior Architecture w. a concentration on adaptive reuse)

DESIGNER

10 YEARS EXPERIENCE

BA (Architecture), UC Berkeley || MARCH, Cornell University

SENIOR TECHNICAL

20 YEARS EXPERIENCE

BA (Architecture), UC Berkeley