The sustainable design firm arrives in Dallas to respond to the growing marketplace and reduce building energy use.
DALLAS, April 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Sustainable design firm, LPA Inc., launched its new office in Dallas—the firm’s sixth office location nationwide and second office in Texas. The new office is led by Craig Drone as Principal, who draws on nearly 30 years of design and business development experience, and is responsible for developing the company’s presence, recruiting talent and pursuing opportunities in the Dallas region.
The opening of LPA Dallas, located at 1920 McKinney Avenue, follows the rapid influx of residents which has led the region to become one of the fastest growing U.S. metropolitan areas in the past decade. The design firm, which offers integrated services including architecture, interior design, landscape architecture and engineering, continues its Texas expansion after merging with a San Antonio-based firm in 2014.
“Revenue in the San Antonio office has nearly doubled in the last three years of operation so the decision to expand our presence in Texas and serve a larger market was natural,” said Mark Oppelt, Principal of LPA San Antonio.
The Texas population totals approximately 27.9 million—with the areas along the I-35 corridor between San Antonio and Dallas/Ft. Worth representing 12 million of that population. Expanding LPA’s services to the Dallas/Fort Worth market positions the firm to design environments in two of the largest regions in the state.
LPA creates energy-efficient environments in K-12 school and higher education spaces as well as health care, corporate and civic facilities. Among the strong talent pool in the region, the new Dallas office has plans for growth and recruitment in the region with a capacity of 50 employees.
Drone’s previous experience has largely been based in the education marketplace with an emphasis on K-12 schools. His former responsibilities included project management, building market share, leading production activities of the design process, reviewing and implementing best practice procedures and maintaining and improving design delivery documents. Drone’s work has included working with school districts such as Rockwall Independent School District (ISD), Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, Arlington ISD and Grayson College, among many others across the region and state.
“Craig’s experience in the marketplace made him an ideal partner to launch our Dallas office,” said Oppelt. “His knowledge of the region, attentiveness to client service and passion for the cost-effective design execution of the built environment made him the perfect choice to lead and expand our presence in the state of Texas.”
Additionally, since Texas leads the nation in energy consumption with buildings accounting for nearly 40 percent of the state’s total energy use. LPA’s proven track record of sustainable design practices will aid in reducing energy consumption and meeting the new Texas Building Energy Code which came into effect November 2016.
With Drone at the helm, LPA’s goal in Dallas is to build a collaborative, interdisciplinary team with expertise in markets that best meet the needs of the region. “LPA delivers on the needs of the client while providing the highest quality of service, which are both significant principles to me personally and professionally,” said Drone. “Given the rapid growth of Dallas within the past few decades, I am thrilled to be leading the new office and sharing our unique design approach within the growing region.”
The new office will be pursuing opportunities in the educational marketplace with plans to expand to other markets in which the region is renowned, including corporate, developer and health care sectors.
About LPA Inc.
Founded in 1965, LPA has more than 350 employees with offices in San Antonio and Dallas, Texas as well as Irvine, San Diego, San Jose and Sacramento, California. The firm provides services in architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, engineering and graphics. With a proven commitment to sustainable design, LPA designs facilities that span from K-12 schools, colleges and universities to corporate, health care and civic establishments. More than 700 major design awards attest to the firm’s commitment to design excellence. For more information, visit www.lpainc.com.
