Lorcan O’Herlihy delivers keynote on ‘Social Occupation’ at the RIAI Annual Conference, 4 October

Award-winning architect Lorcan O’Herlihy – with offices in LA and Detroit – will deliver a keynote at the RIAI Annual Conference on 4 October. Lorcan will speak on the theme of ‘Social Occupation’, saying  “as architects, we have a responsibility to cities and the people who occupy them”. His presentation will highlight the idea that architecture is a social act – a tool for engaging in politics, economics, aesthetics, and smart growth. As global cities become denser and the need for housing greater, it is more critical than ever to design spaces that promote equity, human interaction, and cultural evolution.

Since founding his firm in 1994, Lorcan O’Herlihy, FIAI has utilized architecture as a catalyst of change to shape and enrich the complex, urban landscape of our contemporary cities. The work of his firm, Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects (LOHA), is guided by a conscious understanding that architecture operates within a layered context of political, developmental, environmental, and social structures. With studios in Los Angeles and Detroit, LOHA has built over 90 projects across three continents.

With strong connections to Ireland, O’Herlihy and LOHA have produced work that has been published in over 20 countries and received over 100 awards throughout the years including the AIA Los Angeles firm of the year, and the AIACC Distinguished Practice Award. In 2018, his firm was recognized as the #1 Design firm in the country by Architect Magazine’s Architect 50, an annual ranking of the top architecture firms in the country. The diverse work of the firm is recognized internationally, and ranges from art galleries, bus shelters, and large-scale neighbourhood plans, to mixed-use developments, affordable housing projects, and university residential complexes. Each project by LOHA reinforces O’Herlihy’s belief that artistry and provocative design are key to building a vibrant, social space to elevate the human condition via the built environment.