LCM Architects Firm Overview

Architecture + Accessibility

FIRM OVERVIEW

ABOUT OUR FIRM

Big Picture. Small Details. All Inspired.

In 1996, three architects, Richard Lehner, John H. Catlin, and Douglas Mohnke founded LCM Architects. The core practice was architecture; however, these three visionary architects saw a need within our industry and made an intentional choice to offer a specialty service – accessibility consulting.

Douglas Anderson brought his extensive experience to the firm in 1998, and cultivated LCM’s industry-leading expertise in strategic accessibility planning for a variety of clients from Fortune 500 companies, Ivy League Institutions, and a variety of multi-site retail stores, restaurants, and renowned international hotel and resort chains.

Our staff of sixty-plus dedicated professionals is made up of licensed architects, designers, certified accessibility specialists, and support staff. Our unique blend of skills in architectural design and accessibility consulting enables us to provide quality design, technical accuracy, and cost-effective strategies to help our clients make informed decisions. Together, we share in the mission to create built environments that support an inclusive society.

FACTS & FIGURES

28 years in business

60+ professionals

ARCHITECTURE + PLANNING

Our designers create beautiful, functional and safe environments.

We approach each project from multiple vantage points to arrive at ideas that blend function and spatial relationships into successful buildings. Our team follows the path of each project’s unique goals to deliver designs of enduring quality that reflect the imagination of our clients.

Blending skill sets in architecture and planning, LCM leverages the diverse backgrounds and personal experiences of our designers to shape our work. Our team uses the unique qualities of each project to deliver designs of enduring quality that reflect the imagination of our clients. The LCM accessibility team always informs our architecture projects, helping to verify thorough and thoughtful compliance with state and federal requirements.

PRACTICE AREAS

Academic

Healthcare

Hospitality

Inclusive

Multifamily

Workplace

ACCESSIBILITY CONSULTING

The nation’s leading resource for strategic ADA and FHA accessibility solutions.

Devotion to eliminating limitations for people with disabilities puts LCM Architects at the forefront of accessibility and inclusive design consulting. Central to our core values is the built environment should adapt to people rather than people having to adapt to the physical environment.

As a licensed architecture firm, LCM understands the design aesthetics and business implications of modifications. Our recommendations outline reasonable, cost effective strategies to assist clients in making informed decisions that meet the regulations while integrating design and accessibility.

Our personal and professional experience with disability and the federal agencies responsible for developing and ensuring accessibility laws offers unique insights into the requirements and their interpretation. Leaders of LCM have served on boards and committees involved in establishing, revising, or adapting the federal ADA Guidelines, ANSI A117.1 Standards, and state and local accessibility codes.

The Department of Justice, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, municipal agencies and offices for people with disabilities, clients, and other architecture firms trust LCM as a leading resource on design and construction related accessibility matters.

Our specialists are knowledgeable with

federal, state, and local accessibility guidelines.

Our staff is at the forefront of developing and revising ADA accessibility guidelines and standards. Appointed by U.S Presidents, LCM Partners Jack Catlin, FAIA (1947 - 2023), and Doug Anderson both served on the U.S. Access Board. They served on committees responsible for the revision of the ADA 1991 Accessibility Guidelines resulting in the 2010 ADA Accessibility Standards, including Guidelines for Outdoor Developed Areas; Guidelines for Public Rights of Way; and Guidelines for Passenger Vessels.

On the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A117.1 Accessibility Committee, Doug currently serves on the Accessibility Committee and is the Chair of the Accessible Bathing Task Force.

MARKETS

Academic Aviation

Civic & Cultural Corporate

Cruise Lines

Financial Institutions

Food & Beverage

Federal & Municipal

Healthcare

Hospitality

Litigation

Multifamily Housing

Parks & Recreation

Performance & Sports Venues

Retail Transportation

SERVICES

COMPLIANCE AND TRANSITION PLANS

We guide and assist clients to meet the directive of Title II and Title III of the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act to ensure equal access to programs and services for people with disabilities.

DUE DILIGENCE

We work with owners, investors, and equity partners in real estate transactions to assess existing sites and buildings for ADA/FHA compliance.

ARCHITECTURAL SUPPORT

A one-stop solution to accessibility remediation by providing technical assistance and design guidance clarify gray issues in accessibility regulations.

TRAINING

Trainings cover accessibility requirements and solutions. We can develop surveying tools (videos, checklists, apps, etc).

SURVEYS

Our surveyors provide detailed assessments of existing properties for ADA and/or FHA accessibility compliance, and other federal, state, and local building codes.

PLAN REVIEWS

We provide accessibility peer plan reviews at various stages of design and construction documents to identify conditions that affect compliance.

CONSTRUCTION INSPECTIONS

Our team reviews shop drawings, product submittals, and construction progress at various phases to identify conditions that affect accessibility compliance.

LEGAL SUPPORT

Our experts provide litigation support to defendant counsel and enforcement agencies for ADA and FHA complaints.

FACTS & FIGURES

10

CASp, ICC, and/or RAS certified Accessibility Specialists

627

Reviewed plans for 627 properties in 2023

428

Conducted 428 site reviews for properties in 2023

3000

Inspected over 3000 properties for ADA and FHA litigation support

250

Conducted over 250 ADA / FHA accessibility training sessions, both in-person and virtual.

FAIR HOUSING ACT SPECIALTY

We guide clients on the intricacies of the Fair Housing Act (FHA) requirements.

Our FHA team caters to a diverse clientele, such as architects, developers, contractors, investors, attorneys, and government agencies across the country.

Throughout the design phases, LCM meticulously reviews architectural, civil, landscape, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing drawings for adherence to the FHA Design and Construction Requirements. We conduct construction inspections at key milestones such as post framing, close-up, and the final punch list. Our assessments cover accessibility in dwelling units, public areas, amenities, interior and exterior pedestrian routes, as well as resident and public parking.

Beyond compliance, we offer support to clients involved in litigation or subject to consent decree agreements with the U.S. Department of Justice. Whether serving as Independent Licensed Architects, neutral third-party reviewers, property surveyors, or expert witnesses, we evaluate adherence to FHA requirements and other relevant federal, state, and local codes for both plaintiffs and defendants.

In addition, LCM provides technical guidance to the public through a comprehensive training curriculum. We have conducted over 150 trainings, focusing on six modules: Design and Construction Requirements of the Fair Housing Act Overview; Accessible Routes; Accessible Public and Common-Use Areas; Common Design and Construction Violations and Solutions; Strategies for Compliant Kitchens; and Strategies for Compliant Bathrooms, we generated presentations and webinars to train contractors, developers, code officials, architects, and civil engineers.