Knowledge Teams

Our Knowledge Teams continued to strive for advancements in our processes and in our work.

Alchemy Knowledge Team members and Design Leaders focused on advancing our design solutions through better design processes. Design Leaders advanced their firm-wide Enhanced Mentorship Program by engaging with a new pledge class of 20 emerging and young professionals on a regular basis. The sessions culminated in two large group sessions at the end of the year.

The 2022 Magic Glue Awards were the biggest yet, as there were 35 submissions from 8 offices. This year’s selection were juried by Jassen Callender, Professor and Jackson Program Director at Mississippi State and several select students. The Magic Glue Awards reward exemplary storytelling as part and parcel with our design process.

For the second year, Design Leaders participated as NOMAS design team advisors to students from SCAD. The Barbara G. Laurie National Student Design Competition studied cultural and commercial programs to advance community while stitching a neighborhood in Nashville bifurcated by an expressway.

Brian Wurst and Danny Adams delivered the LS3P lecture “Practicing In and Of Place” at N.C. State School of Architecture in the spring as part of their pursuit of new design talent that included attending career fairs at Clemson, Virginia Tech, and N.C. State and virtually at Washington University and University of Pennsylvania.

In 2022, the Advance Knowledge Team continued to support firmwide efforts towards quality management. The team shared ADVANCE advice Memos on topics including Emergency Responder Radio Communications (ERRC), the top 10 “dos and don’ts” for electronic communications, terms and conditions of consultant proposals, and supporting fire barriers (with the excellent title “IIB or NOT IIB Protected.”) Advance also conducted regular (and very popular) CA Round Tables, reorganized the Practice Resources section of Dashboard Knowledge pages, and assisted with the development of the Project Roadmap to serve as the successor to the Project Planning Guide. The team, along with Digital Practice, presented UNIFI training and updated UNIFI details, and began the process of updating the Project Folder Filing Structure, the DDLA (Digital Data Letter Agreement) and an LS3P standard for sheet revision pre- and post-bid/award. Finally, again in association with Digital Practice, the team uploaded additional apps on LS3P federated iPads for field use.

The integrate Knowledge Team launched a high-performance design team in 2022, with Amie Blankenship serving as LS3P’s Green Building Specialist and Bekim Sejdiu as Sustainability Specialist. We integrated the AIA Framework for Design Excellence into OPR for project kick-off, and released the first two books of the Energy + Architecture series, Higher Education and K-12. This year we sponsored AIA NC’s Climate Adaptive Design Symposium in Asheville, built capacity for modeling embodied carbon in building construction, and worked on our first Fitwel and Living Building Challenge CORE projects. Integrate hosted a team retreat focusing on envelope testing and LEED EB in the mountains of South Carolina in November, and Isela Martinez (ILM) and Kaitie Harrigan (GSO) represented LS3P at Greenbuild 2022 in San Francisco.

This year, the Image Knowledge Team divided into four Task Forces to deepen our knowledge and expertise. Our Holistic Task Force focused on our Interior Designer profiles, collecting data from all of our interior designers to help us build firmwide relationships. We hope to create mentorship programs, showcase designers though internal and external “getting to know you” segments, and strengthen marketing responses. Our Standards Task Force focused on updating UNIFI with our BIM teams, beginning with furniture, looking at how we transition from REVIT standards to the elements we actually use - elements that work for rendering and contract documentation across multiple sectors we serve. Our Metrics Task Force looked at ways to turn our quantitative data collection into qualitative data, and capture usage testimonials from our clients/projects to create a database of lessons learned (the good, the bad, the ugly). Our Perception Task Force navigated our eve- expanding team of Licensed Interior Designers. As NC registrations have opened, we are working to maintain a database of who is licensed and where, and are navigating the new laws in this arena allowing licensed professionals to seal drawings. Our main goals have been to set an example for other firms and be an advocate for the process. As a whole group, we worked together on the K-12 Design Toolkit “Design for Flexibility.” We continue to work with the BIM team to create better REVIT resources specific to Interior Design, and also began an initiative with HR to provide an additional onboarding document for new Interior Design hires to help navigate the vast amount of information and resources we have available to us.

The Ignite Team welcomed several new members to the group in 2022. One of our primary projects for the year was helping to shepherd the K-12 Toolkit, in collaboration with the other Knowledge Teams and members of the K-12 PAC. This toolkit will include five different volumes, each focused on current trends and best practices in school design. Combined, this “box set” will be a complete how-to guide for school systems that are beginning the design of new (or renovated) schools. Our intent is to include the toolkit digitally on our website but also to print hard cover books for distribution. It is hoped that this project will be completed by the end of the first quarter, 2023.

Other projects underway include the creation of a client introduction and guide on cross-laminated construction as well as the continued support and vetting of our “Design-inKind” projects.

We are excited about the new role of Katherine Ball as the firm’s “Practice Research Strategist” and looked forward to working with her on future research projects around innovation.

The Ignite Team continues to welcome ideas from across the firm, on ways that Ignite can advance our practice, improve collaboration and foster innovation at LS3P!

"What an inspiring space! Enter this in every single design competition there is!”

AnnaMangione,Dirtt Construction, on Credit One StadiumInstagrampost

“Incredible accomplishment and well deserved!”

HGORinresponsetoLS3Pranking #14inBD+C’sTop180Architecture FirmsInstagrampost

AIANationalinresponsetothe UgandaWomen’sandChildren’s ClinicwinninganAIAHealthcare DesignAward

“Great news! Congratulations to a great team!”

RosettiDesigninresponseto CreditOneStadiumwinninga Merit Award from AIA Charleston