In this Q&A, she reflects on the experiences that formed her design philosophy, how she scales ideas across sectors, and the ways Austin’s evolving infrastructure is influencing a new era of hospitality-driven environments.

You studied architecture in New Orleans, began your career in New York City, and later returned to Texas to continue your career. How has that early experience shaped your approach to design?

Laura: Studying in New Orleans gave me a strong foundation in theoretical design while working within a context deeply rooted in history. It taught me to pay attention to context, how new buildings interact with old ones, and how design can preserve the cultural fabric of a place.

Then, working in New York City exposed me to the complexity of large-scale hospitality and corporate projects for luxury brands across the country. I learned how to manage complex layers of a project, navigate technical coordination, and balance a strong conceptual vision with precise execution.

Those two worlds still guide how I work today, especially in Austin. The city is growing rapidly, but still deeply values its identity, so every project becomes an opportunity to weave heritage, relevance, and future-focused design together.

You’ve designed across every scale, from major hotels to corporate workplaces and first-generation restaurant spaces. How does that breadth influence your leadership and design process?

Laura: Starting with large-scale projects gave me exposure to every layer of a building and every team involved. You learn to zoom in and out, how the smallest detail can reinforce a big idea, and how the big picture sets the tone for the entire experience.

That same mindset carries over into smaller, more intimate projects, too. Whether it’s a hotel lobby or a 2,000-square-foot restaurant, I approach it with the same clarity of intention: defining the moment, understanding the client’s goals, and ensuring the design is cohesive and intentional throughout every phase.

Hospitality and workplace design continue to overlap in meaningful ways. What trends are you seeing as these two worlds merge?

Laura: We’re seeing a shift toward “third spaces”, places that aren’t home or the office, but somewhere in between. It’s happening everywhere. Coffee shops are becoming go-to spots for remote work, restaurants are carving out “no laptop zones”, and workplaces are creating cafe-like environments to encourage collaboration and comfort.

But it’s not about making a workplace look like a hotel or a hotel look like a home. It’s about designing spaces that feel intentional, warm, and aligned with how people want to gather. Clients are responding when those spaces feel flexible, authentic, and human, not overly stylized or forced to mimic a trend.

What are the defining considerations when designing for hospitality and hospitality-inspired environments?

Laura: Lighting and acoustics are everything. Even the most beautifully designed space can fall flat with harsh lighting or poor sound.

I always design with layers: wall grazers to highlight texture, soft illumination at eye level, and uplights that create ambiance. It’s about creating atmosphere without calling attention to the fixture itself.

Acoustics work the same way. We think in terms of zones, how to build small “neighborhoods” within a space. Whether it’s a restaurant where you can actually hear your dining partner or a workspace where conversations feel contained, the goal is thoughtful layout and integration of sound-absorbing materials from the beginning to provide clarity, comfort, and connection.

Austin has a strong chef-driven, first-time restaurant culture. How do you guide these clients through brand-building and translating vision into built form? What challenges do first-time restaurateurs face, and how do you help them overcome those hurdles?

Laura: For first-time restaurant owners, it usually starts with an iconic dish, a vibe, or a travel memory, not a detailed vision board. Our job is to ask the right questions to reveal the story, and then guide that narrative into space planning, finishes, and technical design.

It’s highly collaborative. We also bring in key partners early, so they’re making informed decisions from the start. The more aligned the team is early on, the smoother and more cohesive the project becomes.

The budget is usually the biggest hurdle. Many clients don’t realize how much of their cost will go to infrastructure like electrical, ventilation, and plumbing. That’s where we help by bringing clarity to the process. We connect them with trusted consultants early and listen closely, not just to what they say, but what they envision. Sometimes the strongest design ideas come from reading between the lines of their story.

Our role is to bring that vision to life without losing sight of performance, code, or cost. It’s a balancing act between dream and delivery.

Restaurant design often requires balancing beauty, functionality, and code compliance. How do you approach that balance?

Laura: We always start with the feeling, what’s the vibe the client wants to create for their guests? Then we look at how to achieve that while staying within the code.

A great example is MorninGlory in Lakeway, where the client wanted a ceiling feature over the coffee bar that felt open and airy, but code requires a solid ceiling over food prep. We worked through several ideas and landed on a wood tile ceiling that looked like slats but met code and budget. It ended up being one of the most striking elements in the space.

When you understand the why behind a design idea, you can usually find a compliant, and even more compelling, way to execute it.

How do Austin’s existing buildings impact restaurant and hospitality design?

Laura: Austin’s a young city in many ways, but the building stock is aging. You’ll run into limitations with 1980s buildings that weren’t designed for today’s dense occupancy, or first-gen spaces that lack the MEP systems for food service

Grease traps, ventilation, and mechanical access, all of that can add significant cost or complexity. Knowing what you’re walking into, especially in terms of hidden costs, can make or break a project before a lease is signed or a site is purchased.

There’s a growing trend in retrofitting buildings for hospitality. What excites you most about adaptive reuse?

Laura: Every building has a story, and I love figuring out how to honor that while giving it a new life. My education in New Orleans taught me to appreciate history and context, and working in NYC reinforced that old buildings can be some of the most exciting design opportunities.

What excites me most is seeing clients embrace the quirks: the original masonry, a steel column, or a forgotten vault, and let those features become part of the concept. It’s not about nostalgia. It’s about character and soul.

You recently worked on a hotel project in Taylor, Texas. What insights did that project offer?

Laura: That project was a perfect example of adaptive reuse with intention. We proposed to preserve the historic bank vaults, keep the original footprint, and add new construction at the rear to support modern hotel operations.

Even the roof was reimagined as a guest amenity, repurposing what was there and transforming it into a new opportunity for people to enjoy the space in a fresh way.

There were challenges, like integrating and hiding new mechanical systems or working through utility upgrades, but the collaboration at the beginning of the project with the city’s historic committee was great. They were just as invested as the client in seeing the project succeed.

It reminded me how design, operations, and storytelling can come together in a way that honors the past while meeting the needs of the present.