Chris O'Brien Lifehouse

Architecture

We Design to Unite People and Elevate the Human Spirit

We are an integrated, multidisciplinary design practice dedicated to creating places and spaces that elevate the human spirit and inspire human endeavors. We are inspired to design buildings and evolve space typologies to provide solutions to societal challenges and create stronger, more vibrant communities.

Leading Transformation in the Industry

We believe our clients should expect more value in their design engagements. Our efficient and solutions-driven design process reduces risk for all stakeholders and brings many benefits to our clients. Thoughtful integration of technology into the design process improves it while letting creativity flourish. Broadening the lens on every project to understand impact to community and societal well-being facilitates more holistic, integrated solutions. And our commitment to making a carbon positive future a concrete reality addresses the climate crisis head on.

Embracing Every Opportunity for Innovation

By uniting bright minds and diverse perspectives, we have successfully designed projects at every scale, from community centers to state-of-the-art labs to paradigm-shifting hospitals. Alternative delivery models have created long-term value for our clients and for the users of the buildings and spaces we design. Clients appreciate our data-driven methodology during early design and planning stages of complex projects, an approach that reduces the traditional and lengthy iterative design cycles of trial and error.

Envisioning a Regenerative Future

Rather than simply focusing on “sustainable design,” which calls for doing no harm, our novel regenerative design framework for projects is helping clients achieve the positive impacts that come from moving beyond basic high-performance design. That means we collaborate with clients to identify renewal-focused impacts and metric-driven targets for carbon, water, nutrients, air, biodiversity, social and health categories.

Architecture Services

Through a highly participatory and respectful design process, we create architecture that enriches our day-to-day experiences, that is both proud and humble, stays true to its purpose and creates a sense of place that is meaningful to the society it serves. In our design studios across the globe, a commitment to ever greater design excellence sustains our culture. 

Design Ideas that Inspire

With 11 World Changing Ideas recognized by Fast Company in the last two years, our architecture practice is constantly considering how to meet the evolving needs of our clients and society. Our monthly Design Digest features the ideas and insights that do just that.