Computing complexity

Designing urban landmarks

Our philosophy, made practice — bridging design, functionality, sustainability and elegance with structural and cost efficiency.

— Practice

LC Studio

LC Architects (LC-A) is an international award-winning signature architecture and design practice, based in London. Our portfolio spans from urban design, masterplans, towers, museums, residential and shopping malls, to interiors, pavilions, exhibitions and product design. LC-A's philosophy emphasizes what we call 'Smart Design Elegance', bridging design, functionality, sustainability and elegance with structural and cost efficiency. The quality and innovation of LC-A's work has been recognized through awards such as the 2013 Chicago Burnham Prize and Honorable Mentions from Europan 11. We have exhibited at the London Festival of Architecture and lectured worldwide.

— Philosophy

Smart Design
Elegance

In all our work we aim to address the specific features and constraints of each project and conditions, extracting their potentials and embedding them into our design approach, while always responding to the programmatic requirements and our clients' agenda. Efficiency, economy, sustainability and elegance are the key parameters in our design process. Our design process is strongly engaged with cutting-edge computational technologies, while through design research we push the boundary of architecture, technology, and innovation, exploring and creating the best solution for each situation. Our collaborative office culture engages with clients, engineers and consultants, all contributing throughout all phases of each project. In that context our signature office aims to create iconic and visionary, functional and sustainable architecture and design in various scales, offering a fresh and unique identity to all projects that we deliver.

— Vision

Our Vision

Our vision is to promote the 'Smart Design Elegance' agenda, as we call our philosophy and design process, and create a new dialogue between various systems and subsystems which inform, alter and embed into the design. Simultaneously the final selection should propose efficient architectural solutions, respond and adapt to the current socioeconomic environment of each place, time and constraints, incorporating sustainability, materiality and aesthetics.

— Bio

Directors

Natassa Lianou, Director of Lianou Chalvatzis Architects
Natassa Lianou Director · RIBA / ARB
Ermis Chalvatzis, Director of Lianou Chalvatzis Architects
Ermis Chalvatzis Director · RIBA / ARB

LC Architects is led by Natassa Lianou and Ermis Chalvatzis. Both are licensed architects, RIBA and ARB chartered in the UK. Their paths closely parallel one another, both graduating from the Architectural Association School of Architecture (AA) in London, receiving their MArch in Architecture and Urbanism from the Design Research Laboratory (DRL, 2011) with project distinction. Prior to establishing their firm, they gained rich experience across various scale projects during their long course at Zaha Hadid Architects in London, where they were Senior Architects involved in projects from small-scale products and interiors to towers, airports, stadiums and masterplans. Some of the major and significant projects they worked on while at ZHA are the New Beijing Airport, National Art Museum of China (NAMOC), Al Wakrah Stadium in Qatar, Tokyo National Stadium, Youth Olympic Centre in Nanjing, New Mercedes-Benz, Casa Atlantica in Rio Brazil, Ordos TV Tower, Sunland Towers in Brisbane Australia, etc. Moreover, Lianou and Chalvatzis have collaborated on various projects with Alisa Andrasek, Biothing, and worked at Acconci Studio in New York City.

Chartered memberships