11/18/2024: The presentation will highlight four basic principles that underpin the approach of LAA Office: a multi-disciplinary design studio based in Columbus, Indiana that explores the space between landscape, art, and architecture. The presentation will provide an overview of the studio’s current projects in small cities across Southern Indiana, which focus on synthesizing public art and public space design.

08/01/2024: Daniel is thrilled to take on the role of Program Director at the J. Irwin Miller School of Architecture where he has served as an Assistant Professor for the last six years. The program reimagines the links between art, architecture, and the city by educating architects to be civic minded, innovative, and imaginative world thinkers.

11/1/2023: We are proud to announce that our contribution to this year’s Chicago Architecture Biennial in collaboration with Samuel Levi Jones and Sam Van Aken has officially opened to the public and will remain on view at the Chicago Cultural Center until February 11th, 2024. The 2023 biennial explores how contemporary environmental, political, and economic issues are shared across national boundaries but are addressed differently around the world through art, architecture, infrastructure, and civic participation. If you’re in the area, please stop by and check it out! The exhibition tells the story of our ongoing work with Samuel Levi Jones to create a space of reflection and memory in Marion, Indiana that acknowledges the impact of a 1930 Lynching at the Grant County Courthouse.

10/26/2023: A big thanks to everyone who joined the community of makers at Propeller last night for their official opening party! We enjoyed great music, food, and drinks, as well as installations showcasing many of the projects underway at this new creative hub. Be sure to keep up on their upcoming events and opportunities here.

9/1/2023: A new research collective initiated by LAA Office co-founder Daniel Luis Martinez will showcase their ongoing work at the upcoming ACSA Annual Meeting in Vancouver March 14-16th, 2024. The collective of artists and architects, operating under the title Towards An Immigrant Architecture, is exploring the positive contributions of immigrants to the culture of design and value of place. They plan to host an exhibition and engagement session titled “Object Translations” for the ACSA event.

6/5/2023 We are excited to participate in the fifth edition of Chicago Architecture Biennial, This is a Rehearsal led by Floating Museum! The program kicks off on September 21 and runs through January 2, 2024. Our installation at the Chicago Cultural Center will highlight an ongoing collaboration with artist Samuel Levi Jones with contributions by Sam Van Aken as well. More information soon! In the meantime, follow updates from CAB here.

5/19/2023 Held once again in historic French Lick, this year’s Rural Conference hosted by Indiana University’s Center for Rural Engagement included a presentation by LAA Office co-founder Daniel Luis Martinez, NOMA. He discussed the history of placemaking beginning in the mid 20th century, as well as various criticisms of Creative Placemaking emerging today. The presentation ended with a summary of alternative frameworks in contemporary practice showcased through short video clips of interviews with designers discussing place, identity, and community engagement. The interview series is part of an ongoing research project funded by the Center for Rural Engagement.

4/14/2023 LAA Office co-founder Daniel Luis Martinez, NOMA presented a paper at the annual conference for the Architectural Research Centers Consortium (ARCC) held in Dallas, TX this year from April 12-15. Titled, “Patch, Stich, Mend: A History of Urban Fabric Applied to Contemporary City Repair,” the paper traces the evolution of urban fabric as a concept over time in canonical texts that have greatly influenced the theory of urban design and planning. Using examples from LAA Office’s recent works, the paper also introduces new strategies meant to augment Tactical Urbanism’s operative catalog while providing continuity to the idea of the city as a woven entity.

3/24/2023 Columbus Propeller has released an RFQ in search of an artist or artist team to collaborate with us on new artworks to animate their existing building facades. The artworks will be part of a larger action plan designed by LAA Office to activate exterior spaces, improve wayfinding, and enhance the organization’s creative culture and identity. Click here to access the full information packet and you can email our team member Jess with any questions.

03/13/2023 The City of Huntingburg has officially launched an RFQ in search of a muralist to work with our team on an exciting alley activation project this summer! You can access the complete information packet here. The call will remain open until April 14th, 2023. We look forward to another great collaboration and to realizing public art and public space together with the community of Huntingburg. Email our team member Jess with any questions.

01/16/2023 The Propeller Community Innovation Center Patronicity campaign has exceeded its crowd-sourced funding campaign goal of $50k! Thanks to all who contributed. After several months of community input and design development, we look forward to realizing the first phase of the project this summer!

12/01/2022 Phase 1 of our Huntingburg Alley Activation proposal has received a $110k implementation grant from the Ready Communities 2.0 grant program through Regional Opportunity Initiatives. We’re excited to bring this project to life with our partners in Dubois County. You can read more about this funding initiative from the R.O.I. here.

11/09/2022: A new article by Ian Volner and Metropolis Magazine editors highlights recent urban innovations in mid-size cities across America, including our hometown of Columbus, Indiana. The 6th Street Arts Alley is featured as a unique strategy for amplifying the downtown neighborhood by transforming, “a portion of the city into a pedestrian paradise.” Read the full article here.

09/30/2022: We are pleased to announce that Heritage Park received a Merit Award at this year’s INASLA Conference held in Columbus, Indiana on September 30th! Thanks to all of our collaborators and supporters, including Indiana University’s ServeDesign, the Center for Rural Engagement, Regional Opportunity Initiatives, and our excellent stakeholder team. More information at our project page.

08/30/2022: Based in Beijing, the Streetscape Research Center is a professional platform for the transformation and upgrading of urban space construction and the integration of production, education and research into streetscape innovation. Their recent SRC 2021 Awards recognized the 6th Street Arts Alley for excellence in the Urban Public Art category. Read more about the organization and other winning projects here.

06/19/2022: LAA Office co-founder, Daniel Luis Martinez, recently participated in this year’s Architecture Residency at Art Omi. The residency program is first of its kind in the nation, inviting 10 early- to mid-career architects from around the world to develop their work during a full two-week residency on Art Omi's campus. More information here. Photo credit Michael Schaefer. Courtesy of Art Omi.

05/15/2022: Heritage Park was featured in the May issue of Landscape Architecture Magazine! Pick up a copy and read Timothy Schuler’s excellent article, “The Art of Margins.” More information about the ASLA’s national magazine can be found at their website.

05/10/2022: Though she’s certainly not new to our team, LAA Office officially welcomed Jess Novitski as a full-time project designer this May! A recent graduate of Indiana University’s J. Irwin Miller Architecture Program, Jess followed a diverse path in the design field. She received her undergraduate degree in Industrial Design from Purdue University and worked in the exhibit design industry for a number of years before making the shift into architectural design. In her free time, she studies and pursues her passion for pattern making.

04/22/2022: Join the Columbus Area Arts Council for several exciting events this year at the 6th Street Arts Alley. Events will highlight local food and drink vendors and live entertainment in downtown Columbus! These events also coincide with exhibition receptions at 411 Gallery. Sponsored by the Columbus Area Visitors Center and Noblitt Fabricating, with additional support from the City of Columbus.

03/14/2022: ‘Urban-Fetti’, a public art proposal by LAA Office, has been selected for implementation by the Ann Arbor Arts Center as part of their inaugural Alleys initiative. The installation will feature fluorescent confetti shapes made from powder-coated aluminum arranged in a distinct pattern that folds up from the ground onto an existing brick façade. It is one of four exciting projects selected by the jury. Installation is slated for fall 2022 and more information can be found at the Arts Center’s website.

01/15/2022: An essay by LAA Office co-founder Daniel Luis Martinez has been published by the British website Drawing Matter. Titled, “Infinite Patterns in I.M. Pei’s Furniture Diagrams,” the text reveals the thinking and inspiration behind LAA Office’s Learning Patterns project realized in collaboration with the Columbus Indiana Architectural Archives in 2019. Drawing Matter is dedicated to exploring the role of drawing in architectural thought and practice and serves as a repository of new and historical writing on architecture and drawing. Visit our Publications section for a link to the full article.

12/13/2021: Thanks to Katherine Guimapang of Archinect for the wonderful feature titled, “Investigating the Relationship Between Public Art and Public Space with LAA Office.” Visit the Publications section of our website for a link to the full article.

07/17/2021: Two of our original artworks have been accepted into a season-ending group show at Manifest Gallery in Cincinnati. The pieces are part of our Figure/Ground series, which explores the nature of repetition and the combination of different geometries through the overlap of multiple patterns. The exhibition is titled, “Cut,” and will feature artworks from 15 artists who use cutting as an integral part of their process. From the curators: “To cut is to take a simple action that may, as if by magic, turn one thing into two, many into more—or alternatively to reduce by elimination parts of a whole to achieve a different, better whole.” The exhibition will be open from August 13 - September 10th. Check it out if you’re in the area!

07/05/2021: This year’s INASLA Conference will focus on the Impact that landscape architecture professionals have on the communities they serve, and what practices they use to ensure that the impact is positive. LAA Office co-founders Lulu Loquidis, PLA, ASLA, and Daniel Luis Martinez, NOMA, will present their design philosophy and current projects in Columbus, Salem, and Huntingburg, IN. The presentation will be titled, “Blurring the Boundaries Between Public Art and Public Space,” and the event will be held Thursday through Friday, September 23-24, at the Grand Wayne Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

06/21/2021: The artist Rafael Blanco has been selected to paint a new mural honoring significant women in the history of Washington County for our Salem Pocket Park project! You can learn more about his amazing work and background at here. We look forward to collaborating with him in the coming months!

04/02/2021: Join us for a public presentation about our 6th Street Arts Alley Project on April 8th starting at 6:30 pm. The event is sponsored by the Columbus Area Arts Council. We’ll be discussing the project’s current design and schedule, as well as various themes related to creative placemaking. Register via Eventbrite here.

03/09/2021: We’re excited to announce that our modular bench design “Trici” was selected as one of the winners of an international competition for innovative public seating in Chengdu, China! The competition was sponsored by A8 Design Center and the winning proposals will be built as part of a waterfront park at Xinglong Lake. This area of Chengdu has been the the focus of an ecological urban development initiative. Read more about the competition and the winners here.

01/05/2021: The Washington County Community Foundation, City of Salem and Washington County Historical Society have issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) from an artist or artist team to design and implement a new public mural in Salem, Indiana. The artwork will be part of a larger master plan for a pocket park designed by LAA Office.

Happy to announce that our design for the 6th Street Arts Alley was a top 10 finalist in ArcDeck's "Radical Urban Intervention" competition. You can see all of the jury’s shortlisted projects in the professional and student categories here. Excited to move this project forward in 2021!

10/26/2022: Happy to announce that our pocket park proposal for Salem, Indiana has been fully funded and will be realized in phases over the next 18 months! Implementation funding will be provided by Regional Opportunities Initiatives. We’d also like to thank the Center for Rural Engagement and ServeDesign Center at Indiana University for funding and support, as well our stakeholder team, including the Washington County Community Foundation, Historical Society, Chamber of Commerce, Tourism, and YMCA, along with the office of Mayor Justin Green and City of Salem Parks and Recreation.

08/22/2020: LAA Office’s design concept for the 6th Street Arts Corridor, which synthesizes public art and public space, is part of the Columbus Area Arts Council’s yearly fundraiser “Uncommon Cause”. To learn more about how you can support the project visit the CAAC website.

06/22/2020: Daniel Luis Martinez and students from his recent seminar (Architectural Lighting: Techniques + Poetics) have received a grant from CMAD to realize an immersive lighting installation at the Republic Building! The project will use LED lights, coding, and motion sensors to create an interactive game across the building’s iconic steel and glass facade. Opening is set for fall of 2020.

05/22/2020: LAA Office will be leading design efforts for two exciting projects thanks to grants from the Center for Rural Engagement (CRE) and ServeDesign at Indiana University! Projects will include a new pocket park in Salem, IN and studies for adaptive reuse in downtown Huntingburg, IN.

03/05/2020: Thanks to Ian Carstens and the folks at Glass Breakfast for featuring LAA Office on their website! Glass Breakfast is an online gallery serving as an alternative space for the appreciation of art and is supported by the New York Foundation for the Arts. Visit our Publications page for a link to the full video.

03/03/2020: Honored to help with the installation of a new exhibition featuring the work of the one-and-only Perry Kulper! The exhibit will be at IU’s Miller M. Arch Gallery through early April 2020. Opening Reception will be on Tuesday, March 3rd from 6 - 8pm. Don’t miss a chance to see this amazing work in person!

11/02/2019: Thanks to all who came out to the 411 Gallery for this past weekend’s “Learning Patterns” Open Studio Event (11/02). We had fun sharing some of our process for the layered, relief paintings currently in the exhibition and it was fun to watch others create layered patterns of their own. The work turned out beautiful! The exhibition will remain open until November 22nd and there are only two pieces left for sale. Check it out soon!

10/30/2019: Congratulations to our friends at Tovey-Perry Co. on a great event that took place on Wednesday, 10/30 at the Odd Fellows building in downtown Columbus. They are promoting their soon-to-open co-working space called “The Workshop”. LAA Office is very excited for this project, which has been a huge collaborative effort, and we were happy to produce some renderings of the space (which was designed by local architect Louis Joyner).

10/03/2019: Come celebrate and learn more about the process behind the ‘Cleo Turns 50’ Exhibition currently on display at the Bartholomew County Public Library’s Main Branch. The event will feature a brief discussion with Tricia Gilson (Columbus Indiana Architectural Archives) and Daniel Luis Martinez and Lulu Loquidis (LAA Office). Join us at the library and explore the exhibition at 5:30 with a reception to follow at the Columbus Area Visitors Center at 6:00 pm. Light snacks and drinks will be served.

09/12/2019: Come celebrate the opening of the 411 Gallery’s latest exhibition, featuring two LAA Office projects: Learning Patterns + 411 Community Studio on Thursday, September 12th starting at 5pm. The exhibition also features work from Tricia Gilson and Brooke Hawkins. The celebration will include music, drinks, and food in honor of the many community partners that have made this possible, including The Columbus Area Arts Council, Heritage Fund (The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County), and Columbus Museum of Arts + Design (CMAD).

08/29/2019: Acclaimed design magazine Dwell recently published an article titled, “Here’s Why You Need to Visit Columbus, Indiana This Year.” The list features several of the temporary installations that have been created for Exhibit Columbus 2019 (an annual exploration of architecture, art, design, and community and the flagship project of Landmark Columbus). Among the featured projects is ‘Entry Porta'l’ by Daniel Luis Martinez (LAA Office + Indiana University) and Etien Santiago (Indiana University). Check out the full article at our Publications page.

08/20/2019: LAA Office was recently selected as a finalist to design a new, decorative screen for a forthcoming parking garage project in downtown Bloomington, IN. Pictured is a conceptual, aerial rendering of our proposal.

06/15/2019: Columbus Museum of Art and Design announced the recipients of their 2019 Grants Program and LAA Office has received the top award! The funds will go towards the creation of a new public mural in Downtown Columbus on the east façade of the Columbus Area Arts Council’s 411 Gallery building. Based on historic design studies from I.M. Pei’s Cleo Rogers Memorial Library, the mural explores a playful variety of textures and rhythms based on the building’s unique organization of furniture. The project is scheduled for completion in August 2019.

05/28/2019: The Columbus Area Arts Council is proud to announce that LAA Office’s design for the 411 Community Studio Space has received full funding from Heritage Fund: The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County. The project will provide a creative space for the Art Council’s Designers-In-Residence to work and display their art in downtown Columbus. For more information, see the Republic Newspaper’s recent story here. The project is currently set to open in late August of 2019.

05/06/2019: On Monday, May 6th Lulu Loquidis and Daniel Luis Martinez delivered the keynote address at the Columbus Area Arts Council’s Annual Meeting. The event was held in the Republic Building, home of IU’s J. Irwin Miller Architecture Program. The presentation highlighted three current LAA Office projects, including recent work for the ‘Cleo Turns 50’ exhibition with Bartholomew County Public Library and Columbus Indiana Architectural Archives, as well as an exhibition and mural project that will open this summer at the 411 Gallery and the design for a new community arts space in collaboration with CAAC. Thanks to all that attended!

03/20/2019: Daniel Luis Martinez and Etien Santiago, in collaboration with graduate students from IU’s J. Irwin Miller Architecture Program, have received a prestigious Ostrom Grant for their 2019 Exhibit Columbus proposal titled ‘Entry Portal’. The project is one of seven University Design Research Fellowship designs that will be featured during the celebrated biennial beginning in August of 2019. Named in honor of Elinor and Vincent Ostrom, whose work emphasized the importance of community and collaboration, the grant was established to augment funding for distinctive creative projects.

03/01/2019: In partnership with Columbus Indiana Architectural Archives and the Bartholomew County Public Library, LAA Office has been chosen to design an exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Cleo Rogers Memorial Library designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect I. M. Pei. ‘Cleo Turns 50’ will examine the many ways in which this significant building has shaped the civic consciousness of Columbus and Bartholomew County.

02/19/2019: ‘Recent Work’ by LAA Office is being featured at Indiana University’s J. Irwin Miller Architecture Program’s gallery through the end of March 2019. It is part of a larger exhibition featuring current and past work by faculty members. If you’re in Columbus, swing by!

02/01/2019: LAA Office principals Lulu Loquidis and Daniel Luis Martinez have been selected by the Columbus Area Arts Council as ‘2019 Designers-in-Residence.'“ The new program aims to link the artistic and architectural culture of Columbus to a global network of artists and designers. As the inaugural recipients, LAA Office will design and construct a new Community Studio within CAAC’s 411 Art Gallery. The new space will serve as the creative hub for future honorees. Design Development is underway with completion expected by Fall 2019!

12/15/2018: LAA Office was invited to contribute two pieces (Topos I and II) to the Columbus Area Arts Council’s ‘50/50 Community Art Project’ exhibition. The project serves as a fund raiser for arts-related programming in Columbus. We were very proud to participate for a great cause! Topos I and II are undulating surface studies made of 3D-printed PLA.