Irvine-based LPA Inc., Orange County’s second-largest architectural firm, is adding a new business line following its combination with Lee George Structural Engineers.
Lee George, also based in Irvine, is a structural engineering firm that has about a dozen engineers. LPA counted about 55 architects prior to the deal.
Terms of the deal, set to be announced shortly, weren’t disclosed. Lee George’s principal, Kenny Lee, is joining LPA as a partner.
The combined firm will retain the LPA name. Each firm will operate out of their current offices for the time being.
The two have worked together for about a decade on a number of projects, said Dan Heinfeld, LPA’s president, and have discussed a combination for about two years.
Lee George “is a known commodity for us,” he said.
Among notable projects, Lee George has worked on the recent expansion of the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, a planned expansion to Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena and commercial space at Turner Development Corp.’s Riverwalk development in west Riverside.
The companies aren’t disclosing what the deal will mean to LPA’s bottom line. The firm reported $46.7 million in revenue for the 12 months ended June, making it the county’s No. 2 architectural firm, according to the Business Journal’s most recent rankings.
Along with core architecture services, LPA also provides landscape architecture, land planning, urban development and interior design services.
It also recently took a more active role in mechanical engineering, hiring Erik Ring as the company’s new director of mechanical engineering. Ring previously was an associate for Irvine’s Glumac, a mechanical engineering firm.
“Usually, all these pieces are housed in different (firms). This isn’t typical for an architectural firm at all,” Heinfeld said. “This deal isn’t just about growth. It’s more about being able to practice efficiently.”
The combined companies also are touting their commitment to environmentally friendly, green projects. LPA has been a long-time proponent of sustainable design, with about 70% of its staff certified for green projects.
The addition of Lee George and a mechanical engineering arm should make the firm a “one-stop shop” for green projects, the company says. Ring, for one, will provide LPA with the ability to integrate enviro-friendly mechanical, electrical, plumbing and energy systems into its projects.
Locally, LPA and Lee George’s combined work will be seen in Tustin, where they’ll be working on close to 800,000 square feet of commercial space at Shea Properties Inc.’s Legacy Park project.
LPA is one of four architects signed on for Shea’s 820-acre project so far. It’s handling architecture duties for some of the initial buildings planned for the former Marine helicopter base, primarily two- and three-story office buildings.
The first phase of development there calls for a 340,000-square-foot office and research and development campus along Red Hill and Warner avenues, which could begin construction in the next six months.
