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LPA Design Studios

Sustainable architecture, interiors, and landscape design

Junior Design Researcher

Full-Time
$70k - $85k/yr+ Annual bonus
Entry
Master's, PhD
Irvine, CA, USA+2 moreMore locations: Sacramento, CA, USA | San Diego, CA, USA
In Person
Product & Experience DesignUX Research
No H1B Sponsorship

About the job

Requirements
  • A Master of Science or PhD in environmental psychology, applied research, design research, social science, data science, or a related field.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Project and Excel.
  • Experience with mixed-methods research.
  • Experience with online research tools.
  • Experience conducting literature searches or literature reviews.
  • Basic descriptive statistical or data analysis experience.
  • Data visualization or other graphic skills for communication of data.
  • Awareness of current research ethics and equity, diversity, and inclusion topics.
  • Ability to work comfortably with some ambiguity.
  • Proactive approach, including asking questions and identifying opportunities to improve.
Responsibilities
  • Conduct literature reviews to gather, evaluate, and synthesize multidisciplinary research in response to project and research questions.
  • Develop research briefs, presentations, visuals, and other resources that translate research findings into clear, digestible insights and practical implications for designers and clients.
  • Review projects and research findings to identify recurring patterns, opportunities, and questions for further investigation.
  • Build LPA's internal research knowledge base to make previous studies, findings, and resources easier for teams to access and reuse.
  • Develop and refine research tools and methodologies for consistent use across projects.
  • Support and facilitate pre-design research and stakeholder engagement, including surveys, interviews, workshops, and other methods for understanding user needs and behaviors.
  • Support and coordinate post-occupancy evaluations, including outreach, data collection, analysis, and reporting.
  • Analyze qualitative and quantitative data to identify patterns, themes, and meaningful findings.
  • Work with design teams to establish measurable project goals and identify ways to evaluate design outcomes.
  • Explore creative approaches to research questions when established methods or data are not readily available.
  • Communicate research findings and lessons learned through internal presentations and, as experience grows, external publications, presentations, and thought leadership.
  • Perform other applicable duties.
Desired Qualifications
  • Additional research training or certifications.
  • Human Subjects Research Training; current certification is not required.
  • LEED, WELL, EDAC, or similar certifications.
  • Design or engineering training or certifications.
  • Experience with GIS, Power BI, AI for research, research in AR/VR/XR, grant writing, or Adobe Creative Suite.
  • Experience facilitating meetings and workshops, or enthusiasm for learning to do so.
  • Understanding of the architectural design process, from concept and schematic design through design development, construction documentation, construction, and post-occupancy.
  • Education in sustainability topics such as energy performance, carbon emissions, material impacts, and resiliency, or enthusiasm for learning about them and applying human-environment research to sustainable design.

About the company

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LPA Design Studios

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Generating company summary for LPA Design Studios.

Company Size

501-1,000

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Irvine, California

Founded

1965

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • 2026 revenue visibility rises from Hoag completion and Great Park museum work.
  • 2026 hires Lawrence W. Speck and Sophia Razzaque deepen Austin leadership and credibility.
  • 2026 awards from AIA San Antonio, Architizer, and Docomomo strengthen recruiting and pricing.

What critics are saying

  • CEQA litigation over Sacramento's American River One keeps entitling LPA-designed projects in court.
  • Hoag and Great Park dependence concentrates revenue in a few mega-projects with schedule slippage exposure.
  • A prolonged Southern California project downturn would crush LPA's integrated-firm premium and talent engine.

What makes LPA Design Studios unique

  • 2025 AIA Architecture Firm Award recognized LPA's integrated architecture-engineering model.
  • LPA's in-house architects, engineers, interior designers, landscape architects, and researchers reduce handoff friction.
  • 2026 Hoag, Sage Hill, and Great Park wins show dominance in California civic-campus work.

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Benefits

  • Health and dental insurance
  • Retirement and financial plans
  • Wellness and other work/life programs.

Company News

LPA Design Studios
Oct 6th, 2026
LPA takes home top honors at the AIA Orange County Design Awards.

LPA takes home top honors at the AIA Orange County Design Awards. Education, civic, workplace and commercial projects were recognized at the AIA Orange County's annual design award gala. LPA Design Studios took home six honors at the American Institute of Architects Orange County (AIA OC) Design Awards ceremony held on Sept. 29 at the LPA-designed Starr Atrium at Edwards Lifesciences. The net-zero energy Frances Grice Cardinal Child Development Center collected two of the night's top accolades, receiving an Honor Award and a prestigious Committee on the Environment (COTE) Honor Award celebrating design excellence in environmental stewardship. Pairing high-performance design with nature-based learning, the facility is also LEED Platinum-certified. LPA was also recognized with a 25-Year Award for the innovative design of the Premier Automotive Group (PAG) headquarters, marking the firm's seventh 25-Year Award from AIA OC, which honors buildings that have stood the test of time. The all-electric, net-zero energy Fire Station 178 in Rancho Cucamonga, meanwhile, took home a COTE Merit Award; the campus modernization for Long Beach Polytechnic High School received a Commendation Award; and Goodman North American Headquarters received a Commendation Award for Commercial Interiors. "These projects show how an integrated approach to design can deliver award-winning results for our clients," said LPA President and Chief Design Officer Keith Hempel. "The common thread between them is our commitment to sustainability, community impact and, above all, collaboration, which is central to our process." Since 1971, LPA has received at least one design award from AIA OC each year, totalling 174. LPA's Melody Tang presided over the event as AIA OC Chapter President, and LPA's Nathan Dea, Design Award Committee Chair, served as the event's Master of Ceremonies. In California's San Bernardino Valley, the 15,300-square-foot Frances Grice Cardinal Child Development Center pairs high-performance design with nature-based learning. Serving students from diverse and low-income backgrounds, the Center demonstrates how learning environments can reflect and uplift their communities while encouraging a lifelong relationship with nature. As AIA OC noted, "The jury found this to be a wonderfully exemplary project and appreciated that it was designed to be a discovery lab. Its exposed timber structure, visible rainwater management, abundant daylight and biophilic strategies with playful forms demonstrate how high-performance design can advance both environmental stewardship and equity." In 2001, PAG's headquarters was the first LEED NC-certified building in Orange County. Several innovative measures pushed the project to achieve this certification, including a 50,000-square-foot green roof, a raised-floor air distribution system and on-site fuel cells serving as an alternative energy source. Though the building is now leased to another company, it remains a standard for sustainable office design. "Stretching across a dramatic site along the San Diego freeway, the design for the facility incorporates sustainable features as a part of an overall design aesthetic," the jury reported. "The result of the sustainable design effort yielded a building that was 30% more efficient than a typical Title 24 building." Rancho Cucamonga's new all-electric, net-zero energy fire station - home to one of the first electric fire trucks in North America - is a case study in developing facilities that prioritize first responders' health and safety. LPA's integrated team delivered an efficient building with systems designed to provide continuous operation through power outages, natural disasters and other emergencies. "This fire station pairs critical public-safety infrastructure with an ambitious approach to resilience," the AIA OC jury said. "Durable design, expanded vegetation, thoughtful water management and the integration of an all electric fire apparatus demonstrate meaningful progress towards a healthier, lower-carbon model for essential civic facilities." For more than a century, the Poly campus has been a beloved Long Beach landmark and a source of community pride. The main challenge for the campus renovation was to modernize the structures while honoring its legacy. With 245,000 square feet of new construction, 217,000 square feet of updated historic buildings and nearly 30 acres of outdoor site space improved, the campus is now equipped for another 100 years of educational excellence. Per AIA OC, "The jury appreciated the idea of the historic spectrum as a way of categorizing and approaching where you would intervene on the site and how to elevate the cultural significance. From a design perspective, the project elevated the site's organization and flow. The community engagement and workshops helped to show the community had a voice and really helped shape some of these decisions." For the design of their new headquarters, the leaders of global real estate firm Goodman Group wanted the 10,000-square-foot space to represent their brand. LPA's research team studied the staff's work habits and preferences, and while the office was originally designed to accommodate 80% of the staff returning to the office, the fit-out had to be expanded soon after completion to accommodate the potential for 100% in-house participation. "The jury liked that the architect worked with a behavioral psychologist to work with the users on what they need and attempted to redefine the office in the modern era," the AIA OC jury noted. "There are three different kinds of workspace, so you can choose to sit in the zone that is going to best facilitate your productivity. Materials and form and volume help create these different moods within the space."

LPA Design Studios
Sep 8th, 2026
LPA wins modernism in america award.

LPA wins modernism in america award. UC San Diego's York Hall earned national recognition for a seismic rehabilitation project that balanced modernization with historic preservation. Now in its 13th year, Docomomo's Modernism in America Awards spotlight the people and projects helping to preserve historic sites across the United States and U.S. territories. The program recognizes the owners, designers, advocacy groups and preservation organizations working to protect and promote the cultural and architectural significance of these important places. This year, LPA Design Studios won an Award of Excellence for the York Hall Seismic Rehabilitation project at the University of California at San Diego (UCSD). The project offers a compelling example of how these structures can be thoughtfully adapted to meet modern performance demands. By addressing critical seismic challenges, the team has helped ensure the long-term future of a university campus landmark. Built in 1966, York Hall is a 122,000-square-foot mid-century modern complex made up of four structurally independent buildings. Anchoring the eastern edge of UCSD's historic Revelle College, the building is defined by its dramatic west wing, which stands atop a 300-foot-long column arcade, and by the distinctive precast concrete fins that shade exterior walkways on every level. As one of the university's original campus buildings, York Hall holds a special place in its history and has been described by administrators as the heart of the campus. Many of the features that make York Hall an architectural icon also contributed to its seismic vulnerabilities. To strengthen the building, the project team introduced new columns, interior shear walls and exterior ground-face CMU shear walls. Four columns were replaced, while the remaining ones were repaired and reinforced. Additional upgrades included new rock-salt concrete paving and the restoration of the distinctive fins, ensuring the building remains intact for future generations. "York Hall demonstrates that it's possible to extend the life of a significant building - even in a highly active seismic region - without compromising the architectural character that makes it special," says Matthew Porreca, Design Director at LPA's San Diego studio. "Every challenge required a solution that addressed multiple goals at once, and that was only possible because of the expertise and collaboration of an integrated design team."

Orange County Business Journal
Aug 24th, 2026
LPA Design Studios takes on OC's biggest projects.

LPA Design Studios takes on OC's biggest projects. Yuika Yoshida August 24, 2026 LPA Design Studios, Orange County's largest architectural firm by billings, is coming off one of its biggest projects yet - the completion of Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian's $1.2 billion Sun Family Campus - with more major work on the way. The firm was chosen as the lead architect of the six-building campus, which is being capped by four facilities dedicated to women's health and cancer and digestive health opening next month. The facilities feature outdoor courtyards designed by LPA to bring natural light and open air into patient areas. "Hoag is a huge project, so that has been something we've been working toward," Chief Executive Wendy Rogers told the Business Journal. "For the team and for us all to see that come to fruition is tremendous." LPA is now turning its attention to two projects at Irvine's $1.1 billion Great Park development: the upcoming Asian American Museum and the relocation of nonprofit Pretend City Children's Museum. Irvine-based LPA is the largest architectural firm in the region with $92.7 million in local billings, according to the Business Journal's annual list of architectural firms (see page 20). The firm, which celebrated its 60th anniversary last year, has seven offices in California and Texas. The firm's busy project pipeline has also earned national recognition with LPA receiving the American Institute of Architects' (AIA) 2025 Architecture Firm Award, the industry's highest honor, for its integrated model that brings multiple design disciplines and engineering under one roof. "I think the integrated firm makes a difference, but also the fact that we have eight different practice areas," Rogers said. Some of LPA's strongest markets have been commercial and workplace projects, along with healthcare, a sector the firm entered about a decade ago. Great Park Projects The Asian American Museum and Pretend City Children's Museum will be located at the Cultural Terrace area of the Great Park, home to a collection of new museums and a renovated community events center. Development is ongoing at the Asian American Museum while construction is underway at Pretend City. Initially greenlit by the City of Irvine in 2024, the Asian American Museum aims to preserve and share Asian American history and culture in a county with more than 750,000 Asian Americans. The 220,000-square-foot museum will include 94,000 square feet of potential exhibition space, along with a 400-seat auditorium and a performance venue and food hall featuring a range of Asian cuisines. The Cultural Terrace is also slated to become the new home of Pretend City, whose current 28,000-square-foot location in Irvine has reached capacity, prompting the nonprofit to look for more space in the past several years. Meanwhile, Pretend City is expanding from a warehouse to 72,000 total square feet at Great Park, with 56,000 square feet of indoor space and 16,000 square feet outdoors, giving the children's museum more room for customized learning spaces. Pretend City will bring its interactive play concept to the new facility, creating a child-sized city fit with a post office, doctor's office and café. Construction is expected to begin in October, with groundbreaking planned for winter 2026-27 and completion anticipated in spring 2028, according to LPA. The Cultural Terrace's museum lineup will also include the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum, adding to aviation history in Orange County. The $63 million facility is slated to open in 2027 and will house several military planes that were previously stationed at the El Toro base. Nonprofit performing arts school Orange County Music & Dance had intended to relocate to the Great Park for more space, but abandoned the plans due to unforeseen delays and incurring debt. In June, the nonprofit announced a $10.8 million purchase of a 25,000-square-foot building for use as a second campus, along with the appointment of OCSA founder Ralph Opacic as CEO after Douglas Freeman stepped down. LPA Designs New Middle School, Gym For Sage Hill School Another recently completed project for LPA was Sage Hill School's new middle school and gymnasium building, which opened this month. The Newport Beach private high school launched a $25 million campaign in 2023 to fund the construction of a 38,658-square-foot middle school, adding two grade levels and making Sage Hill the only independent school in Orange County to serve grades 7-12. Rogers said that she attended the ribbon cutting ceremony on Aug. 17 where the school welcomed its inaugural class of approximately 140 middle school students. "It was a bit of a teary moment, if I'm being honest," she said. "It was 30 years ago I was walking across the snake ridden landscape, talking about what that school would be." The project marks another chapter in LPA's decades long relationship with Sage Hill, dating back to 1966 when the firm master-planned and designed the school's original campus. Rogers said that LPA helped the school's founders find leftover land from the Irvine Co. Since then, LPA has done additional projects for Sage Hill including an aquatic and tennis center with a 25-yard-by-33-meter competition pool and modernization of a 20-year old library. Want more from the best local business newspaper in the country? Sign-up for its FREE Daily eNews update to get the latest Orange County news delivered right to your inbox! One-Year for Only $99 * Weekly in-depth coverage in print and digital formats * Special Features: OC's Wealthiest, Top Priced Home Sales, Giving Guide, OC500, Charity Event Guide, Best Places to Work, Indispensables, Largest Charitable Gifts * The annual Book of Lists: Orange County's top companies across every industry

LPA Design Studios
Jul 31st, 2026
LPA honored with AIA San Antonio design Awards.

LPA honored with AIA San Antonio design Awards. At the July 28 People & Place Awards, the Texas AIA chapter recognized LPA Design Studios with two distinctions for design excellence. The San Antonio chapter of the American Institute of Architects announced the winners of its 2026 People & Place Awards, recognizing impactful community leaders and outstanding projects across civic, commercial, education and residential design typologies. Harris Elementary School, designed by LPA's integrated team, won a Committee on the Environment (COTE) Award, given to work that exemplifies sustainable design excellence and supports ecological resilience, human health and community building. The project also won a Place Award in the Educational category, celebrating quality architecture, innovation and community impact. About Harris Elementary School Harris Elementary serves a community where many families face economic hardship, and roughly three-quarters of students are identified as being at risk of disengaging from school. The design responds directly to this by shaping learning environments that emphasize student wellbeing, safety and a sense of belonging. The school is arranged as a series of neighborhoods with intimate sub-communities within the larger campus. Each neighborhood includes a mix of nooks, small-group rooms and collaborative zones that support learning at multiple scales. Students also have immediate access to outdoor instructional areas, such as a plaza constructed with 10,000 reclaimed bricks. Inside, clerestory windows and light-colored finishes maximize natural daylight and reduce reliance on artificial lighting. This helps students maintain lower cortisol levels, supporting emotional regulation and building long-term resilience. Harris Elementary is pursuing LEED Gold certification and a Three Star rating from Austin Energy Green Building, reflecting the school's commitment to sustainability. Read more about the project in issue 32 of Catalyst

Merced Sun-Star
Jul 30th, 2026
Union hits Folsom with CEQA suit over builder's materials for 1,424-home project.

Union hits Folsom with CEQA suit over builder's materials for 1,424-home project. By Theresa Clift July 30, 2026 2:43 PM Gift Article A lawsuit seeks to force a developer to change some building materials planned for a large Folsom subdivision, claiming violations to the California Environmental Quality Act. National home builder Toll Brothers, based in Pennsylvania, plans to build 1,424 homes on 464 acres in southeastern Folsom, near the corner of Alder Creek Parkway and Prairie City Road, and on both sides of Oak Avenue Parkway. The Folsom City Council on June 23 approved the project in a 4-1 vote, with Councilmember Barbara Leary voting against it. Then last week, the Laborers' International Union of North America Local 185 (LiUNA) filed the suit in Sacramento Superior Court against the city and its city council. The union, which largely represents construction and energy sector workers, has over 3,200 members who live in Sacramento County and at least 27 who live in Folsom. The suit alleges the project's use of formaldehyde-emitting wood composite building products will cause indoor air pollution to nearby homes, exposing residents to increased risk of cancer. It suggested Toll Brothers instead construct the project building "no added formaldehyde resins," which the California Air Resources Board recommends. The project falls within the Folsom Plan Area Specific Plan, which was certified in 2011, the suit alleges. When the city approved the project, it was using the environmental impact report from 2011, which did not include indoor air pollution. In addition, science on air pollution and formaldehyde has improved since then, the suit alleges. The suit asks a judge to rescind the city's approval of the project and for the city to prepare a new environmental impact report. "The City supports the development of Toll Brothers' Alder Creek project as it provides a variety of housing types in Folsom," said Desmond Parrington, Folsom planning manager, in a statement. "However, the City does not comment on pending litigation." Toll Brothers, which is named as a "real party of interest" in the suit, did not respond to an email seeking comment on the suit. The project includes both traditional single-family homes, as well as so-called half-plexes on smaller lots, Parrington said. Half-plexes are separate homes on separate lots but with one shared wall separating them. They can be bought and sold individually. The project also includes a neighborhood park and sites for an elementary school and fire station to be built in the future. The development still needs city Planning Commission approval for the design of the homes, which will happen later this year or early next year, Parrington said. Toll Brothers was planning to start grading the site this fall, and construction will take several years, Parrington said. CEQA suits in recent years in the Sacramento area do not often result in a judge agreeing to block a project. However, they can delay projects by at least two years, which can make the projects no longer viable. Earlier CEQA suit delays Sacramento high-rise project. LiUNA also filed a CEQA suit against an LPA Design Studios plan to build four high-rise towers with 787 market-rate apartments along the American River in Sacramento. A judge eventually ruled the project, called American River One, could move forward. However after the delay the suit caused, along with a suit by Save the American River Association, the market for multifamily properties was "somewhat soft," Anthony Scotch, the broker for the project, said in January. It's unclear if the project will move forward.