LPA Design Studios has hired veteran Austin architect Sophia Razzaque as managing director in its new Austin studio, where she will lead design teams across the civic, mixed-use, commercial, K-12 and higher education practices.

An Austin native and past president of the Austin chapter of the American Institute of Architects, Razzaque previously served in a leadership role for Page in Austin and helped start the local office of Lake Flato Architects in 2016. Earlier in her career, she spent three years in the London office of Zaha Hadid Architects, where she worked on several large-scale projects, including the design of the MSU Broad Art Museum for Michigan State University.

Locally, in her earlier roles, she helped lead the design team for the Cedar Park Public Library, the first building constructed at the heart of the city’s mixed-use Bell District. She also led construction administration for Hotel Magdalena off South Congress Avenue—the first mass timber boutique hotel in North America. She credits her earlier experience in hospitality design with her love for blending interior and exterior design elements together to create rich experiences that enhance the public realm, especially in program-heavy building typologies like libraries and other mixed-use projects.

“Sophia is a passionate advocate for the power of design to build communities and improve people’s lives,” said LPA Studio Director Sara Flowers. “Sophia is the perfect leader in our Austin studio at this critical time for so many fast-growing central Texas cities.”

LPA recently received the 2025 AIA Architecture Firm Award, the industry association’s highest honor, in recognition of the results achieved by its research-driven integrated design process, which addresses performance, wellness, community and experience on every project, regardless of size or budget. Over the last five years, the integrated design firm’s projects averaged a 75% predicted energy use (pEUI) reduction from industry baselines.

Earlier this year, LPA opened a studio in Austin’s new urbanist Mueller development, joining existing studios in San Antonio and Dallas. The firm already has designed several significant projects in the Austin area, including the General Marshall Middle School in the heart of the Mueller district, the renovation of Casis Elementary in Tarrytown, and the new Pflugerville City Hall, a public-private partnership led by Griffin Swinerton.

“I have always believed sustainability is simply part of good design,” Razzaque said. “I want to do impactful work that’s going to get built and change lives for the better, to make Austin and the surrounding communities a better place to live, and that’s why I’m excited to be at LPA.”

Razzaque brings a wide range of skills and experience to her new role. Her projects touch a broad spectrum of typologies and scales, with a focus on managing projects from beginning to end. In her new role, she will work with clients to ensure design teams stay focused on goals, schedule, and budget.

“I always want to make sure we’re asking the right questions, and I feel like I’m a good listener,” Razzaque says. “I like getting to know the communities we serve, what they’re about, and what their needs are. Many of them are just getting the opportunity to help define their community with the built environment for the first time.”

In addition to her work with AIA, Razzaque helped found the Central Texas chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA). With NOMA, she helped launch the Project Pipeline Program, a summer mentorship opportunity for aspiring designers from underrepresented backgrounds in middle school and high school. She has also served as a visiting critic at the University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas at San Antonio, and Texas A&M University.