L. Lorraine Jackson, AIA
SAY IT LOUD – TEXAS Exhibitor
Texas Based Designer
Bio
L. Lorraine Jackson is a Texas registered architect and interior designer with over nine years of experience in architecture, design, and construction. She is experienced with all phases of the design & construction process, as well as graphic design and branding. She is highly recognized for her creativity and establishing exemplary relationships with clients, consultants, and contractors to deliver a successful project, and is currently a member of the 2021 AIA Dallas Emerging Leaders Program.
Who or what inspires you professionally?
Architecture is ever evolving. The process, in and of itself, of trying to create truly meaningful, yet very functional spaces for today’s world is inspiring, and keeps me seeking the next level. There’s always more to learn or discover.
How did you first learn about architecture and when did you decide that built environment profession was an area of interest for you?
I knew early on I would pursue a creative career. With a huge interest in art & design, I was always creating. From preschool memories of building paper castles, to constantly rearranging or redecorating my room, crafting space was engrained in me.
What do you do?
I serve as the maestro in the delivery of successful design projects. I collaborate with internal and external design teams, consultants, and vendors, balancing the technical requirements of a project with the design intent and vision of the Client.
What excites you in the work you do?
It’s exciting to create buildings that transcend ‘architecture’. Making spaces that directly impact the community they’re in, and witnessing the end user’s emotional response and pure appreciation of the spaces that were created is the cherry on top.
Who or what inspires you professionally?
Architecture is ever evolving. The process, in and of itself, of trying to create truly meaningful, yet very functional spaces for today’s world is inspiring, and keeps me seeking the next level. There’s always more to learn or discover.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment or achievement?
Licensure, not originally a goal of mine, is now one of my favorite career achievements thus far. Buildings and works are all great achievements, but holding this space as a minority female architect & interior designer is personally meaningful.
Featured Project
Dallas County South Dallas Government Center
Featured Project Location
Dallas, TX
Featured Project Completion Date
June 2021
Role in Featured Project
Project Architect
Featured Project Description
The Dallas County South Government Center is a $26M ground-up facility located at the southern edge of Dallas County. The design philosophy is centered around elevating the design approach toward architecture in the southern sector. It serves to replace three existing aging County facilities, balancing the functions of the court, law enforcement, tax office, and emergency operations. As a building of justice, the architecture, design, and integrated art embrace a theme of ‘Restorative Justice’.
Photography Credit
Wade Griffith
Originally Published on Beyond the Built Environment
Beyond the Built Environment uniquely address the inequitable disparities in architecture by providing a holistic platform aimed to support numerous stages of the architecture pipeline. We promote agency among diverse audiences and advocate for equity in the built environment through our approach which utilizes a method I termed “the triple E, C”. The triple E, C method is a strategy to: Engage, Elevate, Educate, and Collaborate. We engage diverse audiences through programming promoting intellectual discourse and exchange to better achieve a just and equitable built environment. We elevate the identities and contributions of minority architects and designers through exhibitions, curated lectures, and documentaries that testify to the provided value of their built work and its spatial impact. We educate the masses through formal and informal learning opportunities that introduce architecture as a bridge to fill the gaps of inequity. We collaborate with community stakeholders and organizations to crowdsource information and amplify opportunities to advocate for equitable and reflectively diverse environments.