Vancouver-based LSW Architects and ENNE Arquitectos, an Ecuadorian firm based in Quito, have signed a partnering agreement that is intended to increase the impact of their work in ways they believe are critical to global communities, according to a news release from LSW. Their shared focus will be advocating for environmental stewardship within the built environment and promoting wellness as a biproduct of intentional design.
Leaders from both firms met in Quito, Ecuador, during a countrywide tour of healthcare facilities in April to formalize details. They have agreed to bring expertise and capacity to one another as they pursue projects throughout the Western U.S. and Latin America. Looking toward the future and the types of projects they plan to do as a unit, LSW and ENNE leadership see potential to co-partner with healthcare providers, nonprofits, higher education establishments and governmental agencies.
“We have a great opportunity to lead real change together,” said Esther Liu, LSW president, who was present in Quito. “Antonio and his team bring immense vision, passion and skill to the design of large-scale healthcare spaces that redefine the human experience. We’re excited to partner with them and look forward to sharing our resources with communities and partners invested in elevating the importance of integrated human health and wellness.”
At the center of LSW and ENNE’s partnership is a mutual commitment to sustainability. Both firms have integrated sustainable design into every aspect of their business, projects and operations, to facilitate continuous improvement across their work.
“As designers, if we can imitate nature in its processes and structure, use energy efficiently, recycle water and ensure we have a low impact on the site, we will be closer to regenerative building. Because if we compare our buildings with trees, we will be living in the forest. In addition to increasing the quality of life and health of the space users, we will be part of a sustainable natural system,” said ENNE Arquitectos Co-Founder Antonio Naranjo, who will be based in Vancouver from June 2022.
The LSW/ENNE team will work together on leading-edge design specific to sustainability, wellness and trauma-informed design to make the built environment a safer, kinder, more healing and uplifting place for people and the natural world around them. Together, they are promoting construction practices that position projects to be carbon neutral by 2030.
“People spend the majority of their lives in the built environment. To us, this means creating healthy spaces that give life to people, whether they’re in school, at home or receiving critical care,” said Max Ault, Chief Strategy Officer at LSW, who was also a part of the Ecuadorian tour. “The partnership between LSW and ENNE is our way of doubling down on our values in a way that is highly technical and energizing to our teams.”
The partnership between LSW Architects and ENNE Arquitectos is over two decades in the making. During the early stages of their careers, Casey Wyckoff, CEO of LSW Architects, and Antonio Naranjo, founder of ENNE Arquitectos, worked together at LSW and shared a mutual appreciation for beautiful design as a force that brings life to people and communities. This agreement marks the beginning of a new journey for them, their firms and their clients.
“The team is very excited about this agreement,” Wyckoff said in a statement to the VBJ. “The partnership between LSW and ENNE provides an opportunity for international collaboration that drives local results, specifically with a focus on sustainable design and human wellness.”
