National Architecture, Planning and Design Firm Lamar Johnson Collaborative Establishes West Coast Office; Expands Leadership in Los Angeles

Local industry veterans David Swartz and Tom Steidl Join LJC in Los Angeles

Lamar Johnson Collaborative (LJC), an award-winning architecture and interior design firm headquartered in Chicago, announced today the opening of its new West Coast office in Culver City, California.

Additionally, several industry veterans will be joining the leadership roster to help lead design, delivery, business development and community engagement efforts. David Swartz, FAIA, IIDA and Tom Steidl, AIA have joined as principals, along with Executive Director Sarah Jacobson, AIA, and new principal Tim Jacobson, AIA, who relocated to Los Angeles from Chicago.

“The addition of a Los Angeles office positions us to better serve our growing West Coast client base. We will focus on our integrated delivery model which harnesses the strengths of LJC, Clayco and CRG,” said founder and CEO Lamar Johnson, FAIA, LEED AP. “We are incredibly fortunate to have this talent join our team.”

With over 250 professionals across four offices, LJC partners with companies, municipalities and universities of all sizes to deliver aspirational built environments through master planning, architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, urban planning and engineering. Recent firm accolades include PopCourts!, Grand Prize winner of the AIA Film Challenge 2021; Promenade Park, winner of a 2021 ULI Americas Awards for Excellence; NAIOP Chicago Architecture Firm of the Year; and recipient of the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s Commercial Real Estate Awards Architect and Interior Design Firm of the Year awards.

David Swartz, FAIA, IIDA brings over 35 years of award-winning experience in his new role as principal. In 2017, he was inducted into the College of Fellows of the AIA and in 1998 was a AIA National Young Architect Award recipient. Swartz is licensed in 22 states and is both LEED accredited and NCARB certified. He has been very active with the California Architect’s Board for over twenty years where he served as a master commissioner. Swartz currently serves on the Board of Governors of the Alumni Association at USC and on the West Los Angeles Sawtelle Neighborhood Council.

“I came to LJC to be an industry disruptor and change the way architects deliver technical documents,” said Swartz. “We want to craft the most complete, comprehensive packages, and take on full responsibility for the delivery of the project alongside our integrated build team.”

Joining Swartz is Tom Steidl, a licensed architect with 20 years of experience spanning all phases of design. Steidl’s design work includes more than 10,000 dwelling units and over 1.5 million square feet of commercial and retail space. He also developed two award-winning multifamily residential projects in LA. Steidl previously served as global residential practice area leader at Gensler.

Helping lead LJC’s West Coast expansion is Sarah Jacobson. Jacobson has led teams on a variety of developments across the globe, including corporate buildings, hotels, civic and institutional facilities, and high-rise in both new construction and adaptive re-use. Jacobson’s projects have won numerous awards, including the ULI Global Award for Excellence, AIA Chicago Divine Detail Award and the Greater Chicago Food Depository Redevelopment of the Year award.

“I am excited about the potential in Los Angeles to elevate LJC’s integrated design model using the local knowledge and expertise of leaders in the field,” said Jacobson. “David Swartz and Tom Steidl are the building blocks of a team that will make our California office a next-level iteration in LJC’s evolution and approach to design.”

LJC is co-located with its parent company, Clayco, at 8590 National Boulevard. For more information, please contact [email protected] or 424-361-3960.

About LJC
LJC is the full-service design and architecture arm of Clayco and is committed to enhancing the quality of the human experience and to improving how design and architecture can impact each individual’s emotional being. By harnessing the power of integrated design—including architecture, workplace strategy, interior design, landscape architecture, urban planning and engineering—the company achieves its clients’ goals and aspirations. For more information, visit www.theljc.com.

About Clayco
Clayco is a full-service, turnkey real estate development, master planning, architecture, engineering, and construction firm that safely delivers clients across North America the highest quality solutions on time, on budget, and above and beyond expectations. With $3.8 billion in revenue for 2020, Clayco specializes in the “art and science of building,” providing fast track, efficient solutions for industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential related building projects. For more information, visit www.claycorp.com.