Lorcan O’Herlihy honored with the 2023 Maybeck Award by AIA California

LOHA founder Lorcan O’Herlihy has been awarded the 2023 Maybeck Award by AIA California, the highest award given by the chapter to an individual architect. O’Herlihy was described by the AIA California as “a practitioner others learn from” who “continually realizes a new expression of architecture that addresses context.”

“Lorcan O’Herlihy, FAIA, combines arresting design with dignity of mission. He is a practitioner others learn from,” the jury noted. “He brings a continuous source of inventiveness... How do we make a world where we can celebrate/make it a worthwhile place to be?”

Having founded LOHA in 1994, O’Herlihy has built a portfolio on the principle of architecture being a catalyst for change to shape and enrich the contemporary city. The architect’s rich portfolio was recently the subject of our ongoing Meet Your Next Employer series, in which we rounded up five bespoke multi-family projects by LOHA. Elsewhere, the firm’s latest adaptive reuse project recently took center stage at Chapman University.

“I'm deeply honored to receive this wonderful award,” O’Herlihy said. “This journey to build a practice, explore ideas and to embrace Architecture as a catalyst for change has been my dream since I was a very young architect. It is my hope to continue/advance our commitment to elevating the human condition, by building architecture rooted in context that is committed to both artistry and social equity.”

Named after the influential California architect Bernard Ralph Maybeck, the Maybeck Award recognizes “outstanding achievement in architectural design as expressed in a body of work produced by an individual architect over a period of at least 10 years.” Last year, the honor was awarded to Anne Fougeron.