Laura is a licensed architect who has lived and worked in Chicago since 1995. She has a broad range of experience in many project types and scales, from commercial high rises to small residential interior remodels. She founded her architecture and consulting firm Laura Garcia Design (LGD) in 2010 and provides a full range of architectural services for the design, permitting, and construction of new buildings, additions, and renovations. Her firm focuses on residential and small commercial projects, primarily in the Chicagoland area and surrounding Midwestern states.
Laura is active in her professional community and served on the AIA Chicago Board of Directors from 2016 to 2020, first as a Director at Large and then as Secretary. She has been an active member of the AIA-DOB Working Group since 2015, which meets monthly with the Chicago Department of Buildings. She also co-chaired the DOB Small Residential Code Modernization Group during the City of Chicago’s building code modernization, which led to the 2019 Chicago Building Code, the city’s first comprehensive revision in 70 years. She has been active in AIA Chicago’s Small Firm Exchange (SFx, formerly the Small Practitioners Group) since 2010, and she gives presentations to the public through the SFx’s “Working with an Architect” program. She also speaks regularly at professional and industry events.
Laura is an enthusiastic problem solver who enjoys unique challenges and unusual project constraints. Her approach is framed around carefully listening to her client’s goals, desires, and concerns, so that she can guide them to successful project completion.