An architecture firm with an office in Wilmington, where it spearheads some of the most high-profile projects in the region, recently announced mergers that grow its North Carolina footprint in other regions.
LS3P, which has offices in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, has merged with TFF Architects & Planners LLP of Greensboro and PFA Architects P.A of Asheville.
The mergers extend LS3P’s reach in the Triad and the western portion of the state "while capitalizing on existing partnerships with highly respected colleagues," according to a news release.
LS3P’s CEO Marc Marchant said he believes the mergers will tap into the key strengths of LS3P, TFF and PFA.
“Having physical office locations in Greensboro and Asheville provides us the opportunity to better serve our clients and communities in the Triad and Western NC,” Marchant said in the release. “Merging with these two highly respected firms allows us to deepen our relationships with our valued clients and extend our firm-wide expertise across the region.”
He said Thursday that LS3P's growth has been driven by a strategic plan the company developed a few years ago.
"Out of that plan, we developed a vision to double down on our commitment to the Southeast and to serve our community by providing growth in the sectors that we serve ... to engage more deeply in our communities and our clients across the region," Marchant said.
TFF Architects & Planners LLP was founded in Greensboro in 1996 by partners Walt Teague, Ginna Freyaldenhoven and Steve Freyaldenhoven. Upon Teague’s retirement in 2020, Brian Carroll became a managing partner. This merger creates LS3P’s Greensboro office including 13 team members and a portfolio of health care, education, senior living and community projects, according to the release.
Ginna Freyaldenhoven will serve as LS3P’s Greensboro office leader and principal; Steve Freyaldenhoven and Brian Carroll have also been named principals/sector leaders for health care and senior living, respectively.
Ginna Freyaldenhoven said in the release, “With 15 successful collaborations over 25 years, we are very excited about the merger of our firms. We share a common mission/vision for our clients, staff, and community.”
PFA Architects P.A. was founded in Asheville in 1965 as Padgett + Freeman Architects. This merger creates LS3P’s Asheville office including 13 team members specializing in education, health care, government, civic and cultural projects. Notable recent work includes Cherokee County Schools of Innovation, East Asheville Library, and Hendersonville High School. Maggie Carnevale will serve as LS3P’s Asheville office leader and Scott Donald will serve as principal/sector leader.
LS3P's Wilmington office was the result of a merger in 2005 with Boney Architects, "and it was a fantastic opportunity to complement the great relationships and foundation that Boney Architects had built in Wilmington and Raleigh," Marchant said.
In Wilmington, Chris Boney is one of LS3P's overall leaders as chief relationships officer. LS3P's work in Wilmington includes, among many, Cape Fear Community College's Wilson Center. The firm is currently working on Project Grace, a public-private partnership between Wilmington-based Zimmer Development and New Hanover County to redevelop a downtown Wilmington block.
The latest mergers bring LS3P’s current team member count to over 400. In addition to Wilmington, the firm now has offices in Charleston, Columbia, Greenville and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh; and Atlanta and Savannah.
According to the release, the firm’s major practice areas are health care, higher education, K-12 education, workplace and urban environments; other significant markets include civic, aviation and transportation, military and government, hospitality, historic preservation, worship, parks and recreation, mixed-use, multifamily residential and senior living.
