LUTZ OFFICE
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OFFICE
Lutz Office is a design office directed by Shawn Lutz. Based in Houston, we combine the rootedness of a local context with the broad interests of international design practice. From small to medium-sized buildings that confront detail-level constraints to ambitious international competitions that draw upon the collective repertoire of the discipline, the trajectory of the practice is marked by simultaneously working at the opposing ends of the professional spectrum. Since 2017, our office's philosophy and approach to work have involved more significant questions within the discipline — specifically, how geometric, formal, and tectonic pursuits relate to broader contexts, such as contemporary art, construction, landscape, and the built environment.
LUTZ
Shawn Lutz is the director of Lutz Office, leveraging a diverse background in architecture gained from over 11 years at renowned architecture offices in Houston, New York, and Chicago. These experiences encompass a wide range of project types, including urban design, transportation, institutional, commercial, residential, interior design, exhibition design, and graphic design.
In addition to his practice, Shawn has been teaching since 2018 at architecture programs, including Rice University and Texas A&M University. He is currently a faculty member at the University of Houston College of Architecture and Design, teaching undergraduate architecture students at all levels. He was recently honored with the Hines Design as Scholar/Scholar as Design at the University of Houston. Over the past year, his scholarly contributions, including writings and drawings, have appeared in publications such as POOL.LA and Rumor Reviews.
He received a Bachelor's degree in Architecture from the University of Houston College of Architecture and Design and a Master's degree in Architecture from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University.
NEWS
2025.07
The Aggregate House: Heterogeneous Collection of Types project received the 2025 Studio Award from the Texas Society of Architects. Our project was 1 of 9 winners of 65 competitive entries. Thank you to the Texas Society of Architects and the three-member jury of renowned architects: Heather Roberge, AIA; Matthew Griffith, FAIA; and Michael Cadwell, FAIA.
2025.05
Lutz Office in collaboration with op.AL submitted a design proposal for the Small Lot Big Impact Competition.
2025.03 - 04
Is Housing Still Housing has two symposiums, on March 26 and April 9. Shawn will participate in both symposiums and present the Aggregate House project on April 9.
2025.03
Is Housing Still Housing? Houston's Single-Family House Exhibition opens on March 3 and runs through April 11. Lutz Office was 1 of 12 invited contributors.
2025.01
The Drawing Codes exhibition is open from January 27 to February 21. Shawn collaborated with Andrew Kudless and Adam Marcus to design the Volume III exhibition of the decade-long Drawing Codes project, as well as its accompanying publication. This exhibition showcased 96 drawings from designers and architects worldwide at the Gerald D Hines College of Architecture and Design Mashburn Gallery.
2024.06
Lutz Office drawing, Loopy Middles, was selected for POOL's upcoming Issue 9: Loop. POOL is a student publication at UCLA A.UD.
2024.04
Over the past year, Shawn M. Lutz worked with Rafael Beneytez-Duran and Gail Borden to publish Prospectus 21/22, which showcases the fantastic works of selected College of Architecture Undergraduate and Graduate students within the Architecture programs at the University of Houston. The publication features Leonid Furmansky's photography, the Oil Tower series.
2024.01
Shawn M. Lutz's recent publication with the Princeton School of Architecture, Rumor, Issue 37, entitled Mock it Up. How do you see?
2023.08
Shawn M. Lutz is teaching an Integrated Design Studio for undergraduate students at the University of Houston, titled Collective Tectonics. This studio will focus on Bellaire Boulevard within the greater Houston area through an exhibition space open to all. Shawn will also be returning to teach sophomore design studio with a focus on adaptive reuse buildings in downtown Houston.
2023.04
Shawn M. Lutz delivered an invited lecture to students in Leyuan Li and José Ibarra's design studio at the University of Colorado Denver College of Architecture and Planning.
2023.03
Shawn M. Lutz contributed a design within the Boston Society of Architects' annual Rotch Travelling Scholarship program; check it out at Leon Electric.
2022.08
Shawn M. Lutz is a full-time faculty member teaching at the University of Houston.
2022.06
The 48th Annual Ken Roberts Memorial Delineation Competition honors SML/A as a finalist in the Professional Digital/Mixed category.
2022.03
Shawn M. Lutz, co-chair of the Lecture + Exhibition Committee at Texas A&M University, along with Tyrene Calvesbert, James Michael Tate, and students, organized and facilitated the Outpost Office AIAS Workshop. The workshop consisted of two weekends for digital design production and installation in the Architecture Quad.
2022.01
Shawn M. Lutz designed the graphic media package for the Architecture Department at Texas A&M University's 2022 Spring Lecture Series, entitled "Assembly."
2021.12
Shawn M Lutz was at the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design for Studio Final Reviews: Ryan Palider, Homa Farjadi, Karel Klein, Rob Stuart-Smith, Ferda Kolatan—special thanks to Andrew Saunders for the invitation.
2021.11The The
Stacked View ADU is included in the City of Houston's ADU Design Book.
2021.09
SML/A enters into the ADUHOU Completion, entitled Stacked View ADU.
2021.08
Shawn M. Lutz will teach an Integrated Design Studio for undergraduate students at Texas A&M University, titled "Figural Trill." This studio will focus on the Third Ward neighborhood in Houston through a community center for all. He will additionally teach an undergraduate sophomore design studio with a focus on the Project Row Houses Community.
2021.07
Shawn M. Lutz designed the graphic media package for the Architecture Department at Texas A&M University's 2021 Fall Lecture Series, entitled "Assembly."
2021.06
Shawn M. Lutz is the coordinator of Integrated Design Studios, a capstone studio for the Architecture Department at Texas A&M University.
2021.05
Shawn M. Lutz will teach a 10-week summer design studio for career change students at Texas A&M University, titled "MaSS FLaTS."
2021.04
Shawn M. Lutz presents a NCBDS conference paper at Texas A&M University, titled "Charged Void." At the conference, Shawn introduces Anda and Jenny French of the French2D lecture.
2021.01
Shawn M. Lutz will teach a Topical design studio for undergraduate students at Texas A&M University, titled "MaSS VoiD."
2020.11
Shawn M. Lutz is promoted to Assistant Professor of Practice at the Architecture Department at Texas A&M University.
2018.08
Shawn M. Lutz joined the Architecture Department at Texas A&M University as a Visiting Assistant Professor. Shawn will continue to teach courses in Architectural Design.