Practice — LWPAC

We Have a Unique Approach to Architecture

Our primary objective is to translate our clients’ desires and needs into innovative, sustainable and unique building solutions. Our philosophy is based on successful collaborations with our clients and a highly integrated team of consultants from project initiation to post-occupancy.

We believe that outstanding design and economic feasibility need to go hand in hand. We understand that any building has to be effective and follow the most resource conscious solution while driving innovation within the limitations of the budget. Through an integrative design process and a highly skilled team we find solutions that can be used flexibly and effectively, incrementally innovating proven building technology to build what is needed and to eliminate any extraneous construction.

Lang Wilson Practice in Architecture Culture (LWPAC) was established in Vancouver in 1999 as a multidisciplinary design firm. Ever since it has been operating at the intersection of architecture and culture bringing both local and international experience to every project. LWPAC is an accomplished and experienced full-service design firm, licensed to practice architecture in British Columbia, New York and Germany. We have practiced and taught architecture in Berlin, New York, Barcelona, Valparaiso, Beijing and Vancouver. Following a 15-year career that has been equally split between university and practice around the world we bring an unusually broad perspective of knowledge and international exposure to each project. Since early 2008 we have been focusing exclusively on full-time practice.

LWPAC specializes in innovative architectural design. We deliver integrated and holistic solutions to any project. We have worked on a broad range of projects – from single family homes to housing, art installation and public projects, and large scale urban planning. Our work has been exhibited and published around the world.

The firm has executed award winning institutional and residential projects both nationally and internationally. Among other awards we were the winners of the 2008 Governor General’s Medal in Architecture, of both Lieutenant Governor’s Medal and Innovation Awards, and of the Home of the Year Award from New York’s Architecture Magazine for the ROAR_one housing project. In 2012 LWPAC won the Western Living Designer / Architect of the Year Award.

Our Team: LWPAC + Intelligent City

We work with our clients as one team, and we hope to have you fully involved. Your ideas, insights and feedback are invaluable. We are experts in facilitating collaborative processes with multiple stakeholders, be that in planning processes or in obtaining permits for complex projects that require community workshops and consultation.

We manage strong teams and provide for an engaging and participatory platform for design development and construction. We have worked with many of our consultants for 3 to 10 years on previous projects and have developed a very strong mutual professional respect and understanding of each other’s working methodology.

For a complete list of our team, visit Intelligent City’s website:

Oliver Lang, Co-Founder, Principal and Creative Director

Oliver Lang is a German-Canadian architect and urban entrepreneur with 25+years experience and a recognized leader in design innovation and integration of complex urban projects, mixed use housing, advanced prefabrication and green building strategies. He is a graduate of Columbia University, Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation, with a Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design and he holds a professional degree Diplom-Ingenieur Architektur from the University of Technology Berlin with two-year studies at the ETSA Barcelona UPC. Prior to founding LWPAC in 1998, Oliver researched and practiced in digitally assisted design and fabrication with Smith-Miller & Hawkinson in New York, while teaching digital design at Princeton University, Columbia University and University of Pennsylvania. He subsequently has taught advanced design and digital technology at SCI_ARC, the Berlage Institute, TU Berlin, UTF Santa Maria and University of British Columbia (UBC).

Cindy Wilson, Co-Founder and Principal

Cindy Wilson is a principal of LWPAC and co-founder of IC. She is a Canadian designer and cultural entrepreneur. She holds a professional Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of British Columbia. She has a broad and profound understanding of the cultural forces that shape our societies. She is active in urban and market research, building analysis, strategic planning, design and definition of livability, interior design, materiality and overall project quality control. She has over 25 years experience in the field of design and urban development and has worked in Barcelona, Berlin and New York which in turn has enriched her understanding of typology variation for urban living. She has taught the design of “Connective Housing” at the University of British Columbia and is a frequent juror for the thesis reviews.

Mingyuk Chen, Associate Director of Projects

Born in Hong Kong, Mingyuk is a graduate of McGill University School of Architecture. She has over 17 years of project experience, including innovative mass timber buildings, residential projects, and airports. As Associate Director of Projects, Mingyuk leads projects through through all phases of design and execution. Her extensive experience in mass timber construction comes from various projects in the industry and her past experience at Michael Green Architecture.

Tania Pilon, Architect

Tania Pilon graduated with her Master’s in architecture from McGill University. She competed in the Solar Decathlon China 2018 with TeamMTL where they designed and built a flexible and adaptable net-zero prefabricated row house. She worked on exhibition designs, logistics, the construction and gave a presentation at the Sustainable Development Center in Montreal. She took a PassivHaus designer course and is LEED AP BD + C accredited. Her thesis investigated the role of an architect as a translator and the influence of Indigenous cultures on architecture. She worked in Montreal and Mexico City before moving to Vancouver.

Ho Cheung (Timo) Tsui, Computational Design Architect

Ho Cheung (Timo) Tsui is a registered architect with experience in architecture design development, and a specialist in computational design, BIM, and digital fabrication. Originally from Hong Kong, he is interested in urban housing and bridging technology into the building development and real estate finance process (prop-tech). He speaks fluent English, Cantonese, and Mandarin Chinese.

Alexander Preiss, Intern Architect

Alexander Preiss is an Intern Architect with the OAA and a graduate of the University of British Columbia. During his Master’s, Alex was a computational fabrication researcher with UBC’s HiLo Lab where he co-authored award-winning R+D in digital timber fabrication. His professional experience spans mixed-use development, urban infill housing, and community sport & recreation in both BC and Ontario. At LWPAC and Intelligent City he is focused on project execution and BIM integration.

Brant York, Intern Architect

Brant York has been studying and working in architecture since 2013, graduating with distinction from two Canadian architectural programs (B.ArchSci & M.Arch). He has received significant recognition for his academic accomplishments, including the Merrick Architecture Graduating Prize from UBC, the Ontario Association of Architects Award from Ryerson University, and recognition in the 2015-2016 OAA Annual Report.

Jodi Williams, Controller and Bookkeeper

Jodi Williams is responsible for the office finances.

Awards

2017
LafargeHolcim Silver Award, North America, Platforms-for-Life
2016
City of Vancouver Urban Design Awards – Innovation
2014
City of Vancouver Urban Design Awards – Special Jury Award Excellence and Ingenuity in Architecture
City of Vancouver Urban Design Awards – Medium Scale Residential Building
2013
AIBC Innovation Award
2013
BC Wood Design Award, Canadian Wood Council
2012
Western Living Designer / Architect of the Year Award
2010
Major Grant from Canada Council for the Arts
2008
Governor General’s Medal in Architecture, Roar_one
2006
Home of the Year Award, Architecture Magazine New York, Roar_one
Lieutenant Governor’s Medal Architectural Institute of BC Award, Roar_one
Lieutenant Governor’s Innovation Award, Roar_one
2005
National Post / Design Exchange Award
2005/2006 ACSA Faculty Design Award
2001
The New Vanguard’ by Architectural Record, December 2001
2000
1st Prize at Bienal Architecture Exhibition, Santiago Chile, September 2000

Exhibitions

2016
Your Future Home: Creating the New Vancouver, Museum of Vancouver, Jan – May 2016
2010
Vancouverism 2010, Woodwards Building, Jan 2010
2008
Movers and Shapers Exhibition, Vancouver Museum, Spring 2008
2005
WORLD’s FAIR Exhibition of Canadian Architecture, EXPO 2005, Japan
2003
Tokyo Design Week, October 2003
Vancouver Art Gallery Solo Exhibition 2003
2002
ArchiLab, Earth Buildings, Orleans France
2000
Bienal Architecture Exhibition, Santiago Chile. September 2000

Media Recognition

2018
Architectural Record: Upcoming Multifamily Project in British Columbia Combines Passive House and Mass Timber
2017
Canadian Architect: Canadian design wins big at LafargeHolcim sustainability awards
2016
The Globe and Mail: The long road to a ‘zero emission’ Vancouver
Azure Magazine: The 10 Best Housing Projects of 2016
Business Elite Canada: Rethinking Urban Planning in Vancouver
2015
Times Colonist: Architects selected for Art Gallery of Greater Victoria addition
Times Colonist: Art gallery director defends proposed design: ‘A gem of a building’
2014
Canadian Architect: LWPAC designs sculpturally striking and highly sustainable new home
2013
Monad is cover story of Canadian Architect’s January issue on Urban Sustainability
2013
Globe and Mail Jan 23 “4 ways North American homes are looking more like Northern Europe”, by Hadani Ditmars
2012
LWPAC winner and major feature in Western Living Magazine Awards issue
The work of LWPAC has been published around the world in Architecture Record (New York), A+D (UK), A+U (Japan), the D-Book by AplusT (Madrid), Azure, Wallpaper, Canadian Architect, Loft, The Globe and Mail, National Post among others