Studio

Energized by Challenges

We get energized by challenges, no matter how complex. Then we apply the art of interaction—with clients and with communities—to find a way to overcome those challenges with design that improves performance and lives.

Following are a few of the many challenges that Legat has embraced … and accomplished:

Create and carry out a plan to update 30 aging facilities over 7 years.
Help a community get a clear vision of a new facility in 5 days.
Bring to an established neighborhood the first new building of its kind in 50 years.

“Lake Behavioral Hospital was challenged by an uncompromising budget and timeframe, and it demanded a high degree of technical expertise. Legat demonstrated its ability to rise to each of these challenges while striking the right balance between design creativity and our overall expectations.”
Miro Petrovic, Executive Vice President, US HealthVest

Whether the challenge is to create a new regional icon or to revive a 75-year-old building, we accept it wholeheartedly. And whether the client representative is a single person or an entire community, we jump at the chance to interact and find a way.

History

Legat Architects was founded in 1964 in a Waukegan, Illinois home, then moved into a renovated church in that same city. We gained a reputation for projects that were on time, on budget, and responsive. In the ensuing decades, we opened more studios and took on higher profile projects. Our work won more design awards, while our portfolio spread to over 30 countries. Though today Legat stands as a leading design firm, our legacy of responsive client service and employee empowerment remains at our core.

Awards

Strong aesthetics achieve design awards. But what is at the root of strong aesthetics? We think it’s the art of interaction, the moment where a project’s constraints and practical considerations are married to a formal solution to produce space and place. The questions we ask and the possibilities we explore during planning lead to truly client-inspired designs. The resulting facilities reach out to their communities and position our clients as visionaries. View the examples below to see concepts and designs that push the boundaries of sustainability, elevate individual performance, and embolden communities.