Pfluger Architects Hires New Higher Ed Practice Leader

Pfluger Architects, based in Houston, Texas, recently announced Christopher Laack as its new higher education practice leader, according to a news release. Laack has more than 20 years of experience as a licensed architect and most recently served as the Principal and Commercial Practice Leader for VLK Architects. In his new role at Pfluger, his responsibilities will include maintaining client relationships and driving strategic growth in the firm’s partnerships with colleges and universities across Texas.

Laack’s professional experience includes architecture, master planning, and urban design in education, office, residential, retail, hospitality, civic, and community development projects, among others. His Bachelor of Architecture comes from the University of Detroit Mercy, and he is NCARB Certified and a Licensed Architect in the State of Texas.

“I believe in pushing the boundaries of design to create inspiring, thoughtful buildings and places that contribute to the built environment and to communities,” said Laack. “As a firm dedicated to inspiring communities and creating a more meaningful human experience, Pfluger provides me with opportunities to engage with campus leaders and understand the needs that campuses have right now and in the future.”

At Pfluger, Laack will lead the firm’s five Texas locations in its work with state universities, colleges, community colleges, and vocational institutions. He will also take over the firm’s current projects like the San Jacinto Biotechnology Center, Texas Lutheran University’s Lundquist Student Activities Center, and more.

“Chris brings expertise to our higher education team, from planning campuses to designing facilities that work,” said Chris Lammers, the current higher education practice director at Pfluger. “His genuine connection with people makes him a great fit for our team and the clients we serve.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Rethinking K-12 Schools as a Continuous Learning Experience

    Most students move through three or more separate facilities during their K-12 journey, yet the built environments they encounter at each stage have traditionally been designed in isolation, with little continuity in spatial language, learning philosophy, or physical resources. Each new school is a reset with different layouts, learning models, expectations, and ways of moving through a building. The next generation of school design is making the case that the first day of kindergarten and the last day of high school can and should feel connected through common support systems and infrastructure in the physical environment.

  • Texas A&M Opens First Building at Fort Worth Campus, Breaks Ground on Research Facility

    The Texas A&M University System marked a major milestone in the development of its Fort Worth campus by opening its first completed academic building and breaking ground on a second facility designed to expand research and industry collaboration.

  • Photo courtesy of Kraus-Anderson

    Concordia College Completes Memorial Auditorium Renovations

    Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., recently completed a $2.5-million renovation project to Memorial Auditorium, a news release reports. The college partnered with Kraus-Anderson for the project’s construction and ICON Architectural Group for its design.

  • New Jersey Day School Opens New Science & Entrepreneurship Building

    Saddle River Day School (SRDS) in Saddle River, N.J., recently celebrated the grand opening of the new Dr. Kristen Walsh Hall of Science & Entrepreneurship, according to a news release. The school partnered with DIG Architecture on the 32,000 square foot facility, completed on a 17-month construction timeline in time for the beginning of the new school year.