Lara Kaufman

Architect Lara Kaufman is a Design Director based in the Studio’s New York office. As Studio Gang’s Sustainability & Climate Action Lead, she oversees the Studio’s Sustainability Task Force and advises project teams across all offices on decarbonization strategies and design approaches for water conservation, site ecologies, and healthy materials. She is currently an advisor for the David Rubenstein Treehouse, which is targeting Living Building Challenge’s Core Green Building Certification and Materials Petal.

A committed advocate for urgent climate action within the building industry, she is a member of the Carbon Leadership Forum (CLF) and the American Institute of Architects New York (AIANY) Committee on the Environment (COTE) embodied carbon working group. She also contributes to the Studio’s ongoing research into sustainability, including a whole life carbon analysis of the Beloit College Powerhouse, which was presented at the 2022 AIA National Conference, and has served as guest lecturer for numerous university studio courses.

Lara additionally brings over 20 years of experience stewarding complex cultural and institutional projects from conceptualization to completion. Prior to Studio Gang, she led the expansion project for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) from kickoff to completion while at Snøhetta.

She holds a a Master of Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley and Bachelor of Arts in Russian Studies from Columbia University. Outside of the office, you can find Lara volunteering with the NYC Compost Project and other climate action groups.