By Mary Gilland, who is the co-founder and co-owner of LGA Studios, serving on the administrative and managerial side since the very beginning in 1982. She is still the business manager and office mom.
As people get older, I think we all begin to reflect on our lives and wonder where the time has gone. This year at LGA Studios, we’re celebrating 40 years in business (and 41 years in marriage between Larry and me). As I look back, I can’t believe how quickly those years have passed, while at the same time I can’t forget all the hard work, perseverance, and ingenuity that has gone into maintaining a business for this long.
In reflecting, I of course think about all the incredible homes and projects that kept us creatively challenged and pushed us forward, as well as the truly wonderful clients who shared their visions with us and entrusted LGA Studios with the remarkable task of designing their dream home.
As a service-based business, these human connections – paired with our passion for design – are what make our business run. But at the heart of our company is another human connection, and that is our phenomenal team and all the talented drafters, designers, architects, and others we’ve been privileged to work with over the past 40 years.
Our team has always been small but mighty, filled with creativity and dedication. At this point in our business, we’re mentoring the next generation of exceptional designers, managers, and future architects, as well as celebrating those we’ve had in the past.
The current LGA team includes members who have been with us for decades and have unmatched experience and expertise, as well as newer members with fresh ideas, talent, and energy. We’re so proud of each of you and honored to have you at LGA Studios!
As a surprise for Larry, I recently reached out to many of our previous team members to see if they wanted to share any memories or updates, and I was so touched by their responses. At the risk of sounding like an overly proud “parent” and friend, I wanted to include them here as a tribute to the entire team at LGA Studios – past, present, and future!
“Congratulations to LGA Studios on your 40th anniversary. Larry and Mary Gilland have been such an inspiration to me. I had the pleasure of being able to work on projects with LGA Studios, each time learning and fulfilling a desire I have in residential design. Larry has always been my #1 mentor. From the time I first met Larry working for a local engineer (about 40 years ago) to today, Larry has always been there for me – sharing, advising and the both of us learning together both in our industry and in personal life. My growth as a residential designer starts with Larry, but my experiences with LGA Studios go further in my relationships with some of the personnel I have worked with at LGA Studios. Thank you so much, Mary Gilland, Heather Sellers, Dawn Streb, Michelle Williams, Lacey Wells, Jamie Peterson, and Michael Hentschel. All of you have inspired me throughout my career, and I am blessed to have had you as a part of my life. I am always looking forward to the next time we meet up. Much love to you all.”
- Bernie Kern
“Congratulations on the 40 years! That's quite the achievement. Everyone who I worked with at LGA Studios was a lovely and truly interesting person. Such a variety of folks, and I liked all of them a lot. Everyone was resourceful, flexible and congenial. And there at every level there is a learning atmosphere, from teaching inexperienced folks the basics of home design, to giving people with more experience the chance to experiment with new building technologies and ideas. There's also an environment of caring about people - from the contractor employees to the clients. No matter what was happening in my life during my employment I was supported.”
- Lisa Ehli
“I can honestly say that I would not be where I am professionally without the time I spent with LGA. Larry, Mary, and team became a family to me. Many of the skills and practices I implement daily on a global scale come directly from the experience and knowledge I gained being a part of, and later working with, the LGA team. I value the friendships and memories immensely. Congratulations on 40 years and thank you for your passion and dedication to excellence in all that you bring to the design community.”
- Ben Tabolt
“While life has taken me into project management, I miss drawing house plans. I loved taking a sketch by Larry and turning into a full set of construction documents. I have always admired Larry's talent. I appreciate his ability to listen to the client and create a space that suits them. What great vision!
I remember coming to work for you, having just earned my Associate's Degree. I was pretty green. During the time I worked for you, we did the structural design/layout, which we then sent out for engineering. I remember being tasked with the structural layout of a rather complex roof. I didn't have a clue! I remember crying at my computer, really struggling with this task. Over the years, this became my favorite part of the plan set. I loved figuring out how to 'build' the house. I use those skills to this day. So, thank you for helping me see the whole picture.”
- Stacy Austin
“I loved my time working for LGA and learned so incredibly much. It has been a huge blessing in my life. I never took for granted the friendships I formed with my co-workers and the patience, care, and concern Larry had for his employees. He may have had a lot of work to get done himself, but always made time to sit down with me if I needed help or had questions. He helped push me toward the skills I was good at and encouraged that creativity.
Of course, we couldn't have functioned well together without you (Mary) taking the managerial role of the office. You held us all to high standards and kept the office organized and functional. I saw you like a "second mom" while being away from home.
I'm so excited for LGA's 40th anniversary! I can only imagine the number of people it has impacted through the years and how Colorado has been impacted by Larry's craftsmanship and design.”
- Abby Smith
“Congratulations on 40 years! I know you both have put in so much blood, sweat, and tears, and I’m so glad to see that you are continually appreciated! I’ve worked in a handful of places in the last few years and LGA continues to be the gold standard I compare every other business with. I know I would not have had many of the opportunities I’ve had without the foundation I got while working with you all. You were willing to invest in me and I’ve reaped the benefits.
Thank you so much for all you do. I hope you know how many lives you’ve touched and how much better the world is for having you in it. I wish you many more happy years of LGA!”
- Katy Notess
“I am so thankful for LGA Studios and the huge role they played in my professional career. They took a chance on me, a kid fresh out of college, and helped me learn so much and gave me so many opportunities to grow as a person and a professional. I worked with LGA for a one-year internship before going back to grad school, and after this year, I had so much more confidence in my abilities and what I wanted to do with my life. I learned about design, and was able to gain experience with computer software, drafting, rendering, watercolor and even went on site visits to see the progress. I was involved in meetings with clients, consultants, and builders, which helped my knowledge in project management and working with a team. We went on many field trips for continuing education and served with Habitat for Humanity. Larry and Mary have built an amazing company and I still miss working with Dawn and Michelle, as I learned so much from each of them and really just enjoyed their friendship. This year was really such a formative year in my life, and I'm so grateful for my time there and the people I worked with. Thanks so much for giving me such a fun and memorable start to my architecture career. I remember my time at LGA so fondly and miss everyone very much. Congrats on reaching a great milestone, you've earned it! May you continue to be blessed and to bless others with your incredible projects!”
- Rebecca Moeller
SCROLL THROUGH THE GALLERY BELOW TO VIEW WHERE THEY ARE NOW:
So, whether our past LGA team members and collaborators are taking on the ever-important role of parenthood, working in a small or large architectural firm, or are leaders in national organizations or international corporations, we’re honored to have been a small part of their lives. We are so grateful for each of you and wish you all the best, now and always! Thank you all for your heartfelt and wonderful comments. You mean the world to us.