OUR COLLABORATIVE
Architectural Collaborative LLC is a multi-disciplinary firm, with practice areas including all types of new construction, sustainable design, historic preservation, existing building conditions evaluation, master planning, and preservation planning.
Arcollab is led by founding principals Lori Bork Newcomer, Joseph Smith, and Gabriel Comstock. The Arcollab partners have built a strong reputation for creating innovative functional designs that are tailored to the individual needs of our clients. We believe that sustainability is at the core of good design. We strive to create inspired spaces and structures that are strongly rooted in their sense of place and grow from their surrounding natural and built environment. Our designs are responsive to and respectful of each project site. A return to thoughtful regional design is one of the best ways to address both environmental concerns and the proliferation of ubiquitous architecture.
The Arcollab leadership team brings more than 75 years of combined professional experience in project types ranging from single-family residential to large-scale commercial work. We are fluent in the architectural detailing of styles ranging from the historic and neo-traditional to cutting-edge modern design. Our creative process includes research and experimentation, ongoing client collaboration, and ultimately the thoughtful articulation of light, form, and materials in order to create inspired spaces that maintain a sense of place. From the overall massing of building forms to the careful assembly of construction details, we combine a strong understanding of construction systems, attention to clients’ needs and budget, and an artistic sensibility.
At Arcollab, Lori, Joe, and Gabe lead projects related to their specialized areas of practice, however the office is, at heart, a collaborative studio environment in which all members of the team contribute ideas on all of our projects; creative dialogue is encouraged and embraced in the search for the best design solutions. The same approach is brought to our client relationships; we pride ourselves on our communication skills with the client, contractor, consultants, and within the project team as a whole.
In addition to our own architectural practice, we have assembled a team of professional consultants, including landscape architects, engineers, land use managers, surveyors, contractors, historic preservation grant writers, and specialty consultants who can handle projects of advanced technical and aesthetic complexity.
SUSTAINABILITY
Environmental responsibility is a principal consideration in our work. After the advent of central heating and air, traditional strategies for climate responsiveness seemed to have been temporarily forgotten. For too long, people were not concerned with how much energy these systems used to keep our interior environments comfortable. We now realize the detrimental effect these actions have had. Arcollab advocates a return to the simple passive systems of the past including daylighting, passive heating and cooling, and strategic natural ventilation. These systems cost little or nothing to incorporate into our designs but can have a dramatic effect in reducing our energy demands.
We are encouraged by the growing public awareness of the importance of sustainable design and the influx of new products and technologies spurred by this public demand. We have established relationships with suppliers for locally sourced materials in our region, and we continually work to educate ourselves about new products and creative approaches that can support our mission of responsible design. Lori and Gabe are LEED Accredited Professionals, and we have completed projects certified under LEED for Homes, the Southeast’s regional Earthcraft Program through Southface Energy Institute, and Energy Star.
Reflecting our commitment to integrate social and environmental responsibility into all aspects of our business operation, Arcollab is a certified B Corporation. As of January 2024, Arcollab became the only architecture firm in the State of Georgia to be certified as a B Corporation with an initial score of 105.9.
