Like a child playing with a cardboard box, Mell Lawrence finds countless ways to transform a simple form into an object of endless fascination. Since founding his small office in Austin in 1991, he has applied a palette of concrete, stone, steel plate and I-beams to elemental forms, fashioning muscular houses that manipulate light and space… and exploit the sensual beauty of industrial materials. (Even a public bathroom takes on a certain majesty in the hands of this firm.) Paradoxically, with their wide, floating roofs, cantilevered annexes and glass walls, there’s a certain levity at play that makes… Read more

Like a child playing with a cardboard box, Mell Lawrence finds countless ways to transform a simple form into an object of endless fascination. Since founding his small office in Austin in 1991, he has applied a palette of concrete, stone, steel plate and I-beams to elemental forms, fashioning muscular houses that manipulate light and space… and exploit the sensual beauty of industrial materials. (Even a public bathroom takes on a certain majesty in this firm’s hands.) Paradoxically, with their wide, floating roofs, cantilevered annexes and glass walls, there’s a certain levity at play that creates an uneasy connection to the landscape. Looking at MLA’s work, you can almost hear the staff saying, “Wouldn’t it be great if we tried this?” It’s our luck that they did. Read less