Alao

ALAO nurtures a humanist approach to design and aims to create spaces that allow people feel joyful and connected to a place. A collaborative studio led by partners Aya Maceda and James Carse, it has offices in New York and New Orleans and works globally. With a focus on social advocacy, ALAO views architecture as infrastructure for improving lives and lifestyles, and it approaches its projects with the conviction that even private buildings can have profound effects on the public sphere. The practice dedicates time to collaborating with communities who are unable to access architects, and it believes that quality design should be available to all. The firm’s name is short for Act Lab -Architecture Office (AL-Architecture Office D.P.C.). Act Lab is the research and engagement practice that preceded and fuels the thinking behind ALAO’s design practice. Inspired by the Filipino concept of ‘maaliwalas’, which means a generous flow of light and air, it produces bright and free environments that are tactile, playful, elegant, thoughtful, and enriching. Since its founding, it has crafted bespoke residences, affordable art studios, retail environments, and community spaces. ALAO’s work has been featured in the NY Times, DWELL, Habitus Australia, WhiteWall, AD PRO and other publications, and regularly contributes to research on architecture in the social realm and urban design.