James Lawrence, AIA, LEEDap, wears two hats in his community - one as a dedicated architect committed to designing spaces that bring people together and another as a neighbor who contributes his time and talents to improve his local neighborhood.
By day, James is a senior project manager and architectural studio director at Kai Engineering and Design in Dallas, Texas. His professional focus lies in creating schools, community centers, and public assets that serve the diverse needs of neighbors. However, his commitment to the community extends beyond his work. As a nonprofit and neighborhood volunteer, he also actively participates in grassroots initiatives to help improve and strengthen his community.
His approach in both roles is rooted in a shared set of values: empathy, listening, and the belief that true change happens when people come together. His work serves as a blueprint for how meaningful impact can be achieved at different levels - from designing transformative spaces to simply showing up for your neighbors.
Community Architect: Building for the Greater Good
In his professional life, James' mission is clear. As he explains,
"We like to differentiate ourselves from other architects and engineers by being the firm that listens to the community as opposed to telling the community what they want."
His work with Kai Engineering and Design is focused on creating community assets that strengthen local connections and promote inclusivity. He and his team focus on public spaces such as K-12 schools and community centers - projects he refers to as “community infrastructure” - which foster connection and growth. This approach - of honoring the past while enhancing the future - demonstrates how his architectural projects help communities preserve their identity while evolving to meet modern needs.
One example of this community-centric work involved a Fort Worth, Texas elementary school which was also a historic building and neighborhood landmark. Beyond its function as a school, it serves as a place for community events, food drives, and community gatherings.
Working on these types of large-scale projects has given him a deep respect for the community voices that have shaped them. His dedication to active listening is a core part of his approach. For him, “Active listening is about thinking more about what everybody else wants,” he explains, noting that this openness allows him to build spaces that truly reflect the needs of the people who will use them.
His best advice for those working with communities:
"When you’re involved in a community meeting or event, don’t sit at the front of the room. Sit somewhere in the back, next to everyone, and then listen to the person who's in the back just whispering stuff. They're usually the ones that have the best things to say and contribute that other people don’t always pay attention to."
For James, community meetings aren’t simply procedural; they’re vital spaces where real insights and connections can emerge. He also stresses the importance of engaging directly with community members, not only during formal meetings but also in informal moments.
His professional philosophy - to design WITH the community, not FOR the community - highlights his belief that public spaces should be collaborative, built upon a foundation of shared values and mutual respect.
This approach was particularly evident in other projects like a high school in Dallas, Texas, where his team worked to improve career training resources in direct response to community feedback. After listening to residents and educators, his team recognized a need for upgraded culinary arts facilities, which will provide students with hands-on training that can open doors to future career opportunities. For him, it’s this blend of functionality and community responsiveness that makes his work deeply impactful.
Neighborhood Volunteer: Small Actions, Big Impact
Outside the office, James' commitment to his community takes on a different form. As a neighborhood volunteer, he works on a smaller, more personal scale to make a difference where he lives. One of his most recent projects involved partnering with neighbors to transform a vacant lot into a useful, community-centered space. "That would be an ideal thing," he shares, imagining the impact of creating a gathering spot that would replace the current neglected lot where people ride four-wheelers.
His nonprofit and neighborhood work allows him to see, up close, the impact that small changes can have. Through his architectural work, he collaborates with large institutions and school districts, but his local volunteer efforts often involve working with a small team of neighbors to bring change to their immediate surroundings.
Even in this smaller-scale work, His philosophy of listening and collaboration remains front and center. He notes what lives at the core of his motivation as a volunteer,
"Making an impact in your community… seeing how that impact makes life a little bit better for everybody."
Whether he's designing a school for hundreds of students or working with neighbors on a neighborhood improvement project, his goal is always the same: to enhance quality of life and bring people together.
Two Approaches, One Mission: Listening and Engagement
In both his professional and volunteer work, James relies on active listening as his primary tool. As an architect, he conducts formal community meetings, uses surveys, and spends time with stakeholders to understand their needs. For instance, he emphasizes the importance of “going early and staying late” at meetings, as this allows him to connect with people who may not feel comfortable sharing in the larger group but have extremely valuable insights that need to be heard.
When volunteering, he applies these same listening skills, but in a more informal setting. He knows that real engagement doesn’t always come through structured meetings; sometimes, it’s the casual conversations with neighbors that reveal the most about what people want and need. He believes that good community building, whether on a city-wide scale or within a neighborhood, depends on creating spaces where people feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas.
"I think we all tend to hang on too tight to what we think is the best solution. The reality is that the best solution probably comes from a bunch of different places that then get all mixed. It’s almost like a big pot of soup or something. It’s all the pieces coming together that make it the best. When you start, the final solution may not even exist yet. You're going to have to come up with it together."
In both settings, his goal is to create environments that reflect and respect the diversity of opinions and needs. His approach is a good reminder that effective community engagement is more than just gathering input; it’s also about building trust and fostering a sense of collective ownership.
Balancing Professional and Personal Community Building
James' experiences as an architect and neighborhood volunteer have given him a unique perspective on the different ways people can impact their communities.
In his view, effective design requires flexibility and openness to input from all stakeholders. He underscores the unpredictable nature of work in community settings:
“We’re sort of taught this idea of everything needing to be perfect. Real-world projects are messy, and they often have this little sidebar thing happening over here and other things over there, but then it all comes together."
As he describes, large-scale projects often require patience, as changes take time to materialize, but the impact can be long-lasting and far-reaching. In contrast, his neighborhood efforts allow him to see more immediate results and create meaningful bonds with neighbors that strengthen their connections.
For him, it’s not about separating his professional and personal community work; rather, it’s about bringing the same values - listening, empathy, and adaptability - to every project, big or small.
James' Key Insights for Community Building
His dual approach to community involvement provides valuable insights for anyone looking to make a difference in their community, whether through formal or informal channels. Here are some of his key takeaways:
Listen Beyond the Words – James emphasizes that effective listening goes beyond just hearing what’s said. It’s about understanding the emotions and motivations behind people’s words, whether in a large public meeting or a casual conversation with neighbors.
Embrace Flexibility – Both large-scale architecture projects and small neighborhood initiatives come with their own set of challenges. He advises being open to new ideas and willing to adjust plans as needs change.
Value Small Contributions – In neighborhood work, small actions can lead to significant change. James believes that engaging on a smaller scale can create bonds that strengthen the entire community.
Foster a Sense of Ownership – His goal in every project is to help people feel a connection to the outcome, whether it’s a new school or a community garden. He believes that people are more likely to support and sustain spaces when they feel personally invested in them.
Two Sides, One Mission: Enhancing Community
James Lawrence’s service as both an architect and neighborhood volunteer remind us that community building happens at every level. His insights illustrate that while large-scale projects can create lasting change, small neighborhood efforts are equally valuable in fostering connection and improving quality of life.
For him, each role is essential to his mission. Whether he’s sitting in a city planning meeting or chatting with neighbors about a vacant lot, his focus is on building spaces that reflect the needs and visions of the people who will use them. His approach shows that true community engagement can happen on any scale, whether through architectural design or grassroots neighborhood efforts. He also offers a powerful example of how individuals can make a difference, one project - and one conversation - at a time.
Additional Resources
For those inspired by James' approach, here are resources and organizations he mentions that support community engagement and architecture:
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED): A green building certification program used worldwide that includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings, homes, and neighborhoods, which aims to help building owners and operators be environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA): The largest, most influential network of architecture professionals who share a passion for design, a desire to change the world, and a commitment to the highest standards of practice.
Trinity Habitat for Humanity: Partners with people in our community to help them build or improve a place they can call home.
U.S. Green Building Council: Accelerates impactful change by equipping practitioners, policymakers, and decision-makers with transformative tools, proven solutions, and data-driven insights to design, construct, operate, and certify high-performance spaces.