Lacuna Design Architects

Lacuna Design Architects is an architecture practice in North Providence, Rhode Island. Founded in 2005, the firm works across residential and commercial projects at a range of scales and typologies, and its residential work includes the Hunt River Residence and Hunt River Guest House in North Kingstown, Centennial House and Hills House in Wellesley, Massachusetts, West Exchange Condo and A View with Focus in Providence, Mackerel Cove in Jamestown, Sakonnet Outlook in Portsmouth, and Whale Rock in Narragansett. Commercial work includes the Cranston League for Cranston's Future and CubeSmart locations in Cranston and Wakefield, Launch Trampoline Parks across Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire, and Anya Restaurant in Thompson, Connecticut. The firm holds a rating of 5.00 from the customers who have reviewed it.

Lacuna Design describes its work as a fusion of modern design and client collaboration. The practice treats architecture as both an art and a service, and its stated approach centers on layering textures, materials, space, and light to create a modern architectural experience. The office works with clients with open minds and thoroughness, with attention to efficiency and budget awareness, and acts as a client advocate through the design process. For residential projects, the firm studies each site's landscape and surroundings and listens to clients' needs to shape a home rather than simply a house. For commercial clients, it approaches each project as an opportunity to build an identity rather than just a building.

The practice is led by founder and principal Melissa Molnar Lawson, who received a Bachelor of Architecture with honors from Roger Williams University in 1999 and has over two decades of experience shaping homes and environments across the country. Before founding Lacuna Design in 2005, she worked at firms in New York, Boston, and Providence. She is a licensed architect in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Florida. Principal Kristopher Lawson has spent twenty years working to remove the historic divide in the industry.

The office sits on Chestnut Street, a short walk from the Providence Jewelry Manufacturing Historic District and the Jewelry District, and roughly a tenth of a mile from the Providence Children's Museum and the Rhode Island Department of State Library. Eddy Street and Dyer Street are each about two-tenths of a mile away.

Clients describe the firm as responsive and detail-oriented, with a creative approach that can take an existing structure and bring it to a clean, modern feel.