In Profile:
Khoury Vogt Architects

Name: Marieanne Khoury-Vogt and Erik Vogt
Company Name: LPE Designs Ltd
Position Within Company: Founders and Principal Architects
Website: www.khouryvogt.com

Tell us a little about your background in design:

Marieanne, having grown up in the Middle East and settling in Paris, France, began her studies at L’Ecole Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris from 1985-1988. She continued them at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, earning a Bachelor of Architecture in 1989 and a double Masters in Architecture and Urban Planning in 1992. She subsequently moved to Miami, Florida, working in various offices and teaching at The Design and Architecture Senior High School (DASH), a Miami-Dade magnet school. It is there that she met Erik, also teaching at the school.

Erik, a native New Englander, attended the University of Miami School of Architecture (UM), graduating with a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1992. Staying on in Miami, he worked in various offices, including DPZ, while also teaching at DASH and UM.

In 1997, Erik and Marieanne, since married, moved to New Haven, CT, where Erik had been accepted to the Masters of Architecture program at Yale University. While there, he initiated research into New Haven’s early colonial history and its famed nine-square plan, which would subsequently be developed, in collaboration with Vincent Scully, Catherine Lynn, and Paul Goldberger, into a book documenting Yale and New Haven’s urban and architectural history. While researching and writing, Erik also assisted Andres Duany, Leon Krier, and Demetri Porphyrios in their visiting professorships at Yale.
In 2001, Erik and Marieanne moved back to Miami to establish their own practice, with Erik also teaching as an adjunct professor at UM. After several years as a young firm, they were recruited by Andres Duany to be the founding town architects for Alys Beach, a new town in the Florida Panhandle that DPZ had just planned. Accordingly, they re-located their practice and quickly built up a portfolio of diverse projects, ranging from civic and commercial works to private homes of varying sizes and types, all within the tightly prescribed parameters of Alys Beach’s urban and architectural codes.

After 13 years in their role as town architects, Erik and Marieanne recently decided to re-launch their private practice, re-establishing Khoury & Vogt Architects as an independent office in 2016. While continuing as Alys Beach’s consulting town architects, they have broadened their practice to include architectural and urban design projects throughout Florida, Southeast and expanding beyond the United States.

Name five key themes to consider when approaching design in the future.:
1. The Elevation of Outdoor Rooms and Daily Rituals
A continued emphasis on outdoor rooms that expand daily living—spaces that enhance ritual, encourage gathering, and frame nature as an essential part of the home. This reflects a broader movement toward human-centered design that prioritizes wellness, ease, and meaningful experiences.
2. Materiality With Integrity and Sensory Depth
A growing attention to how materials feel—texture, warmth, tactility, and authenticity. As younger generations prioritize sustainability, designers are making more deliberate choices: products that are environmentally responsible yet still refined, beautiful, and enduring.
3. Thoughtful Integration of Technology and AI
The seamless incorporation of technology into the rhythms of daily life, where AI supports efficiency, personalization, and comfort without overwhelming the sensory quality of the home. The aim is to create environments that are intuitive rather than intrusive.
4. Flexible, Multi-Functional Living Environments
Homes that adapt—spaces that can shift effortlessly between work, rest, play, and retreat. As lifestyles become more fluid, flexibility becomes a fundamental design principle, allowing architecture and interiors to evolve with the people who inhabit them.
5. A Return to Craft and the Emotional Resonance of Design
A renewed appreciation for craftsmanship, narrative, and the emotional imprint of design. Clients increasingly value spaces that feel personal, expressive, and rooted in story—places where romance, memory, and originality coexist with practicality.

If you could offer one piece of advice when it comes to designing, what would it be?:

To design well, to cultivate the ability to look deeply—to observe, to listen, and to truly understand how people want to live.

When you design from a place of empathy and curiosity, every decision becomes more intentional: spaces become calmer, materials more meaningful, and the architecture more deeply connected to its setting. Trust your instincts, honor your inspirations, and edit with discipline. Originality comes naturally when you design with clarity, purpose, and heart.

How important are The International Design & Architecture Awards?:
The International Design & Architecture Awards are important because they celebrate design that elevates daily life work that is both beautiful and purposeful. They provide a platform for architects and designers around the world to share ideas, recognize craftsmanship, and exchange inspiration across cultures and disciplines. Most importantly, they affirm that thoughtful design — rooted in context, proportion, and authenticity, continues to matter and has the power to shape how people live and connect with their surroundings.

What projects are you currently working on?:
The bulk of our practice is single-family residential (at all scales), from the urban townhouse to the island retreat. But we also enjoy light commercial projects such as restaurants, retail spaces, and pool amenities for communities.