FAIA, AICP, LEED AP BD+C
Director of Urban Design and Planning, SOM San Francisco
Ellen Lou, FAIA, AICP, LEED AP BD+C is a Director at the Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP. She is a licensed architect and certified city planner and currently serves as the Director of Urban Design and Planning in SOM’s San Francisco office. Ellen has directed many world-renowned urban design and planning efforts in the United States and several Pacific Rim countries. Her areas of specialization include urban, brown-field reuse, new towns/new communities master plans, historic revitalization, and campus master plans. Ms. Lou’s projects have received more than 50 US and International awards.
Ellen is particularly skilled in developing innovative ideas to address challenging urban planning contexts and to guide development interests that result in public benefit. She is committed to integrating sustainable features into the developments she is working on. Tenets of sustainable planning that she adheres to include creating pedestrian-friendly and transit-oriented developments, integrating elements of site features with development needs, and engendering a sense of identity rooted in the culture and aspirations of the place.
