re-imagine | re-invest | reconnect
good design starts with paying attention.
it begins when you notice a place and imagine it better: Maybe you dream of giving an abandoned building a new life. Maybe you’ve always wanted a gallery - or brewery - or coffee shop - for people to connect. Or maybe you want the spaces where your students learn to feel as alive as they do. A re-imagined building can re-connect us with what’s most important: history, nature, and each other.
Showcasing buildings' underlying beauty. Drawing out clients’ innate creativity. Celebrating nature's inherent value.
These are latent designs.
About Latent Designs
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grounded in sustainability
The most sustainable building is one that already exists.
That’s why Latent Designs collaborates with building owners, small businesses, and educational institutions to re-imagine & re-invest in existing buildings.
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woman-owned & team-oriented
Latent Designs is an award-winning woman-owned & HUB certified architectural firm licensed in the state of North Carolina and based in Winston-Salem.
Collaborating with trusted engineering and specialized design consultants, I right-size my team for each project so that you get exactly the expertise you need.
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PASSIONATE ABOUT HISTORY
Historic buildings are the backbone of North Carolina’s cities; when we restore these buildings, we re-connect communities.
Well-versed in Historic Tax Credits & Winston-Salem history, I regularly work with the State Historic Preservation Office, National Parks Service, and local historic preservation consultants.
HI, I’M Lauren Frye.
With over a decade of experience in client-centric adaptive reuse projects, I founded Latent Designs to design small-scale, sustainable, place-based architecture. My practice is centered around re-connecting us to history, nature, and each other by drawing out the latent (underlying) value of existing places.
Passionate about conserving resources and educating the next generation, I've chosen to focus my practice on adaptive reuse & renovations, educational, and small scale community-based projects.
I love the outdoors, reading, fitness, and creating things & exploring with my two boys & husband. I care deeply about my community in Winston-Salem, NC and am founder and board chair of the Community Design Studio.
For more on my background, check out my LinkedIn profile.
expertise
commercial renovations
Latent Designs works with small business owners to bring new life to existing buildings while maintaining details that tell stories of the past.
These adaptive reuse & renovation projects strive to reconnect people and communities through shared histories, creating not just spaces but places where visitors will want to return again and again.
learning spaces
As a high school design teacher & a mother, I know that every space can be a place for learning.
Latent Designs’ K-12 school renovation projects think outside the classroom with a focus on wellness, flexibility, and connectivity to both technology and the outdoors.
I believe in learning through experience, and welcome collaborations with teachers and students as part of the design (and build!) process!
architectural Services
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This free, 1-hour consultation helps me get to know you and your project. I prefer to meet on-site so we can review your vision together. After we meet, we craft a scope of work and a team specific to your needs.
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Before you build your project, you’ll want to understand its opportunities, challenges, and potential cost.
A basis of design document includes:
Schematic floor plans for GC Pricing;
Preliminary Code Analysis;
A Design Intent & Programming document with project goals & inspiration.
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Whether you’re a new business seeking investors or an education or nonprofit client looking to inspire donors, visuals of your future project go a long way to share your vision with others.
I’ll customize posters and 1-pagers with diagrammatic floor plans & inspiring images to help your team get the funds you need to take your project from dream to reality.
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These technical architectural documents ensure that your project is buildable and meets current code requirements. I’ll build a team of engineers, landscape architects, furniture experts, and interior designers (as needed) to create a full set of plans.
I pride myself on strong relationships with NC code officials as well as general contractors, and consult both during the documentation process to streamline both approvals and construction.
from our clients
“Lauren was instrumental in the success of our planning and execution for our brewery. She was an absolute pleasure to work with. Her dedication to our project and expertise in adaptive reuse was second to none.”
— Will Loring, Co-Founder, Lesser-Known Beer Company co-founder, 2022
“I was very impressed with Lauren and her attention to the Client's needs in the first renovation project we were associated with. As a result, when we had a similar renovation in our building, using Lauren to handle the Architectural design was an easy choice.”
— Barry Hennings, President, Omega Construction, 2021
“The professionalism and client service provided by Latent Designs was outstanding. Lauren guided us through a tight construction timeline and went above and beyond in ensuring succesful project completion. I highly recommend Latent Designs and will utilize their services for any future needs for our organization.”
- Patrick Velde, Head of School, Salem Montessori School, 2024
“Lauren is so immensely knowledgeable and passionate about her designs. She was very attentive AND flexible, two incredibly valuable assets in my opinion. Call Lauren for your architectural or design needs, you won’t regret it!”
— Blake Ginther, President, The Ginther Group, 2021
