- lieu means place

- lieu is an architecture and design studio driven by the desire to create unique places rooted in empathy, curiosity and thoughtfulness.

The studio designs spaces that respond directly to – and resonate with – their specific contexts: people, aspirations, programs, culture, economics, and the environment. - lieu believes thoughtful design can profoundly impact individuals and communities. Everyone deserves good design – and good design is possible at any budget. Regardless of typology, scale, or context, each project presents opportunities to do better.

- lieu believes design should not only been seen but felt. Design should consider how someone may feel when they enter a building, a space, a corner of a room. What is their experience? How could it affect their energy, their mood, their day, their future? What tone should it set?

The studio approaches every project as an adventure – one that requires curiosity and an open mind. - lieu’s iterative design process tests ideas, compositions, and materials to discover what feels right for that particular project. They design relationships and seek clarity through contrast – playing with dialogs between old and new, light and dark, smooth and textured, stoic and cheerful. Refinement reinforces a clear design intent.  

- lieu is a women-owned small business (WBE/WOSB) founded in 2020 by Danielle Beaulieu AIA, LEED AP BD+C. The studio is located in the historic Monadnock Building in downtown Chicago.