.webp)
Design is not an accessory—it is the foundation of experience.
SO Studio, founded by former Louisiana State Representative Stephen J. Ortego, is an award-winning architecture and urban design firm based in the heart of French Louisiana. Guided by the principle that design shapes experience, we engage in a continuous dialogue between past and present, tradition and innovation, to enrich both the built environment and the lives of its inhabitants.
Our expertise spans a range of scale and disciplines with master planning for new neighborhoods and infill projects, architectural and interior design for new constructions and renovations, and historic preservation.
Approach
Always Add Value
We believe that thoughtful design adds lasting value, not only to buildings but to the communities they serve. Whether through increasing functionality, enriching cultural identity, or fostering an intangible emotional resonance, we intend to amplify every project’s potential.
Context Sensitivity
Each project is approached with a deep understanding of its specific site, considering environmental, cultural, and historical conditions. This ensures that designs are integrated harmoniously into their surroundings.
Collaborative Dialogue
We approach design not as a fixed solution, but as an ongoing conversation—between past and future, form and function, people and place. Each project is shaped by this exchange, resulting in architecture that is alive to its context and enriched by collective input.
Future Ready
Sustainability is not an add-on. We integrate environmental considerations at every phase to create buildings and communities that contribute positively to their environments—improving air quality, conserving resources, and enhancing well-being.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Contact
News
.jpg)
The Acadiana Advocate “Ambitious plan creates bike lanes to connect Lafayette from Pontiac Point to Rotary Point”
The Acadiana Advocate highlights SO Studio’s collaborative bike infrastructure project.
Acadiana Profile Magazine “Saving the Best for Last”
SO Studio works to resurrect a historic Victorian home in the Sterling Grove of Lafayette, Louisiana.
.jpg)
The Current “From Pontiac Point to Rotary Point: Lafayette’s ambitious bike plan”
The Current offers insightful input on SO Studio’s collaborative bike infrastructure project.
.jpg)
I-49 Connector
The I-49 Connector team unveiled further details on the design for elevating the current Evangeline Thruway that has split the Lafayette community for way too long. One of the most interesting concepts, and possibly the concept with the most potential to reunite the split currently created by the Evangeline Thruway, is the creation of the Evangeline Boulevard.
Project Index
A renovated and expanded tribal police station and courthouse at the entrance to the Tunica-Biloxi reservation in Marksville, Louisiana.
A newly restored boutique hotel in the heart of Washington, Louisiana's National Historic District.