Scott grew up in central Ohio, and earned a B.Arch. from University of Cincinnati’s College of DAAP.  Lara grew up in northern Florida, and earned a B.Science in Biology from Vanderbilt University. 

Lara and Scott met at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design (GSD), where they earned Master’s degrees in Landscape Architecture (Lara, MLA’93) and Architecture (Scott, MARCHII ’93).  Lara’s thesis explored predator/prey interactions and the relationship of viewer/viewed in the context of zoo exhibits.  Scott’s thesis (B.Arch. DAAP 1990), an institute for cinema on the Brooklyn waterfront facing lower Manhattan, explored connections within time and space between the filmic and experiential realms.  What?!

After school, they headed west to Seattle to start their careers in the real world.  Lara worked for landscape architects, the Woodland Park Zoo, and eventually became a designer, then director of design for BIOS, where she spent 10 years designing learning environments for public aquaria, zoos, and nature education centers.  Scott worked for various architects and design-build companies, and eventually formed Do-2 with a schoolmate, where he spent six years working on mostly modern homes and interiors throughout the Pacific Northwest. 

​

"After starting a family, we decided it was time to return to the East coast to be closer to our extended families, and to hang our own tile.  Wilmington, NC turned out to be the geographic midpoint and landing pad.   Since 2005, as B+O, we have been working hard to generate a body of work that reflects our values, as well as our individual and collective skill sets. 

We feel that design is a privilege, and that quality of life for EVERYONE requires clean air and water, healthy soils, and biodiversity.  When we work for and with you, our goal is to generate spaces that are artful, functional, and completely responsive to the unique character of each client, user and inhabitant."

                                                                                                                 -Scott and Lara

​

Check out the project grid back on the HOME page to see a representative sample of our work.