Larry founded Booth Hansen in 1980 with the belief that spirited, meaningful, and useful buildings can be realized with an organized and open creative process. As Design Principal, he leads the conceptual development of every project at the firm, always beginning with the conviction that each client, landscape, and building program is unique and demands knowledge and creativity to achieve the best results. Larry rejects any stylistic dogma, believing that any preconceived approach to design will result in a superficial solution that does not best serve the client.
In a career spanning more than 40 years, Larry has been awarded numerous honors for his design work including a national Honor Award for the renovation of Old St. Patrick’s Church in Chicago, and over 30 regional Honor Awards from the American Institute of Architects. He has also been awarded numerous professional honors and has participated in several professional activities including: National Academician Elect, National Academy; Reynolds Award Jury, American Academy in Rome; Chicago Historical Society, Paul M. Angle Lecture; various national and state AIA award juries; MIT visiting committee, Department of Architecture; and National Endowment for the Arts, panelist.
In 2008, Larry was appointed Clinical Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Richard C. Halpern/Rise International Distinguished Architect in Residence at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He has also been a visiting professor at Harvard Graduate School of Design, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Illinois, and a lecturer at numerous prestigious colleges and universities. Larry received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University, studied at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, and received a Bachelor of Architecture from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Larry is currently a member of the Board of Directors of: Chicago History Museum, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Auditorium Theatre Council, and the Metropolitan Planning Council. His past board activity includes: Goodman Theatre, Museum of Contemporary Art, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, American Institute of Architects Chicago Chapter, Chicago Architectural Club (where he served as President), Chicago Institute of Architecture, and Cliff Dwellers. Larry is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.