Louis Chang Joins Moody Nolan Philadelphia as Director of Operations
Louis will oversee the office and solidify the firm as a leader in the region
Moody Nolan Philadelphia is pleased to announce the hire of Louis Chang, NOMA, as Associate Principal and Director of Operations. Louis brings over 20 years of experience to the architecture firm, managing the end-to-end process and project implementation from ideation to completion. In this role, Louis will oversee all aspects of the business and implement effective strategies to amplify the firm’s presence in the region. A resident of Philadelphia since 2006, Louis is prepared to bring a localized perspective to projects and be a conduit for honest dialogue among all constituents.
“Louis’ longtime career in the city provides a critical, first-hand perspective on the communities this office serves,” says CEO and President Jonathan Moody of Moody Nolan. “We are so excited to welcome him to the team to build upon our current work and continue to expand in the market.”
Louis specializes in interior built environments across multiple market sectors – spanning food and beverage, entertainment, aviation concession, retail, and more – focusing particularly on the integration of hospitality into the user-experience. Throughout his career, he has led the successful completion of many projects, including a $30 million tenant concession fit-out with multiple food and beverage venues in Terminal B Philadelphia International Airport. He also recently completed the transformative concession concepts in the new Delta Terminal C at LaGuardia Airport. Locally, he led the team that brought two great nightlife institutions to Philadelphia – Union Transfer, once a luggage transfer building for the Reading Railroad company, was reimagined as a vibrant, live music venue, and South Bowl, a bowling venue with a multi-purpose event space that was once a cold-storage warehouse. Driven by how people interact with their environment, Louis takes a pragmatic but creative approach to design, utilizing his critical and constructive eye to design spaces that are bold and idealistic, yet conscious and humble.
“I felt empowered to join the Moody Nolan team as I resonate with the firm’s origin story of being in the minority of a profession, persevering, and building one of the most successful architecture firms in the country,” says Louis Chang. “The opportunity to create and impact everyday life through the built environment is an inspiring and humbling experience, and I’m honored to be a part of driving that force for Moody Nolan here in Philadelphia.”
One of the firm’s current projects is Chapel Block in the Navy Yard, a forthcoming mixed-use project. Louis’ prior experience in leadership roles at various firms in New York City and Philadelphia informs his direction to further develop Moody Nolan’s presence in the city and broader Northeastern region. Louis aspires to create a studio that leverages the national strength of Moody Nolan practice areas, resulting in projects across education, mixed-use, housing, civic, hospitality and life science in the greater Philadelphia area. With a clear vision for what he hopes to accomplish as director, Louis is dedicated to developing new partnerships while aiding in purposefully-designed projects that create a direct impact in bettering communities.
In addition to his design career, Louis has eight years of experience as an adjunct professor, teaching in architecture and interior design studios at Jefferson University and Moore College of Art & Design. In his leisure time, he is also an avid cyclist and is a member of the Philadelphia Bicycle Club.
About Moody Nolan
Moody Nolan is the country’s largest African American-owned architecture firm. Founded in 1982 with just two employees in Columbus, OH, Moody Nolan has grown to 360 employees across 12 offices. Specializing in corporate, education, sports/recreation, collegiate, healthcare, housing/mixed-use, and public service facilities. Moody Nolan established the Philadelphia office in 2021 on the heels of the firm’s work on Chapel Block in the Navy Yard.
The firm has completed notable projects in Pennsylvania including Temple University’s Aramark Student Training and Recreation (STAR) Complex, West Chester University’s Recreation Center, and Pennsylvania State University’s Panzer Lacrosse Stadium. Acknowledging the firm’s sustained professional excellence, The American Institute of Architects (AIA) named Moody Nolan as the 58th recipient of the Architecture Firm Award in 2021; the highest honor the AIA bestows on an architecture practice. In 2022, the firm celebrated its 40th anniversary and was also named one of the most innovative architecture firms by Fast Company. For more information about Moody Nolan, visit www.moodynolan.com.
