LIA HERRMANN: From Individual Signature to Brand Building — A Journey Through Architecture, Entrepreneurship, and Purpose
Architecture Cover Edition - October 2026 Issue
Between interpreting her clients’ needs and building a company with an identity of its own, Lia Herrmann has found new ways to express her creative authorship.
A home can reveal a great deal about the people who live in it, but its residents do not always know how to translate that into a design. Some habits are difficult to explain, needs only emerge through everyday routines, and desires cannot always be captured in visual references saved for a meeting. It is in this space between what a client asks for and what they truly need that Lia Herrmann’s work begins.
Before putting pencil to paper, Lia listens. She wants to understand how people live, what they enjoy doing at home, what is missing from their daily routines, and what bothers them about the spaces they inhabit. A conversation about aesthetics can ultimately reveal a very specific need: having a table where everyone can gather, entertain friends, or keep an eye on the children while someone prepares a meal. For her, these discoveries are what give meaning to the decisions behind each project.
Her signature lies not in repeating an aesthetic formula. Lia has her own references and a distinct perspective, but she strives to organize each client's needs and preferences in a way that allows the final result to belong just as much to the people who will inhabit the space. It is an exercise in balancing the identity of the designer with that of the people who will call it home.
This relationship between creative authorship and building something of her own also runs through her professional journey. When the construction company's office where she worked closed, Lia had to find her own clients.
She began by meeting clients in their homes and in cafés, without having everything in place. She was determined to make the work happen and felt a strong sense of responsibility toward the people who placed their trust in her.
The experience brought lessons that extended far beyond architecture. To keep the business running, she had to learn how to sell, set prices, organize processes, manage finances, and lead people. Over time, she realized she could no longer handle every stage of the business herself. Growth required a team and a structure capable of supporting the work.
In 2022, the firm became Studio Zaliah. The change reflected her desire to build a company with an identity of its own, one that could also represent the people working alongside her. The new name was only the beginning of a transformation that involved rethinking processes, aligning the team, and sharing responsibilities.
Learning to delegate also meant learning to trust. Lia had to make room for others to grow and take part in building the firm. Today, she feels proud when clients recognize the care and quality of the work delivered by her team. To her, that recognition shows that what she believes in is being built by more people.
Motherhood brought another perspective to her choices. Since Helena's arrival, Lia has become more mindful of how she allocates her time and the place work occupies in her life. Being present for her daughter, nurturing her marriage, and caring for her health and faith are also part of what she considers a successful life. A full schedule may represent an achievement, but it is not enough to define success.
The desire to grow remains. Lia continues to make plans and pursue meaningful projects, but today, she also considers the kind of life she wants to lead while working toward those goals. The challenge lies in balancing her ambitions with the relationships and experiences that give meaning to each day.
As the firm has grown, Lia's responsibilities have taken on a new dimension. In the beginning, she needed to attract clients and establish a foundation for her own work. Today, she must also share responsibilities and build a structure that allows the business to grow.
Lia began by learning to recognize what would truly make a difference in her clients' spaces, looking beyond their requests to understand their underlying needs. In building Studio Zaliah, she had to extend that same perspective to her own business. Her story shows how a vision can find room to grow when it becomes something built by others, too.
In a conversation about architecture, leadership, and life choices, Lia Herrmann reflects on what has changed in the way she creates, builds a business, and understands success.
1. When the construction company's office where you worked closed, you had to find your own clients, even meeting them in your home and in cafés. Looking back at those early days and the company you have built since then, what was the most important shift in the way you viewed your profession and what it would take to turn it into a business?
The most important change was understanding that being a good architect was only one part of what I needed to build a company. I loved creating, thinking about spaces, and watching a project come to life, but I had to learn how to sell my work, price my services, organize processes, lead people, and manage finances.
When the construction company's office closed, I simply did what I could with the resources available to me. I met clients at home, in cafés, wherever possible. I didn't have everything in place, but I was determined to make it work and felt a strong sense of responsibility toward the people who trusted me.
Over time, I realized that I couldn't let everything depend on my individual effort. I needed to build a team, learn to delegate, and create a structure that could sustain growth. That was a major turning point: beginning to see myself as an entrepreneur, too, and taking responsibility for the decisions that came with that role.
2. Your projects are shaped by highly personal stories, habits, and expectations. How do you translate a client's identity into architecture without losing your own creative signature? Has there been a particular project that broadened your understanding of this relationship?
I always say that before I start designing, I need to listen. I want to understand how that person lives, what they enjoy doing at home, what is missing from their daily routine, and even what bothers them about their current living space. Often, what will make the biggest difference in a project emerges from a simple conversation.
My signature lies in the way I organize this information and transform it into a space that is beautiful, welcoming, and functional. Of course, I have my own references and perspective, but I want clients to walk into a room and recognize themselves in it.
Designing homes for families has taught me a great deal about this. Sometimes, we begin by discussing aesthetics and discover that their greatest wish is to have a table where everyone can sit together, entertain friends, or keep an eye on the children while preparing a meal. These are the discoveries that give meaning to the design decisions. Since becoming a mother, I have developed an even greater sensitivity to some of these needs.
3. In 2022, your firm became Studio Zaliah, moving away from a brand directly associated with your name. What motivated this change, and what did it take to build a business identity capable of standing on its own, beyond the founder's image?
The change came from a desire to build a company with an identity of its own and room to grow. My story remains very much a part of Studio Zaliah, but I wanted the brand to also represent the people who were building it alongside me.
To achieve that, changing the name was only the beginning. We had to mature the way we worked, organize our processes, align the team, and gain greater clarity about the experience we wanted to deliver to our clients.
That also required a change in me. I had to learn to share responsibilities, trust others, and make room for people to grow. I feel incredibly proud when I see a client recognize the care and quality of our firm in the work delivered by the team. It means seeing what I believe in being built by more people.
4. Faith is also reflected in your work, particularly in the way you support women and young people. How does this experience influence the way you listen to and guide others, and what do these relationships reveal to you about yourself?
My faith is part of who I am, so it is present in the way I work, lead, and care for people. As a pastor, especially through my interactions with women and young people, I am constantly learning that we know very little about someone when we see only what they choose to show us.
This teaches me to listen more patiently and to be thoughtful before offering an opinion. People do not always need an immediate answer. Sometimes, they need to be able to speak, feel welcomed and supported, and realize they are not alone.
These relationships also help me recognize my own limits. I want to help, solve problems, and take care of everyone, but I also need to be cared for. I have doubts, I get tired, and I need God, too. Being in a leadership position reminds me of the responsibility I have toward others and the importance of continuing to learn.
5. Looking back at the woman who began this journey and the person you are today, is there an achievement that once seemed essential but no longer holds the same place in your definition of success? How has your perspective changed over the years?
In the beginning, attracting clients, having an office, and seeing my work recognized occupied a very large place in my life. I was building everything from the ground up, and I wanted to see that I was making progress.
I still have big dreams, and I love what I do. But today, I think more about how I want to live while pursuing those dreams. A full schedule can be an achievement, but I also need to be present with my family, take care of my health, and make time to live out my faith.
Motherhood brought this into focus in a very tangible way. I want to grow and build meaningful things, but I also want to watch Helena grow up and be present in my marriage. My definition of success has come to include these choices. Today, a professional achievement needs to make sense within the life I want to lead.
6. To conclude, if you could speak to the entire world and knew your message would be heard, what would you say? Is there something you deeply believe in that you wish more people understood?
I would say: don't wait until you have everything figured out to begin. We often look at other people's lives and think that ours is the only one filled with fear, difficulties, and days when it feels like nothing will work out. But there is so much behind every story that we cannot see.
I deeply believe in God and in His care for us, including during the times when I didn't understand what was happening. My faith has given me the strength to keep going on so many occasions, and I wish more people could experience that love.
I would also encourage people to take care of those around them. Dream, work, build, but pay attention to the people who are sharing this life with you. I still have so much I want to accomplish, but I want the people walking alongside me to feel loved throughout the journey.
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