About Us
Our work is rooted in the empowerment and cultivation of community.
ARCHEFFECT is a multi-disciplinary, intersectional design studio based in Los Angeles, California. We center womxn, people of color and our queer community (QTBIPOC) in our work and use our collaborative design processes to address challenges our communities face.
Founded in 2010 by Lilliana Castro, a Salvadoran immigrant and creative punk on the premise that the role of the designer is a facilitator rather than an expert. We share our knowledge and tools with our community for design to be accessible and inclusive to all.
We draw from our intersections and lived experiences to foster equity and create platforms for our Clients to increase visibility, amplify their voices and deepen their impact.
We believe our work has a greater purpose and working together we contribute a to a larger discourse that challenges social constructs, promotes agency, and impacts policy.
We work to uplift traditional, indigenous, and local knowledge and practices, working towards sustainable outcomes for our communities to have representation and agency.
FOUNDER
Lilliana Castro (she.her.ella) is a community rooted designer, artist and maker working and living in Los Angeles. Born and raised in San Salvador, El Salvador Central America, immigrated to the U.S. in ’89, and graduated SCI-Arc in 2008.
She established her design practice - Archeffect- as a design tool for the community and as a collaborative approach to architecture. Her work draws from intersections and lived experiences to foster equity and create platforms in which socio-economic constructs can be challenged and agency is promoted.
Outside of the studio, Lilliana teaches design and architecture at Long Beach City College, leading the design/build initiatives and program. Her teaching philosophy is grounded in community, “we” vs me. The purpose behind her teaching is to replace surface level diversity and performative work most architects and designers subscribe to, making design education accessible dismantling the visible, and at times, invisible borders that keep our QTBIPOC communities oppressed from creative fields.
Her work has been experienced at the the Illuminate L.A.’s Collective Memory Installation at Grand Park, at Los Angeles State Historic Park with the site specific design-build installation, ‘Pulling the Sun Back’ in collaboration with Mercedes Dorame, The Vanishing Worlds of Audubon: River Walk and Creative Workshop, MOCA Teens Workshop 2023 and the Architecture + Design Museum ‘Come In Les Femmes’. In 2018 she received 1st place with her team in the Yes to ADU Design Competition in Los Angeles to advance the legislation and policies for Accessible Dwelling Units (ADU). She has previously taught and lectured at USC School of Architecture, USC Cinematic Arts, the Los Angeles Institute of Architecture and Design (LAIAD), Pasadena City College (PCC) and Santa Monica College (SMC). In her art practice, she raises awareness and funds for community initiatives such as the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES).