In an ever-evolving profession, our advancing staff enriches the work and culture at PAYETTE while cultivating the talent, creativity and growth among the very project teams they make up. With great pleasure we announce the advancement of three staff members. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating their achievements.
Nick LaVita, AIA
Promoted to Associate
Nick joined PAYETTE in 2007 following graduating from Syracuse University. Since then he has been involved with a number of the firm’s key academic science projects including the Wesleyan University Molecular Life Sciences Building, Georgetown University’s Regents Hall, Princeton University’s Frick Chemistry Lab, the University of Massachusetts Greenhouse, and the Amherst College Science Center. Nick is currently a core team member for the Integrated Sciences Building at Lafayette College. He has also made great contributions to our Research Lab Benchmarking Study which was completed in 2015.
What drew you to architecture?
My grandfather was an architect and structural engineer. I have memories as a kid spending time in his office, looking through his construction drawing sets and playing with his drafting table. Plus I’m a big fan of Art Vandelay.
What is the most important thing you’ve learned so far?
Mentorship. I’ve been very lucky throughout my career to have some great mentors that have spent the time teaching me how to be a professional architect. It’s something that I try to pass on to my colleagues on a daily basis.
What is your favorite building or place?
Le Corbusier’s Notre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp France. While abroad in Italy, a group of friends and I made the pilgrimage to the chapel during an epic weekend road trip across three countries in Europe. Everything about the building is perfect. From the dynamic form that continues to change as you approach, to the incredibly plastic interior and massive floating roof form. But nothing will beat the quality of light in the space. It’s spiritual.
Whom do you admire?
My parents. They are both incredibly hard workers but at the same time always put family first. They are my role models and for me a great example of how to achieve that balance between life and work.
What’s on your playlist?
It’s always changing and pretty eclectic. Right now, it’s mostly country music.
We are honored to share PAYETTE has received two 2026 Green Good Design Awards from The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies—Land’s Sake Farm and The Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard.
“Green GOOD DESIGN identifies and emphasizes the world’s most important examples of sustainable design and works to develop a public awareness program that informs the general public about which global companies are doing the best job in ecological and sustainable design for our world. Architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning projects, as well as product, packaging, and graphic design projects from over 30 nations were honored with the 2026 Green GOOD DESIGN Award.”
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