Laurel Brown
President and Owner
Laurel is the president and owner of Brownhouse. In this role, she directs all creative content and leads the general management of the firm’s day-to-day operations. Before founding Brownhouse in 2003, Laurel served as the director of corporate architecture for HSR Associates, Inc. and for Kahler Slater Architects, Inc., both of which are located in Madison, Wisconsin. Prior to that experience, for twelve years she owned her own commercial deign firm, McManus Consulting, in Atlanta, Georgia. She provided a range of services for some of the nation’s largest companies, including AT&T, Southern Bell, Lucent Technologies, Food & Drug Administration, and Post Properties. McManus Consulting was consistently ranked in the top 25 firms in the Atlanta market.
Throughout her career, Laurel’s work has been showcased in industry publications and award competitions. In addition, she has been lauded in the media for her professional business style and high-quality design expertise. Laurel has also taught a senior level Interior Design class at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Laurel graduated as a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society with a Bachelor of Arts in Art and Design from the University of Alaska and earned an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Business in 2002. She currently serves on the board of directors of Downtown Madison, Inc. and on the Downtown Outreach Community Partner Advisory Committee. Laurel is an avid traveler, and collects design ideas from around the world.