New Member Spotlight
Trenton Mays
Tell us about yourself.
I am a Southwest Louisiana native and Lake Charles based architect. I returned to Lake Charles in 2018 to begin my career, knowing I could make an impact by creating spaces that people use every day that help improve and grow our region. My work has primarily focused on public projects, including schools, civic, and community-driven developments.
Outside of architecture I serve as President of This Is Home Fest, a nonprofit organization that provides a free celebration of our culture and community.
Most of what I do is driven by a desire to improve the built environment around me and advocate for my community through both my professional and personal efforts.
This Is Home Fest was born out of the chaos of multiple storms and became a way for me to give back beyond the practice of architecture.
As a Sulphur native, how has your background and connection to the community shaped your commitment to serving and investing locally?
Growing up in Southwest Louisiana, I spent a lot of time outdoors in the woods building makeshift structures out of whatever materials I could find. I credit a lot of my professional mindset to that early experience of making something out of nothing.
With the number of storms that have impacted our area throughout my lifetime, I have also witnessed my community rebuild itself many times and always come back stronger. That gave me the perspective that creating and rebuilding are part of life here. As unfortunate as those events are, the opportunities they create for rebuilding and improving our community continue to motivate me.
You wear many hats — architect, president of This Is Home Fest, and now Community Foundation member. What motivates you to stay so actively involved in community initiatives?
For me, it all ties back to creating experiences and environments that people are proud of and that reflect our community. Architecture does that physically, and events like This Is Home Fest do it culturally.
To do that well, I try to keep a strong pulse on Calcasieu Parish and stay aware of the needs of the community. Being involved with the Community Foundation helps me stay engaged in both the present and future of the region, and that perspective directly informs my work.
From your perspective as an architect, how does thoughtful design influence the long-term growth and identity of SWLA?
I view the built environment as something that will influence its surroundings for decades and, in most cases, much longer. In Southwest Louisiana, we have strong ties to our environment, our culture, and our resilience, and I try to reflect those characteristics in my work.
Thoughtful design helps strengthen the identity of our region. It is not just about buildings, it is about how people interact with them, how they move through spaces, and how those spaces represent the character of the community over time.
What is your favorite Just Imagine catalytic project? How does your professional experience help guide conversation?
I’m especially drawn to the lakefront and downtown connectivity projects. I may be a bit biased, as I’ve had the opportunity to work on projects like Port Wonder, Crying Eagle Lakefront, the lakefront parking garage, and the North Beach restrooms. This Is Home Fest also utilizes the lakefront amphitheater, inviting the community to gather and experience what I like to think of as Lake Charles’ front porch. That area represents a significant opportunity to better connect people to one of our region’s most valuable natural assets. It is also important to recognize that only within the last century has Lake Charles been able to reclaim its lakefront from the industries that originally shaped the city. The Just Imagine plan provides a shared direction for how we can continue that transformation in a thoughtful and impactful way.
What excites you most about SWLA's future, particularly as it relates to the goals of the Just Imagine plan?
There is a lot of opportunity in Southwest Louisiana right now, and it is one of the main reasons I chose to return home and invest in its future. During my time away, I saw how intentional development and planning can reshape communities and entire cities.
If we stay focused on how we grow and prioritize quality of life, public spaces, and thoughtful development, we can create a region that not only retains people but also attracts new energy and ideas.
Southwest Louisiana has a strong and unique culture. How can architecture and community planning help preserve that identity while also encouraging progress and development?
It starts with understanding what makes SWLA unique at a deeper level, including our local materials, climate, history, and the way people live and gather. Preserving that identity is not about resisting change but about evolving in a way that still feels grounded and authentic.
That can be done through the use of regional materials like cypress, designing for our climate, and creating spaces that support local traditions and events. I see it as a continuous story where new development builds on what is already here and adds to the character of SWLA instead of replacing it.