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FOUNDING PRINCIPAL
Julie Snow has garnered national recognition as both a practitioner and academic. Since founding Julie Snow Architects in 1995 and continuing the design trajectory of the firm as Snow Kreilich Architects, Julie participates in every project in the studio.
Julie has taught architecture at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard, the University of Southern California, and the University of Minnesota College of Design, where she received the Ralph Rapson Award for Distinguished Teaching. Julie’s design leadership is also evidenced by her participation on juries and delivery of lectures in both academic and professional settings. She has lectured at the Walker Art Center, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the National Building Museum, as well as making keynote addresses at several AIA conferences across the country.
Julie has been recognized with numerous awards including AIA Honor Awards, the Holcim North American Bronze Award, Progressive Architecture Design Award, the Chicago Athenaeum’s American, Architect Magazine Annual Design Review, and several US General Services Administration’s Design Excellence Awards. She recently received one of two Architecture Awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, where the jury commented: “The architecture of Julie VandenBerg Snow might be characterized as invention within convention. That is not to say that her work is conventional but to recognize that, within rigorous underpinning, she and her studio make the marvelous happen. Elegance is balanced by pragmatism – she is a ballerina who can dance in work boots. Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, ‘Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.’ The work of Julie VandenBerg Snow does just this.”
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL | ARCHITECT
James is committed to design excellence and promotes creating unique and exciting environments in all projects. His design background is based on intense research that explores all parameters to focus the team’s energy on the project’s goals. He is willing to challenge traditional methods and use unique technology to provoke new strategies that satisfy design goals. James’ education and passion for sustainable design allow for unique, innovative solutions to all environmental conditions to meet the client’s goals.
James’ process is based on clear, effective communication that provides a collaborative team process in response to client goals. His attention to detail and thorough understanding of technical systems puts an emphasis on high quality execution. James’ previous experience and involvement in all project phases ensures project success and helps to guide the team.
DESIGN PRINCIPAL
Matthew Kreilich is the heart of the firm’s collaborative working model taking an active role in both strategic and detail design resolutions in the studio. His passion lies in the belief that in addition to solving complex and pragmatic needs of a client’s program, design has the transformative power to enhance our everyday life experiences. Matthew provides design leadership and insight into all of the firm’s projects, as well as acting as the project designer on some of the studios’ most significant projects.
Matthew’s design leadership and experience continue to be recognized both locally and nationally. Matt was recently honored with the AIA National Young Architect Award for outstanding design leadership and locally recognized with the Minneapolis/St.Paul’s Business Journal’s 40 under 40. His work has received numerous Awards including MN AIA Honor Awards, the National AIA Honor Award, Progressive Architecture Award and the Holcim Award. Matthew was also the recipient of the prestigious Ralph Rapson Traveling Study Fellowship.
He continues to balance practice and academic endeavors and has recently taught graduate design studios at the University of Minnesota and Syracuse University and participated in design reviews at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and at Washington University St Louis. Matthew continues to dedicate time back to the profession, serving on national AIA honor award juries, presenting the firm’s work at universities, national conventions and professional organizations and currently is serving on the board of the MN Architectural Foundation advancing scholarship opportunities for the next generation of architects.
DESIGNER
Aarón’s passion for design is tightly woven from his academic studies; stemming from an understanding of what once was, through his degree in Art History, to the possibility of what could be, while completing his master’s in architecture. His desire to understand, explore, and create is the basis of his approach to the complexities in the built environment. As a native of Mexico, Aarón’s exploration is also driven by a need in a culturally diverse place to foster an environment that is equitable and inspiring for all.
Most recently, Aarón has been a keynote Panelist at the 2022 AIA Minnesota conference on “Working Conditions, Prosperity, and Culture Change in Architecture”. He also participated as panelist for the 2022 AIA Grassroots Leadership Event “Bridging the Difference to Lead Change: Intercultural Development as a Framework for Everyday Leadership”, a moderator for keynote speaker Majora Carter at the 2021 AIA Minnesota conference, and enjoys being a juror and reviewer for various local awards and critiques.
Aarón currently serves on AIA MN Equity Council and AIA MN Community Practice for Culture Change and is proud to be a key leader in our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion within the studio. Previously, Aarón served as President of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (MSP NOMA) from 2020-2022 and Board Chair for a local Latin American charter school.
DESIGN DIRECTOR | ARCHITECT
Aksel Coruh is a registered Dutch architect who lives in Minneapolis. He brings an international body of experience to Snow Kreilich’s team, having practiced extensively at Rotterdam-based Claus en Kaan Architecten prior to moving to Shanghai where he worked as a senior architect for Neri & Hu Research and Design Office. He has broad experience working on projects in international contexts and involving a variety of programs including residential, cultural, government, and education. His strength lies in dealing with complex briefs and generating thoughtful solutions that integrate client wishes, cultural conditions, and economic parameters.
His personal work has been exhibited in the US, Turkey, and the Netherlands, receiving grants from the Mondriaan Foundation, the Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture (Fonds BVKB), and Stroom Den Haag. He has been a visiting critic at the University of Minnesota’s School of Architecture.
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL | DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT + MARKETING
Alita’s diverse background in graphic design, proposal coordination and an interest in art paired with an appreciation of contemporary architecture provide an excellent balance in her approach to effective management of the business development, marketing, advertising and promotional activities at Snow Kreilich Architects. She works closely with Julie and Matt to continually develop, establish, and maintain marketing strategies to meet the objectives of Snow Kreilich Architects.
Her excellent communication skills allow her to easily manage and coordinate all marketing, advertising and promotional/public relations related activities while also working to develop and implement marketing plans for potential projects in new and existing market segments. She is also charged with managing the RFP process and maintaining the productivity of the production of marketing plans and projects for the web site, social media and press various press contacts. Alita is the liaison with consultants, media and advertising and often is commended for her excellent communication and organizations skills, paired with her creative problem solving.
SENIOR ASSOCIATE | ARCHITECT
With over 20 years of experience in architecture, urban design, and design education, Bob brings a wealth of knowledge and on-the-ground insights into a wide variety of projects, including new construction and adaptive reuse, for institutional and academic buildings, offices and commercial spaces, as well as multi-unit and single-family housing. His projects have received design and professional awards, including national and state AIA Honor Awards, Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Awards, Mpls St Paul Magazine RAVE Awards, and Star Tribune/AIA Minnesota Home of the Month Awards, among others. In addition to professional practice, Bob has taught undergraduate and graduate architectural design studios in the University of Minnesota School of Architecture since 2006.
ARCHITECT
Brad’s design and process has always involved an element of nature, the blurring of the built environment and natural surroundings. For Brad, this philosophy stems and evolves from his grandfather, Whitney Smith, a former mid-century architect who practiced in Pasadena, California.
Brad has brought this process and thought to multiple projects including higher education, mixed-use, and office. His education from the University of Oregon and work experience have instilled within him a sensitivity to nature and our environment. He believes sustainable design goes beyond quantitative values and attempts to bring beauty to every space.
SENIOR ASSOCIATE | ARCHITECT
Christina is a young architect with a passion for turning project challenges into design opportunities. While working towards her Master of Architecture at the University of Minnesota, Christina conducted research on innovative materials and construction methods which focused on achieving design concepts through the use of unconventional materials. Christina received numerous distinctions for her academic design work and leadership while at the University of Minnesota including the Student Design and Scholarship Excellence Award, and most recently, the Outstanding Graduate Student Award for the College of Design. Prior to graduating from the University of Minnesota, Christina earned her Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Texas in Arlington.
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT + STUDIO MANAGER
Cortney joined Snow Kreilich Architects with a specialized background in the hotel and travel industry. Her commitment to the studio is evident in her ongoing support to Design Principals, Julie Snow, FAIA and Matt Kreilich, FAIA CID, LEED AP. Her excellent attention to detail and coordination skills allow her to successfully manage multiple calendars and complex travel itineraries. Cortney is the key to keeping our busy day-to-day running seamlessly. She excels in her ability to effectively communicate and juggle multiple tasks at once.
In 2013, Cortney was recognized for her hand drawn architectural illustrations at the National Scholastic Art and Writing Award in New York City. Cortney was awarded one of the highest honors in the drawing category. Her creative nature and eye for architecture make her an invaluable addition to the team.
SENIOR ASSOCIATE | ARCHITECT
For Dan, architecture’s creative process combines the challenge of addressing important social issues, diverse perspectives, performative goals, and the human experience in ways that are tangible in our daily lives. Rising to this challenge requires the maintenance of foundational design concepts throughout the collaborative iterations required to make work that achieves its intended goals while discovering greater potential along the way. He appreciates how the pursuit of meaningful design solutions requires thinking and making at diverse scales, from project master plans down to the fine details that reinforce the larger design idea. This perspective paired with his over two decades of experience allows him to play a variety of roles across many project types.
Dan’s creative collaboration and dedication to addressing project and clients’ needs have resulted in award winning projects including a National AIA Honor Award, AIA Central States Honor Award, AIA Minnesota Honor Award, and a Business Week/Architectural Record Award.
Dan has previously served on the boards of the Soo Visual Arts Center and Print the Love.
ASSOCIATE | DESIGNER
Don’s background lies in art, design research, and custom fabrication. His experience ranges a in scale from furniture design and fabrication, custom fabrication, CADCAM fabrication, residential design, restaurant design, commercial design, higher education to master planning. He brings a focus on detailing, functionality, creativity and innovation with a process of hands-on exploration in conjunction with 3D modeling to explore design issues to bring about elegant solutions to the studio. With a computer science background, Don also brings knowledge of computer hardware, software, and programming to create a more efficient studio.
Don’s recently completed projects have included Victor’s on Water, Ovative Group Offices, Burch Steak, Target Commercial Interiors, DpHUE retail stores, Target Plaza Commons, Pizzeria Lola (with Loom), Normandale Academic Partnership Center (with RRTL) and St. Cloud State University Integrated Science and Engineering Laboratory Facility (with RRTL).
Don has received numerous awards for his projects including the R+D and I.D. awards for both the 12 Blocks project with Loom and Drape Wall with Houminn from Architect magazine and I.D. magazine and finalist for the 2014 & 2017 Ralph Rapson Travelling Fellowship. Both his academic and professional work has appeared in numerous architectural publications ranging from local publications to international publications.
DESIGN DIRECTOR | ARCHITECT
Doug’s design work is rooted in a deep curiosity about the physical, cultural, and organizational context of the work. Through a research-driven and iterative process, Doug seeks holistic design solutions that mine this context and find design opportunity in technical, budgetary, and site constraints. His past projects demonstrate a commitment to the careful execution of these solutions through a tireless refinement of construction detail, and collaborative integration of building systems into a cohesive whole.
Doug’s professional experience is diverse in scale and use, ranging from single family residences to complex governmental, educational and arts facilities. Past projects include Northrop Performing Arts Center at the University of Minnesota, Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center at Macalester College, Marlboro Music Festival Musician’s Cottages, Huss Center for the Performing Arts at Saint Paul Academy, and the Café/Entry Expansion of the Walker Arts Center. Doug’s work has been published nationally and recognized with multiple AIA Minnesota and AIA Wisconsin awards, and an AIA National Interior Award.
ASSOCIATE | ARCHITECT
A registered architect, Emilie has professional experience with a wide range of project types, including cultural and civic spaces, office environments, and affordable housing. She finds inspiration in the iterative process and integrating user experience, program, and site. A natural storyteller, Emilie explores narrative in design to create meaning and engaging connections for the project user.
Emilie is currently a member of the AIA Minnesota Community of Practice for Culture Change Core Team and co-presented the talk “The Culture Change Imperative: How We Can Create the Culture the Profession Wants and Needs” at the 2020 AIA Minnesota Conference on Architecture. She has also taught undergraduate studios at the University of Minnesota College of Design.
SENIOR ASSOCIATE | ARCHITECT
Jason Dannenbring enjoys managing large and complex project teams and fostering a process that allows the team to work collaboratively toward the completion of a project. Jason believes in clear communication, leveraging the expertise of team members, and utilizing advances in technology to help push projects forward. He has an in-depth knowledge of 3D modeling software and has successfully delivered several projects using BIM while maintaining an eye for great design quality.
After completing his Masters in Architecture at Princeton University, Jason spent a decade working in New York and has had the opportunity to work on a variety of project types and sizes. Past projects include several national award-winning projects for New York University, the renovation of The Contemporary in Austin, TX; and most recently, the $360 million, 200,000-square-foot visual and performing arts center, The Shed. Since his time at Snow Kreilich, he has continued to contribute his design and technical expertise to numerous projects of varying scales.
DESIGNER
Architecture is more than creating beautiful structures, but it is a tool that can unite, divide, hurt, or help our communities and environment. What makes architecture truly beautiful is its ability to foster connections and blur the boundaries between different groups. Jordan comes to Snow Kreilich with a very diverse background. Before entering architecture, she received a bachelor’s degree in sociology, worked in finance, and helped pass legislation in the Minnesota Capitol. These series of experiences have colored the way that she looks at and approaches architecture. As Jordan continues to move forward in her journey with architecture, she asks herself, “What are the critical connections still yet to be made? And how do these connections help us to expand ideas, such as equity and sustainability?”
Jordan recently received her master’s degree in architecture from the University of Minnesota. Her role at Snow Kreilich is her first in the industry, where she, by bringing a fresh perspective, will lead our studio in asking the questions that foster connections. These connections will in turn create beautiful structures that unite our communities and environment.
SENIOR ASSOCIATE | ARCHITECT
Justin’s interest in architecture stems from a passion to learn about the wide range of topics and fields touched by design. He views his work as a lens through which to engage the culture, time, and place of each project and client. His approach to design is to pursue the ways in which design concept, human relationships, construction detail, and architectural performance will strengthen and reinforce one another. Justin enjoys the process of developing a project from pre-design to completion, seeking out unique opportunities and challenges presented at each stage.
Working on projects small and large, Justin has developed diverse experience as a designer and architect. His professional and academic work have received numerous awards, including a Residential Architect Citation and the Minnesota Recreation and Park Association Park and Facility Award of Excellence; and been featured in a number of publications, including CENTER 19: Curtains and AIA Forward magazine.
DESIGN DIRECTOR | ARCHITECT
Karen’s commitment to design excellence and positively impacting future generations of architecture professionals and global citizens is evident in her professional work and service to the AIA and her community. Karen advocates for equity in the built environment and the profession and leads the studio’s initiatives in this work. Her passion for making strategic connections and building meaningful relationships inspires Karen’s approach to integrated design thinking. Karen’s love of architecture is ultimately rooted in its complexity – the successful combination of multiple contexts, different points of view, and the relationship of the overall goal or idea to its many supporting details.
Karen serves on local and national design award juries and presents the studio’s work at universities and professional conferences. She has led and collaborated on projects that have won National AIA Honor Awards, AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Project Awards, AIA Minnesota Honor Awards, and Progressive Architecture Awards. Karen has been recognized for her leadership both locally and nationally with the AIA Minnesota and National AIA Young Architect Awards.
Karen is currently the AIA Strategic Council Minnesota Representative. She has served as board secretary of MSP NOMA, the local National Organization for Minority Architects (NOMA) chapter, as well as co-chair of the AIA MN Committee on Design and the AIA MN Leadership Forum Advisory Committee. In addition, Karen is actively involved at Yinghua Academy, a K-8 Chinese immersion school, where she sits on the Yinghua Building Corporation board.
DESIGNER
Kat has been working in the Minneapolis metro for over 9 years, working within both design-build and design-bid-build project delivery models. Her project experience includes leading and supporting the design of several award-winning projects, including large-scale multi-family projects, higher education, places of worship and both large & small scale commercial.
She thoroughly enjoys programmatic exploration through the iterative process of design, using contextual clues and understanding to ensure thoughtful design solutions that are sensitive to each project’s place in both space & time. Kat’s design approach consists of a broad exploration of ideas and concepts, ensuring each project is looked upon with a fresh lens & driven towards a design solution that celebrates its own uniqueness. Her interest in architecture is founded around the experiential nature of architecture and its impact on the human experience, being committed towards delivering intentional spaces which create lasting positive impacts upon the user.
SENIOR ASSOCIATE | ARCHITECT
Kathryn enjoys technically challenging projects that seamlessly integrate performance and poetics within design. She feels strongly about celebrating the site-specific qualities of a project through its response to the program, climate, and the community. She has delivered several projects through various BIM and BEM tools and is also leading a studio wide initiative to implement sustainability analysis and representation to help inform our design and conversations both within the studio and with our design partners.
She returns to Minneapolis after 14 years on the East Coast working on a wide range of complex project types from transportation and translational research facilities to supertalls and adaptive reuse. During this time, she represented the design team internationally both in Mumbai and Abu Dhabi to coordinate with local consultants and work alongside design build contractors. Kathryn has worked on many award-winning projects, including the Arthur J. Altmeyer Federal Building located in Woodlawn, Maryland. Guided by the GSA Design Excellence Program, she led the Snow Kreilich team in the high-performance modernization of the 1958 Altmeyer building on the Social Security Administrations Headquarters Campus.
In 2013 she was selected as one of the New York Chapter’s AIA Health Facilities Committee Emerging Professionals and has mentored at the University of Minnesota’s College of Design. Kathryn holds a Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Minnesota.
SENIOR ASSOCIATE | ARCHITECT
Katie’s background allows her to take a multifaceted approach to the design process. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Art in Interior Design from Iowa State University and a Master of Architecture and Ecological Design Certificate from the University of Oregon. Her personal research and project experience ranges in scale from minimal dwelling to community development and urban planning. Her design approach focuses on the experiential and assess impact with thoughtful simplicity.
Katie is also a LEED accredited professional and has worked as a LEED administrator certifying projects within the LEED New Construction (NC), Commercial Interior (CI), and Existing Buildings Operation and Maintenance (EBOM) rating systems. Most notably Katie aided in the certification of the Lewis Integrative Science Building at the University of Oregon, the first higher education laboratory to receive the designation of LEED Platinum in the state.
In 2016, Katie’s work was honored with an AIA Minnesota Honor Award. Katie also enjoys serving as a guest juror at the University of Minnesota School of Architecture. She currently works within the firm as a project manager to facilitate design communication and collaboration between the design team, client, consultants, and contractors.
MARKETING MANAGER
Kelli comes to Snow Kreilich with a decade of marketing experience, having worked in publishing and graphic design for several years and bringing those skills to the A/E/C industry in 2018. Kelli graduated from an international college in Chicago with a BA in Communications and studied among classmates from around the globe including Hungary, Papa New Guinea, South Africa, and other places across the United States. During her time in Chicago, she volunteered at the Illinois Institute of Technology, teaching English to students from China and India. Upon graduating, she spent a summer in Czech Republic as an intern teaching English to high school students. Kelli’s love for different cultures coupled with a passion for understanding the art of communications, brings a unique perspective to our studio. She believes in clear and effective communication, with the use of intentional and simplified design to communicate to a variety of readers. She understands that not all people are alike, and many come from various backgrounds and with different lenses. It is her passion to communicate effectively and to build relationships with a variety of people.
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL
Mary’s work has focused on innovative, award winning design in a wide range of project types. Mary has a unique comprehensive perspective particularly suited to complex projects and project teams. That perspective coupled with a strong interest in sustainable design has informed such projects as the $30M U.S. Land Port of Entry in Van Buren, ME. A 30,000 square foot project including three separate buildings on a 19-acre secure site has been recognized with a Progressive Architecture Award, A Bronze Holcim Award and is in line to receive LEED Gold certification.
All of Mary’s projects exemplify the integration of form and materials to support technical, performance and client goals. Mary’s working relationships with complex client groups, stakeholders and officials, as well as her skillful management of the A/E team, were essential to the success of these projects, ensuring that the work met budgetary and scheduling goals.
Mary’s work has been honored with numerous awards including AIA National Honor Award for Architecture, AIA Minnesota Honor Award, Progressive Architecture Award, National AIA Urban Design Award, MN ASLA Award, ALA Gold Medal and many others. Mary was a recipient of the prestigious Hoffberger-Rosenberg Scholarship for Excellence in the Visual Arts, as well as the Mary-Ellen Hale Lovett Travelling Fellowship.
ARCHITECT
From masterplans to full building transformations, Michelle’s diverse portfolio includes a continuous thread of projects that involve existing buildings. She is drawn to the challenge of existing conditions and the opportunity to transform an existing asset to better serve its community and the environment. She is passionate about issues of accessibility and equity that are inherent to these project types.
Drawing inspiration from what is there, Michelle seeks to transform spaces and craft an experience that brings new function, beauty, and purpose to an existing environment. The integrity of each design is the interplay of form and function but is always in pursuit of expressing the needs and values of the broader community it serves. Her process leans heavily on context of site, building, and community to develop and deliver designs that are functional, beautiful, and lasting.
During early design, Michelle focuses on gathering information, understanding context and critical issues, and finding the best way to articulate the design in a clear and compelling way that also expresses the depth of the process. From project conception to occupied space, the design should tell a story, engage its users, and support a community.
DESIGNER
Morgan believes that practicing architecture requires the embodiment and transformation of ‘place’ by uniting the environment, culture, and history into volumes inspired by light, function, and sustainable practice. Through BIM (building information modeling), Morgan focuses on intentional communication and coordination with consultants, manufacturers, and contractors to exceed the client’s vision and goals. She continually explores and researches new materials and methods. Her curiosity extends to her local church where she volunteers to support her local community.
Morgan is a graduate of Iowa State University with a B.A. in Architecture. Her unique minor in Gerontology supports her excitement toward designing unbiased architecture where design is inspirational for users and accommodating for all people. Her project experience includes healthcare, senior living, and education. She has been recognized for multiple awards within her college education and enjoys participating in architectural competitions that challenge her critical thinking and design process.
SENIOR ASSOCIATE | ARCHITECT
Natalya approaches architecture with a dedication to crafting the narrative focus of a project from beginning to end. This includes a commitment to linking project research to concept design, as well as shaping the graphic representation necessary to successfully bring together all aspects of a project. Her diverse project experience spans several years of working on museums or institutional buildings, mixed-use multi-family projects, contemporary renovations of 19th century homes, and typology studies for forward-thinking clients. Prior to her time at Snow Kreilich, Natalya worked in Houston, Chicago, and New York.
Her approach to architecture intends to simultaneously represent the large and small scale components of design—history, infrastructure, natural phenomena, light, function, and landscape—and how those components impact individuals and urban environments. Her ideas-based work has received recognition in several design competitions and has been exhibited and published internationally. Natalya commits a significant portion of her time to academia, serving as an adjunct studio instructor and mentor at the University of Minnesota, and volunteering her time as a guest critic to schools nationwide. Natalya has a Master of Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, as well as a BS in Architecture and a BA in Fine Art (ceramics) from the University of Minnesota.
ASSOCIATE | ARCHITECT
Nick relocated to the Midwest after working nearly seven years in New York City. He joins Snow Kreilich Architects with the goal of providing a timeless and responsible approach to architectural design, art, landscape, and ecology. As a young Architect, he seeks to design projects of cultural relevance, reflect local identity, advance vernacular building principles, and maintain strong environmental ethics.
Nick graduated Magna Cum Laude, with his Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies, a minor in Sculpture, and an Honors College degree from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. Furthering his education at Columbia University; Nick continued refining his interests in architectural representation, and the processes of digital fabrication. His education brought him to five continents and afforded the opportunity to study with many Architects including; Alejandra Aravena, Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi and Lebbeus Woods. Nick is a LEED and WELL Accredited Professional, and has worked, in various roles, on a number of professional projects achieving LEED certification.
Fine art, particularly sculpture, continues to inform Nick’s creative process, while his commitment to sustainability drives his design ethos. His work reflects a keen awareness of the haptic and tactile qualities of architecture. His affinity for natural materials and his connection to art informs how he designs space: uniquely, creatively and with a focus on the environment. Nick seeks to evolve his architectural fluency, develop sustainable designs that employ a strong sense of craftsmanship, atmosphere and materiality; helping Snow Kreilich Architect’s clients achieve beautiful, functional, and healthy environments.
DESIGNER
Patricia is originally from Kampala, Uganda where she was born and raised until she moved to Kenya to pursue her undergraduate degree. Her curiosity about cultures led her to explore architecture in different forms, from vernacular architecture in Uganda and Kenya to themed architecture and everything in between.
These different cultural experiences continue to guide the way she sees design, i.e., creating spaces for users that are functional but at the same time relatable and meaningful for the communities where they are placed. She is incredibly passionate about mentorship and leadership in the architectural community and aspires to create more seats at the table for future generations, particularly among the minority groups.
Patricia is currently the Co-Chair of the BOLD Mentorship Program, an initiative between IIDA Northland and MSP NOMA geared towards providing mentorship for designers of color by designers of color so that they may excel in leadership and create a strong community as they grow in their careers. She also serves as a Board member on the Minnesota Architectural Foundation (MAF), particularly the Wigington Mentorship Committee, which aims to advance equity in the profession by sponsoring promising minority students with focused and sustained financial support.
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL | DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & OPERATIONS
Sarah appreciates the problem-solving nature of architecture and enjoys the challenges supporting industry operation. She has a unique professional arc, as an architect-turned-accountant. A decade as a designer, followed by another decade of small, creative business financial consulting has allowed her to understand multiple sides of architectural practice. Sarah strives to approach finance and operations as one would approach any architectural project. She researches precedence, assesses scope of work, and determines company best practices. Her education and experience have fueled her passion for promoting the value of architecture as a service and fair pricing models.
Sarah is responsible for the company’s project staffing coordination, firm operations and growth, profit and loss tracking, and financial goals management. She oversees project scheduling and workload assessment. She enjoys implementing internal systems and industry tools to make firm operations more efficient and transparent at all levels of practice. Sarah is involved with many organizations and forums supporting small business needs and architecture firm ingenuity.
DESIGNER
Sarah is a committed urbanist with a passion for making cities more livable and sustainable. She has a particular interest in the negotiation between vibrant public space and the everyday domestic.
Sarah holds a Master of Architecture from UC Berkeley, and a BA in English from Dartmouth College. While in graduate school she focused on housing density and affordability, as well as the ability for housing stock to anticipate change over time. Along with teammates, she was awarded first place in the 2019 James R. Boyce Affordable Housing Competition, by a jury of architecture, planning, and finance professionals. She strives for an empathic and nuanced design approach.
Sarah joined Snow Kreilich Architects for the opportunity to work on a diverse range of projects alongside talented colleagues.
DESIGNER
Tamer Azzazi is a designer with extensive experience as both a design builder and custom fabricator. With a particular interest in progressive wood construction, materials and building methods, Tamer is driven to find innovative solutions to complex conditions where resourcefulness, sustainability and resilience are paramount. By leveraging his hands-on experience as a custom builder, he is able to effectively weave designs concepts with building methods that best serve projects at all phases.
As adjunct faculty at the University of Minnesota College of Design, Tamer dovetails practice with academic involvement by engaging students in a rigorous process-based studio. Through the symbiotic practice of making and critical thinking, Tamer promotes a studio culture where experimentation is encouraged and inquiry by making is essential.
As a practitioner, he serves each project by participating in an architectural discourse, process and practice that is sensitive to the issues that are vital and relevant to how we continue to evolve in a more culturally aware and environmentally conscience manner.
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL | DIRECTOR OF PROJECT DELIVERY
With a background that ranges from concept to construction, Tyson brings a passion in merging design and construction to deliver projects both well conceived and well detailed. Since 2005, he has helped to advance the studio’s sustainable design initiatives, project management protocols, and construction administration excellence across all projects. As Director of Design Delivery, he is the firm’s leading voice for proper documentation, technical and construction excellence, project specification coordination, and construction administration assistance to our clients. He also leads the studio’s QA/QC process to ensure integration across all disciplines.
From research to redlines, Tyson organizes information to get projects built. His Certification as a Construction Contract Administrator speaks to his knowledge and commitment to shepherding projects from paper, or screen, to realization. Relationships with our consultant teams, often numbering in the half-dozen on a typical project, is one key to this success. Building consensus and keeping a diverse team on track is a critical part of delivering design projects—an aspect of our work in which he has excelled and is a hallmark of our service to our clients and communities.
Tyson has contributed to some of our most significant work to date, including LEED Gold certified projects U.S. Warroad Land Port of Entry and U.S. Van Buren Land Port of Entry, both recipients of several awards. He has a depth of experience with historic preservation and adaptive reuse projects, including work at the Minneapolis Federal Office Building, Hollywood Theater, Cowles Conservatory at the Walker Sculpture Garden, and Ron DeLugo Federal Courthouse in St. Thomas, USVI.
