Ideas Made Real
Ideas Made Real
A selective portfolio from three decades of architectural practice.
A selective portfolio from three decades of architectural practice.
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The new United States Embassy in Port of Spain is designed as a secure diplomatic campus that balances rigorous operational requirements with a welcoming experience for visitors and staff. Located on an 11-acre site in Maraval, the compound integrates diplomatic offices, consular services, support facilities, and shared spaces within a climate-responsive design shaped by Trinidad and Tobago’s tropical environment. Shaded entrances, durable materials, efficient circulation, and carefully framed views of the landscape create a resilient and dignified setting for diplomacy.
Renderings MCA
Leading the interior design reinforced my belief that diplomatic environments can balance security and efficiency with a welcoming, human experience.
Rice University
Rice University
Location
Houston, Texas
Firm
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)
San Francisco Office
Role
Lead Senior Interior Architect
Project Type
Higher Education + Research Laboratory
Size
250,000 SF, 5 Stories
Completed
2023
Certification
LEED BD+C Silver
Awards (2024)
Best of Design Awards, The Architect's Newspaper
Golden Trowel Awards, Associated Masonry Contractors of Houston
Design Awards, AIA – California Chapter
Design Excellence Awards, Lab Design
The Ralph S. O'Connor Building for Engineering and Science is the largest research facility within Rice University's historic campus and was designed to advance interdisciplinary collaboration across engineering and the sciences. A five-story central atrium, interconnected collaboration spaces, and state-of-the-art laboratories create an environment where research, teaching, and discovery intersect.
The architecture balances contemporary performance with the character of Rice's historic campus, integrating sustainable design strategies that maximize daylight, reduce energy demand, and create healthy, flexible spaces for future innovation.
Photography: Dave Burk © SOM
Projects like this remind me that architecture is ultimately about people—creating places where ideas are shared, relationships are built, and innovation can thrive.
UCSF Pride Hall serves as the gateway to the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital campus, bringing research, education, and clinical collaboration together within a single integrated facility. Designed to strengthen the long-standing partnership between UCSF and San Francisco General Hospital, the building combines advanced laboratory environments, medical training spaces, faculty workplaces, and collaborative gathering areas that encourage interaction across disciplines. Thoughtfully organized around shared "town hubs" and daylight-filled public spaces, the project creates an environment where research, teaching, and patient care intersect while balancing high-performance laboratory design with a welcoming, human-centered experience.
Photography: Dave Burk © SOM
When architecture brings researchers, educators, and clinicians together, it becomes a catalyst for innovation.
Mulva Cultural Center
Mulva Cultural Center
Location
De Pere, Wisconsin
Firm
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)
San Francisco / Chicago Office
Role
Lead Senior Interior Architect (Furniture)
Project Type
Cultural + Civic
Size
73,800 SF · 2 Stories
Completed
2023
Certification
LEED BD+C Gold
Awards (2024)
AIA Chicago Distinguished Building
Interior Design Best of Year
ASHRAE Illinois Technology Award
The Mulva Cultural Center transforms a historic riverfront site into a vibrant destination for arts, education, and community engagement in Northeast Wisconsin. Conceived as a welcoming civic landmark, the building brings together traveling exhibitions, educational programs, performance spaces, dining, and public gathering areas within a transparent, light-filled environment overlooking the Fox River. A soaring two-story atrium, flexible galleries, and a 200-seat auditorium encourage exploration and connection, while a refined palette of limestone, timber, and glass grounds the architecture in its regional context. High-performance systems—including geothermal heating and cooling, daylight-responsive shading, and triple-insulated glazing—support a timeless building designed for generations of cultural life.
Photography: Dave Burk © SOM
Cultural buildings should do more than house exhibitions—they should become welcoming places where a community gathers, learns, and creates lasting memories.
Shanghai Zhenru China Overseas Center
Shanghai Zhenru China Overseas Center
Location
Shanghai, China
Firm
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)
San Francisco Office
Role
Lead Senior Interior Architect
Project Type
Mixed-Use + Urban Commercial
Size
293,036 m² · 47 Stories · 230 m Tall
Completed
2023
Certification
LEED Gold · WELL Gold · China Green Label 3 Star
Awards
None
The Shanghai Zhenru China Overseas Center transforms one of Shanghai's oldest commercial districts into a contemporary mixed-use destination that brings together workplaces, retail, cultural amenities, and public open space. Two office towers frame a vibrant pedestrian plaza connected to shopping, transit, landscaped terraces, and restored historic canals, creating a walkable urban district that encourages interaction throughout the day. Designed around flexibility, wellness, and sustainability, the project integrates naturally ventilated workplaces, generous outdoor terraces, and high-performance building systems while drawing inspiration from the material character and cultural heritage of the surrounding neighborhood.
Photography: Dave Burk © SOM
For me, the lobby is the public face of a building. It is where architecture has the opportunity to welcome, inspire, and create a lasting first impression through light, material, and proportion.
95 State at City Creek is a mixed-use development that redefines a prominent site within downtown Salt Lake City's financial district. The project combines a Class A office tower, a meetinghouse for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a restored museum pavilion, and public gathering spaces into a cohesive urban destination. A dramatic 27-foot-tall glass lobby, expansive marble feature wall, and generous amenity spaces establish a refined arrival experience, while landscaped plazas and pedestrian connections strengthen the relationship between the building and the surrounding city. The design balances contemporary commercial architecture with the site's historic and civic context, creating a landmark that contributes to the ongoing evolution of downtown Salt Lake City.
Photography: Dave Burk © SOM
Designing the interiors reinforced my belief that architecture is experienced from the inside out, where light, material, and proportion define our connection to a place.
NY Public Health Lab
NY Public Health Lab
Location
New York, New York
Firm
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)
San Francisco / New York Office
Role
Senior Interior Architect (Furniture)
Project Type
Public Health + Laboratory
Size
230,000 SF · 10 Stories
Completed
Design in Progress
Certification
LEED BD+C Core & Shell Gold
Awards
Award for Excellence in Design, NYC Public Design Commission (2021)
The New York City Public Health Laboratory is a next-generation public health facility designed to strengthen the city's ability to respond to emerging health challenges. Replacing the laboratory that has served New York for more than a century, the building brings together advanced diagnostic laboratories, research environments, administrative workplaces, and community-focused education spaces within a flexible, resilient framework. Organized around a masonry podium and a highly adaptable laboratory tower, the design balances scientific precision with sustainability, wellness, and long-term adaptability while establishing an important civic presence within the Harlem neighborhood.
Renderings SOM
Working on the interior design reminded me that even highly technical environments should feel welcoming, intuitive, and designed for the people who use them every day.
Lujiazui Capital Plaza reimagines the traditional Shanghai office complex as a pedestrian-oriented commercial district where five office towers are connected by landscaped plazas and public spaces. Inspired by the spatial qualities of classical Chinese gardens, the development prioritizes the public realm, creating welcoming outdoor spaces and flexible workplaces that strengthen connections between the city's financial district, cultural destinations, and transit network. A high-performance façade system provides abundant daylight while significantly reducing solar heat gain, reinforcing the project's commitment to sustainability and occupant well-being.
Photography: © Seth Powers © Hezhenhuan
Designing the lobby reinforced my belief that arrival spaces set the tone for an entire building, creating memorable first impressions through light, material, and proportion.
Zhuhai Jiuzhou Bay - Ferry Terminal & P2 Office Tower
Zhuhai Jiuzhou Bay - Ferry Terminal & P2 Office Tower
Location
Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
Firm
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)
San Francisco Office
Role
Lead Senior Interior Architect
Project Type
Transportation + Commercial Office + Mixed-Use
Size
506,266 m² · 64 Stories · 320 m Tall
Completed
2027 (Under Construction)
Certification
None
Awards
None
Jiuzhou Bay establishes a new waterfront gateway to China's Greater Bay Area, integrating a multimodal ferry terminal with offices, hospitality, retail, and public space into a vibrant mixed-use district. Inspired by Zhuhai's maritime heritage, the development connects regional ferry, rail, and bus networks beneath a series of modular canopies that create shaded pedestrian streets, retail corridors, and waterfront gathering spaces. At the center of the master plan, a 320-meter tower inspired by the geometry of a Fresnel lighthouse lens becomes a defining landmark on the skyline, combining premium office space with a Ritz-Carlton hotel, observation deck, and panoramic views across the Pearl River Delta. Sustainability strategies—including photovoltaic canopies, rainwater harvesting, and climate-responsive design—support a resilient urban district designed for the future.
Renderings SOM
Designing the interior environments reminded me that even at the scale of a city, architecture is ultimately experienced one space at a time.
CA State Capitol Annex
CA State Capitol Annex
Location
Sacramento, California
Firm
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)
San Francisco / Los Angeles Office
Role
Senior Interior Architect
Project Type
Civic + Government
Size
525,000 SF · 10 Stories
Completed
2027 (Under Construction)
Certification
LEED Gold and Zero Net Energy
Awards
None
The California State Capitol Annex modernizes one of the state's most important civic buildings while preserving and restoring the historic Capitol. Designed to improve accessibility, transparency, and public engagement, the new annex provides contemporary legislative offices, committee hearing rooms, public meeting spaces, and visitor amenities within a highly sustainable facility. The project addresses aging infrastructure while creating an open, welcoming environment that better serves lawmakers, staff, and the millions of Californians who visit the Capitol each year.
View Project at SOM → Coming Soon
Renderings SOMWorking on the interior design reinforced my belief that civic buildings should be welcoming, accessible, and designed to serve the public with dignity.
Designing SOM's San Francisco studio created a workplace that reflects the firm's collaborative design culture while supporting a wide range of project teams and disciplines. The studio balances focused work, informal collaboration, client engagement, and flexible gathering spaces within an environment that embodies the firm's design values and commitment to innovation. As the workplace for one of the world's leading architecture and engineering practices, every design decision was intended to support creativity, collaboration, and the daily experience of the people who use it.
Project not available at SOM →
Photography: Dave Burk © SOMDesigning the furniture for SOM's own studio reinforced my belief that thoughtfully selected furnishings do more than complete a space—they shape how people collaborate, create, and experience the workplace.
Jackson Square Workplace Renovation
Jackson Square Workplace Renovation
Location
San Francisco, California
Firm
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)
San Francisco Office
Role
Senior Interior Architect (Schematic Design)
Project Type
Adaptive Reuse + Workplace
Size
28,586 SF · 4 Stories
Completed
2024
Certification
Non
Awards 2025
IIDA Northern California Honor Award
A thoughtful renovation transformed the historic 1887 Kentucky Stables Building into a contemporary workplace that celebrates its masonry and timber structure while creating a healthier, more flexible environment for modern work. By introducing skylights, opening the floor plates, and adding a central stair, the design brings daylight deep into the building and connects all four levels through a sequence of collaborative spaces. A restrained palette of natural materials, carefully curated furnishings, and biophilic design strategies create a workplace that balances historic character with innovation, supporting a wide range of work styles and promoting occupant well-being.
Photography: Dave Burk © SOM
Contributing to the schematic design reinforced my belief that the strongest workplace environments begin with a clear concept—one that respects a building's history while creating spaces that feel timeless, healthy, and adaptable.
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