BEN WAECHTER

FOUNDER + PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT

Inspired by experiential and clear, distilled design, Ben founded Waechter Architecture (WA) in order to pursue these concepts in his work. Prior to forming WA, he worked locally and internationally with leaders in architecture including Allied Works Architecture (Portland, OR) and world-renowned architect Renzo Piano (Genoa, Italy). Ben is an award-winning and published designer whose principles lie in providing bold forms arrived at through exercises in concept, distillation, and intelligent programming. His experience includes a wide range of building types: cultural, hospitality, commercial, and multifamily and single-family residential.

RAND PINSON

PROJECT LEAD

Rand is an alumnus of Auburn University, and the world-renowned Rural Studio in Hale County, Alabama. His professional work includes design-build work at the Epicenter in Utah and Lake Flato Architects in Texas, with a focus on residential, environmental, and agricultural projects. Rand’s work has won numerous AIA awards and has been featured in international publications and exhibitions, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and La Biennale di Venezia. He is drawn to an architectural narrative that is specific to its place, responsive to its environment, and characterized by its timelessness.

EMILY KAPPES

PROJECT LEAD

Emily joined WA after 10 years spent progressing award-winning cultural work with Allied Works Architecture. She received her architecture degrees from UVA and Harvard, and came to WA to continue applying her advanced design principles to new programs. Emily’s architectural interests focus on innovative spatial and planning solutions. She especially enjoys working collaboratively with clients during the conceptual design phase.

BRADLEY SHANKS

PROJECT LEAD, ARCHITECT

With more than 17 years’ experience working for internationally recognized firms in Boston, Phoenix, and Portland, Bradley is an award-winning and LEED accredited professional. So far in his career, Bradley has won a Fulbright Fellowship, an AIA Medal, and a Rotch Travelling Scholarship, which allowed him to pursue independent architectural study in eight different countries. Bradley holds his B. Arch and M. Arch from Washington University in St. Louis.

ALEXIS KURLAND

PROJECT LEAD

Alexis holds a BA in philosophy from Lewis & Clark College, a M.Arch from the University of Texas at Austin, and has studied and traveled throughout Japan, Mexico, Central America, and Western Europe. He is a LEED accredited professional who has worked in several prominent architectural offices. Prior to joining WA, Alexis worked at Allied Works Architecture on a variety of project types, including the National Veterans Memorial Museum in Columbus, Ohio.

AMY SU

DESIGNER

Amy earned her M.Arch from Yale University and holds a BFA in Industrial Design from the Rhode Island School of Design. She has diverse international experience, including a study program in Rome, an exhibition at the 14th Istanbul Biennial, and a design internship in La Paz, Bolivia. She has also interned with Kengo Kuma and Associates in Tokyo, and was previously a style editorial assistant at Martha Stewart Living in New York.

GIOVANNI SIDARI

PROJECT LEAD, ARCHITECT

Giovanni earned his M.Arch at the University of Oregon, and has a B.S. in Real Estate Finance and Urban Economics from the University of Illinois, giving him rich experience in all aspects of the building industry. He has more than fifteen years of experience at firms in Seattle, Portland and New York, notably the award-winning practices of TEN Architectos and Morris Adjmi Architects. Giovanni works on projects of all types and scales at WA, and he is especially interested in how architects can affect the quality of life for people as cities evolve.