Armen designs for an environmentally responsible present and future, where the integration of aesthetics, building systems and technical detailing define the success of a project. He became interested in design growing up in central California, crafting handmade projects in his grandfather’s metalworking shop. He started architectural drafting in high school and embraced the profession’s transition from drafting table to computer with enthusiasm, honing expertise with parametric design and BIM software over the past 20 years.

Armen spent his formative adult years in Denmark, where the Scandinavian principles of beauty and pragmatism made their mark. His prior work experience with several award-winning firms include 11 years at BIG, in both the Copenhagen and New York offices, that led him to a variety of project types and scales around the world. He has been an invited speaker at the SmartGeometry Group conference and a workshop instructor at universities in Canada, Denmark, and Sweden. Armen holds a Bachelor of Architecture from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Outside of work Armen enjoys archery, hunting, foraging, and relentless culinary experiments. He is as likely to be found at a heavy metal concert in New York City as the backcountry of the American west.

Elena designs places for people to live, work, and play, with an emphasis on creating unique spaces that offer an element of surprise to provoke new perspectives of our surroundings. She especially enjoys unfamiliar and challenging project types. Growing up between Taiwan and Italy, her multicultural background inspired her pursuit of architecture as a way of engaging with diverse communities while exploring the world through building projects.

Through over 20 years in architecture and interior design, Elena has gained significant experience designing and delivering complex projects, both domestic and international, as well as specific expertise in façade design and execution through her work with numerous award-winning firms such as Studio Gang, BIG, Front, and SOM. She has been an invited critic at UNC Charlotte, Carnegie Mellon University, NJIT, UCLA, and Columbia University. Elena holds a Bachelor of Arts from Rice University and a Master of Architecture from Princeton University.

Outside of work Elena finds inspiration through art, performance, fashion, and writing. She enjoys traveling and discovering new places. Elena is particularly drawn to deserts and expansive landscapes such as the Sahara, Iceland, and the Uyuni salt flats.