As summer ends and schools ramp up for another year, we’re ramping up as well. Although we’re a small, agile company consisting of a dozen or so professionals, Pedro and myself have implemented a strategy, which calls for steady, consistent growth.
Besides adding several new school districts and commercial clients, we’ve hired four individuals to support this current growth. Keep reading and get to know them, their passion for architecture, enthusiasm for the business, and how they are making their mark working with us.
We’ve Expanded Our Design and Project
Management Services
GET TO KNOW PROJECT MANAGER BRAD HOUSER
and PROJECT ASSISTANT ANA DE LA TORRE
Brad and Ana are our most recent hires, joining our firm with years of experience. First Brad Houser…he’s a transplant from New Jersey, is a new father, and was looking for a new place to call home for his family and his prized record collection. “My wife Carrie and I talked about moving away from the cold and settling in Southern California. My new job at PCH is just perfect.”
When he was a kid, Legos® were at the top of his list of toys, but he got bored with their instructions, “so I made my own designs.” From high school, he went to Pittsburgh Technical College, which was a good choice because the curriculum matched his mechanical aptitudes.
With over twenty years of architectural experience working at small firms, he has a wide range of talents and skills that will benefit all aspects of a project. “In large firms, you get pigeon-holed. But, when you work at a smaller firm, you can have a bigger impact on decisions and be involved in all the various phases of a project.”
Ana de la Torre is our latest hire, only joining us this month. Likewise, she has many years of experience and is studying to get her architect’s license. This will indeed move the needle for us as we continue to take on more work.
In the past, Ana designed a number of K-12 schools and a large community center. “I like to do the research involved in a project, including holding design charrettes with stakeholders to get their insight into what their wants and needs are. Everyone has different customs and beliefs that influence our design decisions, even down to the colors we choose.”
A graduate of Cal Poly Pomona, her nearly ten years of working in the field will provide us with much-needed support as we continue to add to our roster of clients.
WELCOME LAUSD
Los Angeles USD Retains PCH
New Upgrades at Canterbury Elementary
PCH recently embarked on its first project with the second largest school district in the country. Canterbury Elementary School, built in the 1950s, requires some replacement of underground utilities. Thank you, LAUSD, for the opportunity to serve the students of an ever-growing and diverse district, one project at a time.
Unlocking Careers in Architecture Through STEM
and Mentorship
Meet PROJECT ASSISTANTS Andrew gediman
and Drew schoening
“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
One of our core beliefs when we’re designing schools is that our spaces will positively motivate students to be their best. Coincidentally, this belief is carried into the culture of our firm. Both Drew Schoening and Andrew Gediman are students who are attending Cal Poly Pomona and will graduate in May 2023.
Not only does PCH Architects design K-12 schools, but they also help design careers. Just ask Drew Schoening. As a fifth-year student at Cal Poly Pomona, ranked 20th as a top institution for architecture in the U.S., she’s been working as a project assistant while attending the university.
But her career didn’t just start at PCH. She grew up in Corona and attended Corona High School. There the school has a very robust STEM program where students have the opportunity to take advanced courses ranging from architecture, aerospace engineering, and aviation, to biomedicine. Drew took all the courses available and when it came time for an internship, she interviewed with us. “I’m so glad and lucky to get this work experience. It’s impacted my college work in such a positive way. For school projects, we don’t have a budget, so I can just ‘let loose.’ Because I have had practical experience at PCH, I’ve been able to make better decisions for projects at school.”
When collaborating with senior architects and designers at PCH, her mastery of Revit’s 3-D modeling delivers clients an accurate vision of the firm’s designs and creativity. This, in turn, helps move projects more successfully through each phase.
Where Commerce and College Intersect
Soft-spoken and yet possessing a powerful work ethic, Andrew Gediman received a scholarship from PCH right out of high school to help with college expenses. As a native Southern Californian from a musically-talented family, Andrew has seen the tremendous growth in California and is fascinated by a building’s structural design. “I’m really interested in how using different types of materials can create form, and see that architecture is a gateway to the everyday.”
Project documentation is critical to every project and requires expert skills and expert eyes. Working in Revit and Bluebeam, Andrew is quick to find any errors or omissions and works with the architects to quickly resolve any issues.
As licensed architects, we know that mentoring emerging professionals is vital to our profession, to the general public, and to the next generation of architects. Most universities require work experience as a graduation requirement, and our program at the firm serves to advance the knowledge and experience of future architects.
