Company Culture
Studio PBA likes to celebrate. Today we celebrated the start of fall with a potluck brunch. Between the pumpkin scones, pancakes, fruit, charcuterie and bloody mary bar we enjoyed the great weather on our patio and share lots of laughs. Here are some snaps from our fantastic morning!
Help us in welcoming several new team members who have joined the Studio PBA team over the past few months. From Interns, fresh out of school to seasoned Project Managers with a wealth of knowledge — be sure to say hello if you know any of the additions or are lucky enough to collaborate on a Studio PBA project with them! Pictured below: Austin, Matt, Clayton, Peter, David, Nils, Emily and Jennifer
Friday afternoon we celebrated St. Patrick’s day with staff, friends, family and clients of Studio PBA. Thank you to J Street food truck who was onsite and served up some fantastic Irish fare that everyone enjoyed. We would like to thank everyone that stopped by to visit and helped made the party a success!
Studio PBA Principals John Payne and Jill Reilly with ARCO Murray Principal Josh Przyborowski
Studio PBA recently received recognition as Designer of the Year from our Design / Build client ARCO Murray at their 11th Annual Vendor of the Year Awards in Chicago. We have enjoyed getting to know and working with this new client and were very honored to accept this award from them for the work we’re doing here in Denver. We love building lasting relationships with clients and strive to make sure that we maintain those relationships.
The Studio PBA staff was invited to tour a new development called the Economist that we’ve been keeping an eye on as it neighbors our office to the West. The Economist, designed by OZ Architecture is located at 1575 Humboldt Street. Mr. Barry Hirschfeld kindly led our tour.
This project features two buildings consisting of 97 micro unit studio and one bedroom layouts ranging from 291 to 588 square feet respectively. The exterior features a dark hardiboard shingles and protruded metal trim while the split section between the two buildings features work from local street artists with vibrant shingles of warm color creating welcoming amenity spaces. The units boast high ceilings with lots of natural light, full-sized washer and dryer units and lofted spaces to make these smaller than average units feel open. This project already has residents in approximately 25% of its units with the second building expected to be completed this winter. The Economist amenities include a gym, community lounge, meeting space and a rooftop patio with expansive views.
This summer the Studio PBA team has welcomed two student interns into our practice. Both students have goals of working in the AEC industry upon graduation. The student interns join us at different stages in their career development: Karsen is transitioning into her Junior year at East High School, just a few blocks east of our downtown office and Cy is a Dallas native and a 4th year student in the University of Oklahoma’s five-year architectural program. While both have different goals for their summer programs, they have already been contributing as members of the PBA team in their short few weeks here this summer.
To better introduce you to our young team members, we have asked them both to do a quick Q&A:
Name: Karsen K.
Current Status: East High School, Junior Year
Tell us a little about your current studies/academic program:
At East, I am on the Engineering pathway. I take classes geared toward Engineering and I will be taking an Aerospace engineering class in the fall. Some classes introduce students to the Autodesk Inventor Program and how to make basic models using this computer programing. Other classes offer computer science and teaches students how to code.
What is one of the things that most excites you about architecture?
One thing that excites me about architecture is how a team can take ideas and design a building. To me it is impressive how architects can and have to make last minute changes to the design based on the wants of the developer.
What skills are you hoping to gain from this experience?
From this internship I am hoping to gain skills in Revit and to gain a better understanding of all the things architects do. I have used Revit in the past but interning here has already taught me so many new things in Revit.
Name: Cy B.
Current Status: University of Oklahoma, 4th Year
Tell us a little about your current studies/academic program:
I am currently at The University of Oklahoma in the American Architecture School. It is a five-year program and I am about to start my second year in the program and plan to graduate with my masters in either Architectural Studies or Architecture with an emphasis in design.
What is one of the things that most excites you about architecture?
I am most excited to dive into the working environment of the industry. I really want to see what is important within the industry, so I can tailor my knowledge around the skills and ideas that are critical to working at an architecture firm.
What skills are you hoping to gain from this experience?
I want to develop skills that make me a crucial part of the team here at PBA as well as lessons that I can apply throughout my career.
Both Karsen and Cy will be with us through July, so next time you are in our office, stop by and welcome them!
This past May, the runners of Studio PBA, who featured three relay teams, the Revit Crashers, Rum Runners, and Team Slow Down for What?, participated in the Colfax Marathon relay for the fifth year in a row. The Colfax Marathon is one of the largest charitable races in the country, with over $100,000 in prize pool for those who align themselves with a non-profit partner. Our charitable partner for the second year in a row was Food for Thought Denver, a Colorado non-profit whose mission is to eliminate weekend hunger for children in the Denver area by providing food PowerSacks, because they believe that no child should go hungry. We have been working with Food for Thought for years, helping to bag “PowerSacks” for kids several times a year.
This year our team placed second in the Colfax Marathon Corporate Relay group in the Construction, Engineering and Development category, earning a second place plaque, and most important, $1000 for Food for Thought Denver. The awards ceremony was held June 19 at the DaVita building in Downtown Denver. Studio PBA representatives Tearar Chan and Gina Metge were on hand to accept the check on behalf of our team of runners and sponsors.
The training has already begun for 2019!
Studio PBA had three teams run the Colfax Marathon Relay Sunday morning! Despite the cold and rainy conditions, all 15 runners crosses their respective finish lines. The teams ran to benefit our charity partner, Food for Thought. The PBA Rum Runners, PBA Revit Crashers and Team Slow Down for What? all surpassed the estimated race times. Good job teams!
April 4, 2018 – Studio PBA welcomed Mapleton School District’s 7th and 8th grade students from Meadow Community School to the office. During their visit, they met with several architects and staff members to discuss some of our current projects, challenges facing the architecture community today, and most importantly, reasons to follow a career in architecture. The 24 students and their two teachers were then treated to breakfast and an office tour. The tour was organized by one of our project managers, Robin Stipe.
New year, new opportunity to help out in the community! We spent the morning volunteering with Food for Thought. We packed a record 2,700 PowerSacks! These sacks will go to help students in twenty-one Denver Public Elementary Schools.
If you or you organization would like to participate and get involved with this great organization, you can learn more here: http://foodforthoughtdenver.org/get-involved/
Tearar and Desirae at last night’s at ULI Colorado's event “Imagine a Greater City!” Pictured above with developer Lynn Crist of the Morrison Group with whom we are working on a affordable townhome project in the Curtis Park neighborhood, called Stout24. The below picture is with ULI's senior associate Charels Allison-Godfrey.
Studio PBA and ULI Colorado volunteers with Food for Thought founders, Bob Bell and John Thielen.
School is back in session and that means we spent the morning volunteering by packing power sacks for Food for Thought Denver with our friends from ULI Colorado & Downtown Denver Partnership. To learn more visit FFT's website at: http://foodforthoughtdenver.org/
Studio PBA had team participate in the Adelante! 5K Run/Walk to benefit @ClinicaTepeyac on Sunday in Globeville. Great cause & a fun event!
Studio PBA and Monroe & Newell toured EnCon United’s precast concrete fabrication plant in Thornton earlier today. Behind all of those hard hats is 450 feet of hollow core planks being formed and extruded. Check out the pictures below from the tour. For more information on these products and teams, Monroe & Newell's site can be found here, http://monroe-newell.com/ and EnCon United, http://www.encondesignllc.com/
Work hard, play hard is a term used frequently around the office and it seems pretty literal when it comes to our athletics. This year, we have a kickball team (Paul's Ball Army), a volleyball team (Bumps like a Truck) and three marathon relay teams that ran in the Colfax Marathon's Corporate Cup (Team PBA: Slow Down for What, The PBA Revit Crashers, PBA Rum Runners). Here are our weekly recaps of how the teams are doing.
The Colfax Marathon relay teams all finished with great times and had a blast with every team finishing before their pre-race estimates. The PBA Revit Crashers finished 2nd in the Construction/Engineering division winning $1,000 for our charity partner Food for Thought at last night's award ceremony.
PBA’s volleyball team (B.L.A.T.) rose above team Hot & Code (City of Denver). Out of the 4 games we got in before sundown, PBA was able to take 3 wins and steal the match. Game 2 was an intense back and forth, both teams were neck and neck. PBA rallied together with a bump, set, and incredible spike by Derek- which won us the game 27-25. Tadd & Bridget were a great tag team last night, pulling off some acrobatic moves to keep the ball in play. Team B.L.A.T. continues to improve this season, showing strong potential for the upcoming mid-season tournament next Saturday June 24th at Washington Park.
Paul's Ball Army continued its magical sophomore season last night, but dropped the match against those pesky engineers from Anchor. Team Orange, despite not gaining a single lead in the game, had the largest turnout in the history of PBA’s beer-in-hand kickball!! The final score was 14-8, but Team Orange trailed 10-8 heading into the bottom of the inning when the game was called. Paul's Ball Army is currently ranked 11th with a 3-4 record for the season.
Left to Right: Chris Fuller, Jill Reilly, Josh Grote, Desirae Zamora, Kathy Parker, Adam Acree, Seth Wealing, Derek Westby, Tearar Chan, Aaron Rule, Chris Vulcano, Gina Metge, John Payne and Rachel Bek.
Studio PBA had three relay teams (5 runners for each team) that competed in the Colfax Marathon Relay: The PBA Rum Runners, The PBA Revit Crashers and PBA: Slow Down for What. This yearly PBA tradition had our biggest turnout for runners wanting to participate.
We thoroughly enjoy jumping pictures.
Bright and early at 6 am, Sunday morning runners took off from City Park toward Mile High Stadium with all three runners of the first leg finishing with faster times than expected. Through multiple hand-offs throughout the city including Sloan's Lake, Lakewood and Mile High Stadium, all of the runners did an amazing job and once everyone crossed the finish line with all teams finishing ahead of our estimated times. Good work everyone!
For the first time, we choose to run to benefit a nonprofit and we chose Food for Thought (http://foodforthoughtdenver.org/). You can read more about our work with them in previous posts. This was Food for Thought's first year of being involved as a charity partner with the Colfax Marathon. We met the FFT team after the race and were greeted with lots of gratitude and awesome running shirts they gifted us.
We are still waiting on the final results to determine if our teams placed in the top 3 of the Construction/Engineering/Development category. A top 3 finish would mean we would win funds for our charity partner. Regardless of the outcome, we had a great time running and look forward to future races to come!
Leg 1 Runners: Kathy, Tearar & Seth
Desirae Zamora and Nikol Davis spent Thursday afternoon touring the Country Club Towers with the Urban Land of Institute Colorado. This project recently topped out in March and our team members were lucky enough to be some of the first people to tour these two, 30-story buildings in West Wash Park that is set to open late summer. This project offers sweeping view of downtown Denver, a 5th floor restaurant and bar open to the public and a pet spa with on-site grooming, boarding and dog park. See below for some candid pics from the tour.
St. Paddy's Day is a long-standing, celebrated holiday at Studio PBA. This year, we decided to take it a step further and make it an official party. The whole staff pitched-in in to put together a fantastic party at our Gilpin Street office. We brought in The Croc Spot, a food truck, to cater some wonderful Irish fare. Argonaut catered in a truckload of Irish libations and spirits. We invited over 100 of Studio PBA's friends, family members and partners to come help celebrate and we could not have asked for better weather. We spent the afternoon with a bags tournament, lawn games, laughing and enjoying the sunshine. A big thank you to Paul, for allowing us the afternoon and resources to put on such a great party. We look forward to continuing this this tradition for years to come! Below are a few fun pictures from the event. For the full album, check out our Facebook album here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/studioPBA/photos
Studio PBA team members spent Friday in the Sheridan neighborhood, helping Habitat for Humanity with a build day for the Sheridan Square housing project. We worked next to construction staff, Habitat homeowners and other volunteer groups and learned about the building process.
Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver is a non-profit that brings people together to build affordable, energy-efficient homes and communities. Sheridan Square is the largest Habitat development in Denver's history where 63 homes will be built over the next five years.
We spent the day installing insulation, painting the exterior of the house, cutting and putting up siding and other various construction tasks. It was a beautiful day and it was nice to get out of the office and get our hands dirty. The team has a new found respect for construction work and the people who do it. If you want to learn more about Habitat or volunteer yourself, check out their website for more information: https://www.habitatmetrodenver.org/
PBA staff members spent Friday morning volunteering with one of our favorite organizations, Food for Thought. We packed Power Sacks for Denver-area elementary school students that depend on these food sacks every week to supplement or to provide food for the weekend for the students and their families.
We also have elected Food for Thought Denver as our charitable organization to benefit from in the upcoming Colfax Marathon Relay. Studio PBA will have three teams racing for the top spots of the Architecture Construction Design division as the top teams win prize money to benefit their chosen charity. More updates on the relay to follow. If you or your organization will be participating in the Colfax Marathon, consider Food for Thought Denver as one of your charitable organizations! For more information, click the link here: http://foodforthoughtdenver.org/
