LEADERSHIP
Becher Eli Neme, AIA, Founding Principal
Becher’s professional career commenced in France where he worked with TETRARC, a practice recognized for their artistic and poetic approach to architecture. He moved on to Los Angeles to work with Gehry Partners gaining valuable experience working on the coordination of highly complex projects, including the Brooklyn Arena, the Hall Winery, and the Guggenheim in Abu Dhabi. Later he went to Las Vegas, where he was involved in the construction of the Tivoli Village mix-use project.
Becher is a licensed architect in the state of California. He graduated with a degree in Architectural Design and a Master’s in Urban design from L’Ecole Nationale Superieure D’architecture in Nantes, France.
Tom Johnson, AIA, Principal
Tom is a licensed architect with over 25 years of experience designing a wide range of projects from residential to commercial to institutional spaces. Tom’s early years were spent in Chicago working on high-end residential projects and vacation properties. From lakeside properties to classic brownstones, Tom gained a working knowledge of various styles and eras of housing with an emphasis on craftsmanship. Relocating to Los Angeles, in the early 2000’s, Tom worked in award winning boutique design firms Shubin + Donaldson and Abrahamson Teiger, overseeing a large scope of commercial, educational and office projects that played a role in redefining the Los Angeles architectural landscape.
Tom completed his Bachelor of Architecture at University of California at Berkeley, graduating cum laude, and completed his Masters of Architecture at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Nikki Ward, AIA, Project Leader
Nikki is a registered architect with a license in Massachusetts. She graduated magna cum laude from Syracuse University with her Bachelor of Architecture degree. She also spent four months in Italy, where she studied architecture through on-site drawing, weekly excursions, and studio exercises.
Nikki started her career in Massachusetts, where she worked for the Boston office of SmithGroup for multiple years. During this time, her primary role was as a designer on several large healthcare projects with a focus on exterior design and façade development. She is well versed in a variety of 3d modeling and visualization software, which she enjoys using to help develop concepts and test design solutions.
Julian Gonzalez, Project Leader
Julian is a rising designer on the path to AIA licensure. He began his career in Chicago, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Architecture. His vision and creativity garnered numerous awards and honors. During this time, he worked with various firms in the Chicagoland area, focusing primarily on conceptual massing and exterior envelope design.
He then pursued his Master’s degree at Princeton University and achieved one of the highest distinctions in the architecture program – the Suzanne Kolarik Underwood Prize. While at Princeton, Julian collaborated closely with Cameron Wu, an Assistant Professor, to push the boundaries of research and design techniques involving developable and ruled surface geometries. Julian's formal agility enables him to adeptly manage complex 3D geometries and develop quality detailed drawings.