Mentors

Glenda graduated from UC Berkeley with a Masters in Architecture in 2000 and has been with Butler Armsden Architects since 2004. Glenda’s design sensibilities are informed in part by her education and upbringing in Italy as can be seen in several of her projects where she has melded modern architecture into a historical context. Rather than being tied to a particular style, Glenda draws inspiration from her clients’ stories and the unique elements that each site offers before crafting her designs.  Her emphasis on context and a careful selection of site-appropriate materials is rewarded with designs that both reflect and enhance the beauty of their setting.

Todd leads creative direction at Public with an affinity for human solutions. After a short career playing and touring with a band in Canada, he received a BS in graphic design from San Jose State University and founded Public in 1998. With over thirty years of experience, Todd continues to believe in both clear communication and bringing joy, feeding the soul to create, and maintaining Public at an intimate scale in service to the character and spirit of every project.

Jess Gibson, a California native, earned a Bachelors of Science in Community Nutrition from UC Davis and a Masters of Architecture from California College of the Arts. For 14 years, she worked as an Animator, Motion Graphics Artist, VFX, Compositor, Creative Lead, Art Director, and Illustrator at advertising firms and post-production companies for clients like Airbnb, Google, Nike, and Adobe. As of 2023, she is now a freelance artist, leading creative projects from start to finish and joining various production teams. Her art practice work explores the relationship between perspective and perception through traditional hand-drawn media. Jess is a mother, runner, baker, dancer, artist, knitter, and lover of clothes, travel, food, wine, and practices meditation, podcast consumption, and loves connecting and supporting people who come into her orbit.

Sunwoo Kim (Licensed in CA), a Seoul native, holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Seoul and graduated from Yale School of Architecture in 2018. He has worked at esteemed firms such as Soltozibin Architects in Seoul, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in Chicago, and currently practices at Butler Armsden Architects. Kim’s endeavors focus on bridging architecture as both a practice and discipline, evident in his book Common Architecture, published in Korea. His multidimensional approach integrates theory with practice of architecture.

Tessa establishes project strategy through listening and learning from clients and partners, and engaging deeply in shared purpose. She received a BS in graphic design from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and worked a year at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art before joining Todd at Public in 1998. Tessa believes systems and parameters liberate creativity, cross pollination between design disciplines enriches design results, and getting in over your head to stay humble and push growth.

Lindsay is both versatile and prolific in her work, eschewing style for exploration, embracing new skills, mediums, and programs to pursue her ideas. She received a BFA in graphic design from Brigham Young University and started at Public in 2001. Lindsay never shies from trying, and exercises heart over ego.

Janet grew up in College Station, Texas and received her B.Arch at Rice University in 2019. Inspired by minimal architecture that is intelligent and intentional in its use of space and material quality, Janet believes architecture’s role is to respond to the users’ needs and also to dialogue with the site it occupies. In addition to studying architecture, Janet taught taekwondo in high school and college as an extracurricular, and has since then been interested in teaching and mentoring others.

Daniel Ortiz, an industrial designer based in San Francisco, draws inspiration from the vibrant blend of art and technology in his hometown. A graduate of the California College of the Arts, Daniel has transformed his fascination with functional beauty into a dynamic career. He has gained valuable experience in various environments, from industry giants like Amazon to cutting-edge startups in NYC and Amsterdam. With roles at 3D Systems, Heath Ceramics, SLIMDESIGN, and Pentair Rocean, Daniel has honed a broad skill set encompassing industrial design, graphic design, packaging design, branding, and UX design. His persistent curiosity propels him to seek new challenges and connect with diverse communities. Daniel’s commitment to impactful design extends beyond his professional endeavors – he is also an entrepreneurial spirit, having launched his own specialty coffee brand called Painted Leopard.

Nancy taps intuition and emotion through her design and illustration—her work is effortlessly engaging. She received a BS in Psychology from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, studied graphic design at the California College of Arts while concurrently working at Public, and started full-time in 2000. Nancy is nuanced and thoughtful.

Barbara grew up in Houston, Texas where she received her B.Arch from Rice University. Barbara worked in New York City for a few years before moving cross country to San Francisco. She has been at Butler Armsden Architects since her move in 2017.

Growing up, Barbara always enjoyed looking at peoples’ homes and remembering how a well-designed building made her feel. Her favorite part about design is how personal taste, habit, and function can combine to express the uniqueness of how a person lives. Through her work, Barbara takes satisfaction in helping clients express themselves through their homes.

Jon co-directs Alternating Currents, established in June 2020 during the early months of Covid Pandemic, presenting experimental outdoor performances and projects at the Bay Area’s Albany Bulb. He leads Oxford to the Ballot Box, a community initiative focusing on the voices of Mississippians, voter engagement and voting rights; and is on the steering committee of the Massachusetts Gosnold-Cuttyhunk Climate Action Network. He is in pre-production on “Las Vegas Casino Carpets,” an exhibition at UNLV’s Barrick Museum of Art. Jon is also a Senior Research Fellow in the University of Iowa Public Policy Center, and directed Iowa’s School of Art & Art History’s Intermedia Program from 2002 through 2019.