People
Pablo Barrionuevo
Project Designer
Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, MArch
Andalusia, Spain
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Pablo is engaged in conceptual design, rendering and analytical work.
With experience working in offices across Lisbon, Madrid, Mumbai, and Vienna, he has been involved in designing a variety of residential and cultural projects.
Originally from Andalusia, Pablo has pursued his studies in Madrid and Seoul, cultivating a deep passion for drawing, photography, and nature.
He finds inspiration for his sketches and architectural designs in vernacular and historical buildings, channeling their essence into his work.
Samuel DeBartolo
Designer
Rice University, MSArch
University of Arizona, BArch
Phoenix, Arizona
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Samuel joined Studio Rick Joy in 2024. He is involved in conceptual and design development work.
While pursuing his master’s degree at Rice University, Samuel worked as an architectural designer for a local nonprofit, designing refugee housing solutions in Uganda. Originally from Phoenix, Samuel has gained experience in commercial, religious, and residential projects while working in offices throughout Arizona.
His persistence towards the joy of architecture, found in the deepening of one’s experience of space, is a core tenet guiding his design work.
Anna Fletcher
Designer
Virginia Tech, BArch
Norfolk, Virginia
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Anna works on various facets of the design process ranging from analytical work, conceptual modeling, design and rendering.
Her career in architecture is just beginning and she is keen to take on new challenges that will continue to aid in the development of her creative skillset and holistic understanding of the field.
Anna has an extensive background in the visual arts, particularly hand drawing and graphic design.
She hopes to use architecture as a means of bringing to life the untold tales of our kind through immersive and sensory narrative experiences.
Cameron Graupman
Project Manager & Designer
Texas Tech University, BSArch, MArch
Forney, Texas
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Cameron is an experienced designer and project manager who has worked on a variety of residential project types, taking them from concept through construction.
He aspires to create well-crafted architecture with a reverence for nature, local culture and historic building traditions. In practice, he values the use of analog tools, seeking to capture the life of the human hand, both in the design process and the built form.
Cameron has worked with award-winning studios in Seattle on projects throughout Washington State, Idaho, Montana, and Hawai’i, and is excited to bring his expertise to the desert and beyond.
He finds inspiration in the exhibition of time, through thoughtful use of material, light and space, crafting nuances that reward the patient observer.
Bernardo Hernandez
Project Manager & Designer
ITESO Universidad Jesuita, BArch
Guadalajara, Mexico
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Bernardo is involved in the project management and design development of residential projects.
His international experience in design and construction of residential, commercial and hospitality projects while working in award-wining offices in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and his native Guadalajara, Mexico has led to an authentic incorporation of diverse design approaches to create thoughtful architecture.
Bernardo has traveled and lived abroad in France, England, and Ethiopia and believes this diverse experience has broadened his perspective of how timeless spaces have been built in different traditions.
He had his own practice in Guadalajara, Mexico and his work has been nominated for awards both in Mexico and the US.
Bernardo is inspired by the history and culture of places and how that influences the built environment.
Claudia Kappl Joy
Senior Advisor
Lighting & Interior Design, CLD, IALD, MIES, WKO
University of Technology Graz, Master of Architecture
Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, Master of Architectural Lighting and Health
Kaernten / Austria
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Claudia is the wife and business partner of Rick Joy and has been a collaborator of the SRJ team for over 14 years.
In 2013, Rick and Claudia co-founded the lighting design consultancy studio, CLL – Concept Lighting Lab, LLC, in which she is creative and managing director, leading all projects - responsible thru implementation – having done so on several award-winning projects.
This includes large scale Masterplans, Civic Plaza Lighting, Roadway and Pathway Lighting, Installations, Hospitality, large- and small-scale Commercial Projects, High-end Residential and Boutique Designs, as well as Specialty Lighting Applications and Art Lighting.
She is recognized as a CLD – Certified Lighting Designer, and with more than 16 years of experience, her areas of expertise range from concept design, design development and construction documents, specification, and technical coordination, building integrated modelling, cost comparison, value engineering, trade coordination, procurement, and implementation, including aiming-adjusting and retrofit solutions.
She has lived and worked in Austria, the United Kingdom, Sweden and since 2007 has called Tucson her work and home base.
Claudia’s fascination with the ephemeral quality of light and its essential role when creating moving atmospheric space is at the base of her design approach and interest.
Rick Joy
Principal, FAIA, Int. FRIBA
University of Arizona, BArch
Maine / Tucson for 30+ years
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Rick Joy is the founder and principal of Studio Rick Joy formerly Rick Joy Architects.
He is considered an important contributor to the ongoing global discourse on conceptual and sustainable architecture. His work expresses innovation and exactitude in modernism and reflects a unique sense of place.
Honors include receiving the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Architecture in 2002 and in 2004 winning the prestigious National Design Award from the Smithsonian Institute/Cooper-Hewitt Museum.
In 2015, Rick was vested into the American Institute of Architects’ College of Fellows and the Royal Institute of British Architects’ RIBA International College of Fellows.
He was inducted into the Interior Design Hall of Fame in a Javits Center event in 2019.
Other professional affiliations include The College of Fellows of The American Institute of Architects, The American Academy of Arts and Letters, Tucson MOCA Advisory Board Member.
Rick lectures internationally and periodically serves as visiting professor at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, Rice University, M.I.T. and the University of Arizona.
The studio’s first monograph, Desert Works, was released by Princeton Architectural Press in 2002 and the second, Studio Joy Works, was released in 2018.
He is also the co-owner of CLL Concept Lighting Lab with his partner Claudia Kappl Joy. CLL provides full-service lighting design for all SRJ projects in addition to outside firms.
Originally from Maine, he studied music and was a classical percussionist and rock/blues drummer until the age of 28 when he moved to Tucson to study Architecture.
Kurt Krueger
Project Architect, AIA
Kansas State University, BArch
Missouri / Los Angeles, California
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Kurt’s extensive experience in residential and commercial projects from concept design through construction provides a unique perspective from SRJ’s California office.
He aspires to create architecture with a focus on detail, craftsmanship, and timeless beauty. Kurt’s experience working in design-build firms brings hands-on construction knowledge and the skills to achieve unique solutions through building methods.
He leads his own practice in Los Angeles while also serving as Project Architect for SRJ’s California projects.
Mitch Mackowiak
Senior Designer
Rice University, BA, BArch
St. Louis, Missouri
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Mitch is integrally involved in master planning, commercial, and residential work as well as collaborations with Concept Lighting Lab.
His analytical design process and attention to detail has helped develop projects’ early design schemes.
He worked for offices in Boston and St. Louis, taking part in the design phases for a variety of projects including a mausoleum chapel and a cinematheque.
Mitch seeks to build what evokes reciprocity between sustenance, shelter, and surroundings.
Dan Martin
Chief Financial Officer
The University of Arizona, BA, MBA
Cleveland, Ohio
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Dan handles both day-to-day business, contractual and financial matters as well as longer-term planning.
His years as a financial advisor with UBS as well as experiences in technology and manufacturing give him the insight to understand and assist with a diverse range of projects.
Dan is originally from Cleveland, Ohio and is currently building his own house in his spare time.
Alan Purvis
Senior Architect, AIA, LEED AP
Columbia University, Master of Advanced Architectural Design
Kansas State University, BArch
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Alan has 23 years of professional experience in leading collaborative teams of architects and consultants on a variety of projects, including award winning residential, cultural, higher education, and historical projects. Prior to joining Rick Joy Architects, Alan worked for Bohlin Cywinski Jackson Architects as a designer and project manager and as a principal architect within his own design firm. He has served as a design consultant on numerous building competitions and built architectural projects.
Alan received his initial professional registration in 1994 and is currently a registered architect in Arizona and South Carolina. He is a 25-year member of the American Institute of Architects and has held various state and regional positions within the AlA. Alan has lectured on topics that focus on the experiential nature of architecture, sustainable design, site planning & land use, building systems integration, and material strategies for local and regional conditions.
He has been the principal designer on a USGBC LEED gold certified project and numerous projects which implemented environmentally sensitive strategies as the standard for design. These projects emphasize integrated design principles at various scales of design, from site planning to the detailing of furniture and crafted objects. He has extensive experience with the use and detailing of natural materials and has developed projects that have received national recognition for the exceptional use of wood timbers and natural stone.
Alan has taught Architecture Theory, Technology and Design courses at Kansas State University, the University of Arizona and Drury University. Additionally, Alan has been a design jury member at Columbia University GSAPP, The University of Tennessee, University of Florida, Clemson University, and the University of Kansas. He has also presented his professional and research work at the Columbia GSAPP which focused on material, craft, and site integration methods. He has been active in leading pro-bono design and construction projects for non-profit community groups and single-family housing organizations.
Gustavo Silva
Project Designer
Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de Mexico, BArch
Caracas, Venezuela / Mexico City, Mexico
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Gustavo is involved in the conceptual development of residential projects.
His practice focuses on generating an impact on how people inhabit space, and values when attention is given to the finer details of the objects that compose it.
He has worked in offices in Mexico City where he was involved in all stages of project development from conceptual designs to construction drawings. These projects ranged in scale from architectural and urban projects to object and furniture design.
Born in Venezuela, raised in Mexico, with experience studying abroad in both Chile and London, Gustavo has a constant desire to explore the world and learn from the differences in cultures.
Sofia Soto
Project Architect, AIA
Texas Tech University, MArch, MBA
Monterrey, Mexico
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Sofía’s experience focuses on elevated residential projects, where she works on all phases of design and takes projects from concept to completion. She is drawn to SRJ’s design philosophy and commitment to integrative diverse perspectives in cooperative practice.
Originally from Monterrey, México, after university, she moved to the Pacific Northwest and worked with offices in Seattle, Washington, as Project Architect and Manager on a variety of custom projects.
She volunteers as a Board Member and Marketing Director of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) Northwest chapter, with the goal of elevating minority voices in the industry and helping to increase licensures.
Sofia is interested in different social and cultural backgrounds, sustainable practices, and thoughtful work that is sensitive to place; finding inspiration in spaces that evoke our senses and make us feel alive.
She is a Registered Architect and holds a license in the State of Washington.
Intan Yokelson
Architect, AIA
University of Colorado, MArch, Design Build Certificate
University of Arizona, BSGeosciences
Missoula, Montana
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Intan joined Studio Rick Joy in 2024. She is involved in the design and development of residential and hospitality projects.
Originally from Missoula, Montana, she has lived all over the western United States and feels deeply connected to the landscapes of the West. As an Architect, she finds inspiration in the fluctuations of physical environment and temporal scale in the built and natural world. She aspires to create thoughtful architecture that speaks to the culture, history, and context of place.
Prior to joining the studio, Intan worked for offices in Denver, Tucson, and Missoula. She worked on award-wining projects and took part in the design phases for a variety of project types and scales. She is a Registered Architect and holds a license in the State of Montana.