Michelle works primarily with the residential team at WDA. She brings her experience of working over five years as an Associate Designer and Project Coordinator at Hornberger + Worstell. She has worked on various types and size projects, ranging from master planning, hospitality, higher education, to the renovation of one of San Francisco’s historic landmarks into luxury condominiums. She tries to incorporate sustainable design principles early into the project, and has successfully achieved LEED Gold Certification on a student recreation center at Sacramento State. She has lead in managing complex projects and teams through tight schedules, all the while producing quality drawings and 3D renderings.
She received her Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from UC Berkeley with high honors. She took a year off between schools to continue her internship at Phillip Banta & Associates, working mainly on residential projects. Concurrently she taught a 16-week architecture studio at a local juvenile hall through the Cornerstone for Education Foundation. She returned to graduate school at California College of the Arts, receiving her Masters in Architecture. There she enjoyed classes such as Wood Furniture Design, Post Disaster Relief Studio, and Digital Fabrication, as well as assisting in teaching the Structures I and II courses. Her thesis focused on the future of the sprawling city, redefining the public transportation system to lessen the reliance on automobiles, thereby reclaiming the street for green open space. She believes strongly in professional development and over the years has become a LEED Accredited Professional and a Licensed Architect in California. She participates in community activities including fundraisers for high school architecture programs, food-drives, and Habitat for Humanity. In her free time, she loves to travel, hike, garden, play softball and tennis, practice photography, and create delicious gluten free recipes.
