This summer is an exciting time for the WORKSHOP8 team including new arrivals and farewells. Last Monday, July 1, we celebrated with a team party at Zeal in Boulder to welcome and say goodbye to our evolving studio.
Here’s an update on our team:
Elena Robles
Elena is the newest team member to join WORKSHOP8. Her experience includes 7 years in the commercial architecture industry where she worked on various projects ranging from healthcare facilities and retail spaces, to manufacturing facilities and clean rooms. Her experience coupled with her education in Political Science allow her to bring a humanistic approach to design and an overall intent on helping to deliver projects that are not only beautiful and functional, but also beneficial to its users.
Kelley McKinney
Kelley has been with WORKSHOP8 since January 2024. Before joining WORKSHOP8 to pursue a career in architecture, she worked as a civil engineer doing drainage design. Kelley has been working primarily on StarRise and Overlook Apartments.
Peter Woodward
Peter just celebrated his one year workaversary with WORKSHOP8 in late June and is now back to work full time this summer after his first academic year in the University of Colorado Denver’s School of Architecture and Planning where he completed the Design Build Certificate, building and designing 4 different business incubator prototypes for the Downtown Denver Partnership’s 16th Street Mall renovation efforts. He’ll resume his education in the fall and plans graduate next spring.
Chelsea Rietz
Chelsea is in her 10th year at WORKSHOP8 and isn’t saying goodbye – she’s saying Hello! to a new baby boy and see you soon to WORKSHOP8. She will be taking 12 weeks of parental leave to bond with her new little one and will be back to work in October.
Ripley Stone
Ripley joined the WORKSHOP8 team a year ago after completing a Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture at the University of Colorado Boulder. Ripley began working on Link & Pin, a 12 story apartment project in Denver taking charge of the entitlements and Site Development Plan. Ripley quickly become one of the experts in the planning and entitlements processes for W8 contributing to Jacoby Meadows, StarRise, and more new work. Originally from Vail, Ripley will now be furthering his education at the University of Colorado Denver College of Architecture and Planning working towards a Master of Architecture in their 2 Year Program.
Lukas Shimizu-Blume
Lukas has been with WORKSHOP8 since July 2023, also as a new graduate from CU’s Environmental Design program. During his time here, Lukas has been focused almost entirely on Jacoby Meadows, and has quickly gained a breadth of knowledge about the world of architectural practice seeing this project nearly from start to finish. He hopes to continue working on projects that directly address pressing social issues including climate justice and equality in access to education and healthcare. He is now headed to Charlottesville, Virginia to pursue a Master of Architecture degree at the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture, where he hopes to learn what is necessary to most effectively accomplish his career goals. Though he has moved long distances several times in his life, he will particularly miss Colorado, and is grateful to the many amazing people that have made his time here enjoyable.
Chris Hamilton
I joined the team in May 2022 as a new graduate from CU’s Environmental Design and am now heading to the Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design to pursue a Masters of Architecture. In my two years with WORKSHOP8, I’ve gotten to dive deep into the pragmatics of architecture, working primarily on StarRise and Overlook Apartments, and my hope is to continue working in affordable housing and sustainable development. Originally from the Midwest, I moved to Boulder in 2018 and am excited to be continuing this westward journey to the coast of California.
Don’t worry about Joseph, Brandy, and Marcel. They’re still at the helm of WORKSHOP8 and looking forward to leading many more positive and impactful projects.
Brandy created some limericks for the team party which she recited aloud. Here they are for your amusement:
There once was a Chris, so talented and bright,
Two years with us, he shone with great light.
Now off to Berkeley he goes,
To pursue architecture’s highs and lows,
We’ll miss him, but his future’s in sight!
Ripley learned planning and entitlements fast,
Subdivisions and sites, he finally grasped.
Though new to the game,
He killed just the same,
And his skills will forever last.
Lukas and Brandy may have wrangled, it’s true,
But his work ethic and skill, we came to admire too.
He worked with great might,
Finished all work in sight,
For that, our appreciation only grew and grew.
Peter’s skills in architecture will soar,
Though admin tasks may seem a chore.
He finishes each one,
With a job well-done,
His passion for design earns a high score.
There is a Chelsea so fine,
Ten years with W8, and she does shine.
Now a new chapter unfolds,
With a baby boy to hold,
Congratulations, your 3 hearts will entwine!
Kelley the engineer, a welcome surprise,
Leaves drainage behind for buildings to rise.
She’ll bring her own flair,
And her talents she’ll share,
Making Team Toby’s designs thrive.
Elena joined team Toby, with a heart aglow,
Just weeks in, already starting to flow.
She’s quick to embrace,
New skills at a steady pace,
Her W8 potential will surely grow.
Marcel, a Dutchman with an orange heart,
Loves croissants and dark beer to start.
He rides with great zest,
And handles CA just the best,
His positivity and bald head play a shining part.
Joseph, my partner in life and in deed,
Architectural skills that succeed.
He designs with great care,
Practicality he’ll share,
Affordable housing is his creed.
Brandy, the queen bee, a force so divine,
In graphics, her skills truly shine.
She demands the best,
And changes the rest
Kaizen her passion, all the time.
That’s all the news from Team Toby. Thanks everyone for reading and to all my many colleagues that have made working here so rewarding. I look forward to reading more WORKSHOP8 blogs from the other side of the email!
Chris Hamilton | Architectural Designer
