Bulent A. Baydar, AIA

While in college, Bulent thought he would work in a commercial firm. That is until he got a glimpse of what was being done at Harrison Design Associates through a friend. He has been with the firm since receiving his master’s degree.

His family is from Turkey, where Bulent played as a child along the shore on summer visits. Though fond of his early recollections of Mediterranean architecture, his tastes are firmly rooted in styles such as English Tudor, French Country, and lighter, open interiors; palettes of stone, brick, wood.

Bulent has designed over a hundred projects. He views his work as adventurous; embracing the future while keeping a respectful eye on the past.

Bill Caldwell, ASLA

As a young golfer, Bill developed an early appreciation for the natural beauty of the courses he played. Over time, his love of nature, combined with interests in architecture, history and travel, deeply influenced Bill’s decision to pursue a career in landscape architecture. After earning his degree at The University of Georgia, he apprenticed under the late Dan Franklin, whose legendary talent and persona live on in the Atlanta community today. Many of Bill’s early gardens were crafted for residences designed by Harrison Design Associates, and thus began his long-standing relationship with the company.

Realizing that landscape architecture is as much a science as it is an art, Bill honed his technical skills at an engineering firm focused on highly complex commercial and recreational master planning projects. In 2007, Bill’s successful history of working with Harrison Design Associates and his broad design background, made him a natural choice to lead firm’s newly created studio. Since that time, he has created residential gardens, public parks and commercial and resort master plans for clients as far away as Asia and Africa.

Karen H. Ferguson, ASID

Aspire, envision, embellish, edit, realize. Karen begins all of her designs focusing first on what it is her clients are trying to achieve, with hopes that the end result will exceed their expectations.

She holds a high regard for a variety of design movements and finds great satisfaction employing different aspects from them in her work. “It is refreshing to be able to work in a variety of styles; discovering the style that best suits your client is absolutely exhilarating!”

Karen strives to make her designs look effortless, knowing that it takes a lot of effort to pull this off. Careful attention is given to key details such as scale and proportion, color and texture. She leads her team to shoot for the highest marks. They work hard for the rewards, which can be measured in a clear-cut way; a well designed space “simply feels right”.

Chad E. Goehring, Associate AIA

Chad likes to delve into the many styles the firm designs, taking as much pleasure in the experience as his clients do in the results. It is one of the reasons he is the fresh new face of Harrison Design Associates, St. Simons Island office.

He engages his practice in every aspect of the work, staying close to the client from initial meetings, to a project’s inception, to completion and move-in. He describes his take on his job as, “create, build, interact, relate, enjoy.”

On St. Simons, Chad sees clients coming in from all over the country and the world, many to build second homes. He sees his role as serving them through advancing the firm’s mission of translating its knowledge and talent appropriately to the coastal South.

Adele S. Goggia

Adele brings an unmatched depth of interactive community experience to Harrison Design Associates. Working with clients, making initial sketches, or guiding the permit process, her primary function in the office, Adele is a pivotal part of the team.

Her expertise in guiding projects through the rules and regulations benefits every client of the firm. Adele can quickly surmise initial programming needs, especially renovations, and respond with different schemes and workable options—like a puzzle, skillfully fitting all the pieces until the finished, highly functional piece delights.

For Anthony, architecture is like poetry.  If expressed well, it is an ennobling experience.  Like poetry, he believes that architecture can be spoken in many languages and with a variety of beautiful results.  Having studied in Rome during his graduate studies at the University of Notre Dame, Anthony is an avid proponent of understanding the great styles and practices of the past to inform the best designs of the future.

A natural fit in Harrison Design Associates’ educational initiative, Anthony’s artistic gifts have been readily utilized:  Not only does he design homes for clients, he is also helping the City of Santa Barbara to create a guide for its many architectural styles.  As well, he gives talks to many groups, such as Sotheby’s realtors and others who appreciate the knowledge to help streamline sales.

Anthony & his wife have five energetic sons who help determine his free time agenda.  That said, Anthony has ensured that his boys already know their Classical Orders of architecture.

Baoshan Han

A Chinese native, Baoshan is both a life-long student and teacher of architecture.  After earning his degree and teaching design studios at Tsinghua University in China for six years, Baoshan came to the United States in 1990 to continue his studies at the University of Cincinnati and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Throughout this time, Baoshan was also embarking on his professional career, designing many award-winning projects such as the National Guest House and the International Conference Center in Beijing and the Lenox Park neighborhood, which won first place in the 2005 National Residential Designers Associations’ competition.   His understanding of the Chinese language, culture, and political, legal and economic climates soon made him a highly sought after consultant for clients throughout China.

In his role with Harrison Design Associates, Baoshan applies his unique background to assist our team in fully appreciating and addressing the functional and cultural needs of our Chinese clients.

An Atlanta native, Jesse was educated in Chicago and began his career marketing for an international apparel firm. Learning invaluable skills, while building client relationships and being driven by design and aesthetics, Jesse later transitioned to a position at the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center where he specialized in marketing fine art. 

Ultimately, he became the director of one of Atlanta’s premier contemporary art galleries where he managed operations, marketing, and public relations.  He later co-founded a real estate based company that brands, markets and manages luxury properties for special events, print media and major film and television productions. 

Jesse joined Harrison Design Associates’ Beverly Hills office in 2010 where he specializes in business development.

Carol has spent her career mastering the art of accounting.  Yet she does so much more at Harrison Design Associates because she is able to understand the implications of a wide range of activities on the overall objectives of the firm.

From accounting to human resources to information technology, Carol appreciates the diversity of her administrative responsibilities and her role in building and maintaining business relationships.  The fact that she enjoys working with people from all walks of life makes her job even more rewarding. She's just as comfortable assisting project architects with budgets as she is negotiating with an insurance company.

From where Carol sits she sees how all the complex business pieces fit into the overall scheme of a well-run architectural firm.  And she likes the view.

Originally from a small town in North Carolina, Derek attributes much of his appreciation for architecture to family travels. It was during these annual trips that he was first exposed to the country’s distinct architectural styles - from the French Colonial homes of the Louisiana bayou to the quaint shingle-style cottages that characterize the coastal Northeast.

After graduating from the School of Design at North Carolina State University, he was drawn to Atlanta, for its exceptional balance of southern charm and metropolitan sophistication. It was here that he embarked on a career in architecture and discovered that the close-knit community where he grew up had instilled in him a uniquely personable approach to guiding his clientele through the process of design and construction. Derek feels a certain sense of responsibility associated with listening to clients’ wishes and being able to translate their ideas into tangible structures – places of comfort, sources of pride, and well-crafted spaces that make living, working and relaxing easier and more enjoyable.

Mark D. Hughes, RA 

Growing up in Washington, DC, Mark Hughes was steeped in the architectural traditions and monumental beauty of the region.   After completing his architectural studies at both the undergraduate and graduate School of Architecture at the University of Maryland, he began a career with a wide variety of projects, including commercial, residential, historic, retail, restaurant, and space planning design.  After many years as a partner and then owner of a locally-based architectural practice, Mark brought his design and management expertise to Harrison Design Associates, becoming the director of the firm’s Washington, DC office in 2012.

He believes that each project, no matter how small or large, should be well considered and endowed with good design and that will, ultimately, enhance and bring pleasure to the daily lives of the families and individuals that inhabitant them thereafter.  This, he says, is the greatest reward for the architect.

Barbara Lowenthal

She’s spent over 15 years on city and county review boards, has been a leader in education, and she established her interiors practice in Santa Barbara. Barbara leads the firm’s interiors group in this California community.

While residential interiors comprise most of her background, her portfolio is peppered with hospitality and commercial design. One of her most rewarding projects is the interiors of an Inn created to look circa 1830s, the converted home of “a prominent landowner and Spanish Don.”

An architectural historian and repeat client describes Barbara as tenacious; “if any one can find what you need, it would have to be her.” From unique fabric to esoteric furniture, Barbara applies that tenaciousness to design as much as execution. Her regional experience and community service gives her clients a West Coast edge.

Steve Markey, Associate AIA

Not only is Steve a leading designer, his sketches and presentations are among the best.

Steve grew up in Italy, Belgium, and Germany, first fond of music and art as a student. He reaches into centuries of architecture as easily as he recalls drawing as a child, sketching the family dog before a Brussels building, carefully including an arch or an urn on a pedestal.

The world, history, and his imagination are his references in placing today’s lifestyles in traditional architecture. He may look to early America, then to images collected in memories of Europe, and then to local and regional vernacular.

One of Steve’s more interesting client experiences was when the owner, a generally reserved gentleman, suddenly hugged him after seeing his finished country club.

Robert C. Pich, Associate AIA

Perhaps the only repetition in Robbie’s design work is repeat business. One project that stands out in his memory is the home he designed for a retired architect; a blend of Prairie style and other Japanese influences. He was called back to design the client’s getaway home.

Robbie operates without the egotistical blinders often found in classical residential architects. (“I guess I have no ego,” he muses.) His patience, relaxed manner, and voice of reason are known for building loyalty.

The shared knowledge and diverse cultural backgrounds of others in the firm help keep his creativity fresh. Robbie renews his appreciation for classical architecture during yearly trips to Europe. He and his wife are fond of mid-20th century furniture and plan to build a new home to suit their collection.

Robert A. Tretsch III, AIA, LEED AP

His father a U.S. Marine, Robert lived in many different places. Doodling around the famous Princeton University gothic quads sealed his career direction from eighth grade forward.

Robert still calls his formidable sketching skills “doodling” and has been known to hit upon winning ideas in client meetings. He feels, since finely executed design should be a given in any architectural firm, managing projects at an excellent level of client service is a high calling as well.

After stints with a small Australian firm, large commercial firms in the American Northeast and South, Robert reached the role he had always pictured for himself, high residential design. With an interest in new directions, Robert is as comfortable exploring the modern as well as classic precedent.