January 30, 2020 — GGLO is excited to announce their newly promoted staff! These talented leaders bring abundant and diverse expertise to Architecture, Landscape, Interiors, Planning, and Marketing. We value their commitment to community, design, and sustainability, and the impact they have made as leaders within the firm.
Join us in congratulating:
Al Gabay, Associate AIA
Specializing in hospitality and destination resort projects throughout the world, in addition to commercial, retail and residential projects, Al brings 24 years of design and management experience and a thorough understanding of client needs with positive results. Combined with the technical skill and an immersive team-oriented approach to problem solving, his passion for architecture, coupled with a calm demeanor helps to inform best practices in achieving the bottom line and delivering a great project.
Jake Gilfillan, Associate
Originally from Stockton, California, Jake moved to Seattle in 2018 to join the IT department at GGLO. His technical background primarily includes windows based servers and desktops, computer networking and phone systems, and he has always had a passion for the hands-on nature of IT. He finds most interesting the places where users and technology intersect, and the ways that tools help improve the architectural process. Jake enjoys exploring his new city with his family, playing and creating video games and working on his own music projects.
Jeffrey Bates, Associate AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Jeff sees multifamily projects as a great opportunity for integrated inside-out design, and he appreciates the way they can “thread into” the urban fabric. He enjoys the opportunity to design at a variety of scales, from unit plans to urban district planning. Jeff’s design approach is to stay loose, and generate options to optimize the best possible solutions. This can be achieved through pinups and input from others as he believes good ideas can come from anyone. The building types he enjoys working on are mixed-use urban infill projects, both high-rise and mid-rise. In Jeff’s spare time he likes to hike, travel, and watercolor.
James Greene, Associate ASLA, LEED AP BD + C
Even though he is a native of Michigan, James has embraced the active Pacific Northwest lifestyle. James is an accomplished Landscape Architect and has collaborated on a range of multi-disciplinary projects across the US and Asia. His diverse set of skills, leadership and desire to create extraordinary spaces has made him a valuable member of the GGLO team. His love for the outdoors has fostered his drive to design unique and memorable outdoor settings.
Katie Nakata, Associate AIA
Katie believes designers have a responsibility to create meaningful design solutions for addressing the juxtaposition of the human experience and natural environment. With recent design experience focused in senior living communities, this design responsibility becomes an integral part for successful and inclusive design for all. Katie’s experince collaborating with a diverse project team from multiple design disciplines has contributed to several successful senior housing communities.
Kayla Verbitsky, Associate LEED AP BD + C
Kayla is highly interested in sustainability, biomimicry, and utilizing a holistic, integrated design approach. She believes that even the smallest design has the ability to influence on a vast scale, and so she aims to make that influence positive. She studied Architecture at the University of Hartford and has worked in the industry since 2012. At GGLO she is known for her knowledge of Building Information Technology and is a go-to person for all things Revit. She has experience in a wide range of project types including commercial and multi-family housing with an emphasis in tall buildings. She is also a volunteer Team Leader for the ACE Mentorship program.
Kiwon Suh, Associate LEED Green Associate
Kiwon’s aptitude for creative spatial thinking and big picture design awareness led him to Landscape Architecture, a craft he’s passionately been executing since 2009. A graduate from the University of Washington’s Landscape Architecture program, Kiwon creates spaces that are imaginative, distinct, and implementable. He is acutely aware of how design informs the user’s movement, experience, and interaction with space. Kiwon’s clients range from public to private entities, providing him experience with developers, city officials, and everyone in-between. He is versed in feasibility studies, pre-design for funding, and all steps of design implementation. Kiwon is known for solving tough project challenges, and is an advocate for cross-collaboration.
Phillip Decker, Associate ASLA
Phillip’s love for all things outdoors has fostered a deep appreciation for integrated, site-specific design that is both ecologically responsible and authentic to each and every site. When designing, Phillip studies and expresses the inherent character of a neighborhood, geographic region, and the site’s history. This approach helps tell the story of the community and site through overall site layout, down to the intrinsic details.
Rachael Berry, Associate
Rachael is technical, detail oriented, and values an open collaborative environment. She believes the most successful projects are those where teammates, disciplines, and clients work cross-functionally to achieve a dynamic design story. Rachael specializes in space planning, design/construction documentation and construction administration, and is highly skilled in Revit. She loves to travel, especially internationally, and draws inspiration from learning and exploring other cultures’ food, design, and architecture.
Rachel Brockway, Associate LEED AP
Rachel brings over 20 years of industry experience to GGLO with a strong background in hospitality and workplace design. She possesses a profound love of art, materials and finishes, and believes they are the most essential element in creating a highly sought-after “authentic experience”. An avid explorer of cities, spaces, and culture, she is passionate about finding beauty in every environment. She prides herself on quick, creative thinking when identifying unique solutions during crucial stages of design. Above all, Rachel places importance on maintaining authenticity, expressing the proper design aesthetic, and discovering the most efficient functionality of space for each client.
Ross Lambert, Associate AIA , LEED Green Associate
Ross loves materials and the processes of creating and is most of all passionate about architecture as a means for creating community spaces. He has found a home in the Northwest and at GGLO that is a great fit with his values and interests. Ross’ work at GGLO has focused on large mixed use and multi-family projects. He has seen projects through from concept to construction, coordinating the work of the design team, consultants, and contractor. Ross is thorough, detail-oriented and enjoys working at every scale from the big picture down to the smallest detail. In his spare time, Ross is a woodworker and affordable housing advocate.
Tim Slazinik, Associate ASLA, LEED Green Associate
Tim brings a strong background of public engagement and civic design experience that is rooted in true collaboration and community. His passion for this work lies at the intersection of design and horticulture, manifested through thoughtful, purposeful landscapes of all scales and programs. Tim brings with him a diverse and deep experience set that runs the gamut of scales and project types, from health centers and middle schools to rooftop farms and trail systems. Outside of his project work, Tim serves in a national and local roles with the American Society of Landscape Architects, and has been a featured speaker at the ASLA Annual Conferences.
