SIMONS ARCHITECTS - Key Persons
A native of Maine, Adam is excited to have joined the team at SA during the summer of 2016. Adam completed his masters of architecture degree at Norwich University, focusing his thesis on beauty and the sublime as it relates to the Maine landscape and artists.
Adam has been actively working on the Waynflete Lower School, Ecology School, and Hancock Lumber projects and believes that beauty is a key component in fostering stewardship of the built environment and thus sustaining the natural.
When not in the office Adam can be found searching for mid-century furnishings, exploring the Portland food scene, or fishing and paddling Maine's beautiful waters. This winter Adam plans to strip his first cedar canoe.
Job Titles:
- Staff Architect, AIA, LEED Green Associate
Originally from the Boston area, Amelia has a Bachelors of Architecture from Pratt Institute, is a licensed architect in New York and Maine, and holds a LEED Green Associate certification. She brings years of experience and creativity after having worked at several well-respected firms, including many years with Gensler in both New York City and Austin, Texas. She is currently working toward her LEED BD+C Certification.
Job Titles:
- Partner and Principal, AIA, RLA
Austin has over twenty-five years of professional experience as both an architect and landscape architect. He has a keen ability to listen carefully and translate complex client requirements into simple, meaningful design concepts. As the project manager for SA's most important projects, Austin brings a unique perspective to all our planning and design work.
Recent projects include the Portland Public Library, Waynflete Arts Center, Tilton Academic Building, Freeport Community Center, Bosarge Family Education Center at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and Casco Bay Ferry Terminal Renovation.
Prior to moving to Maine, Austin practiced in Washington DC, Cambridge, MA and was a faculty member at the University of Nairobi. He lives in the Rosemont neighborhood of Portland with his wife and three kids. Sunday mornings you will find Austin supporting the Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Ellen brings experience as a project manager and non-profit executive director to her role at Simons Architects. She has strong skills in strategic planning, organization, listening, understanding various viewpoints, and developing and fostering positive relationships with clients.
Ellen was born and raised in Maine, and has deep roots in the area. After graduating from Wheaton College she lived in the Middle East and Mid-Atlantic states for a number of years, before returning home to raise her children near family. She enjoys cooking, gardening, traveling, and spending time with her husband, children, and especially her grandchildren.
Emma joined SA in early 2020 and is a graduate of Tulane University with an undergraduate degree in Art History, Architecture and a Masters in Architecture. She worked for SA for about 8 months between undergraduate and graduate school and we are so happy that she is back. During her time in New Orleans, she was in the UrbanBuild program at Tulane that designed and built a home in Central City. Emma brings a strong graphic background to Simons Architects as well as hands-on building experience.
During her nine years in New Orleans, a big achievement was helping build a hand-pulled mardi gras float which was used in a number of parades. She is an avid hiker and loves the trails of Northern Maine, having most recently hiked the 100-Mile Wilderness.
Isaac joined SA in August of 2022 with a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Maine Augusta. While in school he interned with several residential firms before joining SA. He brings with him skills in graphic representation and creative design thinking.
After finishing school, Isaac moved to Southern Maine where he is enjoying the vibrant food scene. In his spare time, he can be found biking, hiking, and running, and he loves spending time with friends and family
Job Titles:
- Partner and Principal, AIA, LEED AP BD C
Julia has been with the studio since 2015 with over 15 years of experience. Her attention to detail, emphasis on listening to and integrating client needs, and skill at managing projects are great assets to the studio. Julia has been an integral team member on projects ranging from residential to institutional, encompassing renovations, additions and new construction.
Some of the completed projects she has been proud to be a part of are the Waynflete Lower School, Bigelow Residence Hall, the Casco Bay Ferry Terminal Office Expansion, reconstruction of the State Theater Marquee, The Portland Museum of Art (PMA) Entry Experience, interior classroom and student space transformations at Colby College's Waterville Campus and University of Maine's Orono campus, Falmouth Memorial Library, and a few private residential projects.
Julia enjoys finding opportunities to build local community partnerships through her work. Increasing awareness of how the built environment can impact quality of life across a range of sectors on both an individual and civic scale is integral to each project. She is keenly interested in environmentally and socially responsible design, and especially in making continued use of existing buildings accessible.
Fostering relationships and communication within local regional industries, she views each project as a chance to strengthen the approachability and visibility of those contributions and connections to the greater community. Working with the Kennebec Land Trust and Local Wood Works to support their effort to bring awareness to local wood industries throughout Maine and New England, and participating in ongoing community conversations on the challenges surrounding trade education and workforce development are a few examples. Other areas of interest include affordable housing; adaptive, multi-generational housing models; and bird safe building practices.
Julia was a 2020 Bigelow graduate of the Institute for Civic Leadership. Julia currently serves on the City of Portland's Historic Preservation Board, the Portland Society for Architecture Board, and is a collaborative leader with the AIA Maine Chapter of the Committee on the Environment (COTE). Julia is a licensed architect in New York and Maine.
In her free time, she likes to spend time with her family, and being outdoors as much as she can.
Kayla joined Simons Architects in 2013 with a Masters in Architecture from Norwich University. Kayla has been involved with several projects in varied phases in the studio and has a particular interest in both marketing and master planning projects. She has worked on project teams for the Portland Country Club, Falmouth Memorial Library, Lisbon High School Gymnasium, and the Tilton Master Plan Update. Kayla is the Project Manager for the Burbank Branch of the Portland Public Library Renovation.
Kayla lives with her husband and cat in Scarborough. In her spare time she loves to garden, read, and spend time outdoors.
Matt Maiello joined Simons Architects as an architect in early January of 2019 after working for another local architectural firm for 3 years. He enjoys the collaborative nature of the architectural design process and strives to bring the best possible solutions to clients and communities. His experience in commercial and housing projects as well as his skill in rendering are assets to the office. Matt is a licensed Architect in the state of Maine.
In his spare time, Matt enjoys swimming, the outdoors, plays saxophone and keyboard in a local band, and works on his house in Westbrook.
Noah joined Simons Architects in the fall of 2020 after graduating with his Bachelors of Architecture from the University of Maine at Augusta. While attending school he interned with a small residential firm for two years where he helped design high end coastal homes. Noah's attention to detail and forward-thinking process make him a great asset to our design team.
Job Titles:
- Staff Architect, AIA, CSI, CDT, LEED AP BD C
With over a decade of professional experience, Pat's capacity as Project Architect has spanned a broad range of building types, including schools, laboratories, performance halls, offices, and master plans. Adept from conceptual design to construction administration, he brings a balance of artistic vision and technical expertise to all project phases. Through a rigorous design process, Pat synthesizes ideas from multiple angles and directs collaborative efforts in an organized and intentional manner. His passion for sustainable design and people-centric space drive his design philosophy.
Pat is originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he attended university and worked for several prominent architecture firms. In 2021, he relocated to Maine to be closer to nature and to his wife's family. In his free time, Pat can be found reading, sculpting, and learning to play the guitar.
Job Titles:
- Partner and Principal, AIA, LEED AP BD C
Ryan's commitment to architecture is grounded in his passion for community engagement and sustainable design; his design skill, unique perspectives, attention to detail, and construction expertise are all assets to the practice.
In addition to experience on numerous libraries, municipal, hospitality, and higher education projects, his work on the recently completed Living Building Challenge - Ecology School Dining Commons included detailed energy balancing of a net-zero energy commercial kitchen, and leading him to a deeper sensitivity and understanding of the implications of material selection.
A frequent presenter and advocate for sustainable design and Mass-timber construction, Ryan's work developing large-scale Academic Mass-Timber demonstration projects in Maine has contributed to the body of knowledge on Low-Carbon Architecture.
He is a current board member of AIA-Maine COTE, PassivhausMaine, the Maine Mass-Timber Commercialization Center, and an adjunct faculty member at the University of Maine Augusta teaching courses in professional practice and high-performance design and detailing. Ryan enjoys being a mentor that embraces the real-world complexity of the process while instilling an abiding dedication to the realization of excellent design.
Sam joined SA in December of 2020 after graduating from the University of Virginia. Her Architectural thesis was focused on California wildfires and issues of environmental protection, blending the built and natural environments to craft a more resilient future. Her precision, interest in graphic design, and clear communication through drawing make her a valuable addition to the studio.
She recently relocated to Maine from her home state of Maryland and is looking forward to spending time on the Islands of Casco Bay and seeing family and friends. In her free time, she enjoys sewing, painting, and finding DIY projects to do around the house.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Principal
- Founding Member of the Portland Society of Architects
Scott Simons has over thirty years of professional experience and is well known for his thoughtful and innovative solutions to complex projects. He brings a unique design approach to all the firm's work. Scott's commitment to designing buildings of exceptional beauty and substance underscores all of SA's projects. His drive to find the best possible solutions for our projects energizes the studio and makes the design process a dynamic experience for our clients.
Scott is a founding member of the Portland Society of Architects and is on the AIA Maine Board of Directors. Scott has served as a design critic at the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, and Northeastern University, among many others. He lives with his wife in Freeport and loves to hike in the White Mountains and ski at Sugarloaf.
Steve joined SA in early 2021 with over 20 years of experience in professional practice, teaching, building, and community development projects. He had his own design-build practice in New York City for eight years and previously worked in Maine for two years as a Project Architect on educational projects.
Steve has designed a range of project types including public interest, retail, hospitality, and private and multi-family residential. Having worked hands-on with design-build projects, Steve brings experienced leadership to the construction process that facilitates a team approach to executing innovative design efficiently and economically.
Steve is originally from South Louisiana and now lives in Portland. In his "spare" time, he enjoys reading about Art History & Politics, art exhibitions, cooking, gardening, kayaking, fishing, biking and walking his dog.