METCALFE - Key Persons
Aaron joined Metcalfe in 2023 and brings a wide range of design experience that varies in scale from custom metal and glass work to transportation and infrastructure projects. He loves the technical side of design and enjoys learning how building elements come together. Prior to becoming an architect, Aaron spent several years working in banking and finance.
Aaron holds a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Arizona State University.
Joining Metcalfe in 2002, Aaron is expert in conceiving and constructing environments for informal learning and play, as well as exhibition design and museum planning. His previous positions at the Please Touch Museum, the Academy of Natural Sciences, and the Wagner Free Institute of Science formed the basis for his continuing investigations into creating compelling physical and psychological connections through dynamic spaces. Aaron taught at The University of the Arts for over 20 years in their Museum Studies MFA program.
Highlights of Aaron's projects at Metcalfe include the National Museum of Industrial History, the Museum of the American Revolution, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the Lorax Loft on the Trail of the Lorax at the Philadelphia Zoo, Tree Adventure at the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, and the Independence Seaport Museum.
Aaron holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Philadelphia College of Art. A founding member of Friends of the Rail Park, Aaron served on the board for eight years before retiring in 2018. He also sits on the board of The Print Center and his neighborhood association.
Committed to creative, intentional invention as a design process and an outcome, Alan founded Metcalfe in 2001. The firm is intensely focused on user experience and behavior, both within and around its architecture; combining physical, visual, and experiential elements to socially engage people in a space or structure.
Alan has worked as a carpenter and cabinetmaker, complementary fields that when combined with architecture, bring a functional and an arts perspective to his design work. It's an interdisciplinary approach that he encourages throughout the firm, which merges the practice of architecture, exhibit design, and environmental graphic design into tailored experiences for users that deliver measurable results for its clients.
Outside the studio, Alan is an advocate for responsive, high-quality design. A frequent lecturer to professional organizations, and visiting critic at local architecture schools, he serves on the boards of multiple non-profit community and cultural organizations and is an amateur musician.
Alan holds a Master of Architecture degree from Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from Tufts University.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Technical Director
Leading Metcalfe's push towards a progressive, efficient professional practice by adopting advanced technologies, Dave focuses on the craft of construction, building technology, and steering projects through documentation to completion. Both in the field and on the drawing board, he is supremely proficient in detailing, building systems integration, and building and zoning code analysis.
Emily joined Metcalfe in 2023 after graduating from West Chester University. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic and Interactive Design, with minors in Art History and Media and Culture. When she's not designing, she enjoys exploring the city, combing through local vintage shops (always on the hunt for the perfect mid-century accent piece), and expanding her CD collection.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Design Director
- Founding Partner
- Graphic Designer
- Marketing Manager
- Partner
- Project Architect
- Project Manager
- Technical Director
- Director of Healthcare & Patient Experience
- Partner, Studio Director
I lived in the UK for two years and love traveling-I've been to 14 countries and counting!
I'm dedicating a ridiculous amount of my free time to baking a perfect loaf of bread.
I had lots of jobs before I was an architect - farmhand, waiter, carpenter, garbage collector, copyboy at a newspaper, pizza maker, and deckhand (my favorite!).
Aaron has traveled to 43 out of the 50 states and has lived in 7 of those.
Since joining Metcalfe in 2007, Jason has cultured a collaborative spirit at the firm, often drawing on his diverse background as an illustrator, spatial designer, and cabinet maker to build the best user experiences. As Design Director, he is responsible for interpreting and communicating the client's vision, while maintaining a clear perspective on the bottom-line issues of quality, budget, and schedule.
Jason has been the design lead on projects encompassing a full scope of sectors, including the Abington Friends School, Wissahickon Charter School's Awbury Campus, the National Building Museum, the National Museum of Industrial History, PhillyCAM, Camp JRF's Eco Village, Eastern States Penitentiary, and The Yard at Citizens Bank Park.
Jason earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Thomas Jefferson University.
Jenna came to Metcalfe with 10 years of experience on cultural, multi-use, residential, and commercial projects, both large- and small-scale. She moved to Philly in 2009 to pursue a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Drexel University and has extensive professional experience in the region. She loves having the opportunity to see the positive impact her projects have on people and neighborhoods. Jenna was born and raised in rural Upstate New York and still prioritizes getting out of the city and into nature.
Kaila has always had an affinity for crafting and experiencing design. In 2023, she joined Metcalfe with five years of design experience, mostly in affordable housing. She has a passion for learning how designers can create playful environments where people feel comfortable and proud of their space. Before graduating from Drexel University's 2+4 Architecture Program in 2021, Kaila studied the effects of colors, textures, and forms in urban environments for her final thesis project.
Karlene has always enjoyed crafting new things. It was during her high school's woodshop classes when she decided to pursue an architecture career to apply her joy of designing and building unique ideas to creating new spaces. At Metcalfe, Karlene assists with all project phases, upkeeps the materials library, and enjoys brainstorming ways to enhance our team's morale with post-work activity themed nights.
Job Titles:
- Associate, Senior Exhibit Designer & Graphic Designer
Katy came to the Metcalfe team in 2012, continuing a 20-year career in exhibition design and interactive and print graphics.
Among the many museums, nature centers, and visitors centers she has designed are the National Museum of Industrial History in Bethlehem, PA; children's garden exhibits at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the New York Botanical Garden; wayfinding and interpretive graphics at Reading Terminal Market; a science gallery at the Bruce Museum; a children's play space at New York Hall of Science; and wayfinding, donor recognition, and exhibits at Thomas Jefferson University.
Katy's creative talents extend outside the office. She is a children's book illustrator and a textile artist, and has a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Temple University, occasionally dusting off the keyboard for fun.
Katy's talents make her essential to Metcalfe's architecture and exhibit design work, where her advanced skills in 3D modeling/visualization and project documentation help define a range of environmental experiences. She typically works on a project throughout the design phase, creating renderings in the early part of the process and later carrying out project documentation and detailing.
Her projects at Metcalfe include Dow Gardens/Whiting Forest, Children's Discovery Garden exhibits at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Wait-Play-Learn areas at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, AFS Outside at the Abington Friends School, and a multi-stage theater renovation for InterAct Theatre Company in the historic Drake building.
Katy holds a Bachelor of Design degree from The Ohio State University and completed her Master of Architecture degree at the University of Cincinnati.
Kelsey came to Metcalfe in 2023 after a decade of working in book publishing, where she led publicity and marketing campaigns for everything from picture books and young adult novels to feminist craft books and pop culture histories. Kelsey was drawn to Metcalfe's work with schools, museums, and cultural institutions, as well as their belief that beautifully designed spaces can also be vehicles for informal learning.
Outside of her role at Metcalfe, Kelsey is also a photographer. She holds a Master of Arts from Oxford Brookes University and a Bachelor of Arts from Juniata College.
Job Titles:
- Office Operations Manager
Kristin works hard behind the scenes to help Metcalfe run at its best. She credits her grandmother with nurturing her interest in graphic design. From her grandmother's typewriter, she designed and wrote her own newspapers. Later, she explored project and account management, environmental design, and spatially oriented projects. A Metcalfe project inspired her interest in the firm.
"Out on a Limb at the Morris Arboretum is one of my favorite spots in the city, so I was very intrigued by the team that designed it. I also had great conversations with everyone when I was interviewing - it's a very creative and collaborative team here, and that really shows."
Lydia is no stranger to Metcalfe. Back in 2019, she worked with us as an intern before returning to college. Her determination (she's a classic "finish what she starts" type) was a key factor in Metcalfe's decision to ask her aboard. Lydia's travels to places like South Korea and Jordan helped expand her understanding of the richness of culture and community which has impacted the focus of her architectural career. One of the most important things to her is human connection.
Maddie joined Metcalfe in 2021 after earning her Bachelor of Arts in Advertising with a concentration in Art Direction from Temple University. Bringing a unique blend of advertising and design expertise, she collaborates across the entire firm, contributing to a diverse range of projects.
Outside of the office, Maddie enjoys playing video games and spending quality time with her cat, Suki.
Job Titles:
- Exhibit Designer and Graphic Designer
Impactful, community-focused work is a cornerstone of Rich's portfolio at Metcalfe, which includes the Southwest Leadership Academy Charter School and the Mount Airy Art Garage. He also has worked on a series of food-service projects for such clients as PREIT, Aramark, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
As a volunteer educator at the National Building Museum, Rich instructed kids on the basics of design and construction, but now he enjoys teaching his two young daughters how to read, draw, and play.
Rich has Master of Architecture and Bachelor of Architecture degrees from Virginia Tech.
A registered architect and LEED accredited professional, Ron has over 25 years of experience and has worked on an array of project types, including healthcare, hospitality, restaurant, multi-family residential, senior living, and high-end residential, among others. He has had the pleasure of working on a number of complicated design projects and enjoys finding solutions for custom details. Ron holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Philadelphia University (now Jefferson University).