We are excited to introduce Christopher Ades, AIA, LEED AP, as a new Sr. Architect for the Derivi Castellanos Architects team!
Architecture is both a profession and a hobby for Christopher — 25 years of practice in the San Francisco Bay Area has taught him the value of conceptual thinking and the importance of studying how people function and how a community works. He was fortunate to spend several months in the 1990s traveling by rail through Europe, going back in time and examining how other cultures lived.
Christopher has a passion to make an impact with his work and the academic field is his favorite. “It can have a big impact on the community,” he explains. “It’s like designing someone’s home…you get a sense of who the students and teachers are and what makes them value and love their school.”
His design work on the LEED Gold certified science and technology building at Harker School in San Jose and on the Santa Clara University Leavy Center (for the Broncos basketball team) make the top of his list. In both instances he led the design team from conceptual design through construction. The Harker School project houses technology, physics, chemistry and biology centers, as well as a student lounge, and received a 2007 Citation Award for Work in Progress from American School & University magazine.
Christopher comes from a long line of artists and architects — his great uncle, Emilio Villanueva, is recognized as the greatest modern architect of Bolivia. Christopher’s father was a diplomat, as well as an artist, and Christopher traveled regularly as a child. He grew up having a love for art and went on to study at Boston Architectural College, Principia College and at the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara in Mexico. He is a licensed architect and has been certified as a LEED AP professional since 2004.
When not designing, Christopher enjoys running, playing tennis, touring and sketching. DCA looks forward to the considerable skillset and extensive experience that Christopher brings to the team!
