ABOUT

PEOPLE

CAREERS

HEATHER R.B. WASHBURN, AIA | FOUNDER & PRESIDENT

On a great day, I spend most of my time drawing, losing myself in the lines on the page. Every now and then I try to think through how I ended up where I am. I didn't really know what an architect was until high school and even now I blur the lines between architect and artist.

When you have the chance to start over how do you start? It's a daunting question, for which there isn't an absolute answer. I believe you have to ask questions and keep asking them. Slowly patterns begin to emerge and clarity is brought to the challenge. It's also important to build a team that is willing to fully participate in the process. I moved to the west coast in 2005, and became a bi-coastal architect for the last six years. Last summer it was time to further explore opportunities in product design and sculpture by opening Calico Studio. I have always been a strong leader, and I wear a lot of hats. I take these experiences and use them to help decipher questions and find answers. I meet with my clients and listen and look for the patterns, taking in their body language, what they say, and what they show me. I am also looking for the unexplored creative vein. What tools can I use to push the envelope?

When I reflect back, I am looking for not only the "big puzzle" but also how it connects, how the individual pieces have notches defined by their components and rules. These connections could be the understanding of subtle differences of a new culture. It could be the reasoning behind a sculpture or painting, the relationship between two people, or simply how to make an aspect better. I am searching for the exhilaration of the "ah ha" moment. The one you get right after finding a solution, and what's better than that is when someone is along with you for that discovery. It's lasting, and it's what I love about architecture and art.

RAPHAEL HATLEY, ASSOC. AIA | ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER

A career in design pursued Raphael because he believes that design can make a difference in our world where creative solutions can be achieved for some of the world’s largest modern issues. Raphael’s curiosity for how the Architectural design process works combined with a understanding that buildings should not only contribute and respond to their context, but have enduring style, and provide healthy inspiring spaces for their occupants enables him to create innovative and quality designs. With his vast interests in design and craft, joining the Calico team seemed like the perfect fit. This devoted team respects and values each individual member, but also pushes Raphael’s abilities for greater success and overall growth.

When not putting in hours at the Design studio, you can find Raphael on the sideline at a game shooting pictures, on YouTube in a podcast or just spending time with family and friends.

Raphael received his Masters in Architecture from North Carolina State University and his Bachelors in Graphic Design from North Carolina A&T State University.

SHARECE RAMOS | INTERIOR DESIGNER

Passionate and detail-oriented, a career in design pursued Sharece because of the unparalleled thoughtfulness to craft and quality that is required to excel in the profession. Sharece’s insatiable curiosity for how things are built combined with a natural eye for design enables her to straddle the fence between interior design and architecture. With her abundance of design interests and eagerness to discover, the multiple design facets and their proactive approach to learning is what interested her in joining the Calico team. This dedicated team that sincerely respects the individual as an asset to the overall group holds ample responsibility to Sharece’s continued success and overall growth.

When not putting in hours at the Design studio, you can find Sharece indulging in all sorts of delectable sweets and spending time with family and friends.

Sharece received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Architecture from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

KATHERINE OCCHIPINTI | OFFICE GODDESS

"Choose your corner, pick away at it carefully, intensely and to the best of your ability and that way you might change the world." From her start as a social worker to her current role as human resources, administration, events, operations, and public relations (etc.) manager at Calico, Kat has always strived to make her corner a little better. Kinder, gentler, and most especially, more efficient. Her goals at Calico are to get everyone to walk in lockstep and submit their hours on time. The former will never happen (it's an art and architecture firm, after all), but there's hope for the latter. Kat’s adventures have included social work in schools, affordable housing, homeless populations, and hospice care (always kinder, mostly gentler). Her most recent feat was coordinating the volunteers for Durham’s Eno River Festival (best lesson in efficiency, ever). She loves Calico’s focus on advocacy for the client and emphasis on kindness to the environment.

When she escapes the studio, Kat is playing trivia, reading books, solving crosswords, drinking beer, and taking naps at home in Raleigh (with her husband Jeremy, VERY old dog Farley, and standoffish MEAN kitty Tela).

Kat earned her Bachelor of Social Work degree from North Carolina State University (go PACK!) and Master of Social Work degree from East Carolina University (yay Pirates?). She learned all her organizational skills from her parents.

Erin Bartlett was a lead designer for Calico Studio from 2010 -- 2019, and a dear sister to Heather for far longer.

“I am addicted to any new discovery with nature. I love to find the tiny unusual connections that exist between two entities. To take and highlight those connections so they really shine and spark more threads of thought.”

Erin was a well-versed artist. There were no limits to the mediums she entertained such as painting, printmaking, knitting, industrial design and photography, to only name a few. Erin’s superpower was the ability to express her love through her understanding of color, abstraction into beauty and drawing from her heart and imagination. She was an avid learner and explorer. She had an insatiable curiosity and playfulness for what she found before her and how to solve problems. We frequently found her traveling down a rabbit hole, which often led to laughter and enhanced her creative process. We even found ourselves tumbling in with her.

She was pure love and looked for the good in everyone. She chose not to judge her fellow travelers but instead to simply love them. Behind the scenes of our day-to-day lives she was the glue; she was like no other. 

In remembrance of Erin, the Calico family seeks always to love others the way she loved us.

LILAH | STUDIO CAT

née/’qlmqan/d sd,.

Oh, sorry — did Lilah get on the keyboard again? Our calico mascot certainly keeps you on your toes, and can often be found as a perfectly sweet desk ornament. Watch your models, folks.