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.
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.
JOSEPH SANTARELLI | ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER
Joseph comes from a big Italian family and is a proud first generation American. He grew up in a home built in the 1920’s, which gave him inspiration for not just how a home is built but how it adapts over time to new users and new needs. He is extremely interested in the human experience of the built environment and how thoughtful design can impact life. Joseph has a professional background in commercial architecture, with experience in office design, libraries, hospitality and adaptive reuse. His diverse background allows for out of the box thinking and exciting design solutions. He believes that through listening and understanding to a client’s needs, designers can use their expertise to provide truly inspiring and innovative spaces.
In his free time, Joseph enjoys collecting and repairing film cameras, wood working, 3D printing, stained glass making, gardening, and home improvement. But he mostly enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, and is excited to create spaces for families in the community.
Joseph received a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Architecture from UNC Charlotte.
CARLOS ISLAS | ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER
Hola!
Growing up around construction workers, Carlos developed a deep passion for building, which sparked his path into architecture. He firmly believes that with creativity and thoughtful design, a little can go a long way, and that everyone deserves access to quality architecture.
Carlos is currently working toward obtaining his contractor’s license and plans to pursue his architecture license in the future. He values being bilingual, as many contractors speak Spanish, and finds it especially rewarding to communicate clearly and effectively on-site.
Outside of work, you can find him playing soccer and volleyball, walking his dog, or grilling carne asada with friends and family.
Carlos received his Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
SADIE STONEHEART | INTERN
My background is all over, from working in kitchens to teaching middle schoolers about stop motion, photography jobs of all types, assisting in research on cognition, advocacy roles in relation to my undergraduate degree, and more! NC born and raised, I really just want to give back to the people who have poured into me.
In school, I fixated on a disaster resilience engineering, design, and policy certificate and a history and theory concentration because I was fascinated by all of the ways architecture is able to adapt to an ever changing world. Almost everything creative gets me excited because it provides an opportunity for exploration. I love researching concepts, materials, design practices (really anything) in the hopes of crafting an evolving holistic approach to guide my ideation
Sadie received a Masters In Architecture at the University of North Carolina.
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
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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.
ELLIE | STUDIO DOG
I’m an outgoing bloodhound lab mix who loves children and excels in keeping the afternoon slump at bay for the team. Play with me! Let me in, let me out! The Calico Crew has the perfect office culture for me, and the staff makes sure I get my daily dose of rambunctious runabouts.