Our Team
Principal
Dan Craine AIA NCARB
A New York native, Dan graduated from Colgate University and worked in the financial sector in Manhattan before engaging his passion for architecture through coursework at Harvard. This led him to Denver where he completed his Master of Architecture at the University of Colorado. Dan is a member of Historic Denver’s Board of Trustees, a member of the Congress of New Urbanism, a member of the Arapahoe Square Design Advisory Board and an active member of AIA Denver’s Urban Design Committee. With over twenty years of architectural experience, Dan prides himself on stepping outside of the typical architectural role, blending practicality and beauty while being cognizant of the financial considerations of each project. Dan retains clients because of his team approach to project design and his ability to synthesize client feedback into a final project that offers a superior design aesthetic. When not at work, Dan coaches a youth baseball team and wastes his time waiting for the New York Jets to have a winning season.
Boards and Committees:
Historic Denver Inc., Board of Trustees
Downtown Denver Advisory Board Member
National Western Center, Strategic Design Leadership (SADL) Committee
Five Points Design Review Committee
Arapahoe Square Design Advisory Board (past)
Additional Credentials:
Licensed in Colorado, Arizona & Utah
Studio Director
Eric Bottenhorn AIA LEED AP
A New Englander, Eric earned his degree at Boston Architectural College and has over fifteen years of experience in the field of architecture. In Boston, Eric’s career began. He designed and managed numerous award winning projects throughout the country before moving to Colorado a decade ago. Outside of the office, Eric spends time with his family and pup, Brody. Additionally, Eric finds time to serve as a Planning Commissioner for the Town of Erie, Colorado. His political savvy, affable nature and incredible design capabilities make him an asset to any design team. While one may expect an abrasive demeanor from this Boston native, he is really wicked nice, especially when you support the Pats and Sox….and maybe drive him to the packie.
Boards and Committees:
Town of Erie Planning Commission
AIA Colorado Regional & Urban Design Committee
Additional Credentials:
Licensed in Colorado
Studio Director
Brad Gassman AIA LEED AP
Hailing from Illinois, Brad hightailed it out of the Midwest, earning his Bachelor of Environmental Design from the University of Colorado, and his Master of Architecture from the University of Washington. The combination of his academic experience and international architectural studies has provided him with a depth of architectural knowledge and design capabilities. Brad has extensive experience in urban planning and worked for the city of Seattle in the Department of Planning and Development’s Urban Design office, helping craft a large scale urban design master plan for the Seattle Central Waterfront. Also while in Seattle, he honed his residential design talents while working at an award winning residential design firm. As if his pure design abilities weren’t enough, Brad is a true carnivore and considers Bacon to be a vegetable. Apart from vegetarians, who wouldn’t love that about him?
Boards and Committees:
Summit Sky Ranch Design Review Board
Additional Credentials:
Registered Architect in Colorado and Washington
Project Manager
Orlando Rockwell
After being raised all over the world, and settling for many years in Saudi Arabia, Orlando graduated from Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Architecture. His international experience translates into his open-minded approach to diverse design challenges. Orlando has years of experience in high end residential design, master urban planning and acoustics. He has designed exquisite projects and is a valued team member because of his attentiveness to the client, the project, and the design process. He also has an uncanny ability to pick the right NCAA brackets and is a foodie at heart.
Project Manager
Megan Veeneman RA
Megan graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Michigan before completing her Master of Architecture at the University of Colorado. Her experience in healthcare design, as well as higher education projects makes her an integral part of the design team at Craine Architecture. Megan has worked on high profile and renowned projects throughout the United States including projects on the medical campuses of Northwestern and Ohio State Universities. Her work on the Ohio State campus makes one wonder…Did this Wolverine sabotage the Buckeye design aesthetic?
Additional Credentials:
Registered Architect in Colorado
Senior Designer
Fong Lee
Boasting the most delightful name to say in our firm, Fong comes to Craine after years of experience in project design and master planning. His work has merited numerous awards and praise from the design community and he is known for his exquisite design capabilities, as well as his capacity to quickly solve complex design challenges. Fong earned his Bachelor and Master of Architecture at the University of Wisconsin where he received numerous awards, scholarships and fellowships for his genuine talent. When not at work, Fong is frequently volunteering his time, working with the Hmong community here in Colorado and spending time with his family. What else does Fong do? Well, too many amazing things for us to mention here, but a quick overview: cooking, watching movies and avoiding caterpillars at all costs (They FREAK him out!). Yes, there is a Halloween prank in the works.
Boards and Committees:
Arvada Olde Town Design Review Committee
Arvada Land Development Code Advisory Committee
Senior Manager
GREG LEMON LEED AP
With over thirty years of experience and having overseen projects worth billions of dollars in construction, Greg is a highly skilled and experienced Senior Manager. He holds three degrees: a Bachelor of Environmental Design, a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Architecture, and has the mental agility to quickly solve problems, as well as the decades of field experience to find trusted solutions to the unique challenges of every project. He is confident in leading large teams of architects and consultants on diverse project types, and he has extraordinary expertise in multi-family and hospitality developments. His handiwork can be seen in some of the most exclusive hotels and high-end multifamily projects in Vermont, Idaho, Las Vegas, Wyoming, and Colorado. While he is unflappable and not overtly effusive, this restrained and perhaps even stoic presentation belies his bubbling sarcasm and quick-witted nature, as well as his thrill-seeking spirit. He jumped out of an airplane (voluntarily) and navigated some of the most incredible white water rafting around including Hell’s Canyon, The Grand Canyon, and The Middle Fork of the Salmon River. As if that is not enough, he has skied in Austria eight times and his brother happens to live in Switzerland, so there is probably a fair amount of adventure-seeking left to do in Europe. Interestingly, despite his ability to win a stare-down with Fear, he is intolerant of anyone attempting to use his driveway if it has snowed…something about having flipped his car a few years back and a 16% pitch…so that should let you know he is always looking out for others…yes, co-workers and clients included. He is intelligent, creative, humble, and a total team player. Need I say more?
Additional Credentials::
Registered Architect in Colorado
Senior Architect
Joshua Homer AIA Leed AP BD+C
Josh graduated Magna Cum Laude from Washington University in St. Louis and earned his Master of Architecture from Columbia University. Subsequently, he spent twenty years living in Brooklyn and working in prestigious architectural firms, where his projects have been bestowed with numerous awards and showcased in magazines such as Architectural Record and Architect. He is an exceptionally talented and driven architect and one of the most grounded people you will meet. His easy-going and affable nature, coupled with his passion for quality control and maintaining excellence in all areas of work, make him a true team leader and an asset to any project. How does one retain such humility when overflowing with positive attributes? Perhaps it is due to being born and raised in Wisconsin, which just happens to also be the home state of our very own Fong Lee (also a humble overachiever). Outside of work, Josh enjoys urban biking (he cycles to the office daily, doing his part to clean up this Denver air), singing, baking cookies, swimming in the ocean, working with Excel spreadsheets, and doing yard work. Yes, those last two were a bit unexpected, but we like those plot twists, don’t we? So I have another. While he is not the most avid sports follower, he still managed to catch a foul ball in Chicago and sang the national anthem (with a group) at an MLB game in New York! I am going to start working on his singing debut at Coors Field. A musical architect in our midst. We fa la la love it!!
Additional Credentials:
Registered Architect in New York
Project Architect
Melanie Wood RA NCARB
Boards and Committees:
Downtown Denver Partnership – Leadership Program (2019)
Additional Credentials:
LEED Green Associate
Registered Architect in Texas
Project Designer
Joe Mendoza II
A graduate of the University of Notre Dame’s School of Architecture, Joe spent a year in the Rome Studies program, which emphasized traditional building techniques, as well as urban planning and design. After graduation, he worked for nearly a decade in Santa Barbara, most recently as a Job Captain focused on high end residential and boutique resort projects. While he certainly shows reverence to classical architectural design, he is adept at blending traditional elements with modern concepts into a cohesive and timeless project. How does this polished designer express his wild Roman side? Well, for his 21st birthday he had a toga party in Rome and delivered a speech in front of the Pantheon. Now that is out of his system, he opts for more understated enjoyments, such as snowboarding, engaging in CrossFit, and cheering on the Fighting Irish. When he is feeling particularly pensive, you may find him lounging in a hammock with his kitten (Luna), daydreaming about snagging a ride in the Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Festival. Need a co-pilot for the next dirigible gala in New Mexico? Joe is your man.
Project Architect
Delaney Rockwell RA
Delaney was born and raised in Cape Elizabeth, Maine and is a hardcore Boston sports fan. Do I even need to mention the football team by name anymore? She graduated with high honors from the University of Colorado, with a Bachelor degree in Environmental Design and an emphasis in Architecture. While enrolled, she completed a study abroad program in Denmark, where one of her projects was published. Yep, she is setting the bar high for the rest of us. She comes to CA already with a wealth of experience in the field, having worked on a variety of developments including high end residential and commercial projects. When dragged away from the office, you will find Delaney happily skiing in the mountains, and in search of good lobster and clam chowder–You can take the woman out of Maine, but you cannot take Maine out of the woman! As an aside, she now has what might be the most adorable Bernese Mountain Dog you have ever seen!
Additional Credentials:
Registered Architect in Colorado
Project Architect
Ross Williams RA NCARB
Ross earned his Bachelor of Environmental Design at the University of Colorado Boulder and his Master of Architecture at the University of Colorado Denver. He is also one of the few, and lucky, team members to have enjoyed this state his entire life, which translates into Ross being an avid, and lifelong Colorado sports fan (I guess I will keep my Red Wings jersey at home). As an architect, Ross has had the unique ability to positively impact the built environment around the state, from Denver to Eagle County, helping to design a variety of project types from large multifamily and hospitality projects to intimate commercial spaces. He has an unassuming and warm demeanor, which makes him easy to work with and very approachable to team members and clients alike. However, underneath this calm exterior is a dedicated, tenacious, and driven architect who, every morning, is one of the first people in the office. He kickstarts his day with a smile on his face and an attitude of “Let’s crush this!” It is obvious that he genuinely loves the field of architecture and thrives on the design challenges presented to him. What else can we tell you about Ross? Well, he presents with many surprising (and delightful) juxtapositions. For example, he is “uncommonly good” at the arcade game Dance Dance Revolution, and has also spent the last few years participating in 5K and 15K Tough Mudders. Okay….one more….He obsessively creates Spotify playlists based on genre and listener type (He is a melomaniac! Look it up.) and one day he aspires to jump in a cage to swim with great white sharks. I think it is safe to say that whatever Ross takes on, his goal is never mediocrity, and irrespective of what is placed before him, he is going to smile and say, “Challenge accepted!”
ADDITIONAL CREDENTIALS:
Registered Architect in Colorado
Project Architect
Benjamin Champagne RA
Additional Credenials:
Registered Architect in Colorado
Project Designer
Lindsay Johnson
Lindsay joins Craine as a graduate from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and she brings with her almost a decade of professional architecture experience. She has worked predominantly on large scale commercial and residential projects. Lindsay is a leader by nature and has managed BIM and modeling efforts from DD through CD phases, as well as mentored younger staff. She is your quintessential Midwesterner. Her work ethic is solid and unrelenting, as is her dry sense of humor. She is candid, and kind and what you see is what you get. Lindsay is also analytical, and embraces the challenges presented with each project she touches. These characteristics make her an excellent addition to any team as she will offer a thoughtful opinion on any task set before her, and she will drive each project to the finish line with care and competence. Lindsay was born in Wisconsin but moved to Florida at the age of two. Despite being surrounded by beaches, Lindsay spent all her free time at the ice rinks. Thankfully, she returned to Wisconsin as a middle schooler, so she was able to bask in the glorious Midwest winters again. What else can we share about Lindsay? Well, she is a true visual learner and may be the only person I have met who enjoys assembling Ikea furniture for in her words, “Diagrams are more helpful than words.” While she hates olives, you can toss her a cup of black coffee and some buttermilk pancakes, and you will have one happy woman! She is 50% Swedish (that would explain the love for Ikea diagrams!) and aspires to visit Sweden to explore design and revel in their baked goods. Fantastiskt! (That is Swedish for amazing—yes, you should go about your and put that word to use!)
Project Designer
Gosha Tomasik
Gosha is a wonderful, vibrant addition to our team. She was born in the historic and beautiful city of Krakow, Poland. It was here that her love for art and architecture emerged, after trips to the museum with her mother when she was a small girl. As a young adult, she went on to earn her Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Las Vegas Nevada and her Master of Architecture at the University of Colorado Denver. During her academic pursuits, she also studied abroad in Rome. Since that time, she has immersed herself in the field. From code analysis to construction documentation, she has worked in all phases of design. Gosha is an energetic, extroverted designer who enjoys asking questions to ensure she understands what is being requested of her, as well as to discern if there are other design options that could be pursued to improve upon the concept and design of each project she touches. She is a problem solver, and open to creative solutions. This is not only an aspect of architecture on which she thrives, but also the reason she rock climbs and boulders. She is always looking for the new, challenging path forward, and willing to consider alternative routes to get her to the finish line—smiling start to finish! Some other fun facts, Gosha loves cows, and after she retires hopes to have a small herd of her own which she can care for in her tiny house in the woods, sipping her cappuccino and enjoying a decadent piece of chocolate…but no mint in that chocolate…she considers that to be blasphemous!