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
Senior Design Architect
Adam Berkelhamer, AIA
Adam was born and raised in Chicago’s South Side and earned both his Bachelor’s and Master of Architecture at the University of Michigan. Having worked in the field for thirty years, eleven of which he was a sole practitioner, Adam joins the Craine team with extensive and diverse design capabilities. He has assisted in, as well as led, the design efforts that have resulted in successful and award-winning projects both domestically and internationally. A couple of examples: Adam worked as a principal at a renowned Chicgao-based firm, where he led the design of a class-A residential tower in Chicago’s Gold Coast and he also worked in Zurich, as the lead architect on a project that had the largest roof structure in Europe. Driving a thoughtful design process from project inception is central to Adam’s skill set and makes him an asset to any project team. While he is an exceptionally talented architect, you will also find him to be equally humble, approachable, and genuinely inquisitive. When away from the office, you are apt to find Adam chasing after his two children, hiking (preferably uphill…that downhill is killer on the knees!), biking, skiing, and camping with his family including their dog, Joy. In fact, Adam stated, “As a native Chicagoan, I generally agree with Mies (van der Rohe for those of us non-architects) that ‘less is more’ except when it comes to camping with my family when then in fact ‘more is more’.” Sheesh…What a good guy!
Boards and Committees:
Downtown Denver Partnershop Adaptive Reuse Taskforce
Additional Credentials:
Registered Architect in Colorado, Arizona, Florida, Illinois and Michigan
Project Manager
Orlando Rockwell
Project Manager
Megan Veeneman RA
Additional Credentials:
Registered Architect in Colorado
Project Manager
Amy Graves AIA
Amy has over twenty-five years of experience in varied project types, from single family residential to mixed use and high-rise buildings. She came to Craine after working for several well-known architecture firms in Chicago and Denver. Amy specializes in large scale projects, specifically high-rise developments. She is respected for her ability to manage large project teams, work collaboratively and ensure that projects stay on schedule. By way of background, she was born and raised in Michigan, and completed both her undergraduate and graduate studies at U of M. She is a full-on Wolverine, so don’t go talking smack about her team as she still has season football tickets (I am talking SERIOUS people!). A true hodophile, Amy has been on a quest to get to all 58 National Parks and all seven continents She has visited 16 National Parks and just returned from Peru and Bolivia; it’s fair to say she is making some good progress! If you see someone speeding past you, there is a good shot it is Amy, on her way to her next destination.
Boards and Committees:
Member of AIA Colorado Architectural Advocacy Network Committee
Additional Credentials:
Registered Architect in Colorado and Illinois
Senior Designer
Fong Lee
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 Manager
Peter Gozar AIA LEED AP
Peter graduated from Kent State University with two degrees: a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Architecture. He further developed an appreciation for diverse architecture while studying in Florence and living in Berlin. He has two decades of architectural experience and has earned the reputation of being a remarkable project manager. Delivering extraordinary designs, providing exceptional client service, and engaging in a solution focused manner are Peter’s defining characteristics as an architect. Highly organized and driven to reach or exceed expectations, he can effectively manage projects from early concept to construction administration. He is also community focused. Peter lives in the Five Points Neighborhood and has been active on the Curtis Park Historic Design Review Committee to ensure that the rich culture and history of this district continues to be honored and preserved. Outside of the office, he spends his time as a US Rowing Level 2 Coach with the Rocky Mountain Rowing club. He also enjoys spending time with his spouse and his two Golden Retrievers camping and enjoying all that the beautiful Rocky Mountains have to offer. While initially he may seem a bit reserved and quiet, just ask him one question about rowing and you will see an ENTIRELY different side of Peter.
ADDITIONAL CREDENTIALS:
Registered Architect in Colorado
Project Manager
Max Amaral
Max graduated with a degree in Architecture and Urbanism from the Federal University of the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais. Afterward, he moved to Brasilia, the Capital of Brazil, where for years he successfully owned and operated an architectural firm that provided services primarily to different agencies of the Brazilian Government. He designed and coordinated a myriad of project types including courthouses, airports, museums, company headquarters, laboratories, hospitals, churches, schools and banks. It is from this early experience that Max is proud to say that he specializes in not having a specialty. In 2008, he moved to Colorado and joined a group of talented architects developing a variety of projects in the US, China and Africa. Max is an experienced, brilliant designer who is able to draw from his extensive project and cultural experiences during all phases of the design process. Outside of work, Max divides his time between his two great passions: The first–his family: His wife (who has an inexhaustible number of hobbies), his son (who is on his way to becoming an architect, much to his father’s pride and concern) and his daughter (who has a great talent for swimming, which led Max to become a Swimming Official to better understand and accompany her in the meets). Max’s second passion is Flamengo, a a soccer team in Rio de Janeiro which Max considers to be the most important football (let’s use the proper name) team in the world. Being keenly aware of the scale of his admiration for this team, Max has, thus far, kept the office football discussions on the downlow…but I am thinking the dam is going to break and I am just waiting to hear him scream, “GOOOOOOAAAALLLLL!!!!” and run around the office with his arms out at some random point during the day after his team scores. Heck, maybe he will even do it at the completion of his next project?
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 Manager
Sapna Patel LEED AP BD+C
Sapna was born in the “Greatest Country in America”… Texas. Yes, she has a great sense of humor. She graduated from The University of Texas-Austin with her Bachelor of Architecture and has spent the last fifteen years honing her craft; five of those years were spent in construction. Sapna has helped to design and manage numerous hospitality projects including luxury hotels, resorts, and restaurants spanning the country from Hawaii to Washington DC. She has additional design and management experience in industrial, multi-family, commercial, civic and education projects. While she has a wealth of knowledge and extensive experience on which to draw, she is never complacent and always looking to improve—improve her skill set, improve her projects, and improve the process by which her team functions. She is the type of architect who works tirelessly to deliver a completed project that makes the client, the team and the community delighted and appreciative of her efforts. So now we are clear on what an exceptional architect she is, what else should you know about her? Well, her twenty-year-old truck may be her most prized possession and it delivered her safely from California to Denver with only one breakdown in Las Vegas. Hey, at least it picked a fun stop! Sapna adores dogs, and has a rescue pup, Archie. She also loves nerf guns (YAY!), nature, horses, hiking, camping and making extravagant meals with her partner. Her dislikes—only two: wasabi and heavy metal music. Raymond, I think this may be a direct challenge…do you accept? As for future aspirations, Sapna would love to backpack in Alaska while gallivanting amongst the bears (I assume with bear spray in hand). She also hopes to travel through Nepal and Bhutan, as well as go on safari in Africa. *Cue Wizard of Oz music* Bears and Mt. Everest and zebras….oh my!
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
Andrea Berrios
Andrea was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, known as the “Center and Heart of Puerto Rico.” What a fitting name for the place of her birth, as Andrea is a kind, lovely soul who is also exceedingly talented and certainly adds to the heart of this firm. Prior to beginning college, Andrea enrolled in a summer architectural program at the University of Puerto Rico, as this is a woman who knows what she wants and is driven to achieve her goals. She went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Design with a minor in sustainability at Arizona State University and then received her Master of Architecture at the University of Colorado-Denver. Having spent the last half decade honing her design skills in all phases of design, she is capable of handing a project from start to finish, or enthusiastically jumping in at any point in the design and/or construction process. While some architects are not actually fond of mathematics, Andrea was born with incredible numerical abilities and at the age of 12 won the Human Calculator competition! Other interesting tidbits: She loves unique, well designed stairs, as well as piping hot coffee, home cooked meals and her cat (Princess Bean Bag). Andrea dislikes celery and whales…but loves sheep and one day hopes to retire on a sheep farm in New Zealand. While I understand the celery aversion (as that is a polarizing vegetable), I shall investigate this disinterest in whales….there has to be a good story there!
Project Designer
Seton Lowe
Seton earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architecture at the Savannah College of Art & Design and received his Master of Architecture at the University of Colorado. He has worked at a variety of award-winning architecture firms in both Denver and Seattle. He is a talented designer with a kind, calm demeanor, and artistic capabilities beyond his years. Seton was born in Arizona and raised largely outside of Dallas. Since then, he has lived in Georgia, Colorado, and Washington, and he considers this trifecta to be “home.” If he were not an architect, Seton is relatively certain he would have been a pilot, perhaps so he could jet set between his three favorite states? He adores large, exotic house plants but truthfully, he has a place in his heart for all flora, so it is possible you will find him in a perfectly content and meditative state wandering the botanic gardens. What is the one thing that can send this tranquil designer over the edge? Red mulch. He detests it and I don’t believe there is anyone who could (or even try) to convince him why it would ever make sense to place such an artificial looking material in a beautiful outdoor space. Maybe the same people who make pink, iridescent fish gravel?
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!
Project Designer
Ritah Kagezi
We have another humble overachiever in our midst! Ritah earned her Bachelor of Arts at Lehigh University, and her Master of Architecture at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. She was awarded the George Gorbatenko Fellowship in 2020, which is given to a student who demonstrates an interest in housing, urban design or sustainable design, community, and cultural engagements. She also received an Honorable Mention with Distinction from the Minnesota Architectural Foundation in 2021 which recognized her as an exemplary architectural student during her final year of her master’s program. Despite having recently graduated, Ritah has an impressive experience base as she has worked as a teaching assistant for numerous college courses, as a design intern, and as an architectural research intern, studying the use of artificial intelligence in architectural practice. Ritah was born and raised in Rukungiri, Uganda (where her tribe is based). While she does not to get to see her mother as often as she would like, on of her aspirations is to collaborate with her mother on a community architectural project back in Uganda. What else does this gracious, intelligent, creative woman have planned? Well, she hopes to visit parts of Africa that she has yet to explore. First on the list—Benin! My bag is already packed in hopes that she will want a travel companion.