As part of our Conversations with Ennead series, we are pleased to share three new videos featuring Ennead Principals Stephen PD Chu, Alex O'Briant, and David Tepper. It is the second of two video installments introducing our six Principals at the firm, joining those on Felicia Berger, Grace Chen, and Melissa Sarko.
Stephen PD Chu AIA is a Principal, Designer, and a leader in the Cultural/Performing Arts sector. His approach to design is a holistic process starting from a deep understanding of the client’s goals, mission, and aspirations. Whether working with clients or his team, Stephen believes communication is key to success. "The process of design is very engaging,” he explains. “There are already barriers that can exist in communication on a day-to-day level. It's important to break those down, so that the work can be more collaborative and more personal. You reach a different level of creativity at that point."
Alex O'Briant AIA is a Principal and Designer who leads Ennead’s Center for Education. He approaches projects with the belief that design and institutional culture can merge to create intellectual communities that prioritize learning over teaching and teamwork over individual achievement. Alex finds motivation in civic responsibility and works with the perspectives of the end-users in mind. "Architecture has an immense impact on communities, and thus architects have an incredible responsibility to the people we serve, and the places we work, to shepherd that impact into civic responsibility, which is endemic to our practice and a motivating force for all of us here at Ennead."
David Tepper AIA is a Principal, Project Manager, and a leader of the firm’s healthcare practice. He focuses on strategic planning, campus design, infrastructure and implementation for complex healthcare environments. "We spend a lot of time listening to the people who are going to occupy these spaces, the people who are going to work there, the people who are going to visit there,” he says. “Ultimately this is about empathy. I think we don't talk enough about empathy in architecture, but in effect, what we're doing when we design these spaces is we're imagining the spaces that these future occupants are going to need. We're imagining the conditions under which they can thrive and do their best work."
Watch the first installment of Conversations with Ennead Principals here.