CHICAGO (April 28, 2014)—Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB), an award-winning architecture, interior design and planning firm, announces three new design professionals for the firm’s interior design team: Richard Tepp, AIA, LEED AP; Kate Slate, AIA, IIDA; and Chiara Santini AIA, LEED GA.

• Bringing more than 30 years of design experience to SCB, Richard Tepp has led teams designing award-winning office spaces, healthcare projects and higher education facilities. Known for his sustainable and creative spaces, he has managed numerous LEED-certified projects including University of California, Davis Graduate School of Management and University of California, Santa Barbara Student Resource Building. As project manager, Tepp will oversee interior design production and technical implementation, ensuring projects are expertly completed on time and within budget.

• Kate Slate joins the firm with a wide variety of interior design experience, from higher education and student housing projects to award winning corporate offices, financial clients and retail spaces. Her diverse portfolio includes both national client accounts, including on-going work with The Hanover Company and Capital One, as well as local clientele including Signature Bank, Wintrust Financial and NXT Capital in Chicago. In her new role, Slate will manage design and consulting processes, as well as client communication and contract negotiations.

• Chiara Santini lends an international perspective and unique point of view to the design of interior spaces. She brings with her an intimate knowledge of residential and hospitality interiors, including expertise in furniture design. Prior to moving to Chicago, Santini, oversaw teams designing high-end hotels, showrooms and boutiques across Europe and the Middle East. At SCB, Santini will supervise project design and work closely with SCB architecture teams to provide holistic design solutions for the firm’s residential and hospitality projects. 

“With SCB’s thriving interior design practice, we needed several design experts with strong leadership skills and a visionary approach to create a solid foundation for our ongoing growth,” said Sheyla Conforte, SCB principal and director of interior design. “Richard Tepp, Kate Slate and Chiara Santini are these experts.”

Tepp is a licensed architect in New York and member of the United States Green Building Council and has received numerous awards throughout his career from organizations such as IIDA, AIA, ALA Illinois, and PCBC and his work has been featured in various publications including Contract and EDC. He earned his bachelor’s degree in design and master’s degree in architecture from Clemson University in South Carolina.

Slate is a licensed architect in Illinois and Texas, a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and NCARB certified. Her work has been published in Interior Design Magazine and Architectural Record and has received design awards from AIA and IIDA. She holds a Bachelor of Science in both architecture and structural engineering from Oklahoma State University and received a master’s degree in real estate development from New York University.

Santini received her graduate level diploma in architecture and master’s degree in interior architecture and design from Politecnico di Milano in Milan. Her previous experience includes working hand-in-hand with world-renowned architect and furniture designer, Piero Lissoni, in his Milan studio.

SCB’s current and completed interior design projects can be seen at www.scb.com/work/interior.

About Solomon Cordwell Buenz

Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB) has extensive institutional design experience that includes student life, athletics, academic and research facilities. SCB’s commercial design portfolio includes large-scale urban mixed-use, multi-family residential, hospitality, corporate office, and transportation facilities. With a staff of over 200 professionals, the firm is well recognized for its diversity of practice, expertise and progressive approach to design and energy conservation. For more information, visit www.scb.com.

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