Our firm is motivated by a belief that architecture has the ability to positively transform, empower and restore communities at all scales.
Our culture is sustained by a team of volunteers, mentors, board members, researchers, educators, and artists who are actively engaged in the greater development of the world around us.
Growing up in a social New Orleans family, Raymond found ease communicating with a variety of personalities at an early age. During his tenure at the LSU School of Architecture, he excelled at team-oriented group projects and still finds enjoyment in checking the status of his alma mater studio’s synergy. At TPA, Raymond spearheads the young professionals mentorship group which provides team member’s the opportunity to freely shares and utilize our internal wealth of knowledge and collective experience. Raymond’s desire to cultivate other’s skills extends outside of office hours when he can be found teaching salsa dance classes.
Born in the Upper South and raised on Lake Pontchartrain’s North Shore, Brady Barclay grew up steeped in creativity, surrounded in his family by architects, potters, and artists. While working towards his Bachelor’s degree in architecture at LSU, Brady worked at a variety of firms and spent one year at Virginia Tech’s Washington Alexandria Architecture Center in Washington, D.C. Brady used his broadly varied academic and professional experience to hone his own design process across projects that include office buildings, hospitality projects, educational design, and single- and multi-family residential work. He enjoys traveling to visit friends throughout the United States, but always returns to the Gulf, where you can find him sailing in regattas across the Gulf South or simply for pleasure on the Lake.
Kevin Barns is a skilled, ambitious project manager originally from Mobile, Alabama with a degree from Auburn University. He has worked on a diverse array of projects and has experience with educational projects, corporate office spaces, and multi-family residential developments. He is adept at broad-strokes conceptual design and has the tenacity and patience to shepherd schematic ideas through detailing while protecting the design intent. Kevin is the Building Information Modeling Office Manager, his expertise in Revit helps the firm to facilitate coordination and increase efficiency through the use of these technologies. Outside of work, Kevin unwinds with the occasional round of golf or disc golf.
Originally from Texas, Hannah is a designer with an interest in creating environments that focus on the human experience and sustainable design practices. Her first design love was interior design, as she received her Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from UT Austin before pursuing a Master of Architecture at Tulane University. As a student, she completed a travel fellowship in Chile that explored the use of poetry as a tool to study and design multi-sensory architecture. After graduate school, she applied that interest in human perception to a research position studying acoustics. Since joining the TPA team, she has particularly enjoyed working as a mentor and designer with our non-profit partner, UnCommon Construction.
In her spare time, Hannah can be found repairing (and occasionally sailing) the sailboat that she calls home.
Belle Chasse native, Jennifer Blair, has a background in illustration and graphic design as well as business administration. These skills enable her keen ability to understand and facilitate both the design and business facets of the firm’s work. With over 15 years of administrative and marketing experience, she finds particular enjoyment in the human resources side of office management, streamlining communication, and developing personal relationships with our staff.
After receiving a master’s degree from the Pratt Institute in NYC, Matthew quickly gained a wide variety of experiences through managing small, dynamic design teams in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. He earned his reputation as thoughtful, hardworking designer by shepherding many diverse project types from initial concept development to construction completion.
Above all, Matthew cherishes the collaborative nature of architecture and has asserted his commitment to help everyone on his team thrive – from designers and consultants to clients and general contractors. He believes each project is at its best when everyone on the team is flourishing. When Matthew is not at work you can find him at a pottery studio throwing down some clay, at home perfecting his cooking skills, or in a local coffee shop catching up on current literature.
Regina is a designer at Trapolin-Peer Architects. Originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania, her interest in architecture was sparked early during her childhood surrounded by shop drawings from her dad’s work as a mechanical engineer. She earned her Bachelor of Science in architecture from the University of Virginia where she balanced studio life while being co-captain of the varsity cheerleading team. Post-graduation, she worked at VMDO in Charlottesville Virginia, a top national educational design firm where she was passionate about how the built environment can create inspirational and unconventional learning spaces. In 2015, she earned her Master of Architecture from Tulane University. There she participated in the URBANbuild program and piqued her interest in the translation of digital design to construction detailing.
A native of Lafitte, Louisiana, Macy graduated in Biology and Business Administration from the University of New Orleans. She brings three years of administrative experience to Trapolin-Peer, having worked in both corporate and small business environments. With an eye for detail, Macy coordinates the studio’s day-to-day workflow, event planning and community engagement initiatives, and social media. Macy has over 20 years of classical dance experience and leads choreography for a high school theater department.
Born in the Northeast and raised in Louisiana, Daniel earned his Master of Architecture from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Since joining TPA in 2016, Daniel has worked on a broad selection of interesting projects including renovation and new construction of residential, hospitality, educational and mix-use buildings. He believes that architecture should protect and preserve the social and built environment through the connection of work, live, and play, an idea reflected in his contextual designs. Off the clock, you can find him enjoying one of the many festivals between New Orleans and Lafayette or dabbling in the latest life-enhancing technology.
Gene is a Louisiana native with expansive experience throughout the Gulf South. His broad-ranging projects in planning, institutional and public buildings, private development, and single family residences has helped him become one of the first associates at TPA. Additionally, he is an active member and Programs Chair for the Urban Land Institute (ULI). Away from Architecture, Gene is a voracious reader as well as a skilled and sensitive draughtsman with a body of intricate, ambitious freehand drawings.
A native New Orleanian, Andrea is drawn to how architecture can shape and influence human connections. During her tenure at Louisiana State University School of Architecture and supplemental program at the Virginia Tech Washington Alexandria Architecture Center in DC, she gained an appreciation for urban design and creation with a focus on accessibility and sustainability. She has experience designing public buildings, multi-family projects, and historic renovation projects, and interior based designs where she thrives on diving into details. Andrea is a constant observer and lover of people watching. In her spare time, you can find her walking around the city, trying new restaurants and going to live shows.
Trent holds a Masters of Architecture from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and brings an honest, direct sensibility to the firm. During his graduate studies, he designed and built a home for Habitat for Humanity, and later worked as a designer and construction lead for Habitat. He honed an understanding of and appreciation for simple, functional design and detailing. Away from his desk he stays active with volleyball, biking, and kayaking.
Blake Kidder grew up in the Acadiana region of Louisiana and moved to New Orleans after earning a Masters of Architecture from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Acadiana left a lasting influence on his sensibility and design aesthetic and his work is characterized equally by respect for the past and anticipation of future change. In the office Blake works to renovate and strengthen the idiosyncratic urban landscape of New Orleans. Additionally, his design work and photography have been included in publications and gallery exhibitions throughout the United States.
With nearly two decades at the firm, Ashley King brings her energy and tenacity to numerous projects. Her interest in historic preservation, which she traces from her childhood in Charleston through her Master’s degree work at Tulane University, gives her a keen eye for detail. She applies that attention and rigor as much to historic renovation as she does to rooting new construction projects within their context. When she’s not busy following emerging building products and construction trends, she’s usually relaxing outdoors, running, practicing golf, or playing with her dog Dude.
Lorraine brings over 10 years of interdisciplinary marketing and design experience from her time in construction and alternative energy, as well as convention and event marketing. A native of Lafayette, Lorraine holds a BA in Advertising from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She has proudly called New Orleans home since 2010.
Lorraine is the Director-At-Large of Communications for the Society for Marketing Professional Services, Southeast Louisiana Chapter, where she was also named Rising Star in 2019. In 2020, Lorraine partnered with Young Leadership Council to design the new identity for the iconic “New Orleans: Proud to Call Home” campaign.
Cornisha Lyons is an architectural designer from Houston, Texas. Following her graduation from Louisiana State University School of Architecture, where she received the 2020 LSU College of Art and Design Dean’s Medal, she now calls New Orleans home. During her time at LSU, Cornisha traveled to Puerto Rico for Urban Design studies and completed internships in both residential and commercial design with firms in Baton Rouge and Houston. In addition to architecture, Cornisha pursues graphic design and fabrication as a means of expanding her creative perspective. She has produced a variety of welded sculptures, one of which is on display at the LSU Sculpture Garden.
After growing up between southern California and central Louisiana, Paula Peer received her degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She began her career in Los Angeles and in the following years built experience with single- and multi-family residential and mixed-use developments in New Orleans and with RTKL in Dallas. Since joining the firm in 2001, Paula has applied her experience with complex projects to allow the firm to successfully complete work of significant scale. She provides excellent internal leadership by identifying firm needs and implementing plans to address them, mentoring young designers, and contributing significantly to the strength of the team as well as the success of the firm. In recognition of her immense contributions, she was made a principal in 2009. Beyond the firm she is an engaged member of the professional community, having served on the board of the New Orleans Chapter of the American Institute of Architect (AIA) since 2011 and as acting chapter president in 2015. She is also a founding member of Women In Architecture (WIA) and the New Orleans Architecture Foundation (NOAF).
Paula also actively applies her skills to benefit the broader community. After Hurricane Katrina, she worked with neighborhood groups to propose zoning changes and to set design guidelines for redevelopment of the Lake Area neighborhoods. In her role as a Gretna Historic District Committee member, Paula spearheaded the development of a Historic Districts Design Guidelines Book. Paula’s other volunteer efforts include work in the lower Ninth Ward with Our School at Blair Grocery. She cares passionately about delivering careful design solutions that satisfy client needs and promote the well-being of occupants while contributing equal energy to spending every spare moment with her two children.
Originally from the Northeast, Margitta made New Orleans her permanent home in 2007. She earned dual undergraduate degrees in art and physics from Stony Brook University in New York and seized the opportunity to merge her two very separate passions in a Master of Architecture at Tulane University. She started her career with work on large-scale federal projects and advanced by working on mixed-use, multi-family, and commercial projects varying in scale. At TPA, she applies her architectural expertise, LEED AP certification, and commitment to sustainability on the firm’s cutting-edge historic renovations. In her spare time, she enjoys renovating and restoring her historic Central City home and exploring the city with her husband, daughter, and her adopted black Spaniel puppy.
Native to the Pontchartrain Basin, Julia grew up in Chalmette and Covington. Her experiences at a young age in the rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina left her keenly aware of the South Louisiana landscape and its environmental challenges and opportunities, which she explored in depth during her Architecture and Architectural History program at Louisiana State University. Julia studied abroad in Rome, where she was able to explore cultures and spaces of people around the world. No matter the scale, she believes in design’s potential to enhance the wellbeing and connection of clients, users, context, and environment. Outside the office you can find her running, walking, and biking to all the local markets and shops New Orleans has to offer.
Avid champion of the American South, Sarah Simonson, holds a degree in Southern Studies from the University of Mississippi. She carried this focus into her architectural thesis work for her Masters of Architecture at Tulane University through investigating the influence of social culture on the built environment. Later, she led a year-long research project on the impact of post-Katrina demolition in New Orleans public housing. Sarah’s social focus gives her an affinity for institutional work. In her career, she has been a key team member of two large, complex public education projects. Away from her desk, Sarah strengthens the professional community through her involvement in the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Women in Architecture (WIA).
Shea Trahan holds degrees in architecture from both the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Tulane University. His graduate research combined interests in sensory neuroscience, architectural acoustics, and algorithmic design. Shea’s architectural process focuses heavily on the experiential interaction between architecture and the senses, most notably hearing. His work has been featured at the New Orleans Museum of Art, UL Lafayette’s Art/Tech Fusion Conference, TEDx Vermilion Street, and at the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture. As a project manager, Shea focuses on cultural and theater projects as well as adaptive reuse of historic buildings. In addition to architecture, Shea has a lifelong passion for both analogue and digital photography.
A native New Orleanian, Peter Trapolin, FAIA is the founding principal of Trapolin-Peer Architects and has dedicated nearly four decades of professional experience to the city he calls home. An alumnus of De La Salle High School, he attended Tulane’s School of Architecture where he received the Moise Goldstein Award honoring his historic preservation work as well as the AIA Scholastic Award for Excellence in the study of architecture.
In 1981 he founded Peter M. Trapolin & Associates, which in 2009 became Trapolin-Peer Architects, and celebrated its 35th anniversary in August 2016. His premiere renovation project at 600 Julia Street, one of the “Thirteen Sisters” of Julia Row designed by Alexander Thompson Wood in the 1830s, still stands as a downtown landmark. This project’s success, in conjunction with Peter’s various other projects in the area, triggered the revitalization of and renewed investment in the entire Central Business and Warehouse District neighborhoods. While the firm has worked across the Gulf South, Peter’s dedication to historic preservation and detailing has saved many local historic buildings and helped repair the urban fabric in and around New Orleans’ historic districts. Decades later, Peter and the firm continue to be renowned both for innovative and contextual new buildings as well as environmentally sensitive yet appropriate renovations and restorations.
In 2017 Peter was recognized with AIA’s prestigious fellowship designation for his exceptional work and contributions to architecture and society as a whole. In his free time Mr. Trapolin is an enthusiastic boater and fisherman, navigating the Gulf from a piece of property in Mississippi that has been in his family for more than 75 years. When he’s not on the boat he can be found reading, listening to his extensive music collection, or enjoying a movie at a local theater.
Associate Gabriel Virdure methodically tackles challenges and has experience with many facets of design and project management. She is familiar with a broad range of project scales and types, with direct experience in single- and multi-family residential work, hospitality projects, and public and private institutional buildings. Gabriel thrives on collaboration, finding reward in engaging clients and contractors as true partners in the design process. She also forges professional relationships that extend beyond the workplace; Gabriel is a member of Women in Architecture (WIA) New Orleans and an active member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW), and NCARB. She enjoys sending time with her family, gardening and playing tennis.
Originally from Milwaukee, Alan obtained his Master’s Degree from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee in 2012. After his initial 2010 introduction to New Orleans during a graduate school studio, Alan visited frequently before making it his permanent residence in 2016. With experience in educational, multi-family, and hospitality design, he strongly believes that architecture acts as a means of social production that is informed by the creativity of those it serves. Alan fills his spare time wrangling cats and creating custom feline furniture.
