Every month we’ll be touching base with past 40 Under 40 honorees to see what’s been happening in their professional and personal lives since winning the award. (U40 alums are invited to participate by sending an update to: jhigginbotham@sgcmail.com.) This month: Standout architects in Chicago and Los Angeles make their mark with massive, complex projects.
DAVID MONTALBA, AIA, SIA, LEED AP
Founding Principal
Montalba Architects, Los Angeles
Class of 2012
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Montalba continues to serve as acting Design Principal on all projects for his firm, which handles retail, restaurant, residential, hospitality, office, institutional, and educational work. The practice has clients in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East as well as the U.S., and has grown to 30 full-time employees since it was incorporated in 2004. Recent projects include numerous luxury retail stores (Stylehaus, Isabel Marant, Barbara Bui, Ports 1960), representing an expansion of the sector for the firm; Nobu Malibu, a Japanese restaurant; concessions design for the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX (in collaboration with LAWA and Westfield); and Duty Free Shops in the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
Teaches “Introduction to Construction” for the Graduate Department of Architecture and Urban Design at UCLA, his alma mater.
Recent awards: AIA Los Angeles Presidential Honor Award, Building Team of the Year, 2013 (for the LAX International Terminal collaboration); Los Angeles Business Journal 2014 Commercial Real Estate Award (hospitality category, for Nikita restaurant).
EXTRACURRICULAR
Actively involved in supporting the A + D Museum in Los Angeles. Firm collaborated with the museum in the recent ARkidECTURE children’s workshop.
Jury Chair, AIA Institute Honors for Interior Architecture 2014.
OFF THE CLOCK
Montalba enjoys playing tennis and hanging out with his kids in Santa Monica, where he resides. Takes frequent trips to visit his family in Lausanne, Switzerland.
MATT DUMICH, AIA
Senior Architect / Project Manager
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill
Architecture, Chicago
Class of 2009
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Dumich recently joined Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, a firm dedicated to the design of high-performance, energy-efficient, and sustainable architecture on a global scale. He is currently a Project Manager for EXPO-2017, an international exposition in Astana, Kazakhstan, with the theme “Future Energy.” This large project includes exhibition and cultural pavilions and a new residential community with office, retail, hotel, educational, and civic facilities, as well as parks. The design is performance-driven, with each building oriented and shaped to harness energy from sun and wind to create a highly sustainable development.
Recent honors: 2012 AIA Chicago Dubin Family Young Architect Award, 2013 AIA National Young Architects Award.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Selected to join the AIA Chicago Executive Committee as Secretary for the Board of Directors in 2012. Working to support the chapter as Chicago hosts the AIA National Convention this June.
Co-founder of Bridge, a mentoring and leadership program that pairs young architects with members of the AIA College of Fellows.
Keynote speaker, 2011 Chicago Architecture and Design College Day. Has presented talks on architecture to student groups at the Illinois Institute of Technology, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Judson University, and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.
OFF THE CLOCK
A self-proclaimed foodie and beer snob, Dumich constantly seeks out new restaurants. A recent vacation took him and his wife to Tokyo and Kyoto, where they photographed the unique textures of Japan.
Related Stories
| May 3, 2012
NSF publishes ANSI standard evaluating the sustainability of single ply roofing membranes
New NSF Standard provides manufacturers, specifiers and building industry with verifiable, objective criteria to identify sustainable roofing products.
| May 3, 2012
Gilbane to provide CM services for North Reading’s integrated middle/high school
The project scope includes a wastewater treatment plant, demolition of the existing high school and extensive athletic fieldwork.
| May 3, 2012
Ground broken for $94 million hospital expansion at Scripps Encinitas
New facility to more than double emergency department size, boost inpatient beds by 43%.
| May 3, 2012
Rudolph and Sletten, Inc. wins CMAA award
Firm recognized for the renovation of Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College’s Student Administrative & Griffin Student Center.
| May 2, 2012
Trimble acquires SketchUp 3D modeling platform
The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2012.
| May 2, 2012
Building Team completes two additions at UCLA
New student housing buildings are part of UCLA’s Northwest Campus Student Housing In-Fill Project.
| May 2, 2012
Public housing can incorporate sustainable design
Sustainable design achievable without having to add significant cost; owner and residents reap benefits
| May 2, 2012
SMPS Foundation accepting applications for Garikes Scholarship
One outstanding scholar will be selected this year to receive a $1,500 scholarship award, to be used toward academic expenses, such as tuition and fees, books, supplies, and other similar expenses.