KEY STRENGTHS
- Real estate research, site evaluation and selection, feasibility studies
- Creative schematic solutions and refined design development
- Good free hand ideation abilities and sensitivity to manual drafting standards
- Production and oversight of documents and drawings for architecture and interiors
- Effective ‘in house’ project design team management
- Project data research, code analysis and permit processing
- Kitchen and bar layout, equipment specification, vendor relations
- Furniture, lighting, graphics and signage design
- FF&A specification, budgeting, purchasing and installation
- MEP and S engineering coordination and supervision
- Construction knowledge, project budget production and value engineering
- Extensive experience working with Government agencies and officials for permitting
- Vendor coordination and general contractor construction administration
- Brand marketing, growth strategizing, staffing and business development
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
TRAPP ARCHITECTURE – Owner
Boulder, CO 1997-Present
As owner of his own company, Shem has maintained a vehicle to keep his passion for developing creative solutions to residential and hospitality design alive. He has provided numerous cost-effective and creative solutions for residential clients as well as restaurant independents and national chains. Being a sole-proprietor, he has needed to exceptionally perform the variety of tasks required for each project’s development from start to finish.
DAJ DESIGN – Senior Architect
Louisville, CO 2021-2024
DAJ Design is a small, boutique architecture & interiors firm that specializes in high end residential projects in Colorado. Shem headed up the design and drawing production for a variety of archetypes including single, multi-family and commercial projects.
PARADIGM DESIGN – Senior
Traverse City, MI 2018-2021
Paradigm Design is a well established architectural and engineering firm specializing in theatres and family entertainment centers. Shem was brought in to serve as in-house food and beverage design expert for these project types. He is also serving to create a restaurant design division within the company, to expand services offered by the firm into additional project types. Serving as lead design for such tasks, Shem has expanded his tool box to better serve a variety of client needs.
U TURN BBQ & BREWERY – Co-Owner
Lafayette, CO 2016-2018
Shem, with a partner, opened the (world’s?) first drive-thru BBQ brewpub in a shuttered Burger King building. He developed this original concept from a business plan and followed it through site selection to design, operations and execution. As an entrepreneur, he has gained an understanding and appreciation of the challenges of creating and growing a business first hand. In addition to his 10 years in operations, this first hand restaurateur experience has added to his ‘street cred’ with hospitality clients. He is more able to make successful projects happen because he knows first hand how to design in functionality as well as creativity.
TRAPP ASSOCIATES – Senior Architect, VP
Boulder, CO 1998-1999, 2010-2018
With T.A., Shem has designed and overseen the development of numerous units for national restaurant chains as well as for independent operators. He has had coast-to-coast clients with varying budgets, operating models and programmatic constraints. He has produced required construction documents for the architecture and interiors for over two-dozen restaurants and breweries. This small, industry leading, boutique firm required a multi-faceted skill set to handle each project’s unique challenges to achieve final project success.
TOMMY HEIN ARCHITECTS – Senior Designer
Telluride, CO 2003-2006
While at one of the most prestigious firms in town, Shem designed and directed the development of 15 high-end residential and mixed-use projects for high-demand programs and clients. He oversaw a multi-person team of talented individuals charged with creating the architecture and interior design as well as necessary construction documentation. He was further responsible for managing projects that required extra attention to the financial demands of clients as well as the particularly difficult building and historic departments of the town.
ROCK BOTTOM RESTAURANTS – Senior Designer
Louisville, CO 1996-1997
While with the design department of this national restaurant company, Shem helped expand the Old Chicago Pizza brand nationally. He was part of a small, multi-disciplined team that required quick design and development work to maintain an aggressive roll out program. Old Chicago was the ‘work horse’ for Rock Bottom and efficient architectural solutions were key to the financials. He was continuously challenged with a variety of real estate situations to convert into efficient, brand identifiable solutions. (He was also tapped to head up a corporate marketing photography effort).
QUALIFICATIONS
Architect – CO license #401480, 10 additional U.S. state licenses, NCARB Certification
Bachelor of Architecture, BFA Photography – CA College of the Arts, Goldstein Scholar (1995)
Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurial Studies – University of Colorado, Dean’s Scholar (2010)
AIA Merit Award winner – Balter Beerworks, Knoxville TN (2017)
Computer proficiency: AutoCAD, Excel, Word
Computer in Process: Photoshop, SketchUp
REFERENCES
Matt Berry, structural engineer – Ascent Group, m. 303.435.3001
Amy Wessell, residential client, m. 303.588.8882
Tim Kyer, architect – GSA, Federal Government, m. 303.257.4054