Over the past several weeks, DBI Architects has welcomed Bill Evans to our Architecture staff, and Sarah Harrelson and Azzaya Batsuuri to the Interior Design studio. Each of these new additions to the DBI family brings a level of skill, training, and experience that will ensure DBI continues to deliver the level of excellence that our clients, partners, and colleagues have come to expect.
Bill Evans, AIA Emeritus
Bill earned his Bachelor of Pre-Architecture from Clemson University in 1971, and his Master of Architecture from Yale University in 1974. He brings more than four decades of experience to DBI’s Architecture studio. Notable projects include the Silver Spring Library in Montgomery County, Maryland (master planning, programming, design, and construction administration), the Shirlington Library and Signature Theatre, in Arlington County, Virginia (master planning, programming, and design), the Fine Arts and Technology Academic Building for Northern Virginia Community College (campus master plan and design), and WMATA’s Washington Metro Stations, for which he served as Chief Section Designer.
Bill has been a member of the American Institute of Architects since 1976. He has served on the AIA Northern Virginia Chapter Board and Virginia AIA Board. He served as 1999 Chapter President and 2004 AIA Virginia President. He also served as AIA Virginia VP for Professional Excellence, VP for Program Development and VP for Government and Industry Affairs. Prior to joining DBI, he was Chief Strategy Officer for RRMM Lukmire Architects, and Founding Principal & Principal Designer at The Lukmire Partnership, Inc.
Sarah Harrelson, IIDA
Sarah Harrelson received her BFA in Interior Design from Marymount University in 2016, specializing in commercial office, hospitality, and health care design. Since graduation, she has worked in increasingly complex roles as an interior designer and project manager involved in all phases of corporate interiors projects, including site verifications, programming, and schematic design, utilizing Revit, Enscape, and Creative Cloud programs. Sarah has also developed her expertise in production of construction documents, using Revit with support of AutoCAD backgrounds and working with the owners and contractors from visioning and programming through construction administration.
Her recent projects include Reston Metro Center One – Conference Center and Fitness Center, Reston, Virginia, at 12120 Sunrise Valley Drive (programming, design development, client presentations, construction documents, construction administration, and FF&E), Century Center II – 12th &14th floor – Town Hall and Spec Suites, in Arlington, Virginia (programming, design development, construction documents, and construction administration), and various tenant outfits/spec suites with Rockhill, at TDP, TIP, and Shenandoah, in Tysons, Virginia (programming, design development, construction documents, and construction administration – often as liaison between the tenant and client).
Sarah is a member of American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), International Interior Design Association (IIDA), and Hospitality Industry Network (NEWH), and is currently renewing her IIDA certification. She has been involved with the Volunteer Mentor Program at Marymount University since 2018, and has helped organize workplace sustainability programs.
Azzaya Batsuuri
Azzaya Batsuuri has come the greatest distance to join the DBI team. Originally from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Azzaya is fluent in Mongolian, English, and Chinese. She holds a Master’s Degree in Interior Design from Marymount University. She also holds a BA in Environmental Management and a BA in Chinese Language from Mongolia’s University of the Humanities, and an MA in the Modern History of China from Jilin University, in Jilin Province, People’s Republic of China. Azzaya has worked as an interpreter for businesses trading with Chinese enterprises.
Azzaya’s environmental studies centered on indoor air quality, as an outgrowth of an air purifier business she founded. Asked to speak at a Student’s Research Conference at the University of the Humanities, her presentation was so well-received that she was strongly encouraged to seek her degree in Environmental Management. That sort of accomplishment continues to follow Azzaya. Coming to DBI as an intern in December of 2021, she has become an expert in DBI’s various libraries of finishes and furnishings. Her first assignments were to help designers locate and order finish materials samples, and to keep the firm’s libraries up-to-date.
Now, as a full-time staff member, Azzaya is contributing by creating construction documents, and is becoming involved in design development. She also creates photorealistic 3-D renderings of designed spaces. A creative, organized, self-directed, and motivated individual, Azzaya is willing to offer and contribute everything she has learned professionally, to be a supportive team member.
DBI is already benefitting from the great experience and talent that Bill, Sarah, and Azzaya bring, and we welcome them aboard.
New Interns
Every company knows the value of interns, just as the interns understand the value of getting solid mentoring hours at a reputable, forward-thinking firm. Great interns bring energy and a can-do attitude that also benefits the company.
DBI is currently welcoming a new class of interns: Sarah Agrillo, Brigithe Urgilez, Sky Micare, and Sean Floyd.
Sarah Agrillo is currently in her last semester in the Interior Design program at Marymount University, where she anticipates receiving her BA in December of this year. She finds herself interested in all kinds of interior design work, especially hospitality.
Sarah is ambitious, hard-working, and excited to begin a career in the design field. Sarah is skilled in Photoshop, Revit, and SketchUp, as well as standard office suite and creative suite programs.
Brigithe Urgilez hails from Ecuador – or “the country of the four worlds.” A native Spanish speaker, she is also fluent in English and French. Brigithe’s calling to interior design stems from a lifelong inclination to care about the needs of others, as well as a deep and abiding interest in environmental protection. She has found at the junction of these passions a profound interest in creating the spaces we occupy, at work and at home, designing a world surrounded by creativity and vivid colors. Brigithe is skilled in Revit, Lumion, Photoshop, and Illustrator. She is a member of IIDA, ASID, NEWH, and the Marymount University Design Association.
Sky Micare is working toward his architecture degree at Virginia Tech, College of Architecture and Urban Studies. Skilled in Rhino, SketchUp, Lumion, AutoCAD, and Revit, as well as Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator, Sky also brings competence in digital modeling and rendering, woodwork, and lasercutting. He has hands-on experience in the remodeling of homes and apartments, and has assisted and performed tasks in plumbing, electrical, demolition, painting, landscaping, and carpentry.
Sean Floyd is in his fourth year at Virginia Tech, working toward his Bachelor in Architecture, with multiple appearances on the Dean’s List. Highly skilled in Adobe Creative Suite tools, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, he is also proficient in AutoC, Lumion, and Rhino, with some experience in Revit. He is a member of Virginia Tech American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS), for which he is Senior Graphic Designer, with responsibilities including creating graphics, and instructing junior designers on effective design strategies.
