Matthew Loosemore | PRINCIPAL | matt@sumdesignstudio.com

Matt earned his BA and BS in architecture from Washington State University in 1996. He played major roles working at different local Portland firms in the beginning of his career. In 2003 he founded Loosemore Design. After three years of working as a sole proprietor, he co-founded SUM Design Studio in 2006. Previously he taught as an adjunct professor within the Portland State University architecture program. In his 17 years of experience in the industry he has worked on numerous projects which vary in scale, typology, and clientele. His project experience includes residential, commercial, resort hotels, schools, libraries, and mixed use. Matt has a passion for modern design and infill development. To achieve this he believes that a successful practice of design is composed of three equal parts including interpersonal skill, client communication and aesthetics. Without the merger of these three components it is impossible to meet the needs of the community. He enjoys spending time with family and friends, fishing, and traveling.

Eric Hoffman | PRINCIPAL | eric@sumdesignstudio.com

Eric earned a Bachelor of Interior Design from Montana State University in 1992. After working for various architectural firms in Portland, he formed Hoffman Design Consultants in 2004. His 16+ years of work has established him as a respected designer in the commercial market by assisting large scale clients with new office spaces and new identities throughout the Northwest. In 2006 he co-founded SUM Design Studio. Since then, he’s worked on many residential and mixed use projects. In addition he has a lengthy commercial portfolio in tenant improvement. Outside of work he loves introducing his two boys to the outdoors, playing with power tools, and recognizing the finer aspects of the VW Bus.

Gene Bolante | PRINCIPAL | gene@sumdesignstudio.com

Gene has over 20 years’ experience in a multitude of projects. Beginning his career in Chicago, Gene worked as an intern at a residential firm over the summers and breaks while in college. Upon graduation, Gene relocated to Oregon to enjoy the mix of the great outdoors he appreciated in Montana and the urban life he had grown up around while living in Chicago as a youth. After four years of working at the largest local firm in Salem, Gene changed careers and ventured into development. In the position of hiring architects and engineers, Gene gained experience with land use, financing, project management and construction of multi-million dollar projects. Eventually his passion led him back to architecture, and in 2001 he jointly started a local Salem architectural firm that has successfully completed many projects throughout the Willamette Valley and Pacific NW. Gene and his wife have four boys, and Gene is very passionate about muscle cars, of which he owns several.

Sarah Newhouse | DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS | s a r a h @sumdesignstudio.com

After earning a BS in Psychology from Carnegie Mellon in 2004, Sarah packed her bags and headed straight to Oregon. She quickly realized that Portland's unique business community afforded all the challenges necessary to keep her engaged. For the past 16 years, Sarah's managed finances, human resources, operations and strategy across a number of industries, including architecture, real estate development, digital and marketing. If there's something that can be improved, chances are, she'll find it (and fix it). When she's not busy making everything run smoothly, you can find Sarah working on her never-ending landscaping project and adventuring with her husband, daughter and crazy dog Gizmo.

Ann Scheuerell | DESIGNER | ann@sumdesignstudio.com

Ann came to architecture a little later in her career, starting first in PR, then moving to the plant nursery business. But, eventually, she thought, buildings are cool. Let's try that. And now, since 2004, Ann hasn't been quite able to pry herself away from the profession. It may be because she likes to dig into the technical details of geeky things. Or, it may be because she is a compulsive home remodeler and the work experience really does come in handy... But, ultimately, Ann is passionate about well crafted objects and structures, so architecture is probably a good fit. When she's not in the office or installing trim or pulling weeds, she is likely on a trail with her crazy dog out somewhere as far as she can get from the hum of traffic.

Christian Sterner | DESIGNER | c hristian@sumdesignstudio.com

Christian started his architectural life reluctantly by being forced to experience interesting buildings. He came around eventually and actually loved architecture school where all the books are free and the projects don’t need to come in on budget. His dose of reality came working in San Francisco for various architecture firms. He moved with his family to Portland in 2008. His wife is an Architect and as parents they get a lot of push back from their girls when they are forced to experience interesting buildings. Christian is deeply nerdy and likes going down rabbit holes like audio, cars and product design.

Chad Ethridge | DESIGNER | chad@sumdesignstudio.com

Chad relocated from Dallas, TX in 2010 to earn his Master's degree from the University of Oregon. Drawn to the Pacific Northwest for both its natural beauty and its distinct architectural style, Chad has found a permanent home here in Portland. He joins the SUM team after spending the previous five years at other small architecture firms in the Portland area and brings with him a wide knowledge base having worked professionally on projects ranging from small tenant improvements to ground-up shell retail buildings. As a volunteer, Chad spent countless hours working as both designer and builder for community design groups in Dallas building homes for under-served communities, finding the true beauty of architecture at the intersection of design and craft. In his free time Chad can be found around town attending live music and comedy shows.

Kelley Wilson | PROJECT MANAGER | kelley@sumdesignstudio.com

Kelley has more than 30 years of experience in all phases of project development spanning private and public projects for multiple building types, including institutional, commercial, educational, and residential. His breadth of management experience includes owning and managing architectural design offices, managing the planning and design of projects and managing construction administration. Wilson holds a Bachelor of Architecture, University of Idaho, ID; an Associate of Arts in Architecture, Spokane Falls Community College, WA, an Associate of Fine Arts, Spokane Falls Community College, and is a licensed architect in Oregon and Washington.

Emily Bratt | DESIGNER | emily@sumdesignstudio.com

Emily earned her BA in Architecture from UC Berkeley, going on to spend time developing her design skills in the San Francisco bay area, with a focus on multi-family residential and tenant improvement projects. Emily was drawn to the friendly culture, outdoor activities, and real seasons that Portland has to offer, and decided to leave her home state of California and make her way north. Passionate about clean lines and simple aesthetics, Emily also holds a deep love for historic buildings, and is eager to explore the intersection of old and new through the many different projects that SUM has in the works. Outside the office, you can find Emily at the potter’s wheel trying to perfect the art of ceramics, browsing Portland's many vintage stores, or obsessively rearranging furniture as her cat, Charles, watches with wonder.

Bob Smith | PROJECT MANAGER | bob@sumdesignstudio.com

With more 20 years of experience, Bob is accustomed to handling all facets of the profession. From early design and planning through construction closeout, he brings a comprehensive method of project management, design talent and technical expertise to everything he does. Bob’s broad portfolio includes multiple award-winning projects, a wide array of construction types and an impressive collection of commercial and institutional clients. From small nonprofits to large scale developments, Bob’s trademark is providing everyone with the same level of professional service and dedication. His passion for client-focused service and ability to deliver creative architectural solutions garner him recognition time and again.

Jamie Bushek | INTERIOR DESIGNER | jamie@sumdesignstudio.com

Jamie is a native Oregonian/Portlander. She remembers spending a lot of her early days making forts, rearranging her bedroom, and building all things LEGO. After a good chunk of life was had, the idea of pursuing a career started to brew and she thought a creative endeavor might be a good fit. So she started walking toward Interior Design believing she had some of the characteristics that it would take and gave it a good try. So good, that in 2009 she graduated with a BS in Interior Design through The Art Institute of Portland and in 2019 she obtained her NCIDQ certificate. In the last decade+ in the commercial design world, she has worked on a variety of project types including; retail, office, financial, educational, residential and senior living. Some of her favorite things about design are color, organization, collaborating, and seeing how her heart for helping can be utilized in a creative way.

Rodia Banaei | INTERIOR DESIGNER | rodia@sumdesignstudio.com

Rodia has over 15 years of experience in the design industry including interiors, retail, visual merchandising, graphic design and textiles. After earning a BA in Rug and Textile Design and MA in Crafts from Tehran’s Art University, Rodia worked in several creative fields before finding her home in interior design. To pursue that dream she moved to the city of design, Milan, and obtained her BA in interior design from Politecnico di Milano. She found living in Milan equally important for her design education as studying at Politecnico. Rodia has been living and working as an interior designer in the US for the past 9 years and her project experience includes residential, commercial, hospitality, education, and mixed use. Her passion is for concept development and narrative spaces. She enjoys spending time with her friends, reading, drawing and creating art in her free time.