WE ARE a passionate community of friends & designers who believe in the power of design to positively impact the world.
YOU ARE looking for someone who will listen to your passions and empower them through design to transform your community.

Let's get connected.

Meet our team, you'll like them! (each comes programmed with at least three jokes!)
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Steve Oliver, President
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Steve Oliver, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB

President

​Director of the Healthcare Design Group
Steve joined BLDD right out of graduate school and has watched the firm grow from 17 people working out of one office, to over 60 people working out of five locations. He has a gift for managing people and problems, where he strives to effectively finding positive solutions. Steve is a goal oriented leader and has a vision for the bigger picture and an intense drive to see every project exceed client expectations. A good listener – Steve truly wants to make sure all voices are heard and their project dreams are accounted for. His experience has been founded on strong relationships with clients – relationships built on honesty and integrity.
 
Outside of the office, Steve enjoys spending time with his wife and family. Steve’s hobbies include fishing, traveling, exercising, playing the guitar, and he is a pretty good cook – especially when it involves the grill. Steve is also actively involved in leadership at his church.  An avid Illini fan, Steve enjoys attending sporting events from his alma mater. 
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Bruce Maxey, Principal
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Bruce Maxey, AIA, LEED AP

Principal
Bruce started working for BLDD after graduate school and thanks to his strong affinity for numbers and spreadsheets he now serves as the Treasurer for the firm as well as the Principal overseeing Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Information Technology (IT). This passion, along with his educational background in structural design, makes him the perfect person to manage many of the firm’s largest projects.
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When he’s not at work it’s pretty common to see Bruce with his two daughters or spending time with his wife, Jill, at an Illinois basketball game – they are season ticket holders. He also enjoys designing and building furniture or kicking back with a glass of wine and some sushi.
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Carson Durham, Principal
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Carson Durham, AIA

Principal

​Director of the Religious Design Group
With a little bit of southern charm and an infectious smile, Carson’s passion lies in creating great places that make a difference in his community. His architectural designs are inspired by history, nature, technology and human behavior. This Georgia native believes architecture and design is all about invention and innovation - inspiring built environment is all a part of human expression. He is also inspired by his lasting relationships with his clients; and you can definitely find him in his element when he is connecting with people of all walks of life.
 
Outside the office you can find Carson watching college sports, playing basketball, traveling, and finding a little happiness in just about every situation in life. But what really sparks that smile are his “two girls” – wife, Nicole, and daughter, Greer. They always make him laugh. 
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Mark Ritz, Principal
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Mark Ritz, AIA, LEED AP

Principal
Mark is most inspired about the way architecture serves as a vehicle to help people achieve their dreams and aspirations. He believes that architecture is not about the physical structures; it's about what happens inside them. He enjoys getting involved in the in-depth problem solving required to develop solutions for clients that bring about high-quality outcomes, but more than anything he loves the excitement on our clients’ faces in early phases of design when BLDD helps them envision what the project could be. His commitment to our clients doesn’t end there, he feels equally rewarded to experience their reactions as the building takes shape and comes to life, exceeding their expectations.

Mark enjoys spending time with his wife, Raquel, and his children: Stefan, Isabella, Beckham, and Cohen. He especially enjoys sharing his passion for sports with Stefan and playing golf with Isabella. He admits that he isn’t a great golfer but that occasional beautiful shot makes him forever optimistic that he will get better. Lately, he spends most of his time with Raquel and their two young sons, Beckham and Cohen, traveling, eating well, listening to live music, and spending time with friends and family.  Mark’s community is important to him and he contributes through his service the Boys and Girls Club.
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Scott Likins, Principal
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Scott Likins, AIA, NCARB

Principal

​Director of the Senior Living Design Group

Scott is the early bird in the office, which helps him get a little work done before staff arrives each morning. As managing Principal of BLDD’s Chicago office, each day centers on directing and mentoring staff to insure projects run smoothly and efficiently. Scott works hard to deliver complex projects within tight schedules.  As Director of BLDD’s Senior Living Design Group, Scott also markets his experience and passion to deliver culture change within senior living environments.
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After work, Scott enjoys time with his wife and three sons who love to fish, play baseball and golf. Scott also squeezes in time to serve on committees at his local church, the Lockport Planning and Zoning Commission, as well as the alumni board of his college fraternity, Alpha Delta Phi.
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John Whitlock, Principal
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John Whitlock, AIA, LEED AP

Principal

​Director of the Higher Education Design Group
John is someone to be counted on... you can count on him to be a valuable resource to you and your team, a leader that will make your vision a reality, a partner that will bring levity to any situation, and someone you'd like to have an adult cocktail with after a long work week.  John leads BLDD's Higher Education Design Group, but also has a passion for fitness and athletic facilities and an expertise in the design of secure and safe educational environments.  John will be your partner and friend from the conception of an idea to its ultimate conclusion. 

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When John isn't developing 21st century learning environments, he is busy practicing what he preaches…reading a good book, watching his kids play a plethora of sports, water skiing, or playing guitar. You can be sure that John is always seeking solutions that will benefit and advance the education environment.
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Todd Cyrulik, Principal
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Todd Cyrulik, AIA, LEED AP

Principal
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Lead Designer

​Director of the PK-12 Design Group
Todd has been a passionate designer and planner for BLDD for over 20 years. He has spent his life devoted to improving the built environment around him and is dedicated to helping every project reach its full potential as an asset to the community in which it resides. Todd believes that the architect's supreme mission is to elevate the aspirations of everyone that comes in contact with the built environment, clients, users, community members and even pets.  
 
Todd's passion for planning and designing extends to his personal life as well. He enjoys serving alongside his neighbors and friends to plan community festivals, neighborhood clean-ups, and bringing Santa to town. He is former member of his local school board. Todd loves discovering new things and looks forward to sharing his passion for discovery with his entire family. In their free time, he and his wife, Angie, can be found trekking all corners of the United States in search of fun and memories with their own little group of explorers: oldest son, Evan and triplets, Claire, Owen, and Olivia.
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Jean Underwood, Senior Associate
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Jean Underwood, AIA, LEED AP O+M

Senior Associate
Jean has a long history with BLDD including everything from graduate school intern to Davenport Office manager including 5 years as a stay at home mom. Over the years, Jean has developed a strong passion for improving PreK-12 educational experiences for every student, no matter their abilities, talents, or passions through innovative, flexible environments that are future-ready. Making personal connections with clients and providing a positive construction experience are her top priorities. Jean's big personality is put to use bringing joy and fun into the workplace and her projects. As the Licensing Advisor and new employee trainer, she has a passion for mentoring interns and young architects. It's not uncommon to see her at area schools introducing youth to the field of architecture. 
 
Jean is an avid reader, podcast listener and traveler. Lifelong learning is in her blood!  Weather permitting, she can be found gardening in the backyard, camping across America, or competing in triathlons with her husband and teenage son.  
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John Maynerich, Associate
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John Maynerich, AIA, LEED AP

Associate
Like so many budding architects, John realized his love for his craft when he was a kid, creating buildings from Legos and Lincoln Logs or any other miscellaneous item around the house that would satisfy his imagination of the built environment. Today, John’s clients cite his attention to detail and perfectionism as a few of the many reasons they love working with him. He has managed to blend his love of art (passed down from his grandfather who was an amateur painter), graphic design, and software knowledge to develop some amazing and relevant projects for them.
 
John came from a large and loving Catholic family that instilled a great sense of faith and loyalty in him. He and his wife Margo have started a large family of their own with five children. He enjoys sharing his love of art, architecture and design with them. His good nature and experience inventing games with his six siblings is easily shared in the office, where he has come up with the Office Olympic Games and various contests – all in the effort to promote laughter and camaraderie. He also enjoys putting his graphic design skills to the test designing bottle labels for his family’s winery, traveling, sports, and just appreciating the finer things in life, whether that’s food, drink, art or industry.
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Ryan Fuqua, Associate
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Ryan Fuqua, AIA

Associate
Ryan started his career with BLDD as a summer intern while still in graduate school, joining the firm full time once he graduated. Ryan has an enthusiasm for structural design and has become a leader of the firm’s structural group. He enjoys problem solving and developing creative solutions to difficult problems. Ryan's favorite part of the job? Visiting construction sites. He enjoys seeing what he has designed become a reality as well as learning how to improve his designs to make them more efficient.
 
Outside of work, Ryan enjoys the outdoors. Most evenings he can typically be found taking his children to ball practice or to their next ice hockey game. When not at the ballpark, Ryan can be found riding his bike or working in the yard. Sundays are all about NASCAR. Ryan has made it a point to visit at least one new track every year. 
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Jessica Whitlock, Associate
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Jessica Whitlock

Associate

​Director of Marketing
Jessica is an energetic idea-generator and big thinker, proud to be a part of an amazing team of creative and hard working people.  As Director of Marketing, Jessica manages the brand, image and marketing/communications efforts for the firm, and also leads the branded environments team at BLDD.  Her passion lies in making a positive impact with design, by improving experiences and perceptions.

Outside of work, you'll find Jessica staying active... on the boat skiing and wakeboarding with her awesome family and friends, or undertaking messy projects of all kinds (music, art, home improvements, a vegetable garden, and home-made pasta to name a few).  Jess is also a prolific thrift shop treasure hunter and lover of musical theater.   
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Damien Schlitt, Associate
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Damien Schlitt, AIA, LEED AP, Associate

Associate Director of the PK12 Design Group
Damien started with BLDD right out of graduate school, and has been a part of the rapid growth the firm has been experiencing in the past several years. His focus and passion are the design and construction of K-12 educational spaces that have a direct impact on their users. Damien works hard to further his own knowledge of the education field and the trends that are occurring. As a problem solver, he enjoys the challenge of the next project and all the design opportunities that it provides.
 
​Damien is a lifelong learner - reading and exploring a variety of subjects from education, sports, and finance, to his favorite electronic gadgets. A husband and father of two, he lives his life to provide for and enjoy every moment with his family to the fullest. Baseball season dominates the majority of his free time in the summer, and during the winter, waiting for baseball to come back is constantly on Damien’s mind.
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Emiel Guede, Associate
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Emiel Guede, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Associate

Licensed Architect
Emiel started with BLDD in 2002 and every day since has enjoyed the multi-faceted project experiences that working at BLDD offers. During his time with BLDD, he has collaborated on projects that range from research laboratories to senior living facilities to elementary schools. Emiel is passionate about building science and enjoys creating details that are both energy efficient and sustainable while also enhancing the overall building design.
 
In his free time Emiel loves reading, watching early silent films, gardening, cooking, and exploring as many of Chicago’s great restaurants as possible. Each spring one of the highlights of his year occurs when Emiel takes a day off to hunt for the ever elusive morel mushroom with fellow co-worker, Scott Likins.
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Anita Lanning, Associate
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Anita Lanning, AIA, LEED AP, Associate

Licensed Architect
Anita is passionate about religious design and how it impacts people of all ages. She believes the first time a person enters a church is really impactful and she wants to be sure the experience  makes them to want to learn more. She has been working with religious clients since 2005 and has become one of our top experts in this market. One of her favorite spaces to design is the Children's Ministry areas.
 
Outside of work Anita enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter. They enjoy going on camping trips, heading to the movie theater, or just goofing around at home. An avid crafter, Anita enjoys painting, knitting, and quilting. She also enjoys helping to create VBS themed environments every year at her church.
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Justin Placek, Associate
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Justin Placek, LEED AP, Associate

Licensed Architect
Justin has always had a passion for architecture and the ability to help create and manipulate the built environment. He is very detailed-oriented and enjoys the complexities of understanding how a building is constructed using various materials.

Outside of the office, Justin enjoys spending time with family and friends. He is a college sports fanatic who follows anything involving the University of Illinois. If the Illini are not playing, there is a good chance he is either watching other college games or professional sports.
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Margaret Aman
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Margaret Aman

Business Manager
Margaret’s love for numbers and her keen organizational skills make her a perfect fit as Business Manager for BLDD Architects.
 
When she isn’t crunching numbers she loves to spend time with her children and grandchildren, going camping, and enjoying life with a big smile on her face – one she is always willing to share with her coworkers.