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WE ARE a passionate community of friends & designers who believe in the power of design to positively impact the world.
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YOU ARE looking for someone who will listen to your passions and empower them through design to transform your community.
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Let's get connected.
Meet our team, you'll like them! (each comes programmed with at least three jokes!)
Steve Oliver, President
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Steve Oliver, AIA, LEED AP, NCARBPresident
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 APPrincipal
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.
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. |
Carson Durham, Principal
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Carson Durham, AIAPrincipal
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. |
Mark Ritz, Principal
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Mark Ritz, AIA, LEED APPrincipal
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. |
Scott Likins, Principal
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Scott Likins, AIA, LEED APPrincipal
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. 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. |
John Whitlock, Principal
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John Whitlock, AIA, LEED APPrincipal
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.
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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