ABOUT US

A growing firm with over 20 staff members, SRa has in its 20-year history, developed and nurtured a process that to this day, continues to strengthen its architectural and interior design practice in 5 market sectors: Senior Housing, Healthcare, Interior Design, Sports & Wellness and Corporate-Commercial. The firm founding partners lead by the four cornerstones of the firm’s success in investing in its people, leveraging its collective experience, adapting nimbly to changing market demands and staying humble by exuding quiet competence. SRa was recognized in 2018 as one of 100 Best Companies to Work For by Minnesota Business Magazine. It is also a recognized Patriotic Employer by the National Guard and Reserve.

career opportunities

We are constantly looking to have qualified individuals to join our team.
Please share your experience along with your bio and resume for your next career opportunity!

Our Team

Serving you since 1998. 

As a kid, Eric enjoyed laying on the floor in the living room of his family home as a toddler, surrounded by the constant buzz of his three older siblings, while he doodled, colored, and drew for hours. Learn More

Eric Reiners, AIA

Principal

Nick’s favorite movie is “Miracle” (each time he watches it he is not sure that the USA hockey team will beat the Soviet Union), so it is no surprise that Sperides Reiners Architects — the company he founded 23 years ago — has become a lifelong… Learn More

Nick Sperides, AIA

Principal

Denton is in his 5th year with SRa, where he is responsible for guiding SRa’s healthcare sector. Denton continues to grow, foster and develop SRa’s healthcare team with his experience and commitment to growing team members. Learn More

Denton Mack

Principal, Director of Healthcare

“Whatever good things we build end up building us.” – Jim Rohn Cindy loves to build things and her dad will tell you she had a hammer in her hands since she was three. Her first project was a worktable her height to do projects. Learn More

Cindy Kruse, CID

Associate Principal
Director of Interiors

Jeff has always been fascinated by the built environment. Born and raised in the Twin Cities he loved spending time in downtown Minneapolis and St Paul and going on family trips to places like Chicago to see the amazing buildings……… Learn More

Jeff Gears

Director of Corporate-Commercial

Customer service,attention to detail and the ability to create and maintain relationships have always been Chelsea’s driving force in the work she does. Helping to ensure smooth operations in busy work environments Learn More

Chelsea Miller

Office Manager

Andrew grew up in the company of close friends exploring the wilderness of Oregon and their imaginations. His anchor was his loving family, who gave him the freedom to free range on his bike Learn More

Andrew Altstatt

Project Architect

Brandon was first drawn to architecture at a young age when he watched from his backyard as a large brick and wood structure was built on top of a nearby hill.Learn More

Brandon Bryant

Architecture Intern

Whether it was building clubhouses out of boxes or getting lost in a bin of Legos, Blaze was always busy making something as a child. In elementary school, he would always light up when the teacher would announce a project Learn More

Blaze Capper

Project Coordinator

Design has always been a part of Rob’s life since a young age.When he was younger, he would build a LEGO castle that would go through many remodels until it was just right;when that felt too comfortable Learn More

Rob Carson

Project Coordinator

During Jocelyne’s formative years she spent a lot of time with her grandmother painting, drawing, and making all sorts of crafts. As a child she watchedher dad, helpingwhere she could, renovatetheir home from the ground up………. Learn More

Jocelyne Dougan

Project Coordinator

Walking through a store as a young child, Megan couldn’t help but touch everything. Often followed by her dad saying, “must you touch everything!” The answer to that is YES. Touch, feel, smell, taste, and sight make up the basis of our human senses… Learn More

Megan Hanson

Project Coordinator

A young Kory could often be found with Lego bricks or pencils in hand, crafting all sorts of eccentric creations. This desire to create and share with the world stayed with him as he ventured his way into the wide world… Learn More

Kory Kerber

Project Coordinator

Growing up on the move, Devin has learned to stay focused on what matters in life. For him, that’s communication and efficiency. How can he get the team’s ideas organized in a quick and orderly fashion? Learn More

Devin Krugerud

Project Coordinator

Leslie has always been fascinated with design. From building forts in the woods to landscaping during the summer, design has always been on her mind. She enjoys creating things that are pleasing to the eye, both inside and ……….. Learn More

Leslie Maus

Project Coordinator – Interior Design

The passion for design and creation started very young for Alex. Hours upon hours were spent building any Lego set he could get his hands on, and when he got bored with that, he would tear it down and rearrange the exact same pieces into something entirely new Learn More

Alex Ormsby

Project Coordinator

Nathan remembers as a young boyhe would spend many countless hours coloring and drawing. In high school he had the opportunity to take an architectural drafting course, it was then that he knew a career in architecture Learn More

Nathan Rauner

Project Coordinator

Creating spaces that are comfortable and unique has been something Kristin always found herself striving to achieve, as far back as her childhood bedroom. Bringing that goal into the design industry has been nothing but rewarding. Learn More

Kristin Sprague

Interior Designer

Since growing up in small town rural Minnesota, Logan has always had a strange attraction to the urban environment. It was during a trip to Minneapolis and St. Paul for the state wrestling tournament, where his love of architecture and the built environment began to form Learn More

Logan Stein

Architecture Intern

Bailey has a passion for architecture that is rooted in a sound education with continuing learnings from a variety of projects. She is skilled in the latest construction documents tools and applications. She provides quality outcomes to many of SRa’s healthcare projects. Learn More

Bailey Weed

Project Architect

Design culture

The 3 core attributes that guide the design culture of SRa are Respect, Curiosity, and Stewardship.

RESPECT

Our process begins with an inherent respect for the vision the client brings to us, and the context and constraints that define the project. Our role is to guide the clients project from conception through construction.

CURIOSITY

Curiosity plays a key role in our approach to design, leading us to ask smart questions, pursue new ideas and methods, and find creative design solutions. Utilizing inquisitive thinking we strive to find effective solutions to increasingly complex design problems, and to manage a growing office.

STEWARDSHIP

Stewardship is an ethic that embodies the responsible planning and management of resources. In our work we apply this ethic to the use of dollars budgeted to the project and time allotted to the schedule, as well as the material resources employed in a project.

Laura Cragoe

Project Coordinator

Laura’s grandparents were artists of sort and always had a craft available for her and her sister to work on when they visited. Drawing, painting, and crafting were her favorite things to do as a kid and they still are. The first time Laura was introduced to architecture – she was around 10 years old, in art class. The class was tasked to become little architects and “design” a building of their own. Her design resembled a Christmas tree with a giant star on the top. As the years went by, Laura always found herself looking out the car window during long road trips in awe of nature, the built environment, and how people interacted with them. This, along with her love for art, math, and giving back to communities is what prompted her to pursue architecture.
Laura attended North Dakota State University – testing her limits in the cold windy city of Fargo, North Dakota. After 5 years of learning, failing, growing, succeeding, and navigating through life, Laura graduated with honors and earned her Master of Architecture degree. Laura then jumped into her career. In her 3 years of experience, so far, she has had the opportunity to work on academic and retail/commercial projects. Laura is eager to continue learning and working her way to becoming a licensed architect.
When away from work, Laura enjoys traveling, hiking, and spending quality time with her family and friends.

Connect

Jacqui Plasha

Project Coordinator – Interior Design

Passion for design, a strong work ethic and a great sense of humor are a few ways to describe Jacqui. She is a firstborn with high energy and attention to detail, who cares about the quality of her work. Old school mixed with being current has helped her become an excellent resource in many capacities.
From Coon Rapids, her roots are deeply planted in Minnesota. She was lucky enough to be a stay home mother of two. During those years, Jacqui attended The Art Institutes International Minnesota. Her focus was raising her children first, while also taking one class per quarter for ten years to achieve her degree. Tenacious like a turtle, she crossed the finish line as a Summa Cum Sum Laude graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Interior Design, which was her dream. Jacqui has built a large network over the past decade due to her experience in Design and Sales. She knows many key players in the design industry from all areas of business.
In her spare time, Jacqui loves to get her boat out on a lake or the Mississippi River, listening to music and enjoying our gorgeous land of 10,000 lakes.

Connect

Lauren Johnson

Project Coordinator - Architecture

Growing up in the digital age, Lauren has been passionate about learning about new technologies and how design is influential from a young age. Most of her younger life was spent in Southern California where anything seems to be possible, and creativity shines bright like the sun. She enjoyed many Trips to Disneyland and the coastal beaches, until her family moved to Boise, Idaho in 2007. Winter weather and snow were new environments that she needed to get used to. After the 2008 recession, Boise saw a sudden boom in popularity. Farmland became subdivisions and roads with stop signs became large intersections with streetlights. Seeing the construction process in her day-to-day life is where she found her passion for architecture.
She took beginning architecture drafting classes in high school, where she found an interest in 3D modeling and space planning. Enjoying it enough to make the six-year commitment, she went 6 hours north (practically to Canada) to the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. This is where she found a passion for designing for the human experience and learned how design affects a person’s wellbeing. Her love of creativity and problem solving allowed for an easy transition into architecture as a professional career and she hopes to complete her architecture licensure journey in the next year.
In her free time, she loves to learn new things and try out new recipes. In the summer she goes paddleboarding and tries to be on the water as much as possible. Between water activities, gardening, and hanging out with her fiancé and her fur baby, Ramsay, you can say she is a fan of the sun. In the winter she tends to hibernate indoors since snow is best viewed through the window, with a cozy blanket and a hot chocolate.

Connect

Leslie Maus

Project Coordinator – Interior Design

Leslie has always been fascinated with design. From building forts in the woods to landscaping during the summer, design has always been on her mind. She enjoys creating things that are pleasing to the eye, both inside and outside.

Interior design has been a passion of Leslie’s for many years. Working part time while raising her children put her dreams on hold. She decided to pursue her goals in 2008 and went back to college. Leslie learned many skills while attending Dunwoody and has been able to put her creativity to work. She has many years of experience in the restaurant industry and landscaping.

While not working, Leslie enjoys getting dirty in the yard with her children and spending time in the outdoors. She also enjoys being active and trying new restaurants.

 
 
 
 
 

Robert Liebelt

Project Coordinator

Robert Liebelt grew up in Maple Grove, MN and currently resides in Eden Prairie with his two daughters. Growing up, Robert loved building things, tearing things apart, and learning how they worked. His hobbies included playing soccer, snowboarding, working on his car, or building wood furniture in the garage.
Robert had his first exposure to Architecture while managing the Millwork department at Menards. His passion for architecture and design came from quoting thousands of doors, windows, and kitchens for guests with different needs, wants, and design challenges. After starting a family, Robert knew he needed a career that better supported his family life. He also knew he needed a degree to get him there. Robert attended and graduated from Dunwoody College of Technology with a 2-Year Associates Degree in Architectural Drafting and Design. His areas of expertise include residential kitchen design, healthcare, tenant improvement, athletic facilities, and multifamily housing. This experience has shown Robert that great design comes from great listening, and incorporating design into the client’s input, not the other way around. His experience has also exposed him to 3D printing and virtual reality, and how it can play a vital role in various stages of a project’s design and development.
Today, Robert can still be found under the hood of his car, coaching soccer, and helping his friends with various home improvement projects.

Connect

Jocelyne Dougan

Project Coordinator

During Jocelyne’s formative years she spent a lot of time with her grandmother painting, drawing, and making all sorts of crafts. As a child she watchedher dad, helpingwhere she could, renovatetheir home from the ground up. Theylivedin a constant cycle of demolishing and rebuilding,to make something new andbeautiful. As a teenager she began taking advanced art classes and making pottery whenever she had free time between classes and after school. Looking at Jocelyne’s childhood, architecture seemed like an obvious choice, but it was not so clear when Jocelyne entered college. She began her post-secondary education studying accounting due to her interests in business throughout high school.However,she quickly realized that creativity was a necessity for her future career. Jocelyne changed her major to architecture and transferred to the University of Minnesota. It was there thatshe grew her knowledge of architecture as well as, interior design, history, and art. In 2018 she graduated with her Bachelor of Design in Architecture and began working at a firm in Saint Paul, gaining experience in both government and educational design. She soon returned to the University of Minnesota to complete her Master of Architecture degree with the hopes of pursuing licensure. Now that Jocelyne has completed her master’s degree, her professional goals aim to experience as many opportunities as possible both for the sake of learning as well as the need to feed her inner child’s love of art and exploration. Jocelynehopes to apply a wide range of knowledge and skills to better inform an all-encompassing design practice.

Connect

Jeff Gears AIA, NCARB, LEED AP

Director of Corporate-Commercial

Jeff has always been fascinated by the built environment. Born and raised in the Twin Cities he loved spending time in downtown Minneapolis and St Paul and going on family trips to places like Chicago to see the amazing buildings. Like many young aspiring would be architects, Jeff loved playing with Legos and excelled at art.
After High School, he headed north to attend NDSU (obviously because it wasn’t cold enough in the Twin Cities) and is a proud Bison. After college, Jeff moved back to the Twin Cities to start his career.
Over the past 20+ years, he has developed and honed his skills as an Architect. During that time, his passion for design hasn’t wavered, but his “why” (i.e. what gets him up every day) has evolved.
At first Jeff’s “why” was all about the design. It was about creating beautiful buildings and spaces. Getting an award or having something published was the pinnacle of success.
Over time, Jeff began to realize that while design is at the core of what Architects do, aesthetic beauty alone doesn’t always equate to a successful project. The success of a project is also contingent on understanding and meeting the goals and objectives of that project; be that function, budget, timeline, or aesthetics. So, with this insight his “why” began to shift from purely design focused to delivering successful projects.
Just as design is at the core of what Architects do, Jeff then began to realize that successful projects are at the core of developing long lasting client relationships. Projects come and go, but relationships are what last. So, after some time Jeff’s “why” shifted again. This time from being project focused to being relationship focused.
Early in his career he once asked his mentor how to find work and build a business. His mentor answered, “my friends are my clients, and my clients are my friends.” When Jeff first heard this advice, it seemed too simple and easy to be true, but now nearly 20 years later this simple message is the foundation of Jeff’s “why”. Success is all about relationships and the people that we work with. It’s meeting clients wherever they may be with a project and always striving to exceed their expectations regardless of how big a project is or the budget.
Jeff currently lives with his three amazing kiddos (son and two daughters), and their dog in St Louis Park. When he’s not working or spending time with his kids, he’s often working on home improvement projects, camping, going to live music shows, going to/watching sporting events (big Vikings, Twins and NDSU Bison fan!), or trying out new restaurants, bars,

Connect

Chuck Knight FAIA, CID, LEED AP

Director of Design

Chuck takes clients on a personal journey to experience how quality architecture, engineering, and interiors impact societies, cultures, and identities. With over 220 international projects conducted under his direct leadership, he is an example of managing for success and innovative solutions while realizing that great architecture serves a “social and environmental purpose.”

Chuck has developed his craft within people places, i.e., Healthcare, Science + Technology, K-12 – Higher Education, and Corporate Facilities. He seeks a common integrated solution where everyone’s ideas are valuable. He has been instrumental in the success of his client’s projects on various levels; strategic consultant, programming, design, client relationships, procurement, and on-site supervision. Chuck’s extensive global portfolio of work has significantly impacted our profession and society, setting high standards for meaningful human environments and innovative economic ideas, all influencing accountable energy conservation solutions.

Connect

Brandon Bryant

Architecture Intern

Brandon was first drawn to architecture at a young age when he watched from his backyard as a large brick and wood structure was built on top of a nearby hill. This building turned out to be his elementary school.

Since then, he has been intrigued by the process of designing and assembling buildings. Brandon has spent six years in the field – working primarily on government, healthcare, and educational buildings. He especially enjoys construction administration and coordination with contractors and consultants. His motto is: “We’re all trying to build the same building, so let’s get it done right!”.

Outside of the office, Brandon is an avid disc golfer and fly fisherman. He is also a Texas Hold‘Em ace, but that’s mostly down to luck rather than skill.

Connect

Kory Kerber

Project Coordinator

A young Kory could often be found with Lego bricks or pencils in hand, crafting all sorts of eccentric creations. This desire to create and share with the world stayed with him as he ventured his way into the wide world and found himself at the University of Minnesota and later the University of Oregon where he discovered that architecture was the perfect path for his interests.
Through schooling and his previous experience in architecture, Kory was able to learn design strategies and hone his detail-oriented approach to the daily problem-solving of architecture that he continues to work at and refine. While his journey in the field of architecture is a relatively new one, Kory strives to hone his craft and learn every day.
When away from the office, Kory enjoys perfecting new recipes in the kitchen, hitting the tennis courts, or playing games with friends.

Connect

Megan Hanson

project coordinator

Walking through a store as a young child, Megan couldn’t help but touch everything. Often followed by her dad saying, “must you touch everything!” The answer to that is YES. Touch, feel, smell, taste, and sight make up the basis of our human senses and Megan was determined to use these skills to create environments that are both beautiful and efficient. Over the four years of college, she interned for a local showroom and honed her knowledge of materials and furniture, while also working for a senior living focused commercial design firm. After graduating from Dunwoody College in 2015, she stepped away from Interior Design to raise her two children. It didn’t take long for Megan to get back in the field, this time contracting for residential and commercial clients in her free time. Her background in product representation and knowledge of materials has made her a great fit to run our library and assist the project managers on the design team. Outside of the office, Megan finds happiness traveling with her family and volunteering for the local PTO.

Connect

Blaze Capper

Project coordinator

Whether it was building clubhouses out of boxes or getting lost in a bin of Legos, Blaze was always busy making something as a child. In elementary school, he would always light up when the teacher would announce a project that involved making a visual aid to go alongside the lesson. One of his favorite projects was about ancient Greece where he made a box in the shape of the Parthenon where all the sides would fold down to display printed diagrams and information about Grecian architecture. It was that mixture of learning and making that led Blaze to get into many different interests and hobbies throughout his childhood.
Having a grandfather who was a draftsman and designer, architecture was always one of Blaze’s top choices when it came time for university. Luckily for him he quickly learned that architecture is a discipline that pulls from many different sources and is well suited for those who have many different interests. While Blaze is still early into his professional life, he has embraced the many opportunities to work on and learn from a variety of projects in the few years he has been working.
Outside of work, Blaze continues to maintain many hobbies with sewing being one of the biggest. While occasionally making clothes, he especially loves to make little gifts for his friends and family that has a little nod to some interest they share. As a new resident to the state of Minnesota, Blaze is looking forward to getting out to explore the Twin Cities and the rest of his new home.

Connect

Kristin Sprague

Interior Designer

Creating spaces that are comfortable and unique has been something Kristin always found herself striving to achieve, as far back as her childhood bedroom. Bringing that goal into the design industry has been nothing but rewarding. Outside of the design world she lives in, exploring new wine, discovering new restaurants, creating new craft are just a few of many things Kristin findsherself enjoying.
Wine has become not only a side gig, but also a newfound taste bud for all varietals. Something special she has found in wine, is the brands that offer minimal preservatives, sulfites and sugars, the true taste of the grape really shines.
And food: “How can food not be an interest of everyone?”, Kristin often wonders. From cooking it herself to finding the new restaurants around town and trying their unique pairings of flavors, it keeps Kristin trying new things.
Recently, Kristin found herself creating etched wine glasses, large wall calendars, greeting cards, and many more things as her weeknight hobby. With the right tools, creating what she envisions can be very therapeutic, challenging and rewarding.These activities make Kristin who she is outside of the design industry, while also keeping her design skills on par.

Connect

Chidiebere Uguru

project coordinator

Chidiebere has known early that she would end up in Architecture, considering how often she would look over her mom’s shoulder as she worked on plans on her computer. At the time, Chidiebere’s career plans involved fashion designing, which explains her current interest in the theatrics. Growing older, she became more aware of how the built environment affects people and decided to join others in taking steps towards bettering those effects.

Part of Chidiebere’s personal philosophy is to better the human experience via design and she believes being well rounded makes one a better designer. She loves traveling, art, acting and great conversations with friends; basically, all the things that make life worthwhile.

In May 2020, Chidiebere graduated with her bachelor’s in architecture degree from Iowa State University. While in the program, she decided to actively make time for the things she enjoys. She did some volunteering, joined the International Students Council, participated in a few stage performances, and took non-degree classes such as Theatre and Ceramics. In 2019, Chidiebere assisted in the script formation and as a cast member of the ISU play “Iowa Odyssey or How We Got Here”. The production received multiple awards at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival Region 5 event in January 2020.

Chidiebere is also interested in construction and planning fields as they dictate the setup and community-interaction of buildings. Buildings exist to be used by people (and their pets); either for the decided functional purpose of the space (which ranges from political to recreational) or for their aesthetic/way-finding views.

Currently Chidiebereis pursuing licensure in Minnesota State as well as her LEED accreditation.

Connect

Alex Ormsby

project coordinator

The passion for design and creation started very young for Alex. Hours upon hours were spent building any Lego set he could get his hands on, and when he got bored with that, he would tear it down and rearrange the exact same pieces into something entirely new. As he grew up his desire to create something physical persisted even if the medium had changed along the way. Lego turned into ceramics which evolved into the architecture that he is now working on every day.
His studies at North Dakota State University allowed him to learn the technical skills it takes to be a designer today all while providing an environment for letting creative thinking thrive; to him this was the perfect mix of practicality and creative expression.
Alex is only just starting his career but is eager to see where the world takes him. Every new day is the chance to learn or to try something new, and it is with this outlook that he approaches each opportunity that comes his way.
In his personal time Alex has two primary hobbies that shape his daily life. He is either in the garage wrenching on a car, or he is in the darkroom processing his photography. He is able to find Zen in both of these activities and uses them as a way to take a step back and get a break for the hectic day to day.

Connect

Logan Stein

Team Member

Since growing up in small town rural Minnesota, Logan has always had a strange attraction to the urban environment. It was during a trip to Minneapolis and St. Paul for the state wrestling tournament, where his love of architecture and the built environment began to form; leading him to pursue a career in architecture and design. Immersing himself in the realm of architecture, Logan worked for a small contractor where his love of making began to fuse with his architectural education.

Upon completing a technical degree, Logan became a drafter for a structural insulated panel company in South Dakota, where he honed my technical and professional skills. However, his thirst for knowledge led him back to Minneapolis to continue his architectural education. Now in the Master of Architecture program at the University of Minnesota, his passion for design and making across scales while integrating technology to create new experiences, has only grown deeper.

When not in studio or in the office, Logan enjoys live music, fishing, disc golf, and exploring the Twin Cities many craft breweries.

Connect

Choy Leow, AIA

Consulting Architect

A little book that has made a big impact on Choy was “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” by Richard Bach that he read in 1979. Fresh out of high school, thinking that he has had all the education he needs, Choy landed on a ‘dream job’: drafting windows and doors for aluminum frames destined for the architectural mecca of the time: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
“Every number is a limit. Perfection has no limit.”
Very quickly, Choy realized that if his aspiration to be an architect is to hold true, no matter how many drawings of aluminum frames he churns out, it was not the path that will take him into architecture. Hence the route he followed next would take him from his equatorial beginnings in Malaysia to the fields of dreams of Iowa, landing in Des Moines the fall of 1981, in what will turn out to be the beginning of his American journey, starting with his arrival at Iowa State University.
“Doing the common thing in an uncommon way.”
As defining moments go, Choy’s time in Ames were packed full of them. It opened him up to new experiences in different ways. From the awe of his first fall colors to the glee of tasting his first snowflake and the bewilderment one day his first spring, wondering why a lawn full of yellow flowers were being mowed down. Then came the first summer of earning his keeps: detasseling corn to earn his tuition for his next school year. There were lean times of making ends meet, but they were certainly made memorable with the many good people he went through those formative times with.
“Impossible is spelled “I M possible.”
A month after graduating from his master’s in architecture degree in 1988, Choy started working at a Saint Paul, Minnesota firm. A week later, the old Datsun hatchback he drove around the Upper Midwest in search of employment died. It was thankfully by then a blessed serendipitous relief to have a new job that qualified him for a new, used car loan.
Choy and his wife of 36 years, Connie, went on to take roots in the Twin Cities, raising a family, embracing citizenship and growing from that first job in Saint Paul to a career opportunity a dozen years later in Minneapolis before landing on what would become a calling in his architectural practice: serving a health care provider with in creating environments that on one end bring life to earth to the other end in bidding farewell to those who were on the end-of-life passages.
Today, Choy and Connie count among their most fulfilling accomplishments in being parents to two independently driven and successful daughters who are well loved by two dotting sons-in-law. Currently, Choy finds great joy teaching as an adjunct instructor, nurturing next generation of aspiring architects. They enjoy being empty nesters, tooling around on their motorcycle or convertible, taking off into the woods each season, foraging for a variety of edible fungi and plants.

Connect

Chelsea Miller

Office Manager

Customer service, attention to detail and the ability to create and maintain relationships have always been Chelsea’s driving force in the work she does. Helping to ensure smooth operations in busy work environments is what Chelsea enjoys deeply. In the 10 since she has been in the management and marketing field, Chelsea has used her passion to help others in whatever it takes to get the job done! She has had the pleasure of helping young startup companies grow and thrive as well as more mature companies continue to improve through marketing, education and relationship building. Taking the time to know your clients and to know your employees is a key factor for Chelsea after receiving her bachelor’s in marketing in 2015.

When not working, Chelsea enjoys being with her family, her little nephew (another little girl on the way!) and her friends. She is a huge football fan (Can you say Minnesota Vikings?!). Chelsea lives to be on the water and enjoy everything outside in the summer.

Connect

Nate Rauner

Project Coordinator

Nathan remembers as a young boy he would spend many countless hours coloring and drawing. In high school he had the opportunity to take an architectural drafting course, it was then that he knew a career in architecture was right for him. In addition to drawing, Nathan would help his dad with construction projects around the house. He spent his summers during high school painting houses, hanging wallpaper, and working on small remodel construction projects for his dad’s and uncle’s contracting business.

Nathan has spent 29 years in the field as a drafter, designer, and project manager. The first 28 years of his career he worked for a small architectural firm specializing in dental office design. In December of 2020, Nathan brought his dental office design expertise to SRa.

When not in the office he can be found bow hunting, fishing, or hiking with his wife and two children. Nathan also enjoys making furniture and working with his wife on their home remodeling projects.

Connect

Rob Carson

Project Coordinator

Design has always been a part of Rob’s life since a young age. When he was younger, he would build a LEGO castle that would go through many remodels until it was just right; when that felt too comfortable, he would take it apart and build it again, so it was better than the last. When he didn’t have a LEGO in his hand, Rob liked to plan and draw out his bedroom so he could rearrange the furniture to be better positioned. He would continue to do this in other rooms of the house.

Attending Hennepin Technical College in Architectural Drafting helped Rob in his design journey. In his last semester, a professor explained to his class what career opportunities were now open because of their new skills. In Rob’s mind it was an easy choice: Interior Design. However, Rob never did like to follow a traditional path. He graduated from North Hennepin Community College and then went on to attend Dunwoody College of Technology in Interior Design. While there he was able to study with professors and classmates that helped him to push his ideas further and start his career

In his career, Rob has had a few years of experience in various design projects including offices, retail, and senior living.
When Rob is not working, he enjoys helping his parents with projects around the house, playing video games, and playing with his niece.

Connect

Ashley Kesler

Interior Designer

Ashley grew up in the Atlanta, Georgia suburbs & moved to Minnesota at 18 when her dad’s job was transferred. She decided at that time she wanted to experience living in a new environment and to see where the road might lead. “What did I really have to lose?” she wondered. 17 years later, Ashley still findsherself embracing the crisp cold winter air and venturing out on a snowshoeing or ice fishing excursion periodically.
After relocating, Ashley enrolled at Dunwoody College of Technology’s interior design degree program. Today, Ashley is an interior designer who focuses on healthcare design. Sheenjoys knowing that she is creating a healing space for those when it’s needed most.
When she is not at work, Ashley & husband, Scott enjoys working on their fixer-upper of a house or fawning over their new kitty, Eva. Ashley also has a love for fine art & enjoy creating pieces of her own. Since becoming a homeowner, she dove into gardening and attempted landscaping as her quarantine project. She enjoys working on little projects around the house or sitting on the porch & watching the world go by.

Connect

Bailey Weed

Project Coordinator

As a little girl Bailey enjoyed playing with her barbies, but the best part was setting up and building their home. She would always come up with extravagant designs using her imagination by finding household items and turning them into Barbie’s mansion. As Bailey grew older her interest in homes led to drawing elaborate floor plans for multi-story dog houses. High school is when the true understanding of what architecture is took off and Bailey took multiple architecture courses including; modeling, drafting and CAD. The college degree was an easy choice for Bailey attending NDSU and graduating with a Master of Architecture.
It has only ben 5 years since Bailey graduated. Post grad has been extremely educational with working in the field on Healthcare projects to studying for and passing all Architecture Registration Exams (ARE). Now that Bailey is a licensed architect she continues to work on healthcare projects expanding her knowledge in the field.
Bailey takes full advantage of her free time spending it traveling locally, domestically, and internationally. She has a great love for movement in the outdoors and learning new things. All of this is best when enjoyed with friends and family, which she wishes to share her love of Architecture and Adventure with her baby that is expected to be here at the end of April 2022.

Connect

Devin Krugerud

Project Coordinator

Growing up on the move, Devin has learned to stay focused on what matters in life. For him, that’s communication and efficiency. How can he get the team’s ideas organized in a quick and orderly fashion? The first step is building a trusting relationship with the people that create the buildings the team is asked to design.

Born in sunny Orange County California, Devin’s understanding of Winter was non-existent until his family brought him home to Delano, Minnesota. There he learned, for the first time, what happens when most months out of the year the sun doesn’t seem to do what it’s supposed to do. A resilient, thermally unbroken shell of a building became more and more important the older he got. Not because of his energy bill. No, that came later. It was because of his migration further north. Devin graduated from North Dakota State University in 2013 and promptly set out to find a job anywhere in the Upper Midwest. His first job in architecture was in the area surrounding the “Boomtown” of Williston, ND. “The colder, the better.”

In 2016 Devin finally found himself back in Minnesota with SRa as his welcoming party. Since then, he’s been sharpening his skills in various sectors from healthcare to corporate commercial projects. He has learned to appreciate the unique challenges of every design, while keeping that key factor in the back of his mind: efficiency.

That same motivator has, expectedly so, seeped into his personal life. Time at the gym, projects around the house, and even finishing a video game all demand a high level of productivity by him. He and his wife, Calysta live in Saint Paul, MN with their dog, Yoshi and cat, Momo. Devin’s favorite remark: “As long as I’m out shoveling my sidewalk, I may as well shovel both neighbors’ sidewalks! Yoshi will supervise.”

Connect

Andrew Altstatt

Project Architect

“Good design is a catalyst for the most beautiful of stories.” – Me

“Good design is a catalyst for the most beautiful of stories.” – Andrew’s favorite quote
Andrew grew up in the company of close friends exploring the wilderness of Oregon and their imaginations. His anchor was his loving family, who gave him the freedom to free range on his bike, as long as he was back to share what was found at the end of the day. His passions founded back then, continue to this day: Being outdoors, exercising, playing tabletop role-playing games, and family.

And then he found another passion – architecture. He found this out while being a delivery man to many, many types of businesses. Being in architecture firms, sparks the imagination in a furious way, which led him to get back into school – then graduate school. Now licensed, and living the dream started back in 1999, he loves every day at work. Andrew finds everyday as an architect exciting, as he likes to say:
“Honestly, I have no idea what I’ll be doing any given day as an architect, as things pop up everywhere and often. The only thing that can be planned on, is the approach: design every space for the dance of life that will unfold within it.”

The best part is, once the workday is done, he can spend time with his other passions, which includes backpacking with his buddies, working out, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and sharing what was found with his wife and daughter at the end of the day.

Connect

Jonah Ritter, AIA, LEEP AP

Associate Principal, Director of Interiors

Growing up as a free-range kid in the 70’s Jonah had plenty of time to explore the world around him on his bike, take things apart to learn how they work, get bored, and figure out how to keep himself occupied. The son of an architect, it took a year of college coursework in aerospace engineering to make Jonah realize that architecture was the career choice for him. After getting a taste of the design studio at the University of Colorado he transferred back home to the University of Minnesota to enroll in the design school and get serious about architecture. Through his college years he worked a variety of construction jobs in the summers, digging holes, pouring concrete, framing walls, and learning the value of hard work and attention to craft.
In his 20 plus years in the field Jonah has worked on a wide range of projects, spanning geographies, cultures, scales, and project types. His interest in design is broad ranging, choosing the path of the generalist rather than specializing in one project type. He has had the opportunity to work on everything from intimate cabins in the north woods to medical cities in the Middle East.
When not in the office Jonah can be found looking for adventure on a bike or a pair of skis, or somewhere in the mountains with his family and dogs.

Connect

Cindy Kruse

Director of Interiors, CID

“Whatever good things we build end up building us.” – Jim Rohn
Cindy loves to build things and her dad will tell you she had a hammer in her hands since she was three. Her first project was a worktable her height to do projects. She designed and added on to her dollhouses and a drafting class in high school turned that love of building towards architecture. In architecture school at North Dakota State University, the professor asked why she was only sketching interiors – to her this was the most interesting part of a building where people interacted with their environment. He suggested a major change to interior design – a job title she was unaware even existed.

“Nothing in life goes according to plan” would be the title of Cindy’s biography and she attributes her life experiences to an excellent ability to solve problems. She believes in the ability of interior design to positively impact the interior environment for its users. Saying that the beauty and function of a space influences our happiness, health, and performance.

“It’s good to be curious about many things.” -Fred Rogers
Curiosity is one of Cindy’s most important attributes. This manifests itself in too many hobbies to list and a wide variety of interiors projects in 22 years; each one with their own opportunities to improve the user experience. She joined the SRa team in 2016. In her role as Director of Interiors, Cindy manages client relationships and leads the interior design team in all project types. She is a Certified Interior Designer, NCIDQ Certified since 2001.

Cindy wears many hats designer, builder, biker, tech support, quilter, cook, and in 2020 she with her husband Brad added “Mom” to the list with the birth of their daughter Riley. She looks forward to teaching her how to build something.

Connect

Denton Mack

Principal

Denton is in his 5th year with SRa, where he is responsible for guiding SRa’s healthcare sector. Denton continues to grow, foster and develop SRa’s healthcare team with his experience and commitment to growing team members. Denton provides responsive service to SRa’s clients and by doing so becomes a trusted advisor to many repeat clients.
Denton began his architectural career in 1993 working in Grand Forks, ND. He started as an architectural draftsman, learning the skill of how building systems work together and communicating these parameters in construction documents. After moving to the Minneapolis/St Paul area in 1995 Denton continued advancing in the architectural profession and has been working in healthcare sector since 2004. He has found great joy in helping his clients shape the healing environments for patients and staff alike. This journey has given him experience in planning and design of many healthcare facilities such as ambulatory outpatient facilities such as multi-specialty clinics, imaging centers, ambulatory surgery centers, and care suites. His experience has also provided the opportunity to become well versed in the planning and design of in-patient environments of hospital emergency departments, patient wings, surgical suites, laboratories, pharmacies, and behavioral health units. In addition to healthcare, multiple commercial projects, parking ramps, and other project types have given Denton a diverse architectural portfolio.
Denton and his wife Katie moved to the Twin Cities area in 1995. They raised their boys Erik and Evan in Eagan and spent a lot of time exploring through travel, camping in the BWCA, summer vacations in Park Rapids, and allowing the boys to find their way in multiple sports and activities. Denton and Katie will celebrate 30 years of marriage this year. We enjoy getting on our road bikes and finding new Breweries whether in the metro area, outstate Minnesota and Iowa. Their boys are spreading their wings, so we also find time to continue exploring to see the with kids now that they have been living in North Dakota and North Carolina.

Connect

Eric Reiners

CEO and Co founder

As a kid, Eric enjoyed laying on the floor in the living room of his family home as a toddler, surrounded by the constant buzz of his three older siblings, while he doodled, colored, and drew for hours. His parents never failed to provide an unlimited supply of blank paper, and old pencils or remnants of used up Crayola crayons. All things art, composition, color, structure, and order drove Eric’s creativity. By the time he was 12 years of age, Eric knew exactly what he was going to be when he grew up – an architect!
Although at the time, he had no idea what that really meant, all that mattered was that he has convinced himself that he would be drawing and creating something new every day. No obstacle or challenge along the way was going to deter him from meeting that objective, no amount of distraction or life changes were going to slow him down. Even with recognizing one of his greatest innate weaknesses, a tortured, type-A personality, combined with the inability to truly multi-task, was not going to keep Eric from his goal in becoming an architect as he cobbled together enough resources working multiple part-time jobs on his way through college while also raising a young family.
Flash forward thirty-five years, with four amazing children and five grandchildren, and it turns out Eric’s type-A personality as a planner and organizer, has served him well in building a career, a partnership, and a business. He has even trained himself to sideline his type-A personality when in creative mode, releasing the joy that comes with coloring outside the lines. The result is a truly rewarding life and career in the business of architecture – honestly balanced, uniquely fulfilling, unequivocally satisfying.

Connect

Nick Sperides

CEO and Co founder

Nick’s favorite movie is “Miracle” (each time he watches it he is not sure that the USA hockey team will beat the Soviet Union), so it is no surprise that Sperides Reiners Architects — the company he founded 23 years ago — has become a lifelong pursuit of preparing for and playing against the best competition to make dreams come true.
“Building a great culture in our company has been far more important than strategy.”
Many of the dreams are business-related: each year, Nick and his team, work with clients from all business sectors, helping them build their dreams and facilities. His capacity for serving as a trusted advisor, for his own organization and in support of his clients, is well known. What is even more impressive however, is his energy, optimism, and work ethic. That reputation has fueled the firm’s success for more than two decades.
“Building a great relationship that results in a friendship with clients is our ultimate goal.”
Nick has been involved with the design of all types of projects in his 35+ years of being an architect, from surgery centers to baseball stadiums. Nick has a passion for design but more importantly his ability to communicate the design process that allows clients to be deeply engaged and involved in the process of realizing their vision. Nick believes that all good design starts with an accurate math problem that aligns design with business and budget.
“If our clients cannot afford to build the projects we design, we have failed to serve them. If we start with a solid math problem and have a reality check early in the process – the project will be successful.”
Nick is a graduate of the University of Minnesota – School of Architecture and has been licensed as an architect in the State of Minnesota since 1986. Nick is a member of the American Institute of Architects and is NCARB Certified. He also holds licenses to practice architecture in 12+ states.
Nick and his wife Peggy (SRa office manager for 15 years) live in Bloomington, MN. They have two children, Ted (Annie) and Katie (Austin), along with two grandchildren Sammie and Hattie. Nick has spent over 30 years of his life coaching hockey as a USA Hockey – Level 4 Certified coach, he has worked with players from beginners to college level. Nick has also been involved in the development and growth of the sport of lacrosse in Bloomington, MN.
In his free time, Nick, who describes himself as a “sports junkie” watches games and studies the statistics of all levels of hockey and baseball. Nick also plays golf and enjoys fishing – but most of all enjoys spending time with his granddaughters.

Connect