A Culture of Creative Confidence | Signum Architecture

The Team

Jarrod Denton

AIA, Partner

“In the end, I hope to create a body of work that makes a positive contribution to the long-term health and well-being of the community, and that my children and grandchildren will be proud of.”

Jarrod brings a unique set of skills to the practice of architecture. Although he remembers wanting to be an architect as early as the third grade, he chose a circuitous route to the practice of architecture, broadening his skillset and world view along the way. Initially trained in engineering, Jarrod is tirelessly attentive to detail. Intensely curious, he is inspired by the interplay between architecture and engineering, and the process of devising creative solutions to technical design challenges. Devoted to sustainable design and construction practices, he is a LEED Accredited Professional and a pioneering expert in Passive House Technology, a next-generation sustainable design and building movement initiated in Germany. He is one of only a handful of Certified Passive House Consultants in the United States. Jarrod is equally devoted to architecture in the context of community and human relationships. His love of travel provides him a broad understanding of architecture as an essential element of culture and long-term community building. The diversity of his experience allows him to appreciate, and design for, the commonalities of how people interact with architecture across cultures.He shares with his partner a devotion to architecture as a relationship-driven practice. He is integral to the firm’s mindful approach to both design and business processes, and his enthusiasm drives the firm’s culture of curiosity, engagement and teamwork. A native of the Pacific Northwest, and an avid cycler and skier, his practice is shaped by his connection to mountains and water. Inspired by the natural beauty of the Bay Area and the Northern California wine country, he strives to create projects that provide an authentic connection between land, people and community.

The Team

Kirsten Shinnamon Baker

AIA, Senior Architect/Project Manager

Bachelor of Arts, Scripps College
Master of Architecture, University of Pennsylvania School of Design

For as long as she can remember, Kirsten has loved imagining how a space could be used and experienced. With a mother who is an anthropologist and a father who is a civil engineer, her affinity for architecture - which is a natural confluence of the two professions - makes perfect sense. Travel has been a part of Kirsten’s life from an early age, broadening her world view and influencing her approach to architecture as a historical continuum in which humans have long sought to solve universal challenges. A native of the Napa Valley, she has travelled the world, but always dreamed of returning home to carry on a legacy of stewardship.

Citing teamwork, collaboration and collective problem-solving as the greatest joys of her professional life, she loves forming relationships and working collectively to address challenges. She credits a college professor for teaching her to come to the table with open arms, modeling for her a deep reverence for the building trades, particularly craftspeople whose life’s work consists of making someone else’s vision a reality. The Signum motto is “yes.” Kirsten credits the firm’s emphasis on mentorship for fostering growth that feels natural because it is earned, and its affirming culture for creating an atmosphere of trust and possibility. “The partners lead with positivity, and it has a huge impact on how our projects come to life.”

The Team

Gabe Muracchioli

Senior Architect/Project Manager

Bachelor of Arts, Graphic Arts & Italian Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz
Master of Architecture, School of the Art Institute of Chicago

From an early age, Gabe was interested in materiality, craft and the making of things. With a family background in construction, he apprenticed in building trades throughout high school. While studying graphic design as an undergraduate student, he attended a lecture by famed artist-architect Vito Acconci that erased all his previous perceptions of what architecture could be. That shift in perspective, combined with a year of travel and study in Europe - which exposed him to the work of Carlo Scarpa and others - led him to transition, over time, to the study of architecture. This led to graduate studies in architecture, where he could immerse himself in the hands-on nature of materials and building.

Gabe joined Signum in 2014. Though in graduate school he had assumed his path would lead him to a global practice working on large infrastructure projects, he was drawn to the ethos of a boutique firm. “The staff is encouraged to grow and learn by taking ownership of the work, and I practice alongside people who view the design process as their life’s work. It creates a stronger connection between the studio, the clients, and the projects than what you would find in a larger firm.”

The Team

Paola Gutierrez Tumbarello

Architect/Designer I

Bachelor of Arts and Master of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley

Paola first joined Signum in 2018, upon graduating from UC Berkeley. Later, she continued to work with the firm part time while pursuing her graduate degree in architecture. In grad school, she enjoyed teaching introduction to design, studio courses and furthering her research in low carbon construction materials and methods. She also is interested in how the culture of technology impacts the design through notation, materiality, and spatial organization.

On the weekends you can find Paola in her garden or on the road bike exploring a new part of California.

The Team

Juancarlos Fernandez

iaaia, partner

“One of my favorite things about practicing architecture is its direct connection to the land and to the materials of construction, and the impact of what we do on how people live their lives.”

A native of Guadalajara, Mexico, Juancarlos was influenced from an early age by his father, a mechanical engineer, and later by legendary modernist architect Luis Barragan, whose work is credited with bringing joy, vibrancy and a Mexican sensuality to the International Style. Juancarlos received his degree in architecture from the ITESO Jesuit University of Guadalajara, where he studied under Ignacio Diaz Morales - founder of the Tapatia school of architecture and an associate of Pritzker Prize-winning architect Luis Barragon - a connection he describes as an inspiration. Like his mentors, Juancarlos aspires to capture the spirit of people and place, through strategically-crafted, multi-sensual experiences that unfold in surprising ways.

After graduating and receiving his licensure in Mexico, Juancarlos practiced architecture in Guadalajara, bringing a fresh perspective to his work on affordable housing projects, which he credits with giving him a foundation in thinking creatively regardless of budget. He left Mexico to broaden his experience and his architectural vocabulary. He travelled the world, practicing architecture in Canada (designing housing destined for Japan), and then in New York, before making the fateful decision to move to the San Francisco Bay Area. Through his travels, he was able to directly experience architecture as an expression of a country’s distinctive way of life, as well as a means by which he could impact and improve the lives of those around him.
Before forming his own firm, Juancarlos worked with several of the wine country’s leading designers, laying the groundwork for a practice steeped in the relationships and community of the California wine country. Genuine and charismatic, he has built his practice on trust and collaboration, inspiring both his team and his clients to engage in creative thinking and ever-better design solutions. An avid outdoorsman, Juancarlos cites the interplay between architecture and the land as one of his primary motivations for pursuing a career in architecture. A passionate advocate for organically sustainable design and building practices, he has built a well-deserved reputation for cutting edge design solutions at all scales and budget levels. Inspired by challenge, he constantly strives to push the envelope of design. A cycler, former surfer and tennis contender, his joy is design and his family.

The Team

Jacob Parks

Architect/Designer 1

Bachelor of Architecture, Auburn University

Jacob’s journey to becoming an architect was thoughtful and thoroughly researched. As a born extrovert, he knew that he wanted to pursue a creative profession; as a pragmatist, he also knew he wanted to follow a professional path. Family ties led him to the architecture program at Auburn University in Alabama. As part of his collegiate experience, Jacob studied at the university’s Rural Studio, a program devoted to cultivating local architects and citizens of the world through community-focused practice and education in healthful, sustainable rural living. A second pivotal element of his education was a semester of study in Rome, where he was exposed to design at the intersection of architecture and fashion. Fascinated by materiality and the role of architecture in creating brand identity, he visited the shopping districts of 17 cities in 10 countries during his time abroad.

Jacob joined Signum in Fall 2021 and quickly became an integral member of the team, working on several Passivehaus designs and helping to kick off the design of the firm’s first winery in the Pacific Northwest. He finds that working on the design of custom homes, hospitality projects and wineries allows him to follow his passion – creating narrative through architecture.

The Team

Kris Laratta

Architect/Designer II

Bachelor of Architecture, Texas Tech University

Kris’s journey to the practice of architecture was fueled by a never-ending passion for drawing, a natural attraction to the built environment around him, and the support and mentorship of family and colleagues.

As a child, Kris drew everything he saw. At seven years old, responding to his son’s clear love for drawing, Kris’s father bought him a drafting table. At about the same age, his grandmother began to teach him the art of painting. Through his young adult life, given the gift of frequent travel to Italy, he was drawn to the historic structures around him. It was clear that he needed to figure out how to draw for a living. With family in Italy, he accepted an opportunity to study abroad in Vicenza, stretching a semester abroad into a year, gaining exposure to Carlo Scarpa, Mario Botta and others. He entered, and won, a civic design competition, which confirmed he was headed in the right direction.

Upon graduating from architecture school, Kris worked first for Kennedy & Kennedy, where he met and worked with Jarrod, a connection that would prove fortuitous. He then worked for the firm of Backen & Gillam for a decade, gaining broad exposure to the close-knit wine country community, and a deep understanding of the importance of communication and connection in the practice of architecture.

As a designer, Kris fuses the problem-solving, analytical side of the architectural practice with the art of creating beautiful spaces. Enriched by a life of travel, and deeply influenced by the counsel of mentors both in early life and throughout his career, he brings a balanced approach to his practice, supported by a passion for creativity and a creative confidence earned through decades of hands-on experience.

The Team

Ana Roby

Entry-level Designer

Bachelor of Arts, Architecture, University of California, Berkeley

The newest member of the Signum staff, Ana joins the firm fresh from completing her degree at the University of California, Berkeley. A native of the Napa Valley, she relocated to Argentina – another of the world’s leading wine regions – just after she completed kindergarten. She returned to the United States to study architecture at Cal, which she had been determined to attend since her first visit at age 16, and where her mother now lectures. With a father in the wine business, starting her career with an architecture practice based in the wine country where she spent her earliest years was a natural fit.

Ana has loved art and design ever since she can remember, and she recalls drawing from the age of two. Yet she is drawn to the technical side of the practice as well as the artistic side, relishing the challenge of both. She cites her well-rounded education at Cal as perfect preparation for entering the profession, and feels that Signum is a perfect complement to that education. Drawn by Signum’s portfolio of work as well as the firm’s inclusive and supportive culture, she is excited to be part of a practice that values the meaning and experience behind the work. She believes that good design is about the ethos of the place, and this is a place that she loves.

The Team

Anna Hjartoy

Entry level designer

Bachelor of Arts, Design University of California, Davis

A recent graduate of the Design program at the University of California, Davis, Anna brings to Signum a fresh approach and sense of enthusiasm. With an emphasis on interior architecture, she was drawn to Signum's unique blend of highly-refined, yet approachable design.

A native of the Bay Area, Anna grew up amid multiple renovations of the family home, which gave her a unique perspective and appreciation for the construction process. With a background in computer science and marketing, she has a knack for problem-solving and is drawn to project programming, circulation and the impact of architecture on the way that clients move through and experience their environments. Study abroad in Burgundy during college provided an introduction to the art of wine-making, while experience working on residential design in nearby Sonoma County just after college gave her a feel for the wine country lifestyle. Extroverted, social and adventurous, she loves solo travel and being outdoors.

“At Signum, I feel supported and part of something exciting. I am getting a peek behind the curtain into a world that has long fascinated me.”

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In Latin, signum means design — a sign, a symbol, a signature.

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