Introducing Our New Steering Committee Members

Susan Aitken, AIA, LEED A.P. is a licensed architect in California, a graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and a partner in Hamilton + Aitken Architects, which she co-founded with her partner Chad Hamilton.

Hamilton + Aitken Architects focuses on design for education, including buildings and interiors for childcare, K-12 public schools, college facilities and related building types including libraries, auditoriums, guidance centers, administrative offices and outdoor learning and recreation spaces. Ms. Aitken enjoys integrating her creative impulses with the business side of growing an architecture firm.

Susan is a long term member of OWA, and also a member of the Construction Specification Institute (CSI) and the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC). Earlier in her career she worked for Lawrence Halprin as a Project Manager for the FDR Memorial in Washington, D.C.

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Gabriela Chamu, IIDA, is an Interior Architecture & Design student studying at the Academy of Art University to receive her BFA in Spring 2011. She plans to continue her studies and receive her Masters Degree in Architecture and/or Landscape Architecture and specialize in sustainable design.

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Dede D. Tave Graduate of CalPoly Pomona and is currently enrolled at Academy of Art studying Interior Architecture and Design Master's Program. When not in class,volunteer's for different organizations such as Architecture for Humanity and Philanthropy by Design. Also, works part-time at Sloan Miyasato Showroom at the San Francisco Design Center. Her efforts are focused on staying current with the changes in the architectural and design industry.

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Karlene Gullone served as the Membership and Information Coordinator during the past year on the Steering Committee. She also coordinated the OWA mentorship program and the organization’s exhibition for the Architecture and the City Festival. This year, she continues as the Information Coordinator and serves on the newly formed OWA scholarship committee.

Karlene is a LEED-accredited Architect and a Certified Green Building Professional, with a decade of experience in urban design, mixed-use development, and historic preservation. Last year, Karlene & Lisbet formed Gullone Urban Architecture, a mother-daughter team specializing in sustainable urban development. Lisbet Gullone has 30+ years of experience in landscape architecture, civil engineering, and planning. Theircurrent work includes Cultural Resource Nominations, preservation, and remodeling.

Karlene earned a Bachelor of Architecture from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and is currently pursuing a Masters in Education. She mentors aspiring architects in the AIA San Francisco, and plans to teach architecture in the future.