meet the hewitt team

Ari Anderson

With a background in multifamily/high-rise design, envelope design, and building science, Ari works to anticipate issues and resolve problems before they emerge. They have been working in Architecture for just over 10 years on a variety of projects and typologies, from brewery interiors to drydock pump room retrofits. Ari has been an avid transit advocate since studying in France for 3 months and experiencing how seamlessly transit in Europe is an integrated aspect of daily life.
They’re passionate about the broader systems of the world and how our built environment intersects with ecology, energy, sustainability, access and human rights, and the various industries and disciplines that make up our society. With a belief that people’s daily experience and well being is the best measure for successful design, Ari works to make everyone’s experience of a project better; from the end users, to the drafters, to the rest of the design team, to the workers who will eventually build what we’ve drawn.

Ari graduated with a master’s in architecture from NDSU in 2013. They love sustainability, science-fiction, ecology, and physics, and co-own a small vegetable farm with their partner which they both work on during weekends in the summer.

Arian van der Aar

Impelled to design around the sensation of place, Arian came to HEWITT to be a part of the ongoing contribution that interdisciplinary, integrated, responsible architecture makes toward engaging with communities to enrich human experiences and promote vibrant, meaningful places for people. He is currently a team member on the West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions project with Sound Transit, igniting his enthusiastic passion for public transportation infrastructure and his belief that careful planning and sensitive station design can strengthen neighborhood identity and increase access to critical, reliable mobility options for transit-dependent riders around the region.

Arian earned his Master of Architecture Degree from the University of Washington and his Bachelor of Science Degree in Architecture from the University of Cincinnati. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, he has experience with mixed-use residential, industrial, office, hospitality, and retail projects around the country.

Austin Gehman

From innovative designers like Tinker Hatfield and Jony Ive to musicians like Run The Jewels and J Dilla, Austin finds inspiration in artists who challenge the status quo with a distinct point of view. As a designer, Austin thrives in a collaborative environment working with others who share his passion for bold ideas and projects that convey unique perspectives. With a keen interest in civic life, Austin enjoys investigating how architecture can help facilitate civic engagement and how communities interact with the built environment.

Austin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Cincinnati. Originally from Southwestern Pennsylvania, his love for architecture was fostered while visiting Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater where he now serves as an instructor for the Fallingwater Institute High School Residency Program.

Emily Stein, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB

Passionate about equitable sustainable development, Emily is thrilled to be a member of the transportation team at HEWITT.  With a diverse professional background including townhouse, hotel, commercial, casino, office, residential interior, lighting design, and master planning projects, she discovered her niche in developing Washington’s transportation networks.  She found her dream job of organizing complex information while contributing to building resilient, environmentally responsible infrastructure for Seattle and beyond.  Emily is currently working on various projects for Sound Transit and the Port of Seattle.

Emily earned her Bachelor of Architecture Degree from Penn State University and started calling Seattle home in 2015.  An avid traveler, she enjoys exploring the world via public transit, occasionally for months at a time, before returning home to her overly talkative cat.

Associate

Jan Peter Eklund, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP

Jan has worked on the design phases for the Northgate Station, Roosevelt Station, and Redmond Technology Link Light Rail Station projects for Sound Transit, and provided design services during construction for Roosevelt Station. Jan is currently part of the team working on the Sound Transit West Seattle to Ballard link extension. Jan is interested in the intersection of transit, urban design and sustainability and is excited to be contributing to the design of Seattle’s public transit system.

An East Coast native, Jan moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2002 to attend the Master of Architecture program at the University of Oregon. After graduating, Jan relocated to Seattle in 2006 and joined HEWITT in 2011.

Jasmine McNeil, AIA, NOMA

Driven to design for sustainable and equitable development, Jasmine came to HEWITT to foster her passion for transformative architecture that has a widespread impact and plays a large role in the image of the city. She is currently working on construction administration for the Roosevelt and Northgate Link light rail stations slated to open in 2021, as well as sustainability studies for the Southeast Redmond station and garage. Her previous experience is diverse – spanning across single family residential, hospitality, workplace interiors, recreational and educational facilities, and transportation projects.  A highlight of her background was being part of the team responsible for interior renovations at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina.

Jasmine earned her Bachelor of Architecture from the Ohio State University and her Master of Architecture from Virginia Tech. Originally from the suburbs of Northern Virginia, her love for the built environment and equitable development are shaped by her experiences traveling and observing the wide scope of experiences different people are offered solely based on their economic and geographical status. She hopes to continue providing a wide scope of positive, healthy and sustainable built environments for everyone through thoughtful and collaborative design processes.

Laura Graden-Cotts, AIA, LEED AP BD+C

Laura has a deep love of the endless challenges that come with the real-world implementation of the built environment, and thrives on the practical and technical questions that really make a building work. She has unique experience as an architect, serving her formative years as a full-time owner’s on-site representative for both large and small construction projects, and relishes seeing the design on paper become a reality. As a result, she has a unique talent for communicating with owners, designers and contractors alike, as well as an understanding of complex contractual roles required to bring intricate projects to life.

Laura earned her Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Master of Architecture degrees from University of Idaho.  Her previous experience includes healthcare, biotechnology, and research and development facilities for higher education, and retail facilities.

Senior Associate

Mary Wyllie, AIA

Mary has over 20 years of diverse experience in architecture which includes transit, hospitality, retail, office, tenant build-out, renovations and mixed use, and in sustainable/energy saving design. In the 10 years she has been with HEWITT, she has worked as the project manager and project architect on Northgate Station, Judkins Park Station and Downtown Redmond Link Extension early work phase. She also represented Sound Transit as a part of the DBPM team for the final design phase of Downtown Redmond Link Extension. Mary brings that extra level of care and attention to detail that translates into a successful project for the entire team and one that responds to the needs of individual communities.

Active in AIA Seattle, Mary served as co-chair for Women in Design and the AIA Transportation Task Force. She served on committees to plan and host the AIA Women’s Leadership Summit in Seattle and plan a Women in Design installment for the Design in Public’s Design Festival. Mary moved to Seattle to experience and enjoy all that the Pacific Northwest has to offer. On any given day, you might find her out on a long run or discovering a new wine.

Associate

Morgan Hougland, LEED AP

Morgan has contributed his planning and design skills to several of Sound Transit’s initial future light rail station planning efforts and significantly contributed to several light rail station designs. He is currently providing design services during construction for the Judkins Park Station and the Mercer Island Station on the beginning segment of Sound Transit’s Eastlink expansion. He is also currently providing design guidance on the City of Seattle’s Madison Street Bus Rapid Transit – RapidRide G Line, and the RapidRide J Line through Roosevelt, Eastlake, and Downtown.

Morgan earned his Bachelor of Arts in Architecture and Master of Architecture degrees from Washington University in St. Louis. He spent a summer studying and building at the Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Waitsfield, Vermont. He has previous experience designing fire stations and fire training facilities, cultural museums and environmental learning centers, and worked on the restoration of historical multi-story manufacturing buildings into residential lofts, art galleries, and restaurants. This diverse work experience contributes to his drive to design resilient, sustainable facilities, with a focus on the user’s experience of the spaces, and a deft integration of the project into the urban fabric of the site and its surrounding neighborhoods.

Senior Associate

Sean Sullivan, AIA

Sean joined HEWITT fourteen years ago with a background in hospitality and adaptive reuse and the goal to practice urban architecture and placemaking. During his early years at HEWITT, Sean enjoyed collaborations with developers and the contributions that he and the HEWITT team made to the fabric of Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood. The Northgate Station Parking Garage was Sean’s first transportation project, where he was impressed by the client’s focus on the user’s experience and grew a fondness for the inherent public nature of transportation architecture. Sean has since dedicated the last seven years to expanding the region’s transportation projects and is privileged to continue this journey with HEWITT colleagues, project partners and transportation agencies.

Sean earned his Bachelor of Environmental Design from Miami University and after earning his Master of Architecture from Washington University spent a decade working in St. Louis where he developed an appreciation for the sense of place and history embedded in existing buildings. Sean’s appreciation of the existing built environment combined with his private development project experience have fostered sensibilities useful to the planning phases of Sound Transit’s Lynnwood Link, West Seattle and Ballard Link extension projects. Sean’s twenty-five years of experience in the industry allows him to shepherd the design process from concept through construction for the Redmond Transit Center where he and the design build team are working collectively with client and stakeholders to create a unique place that benefits the community while supporting the region’s transportation network.