“Research, experience, patience, and humility are tools I use when working on cars or motorcycles; they're equally crucial for any project, whether it's a daily driver or a weekend hot rod.”

Derek found out young that he’d rather design and build a porch than sit under one. Ever since, he’s been drawing, tinkering, building and fixing, but not without making a mistake or two. When the same hand does all of the work, however, it becomes easy to trace the relationship between a problem or mistake back to its cause. Looking at how to prevent mistakes has become a passion, and for the latter part of his 30+ years in architecture (and fixing cars for that matter) finding ways to improve what we do throughout design and construction has made up a large part of Derek’s work. One of the things Derek has seen is that when people are interested in the work they do, they tend to do it better. Perhaps not surprisingly then, Derek has a love of mentoring; finding and encouraging sparks of interest in younger staff with the intent of watching them grow beyond their own goals is a true joy for him.

Growing up in College Station, Derek “naturally” attended Texas A&M, graduating with a Bachelor’s of Environmental Design. With his degree and pickup truck he moved out west to Los Angeles and earned a Masters of Architecture degree at the Southern California Institute of Architecture, or SCI_Arc. Shortly afterward, he became a licensed architect in California and Texas, moving back to Texas in 2000 to continue his career and watch his daughters grow closer to their grandparents. He is also an Executive Board member of ACE Mentorship Houston and volunteers at the Lone Star Flight Museum.