David Pearson, AIA
Founder
David founded PALO in 2015 as a place to build an integrated architecture, landscape & development firm. Previously, he worked at a wide range of architecture & design firms, from the very small boutique to the polished behemoth Gensler.
With a deep interest in craft that stretches back to his early days as a surfboard craftsman, he maintains sensitive attention to relationships between form, construction and ultimately appreciation and use in the world. He works to increase access to spaces that fit the shifting, complex requirements of people from all walks of life—with a special focus on giving people personal control, meaning and freedom within the places they live and work.
In addition to his work at PALO, he is actively involved in the Urban Land Institute, the AIA and academia. He teaches graduate level thesis design studio at Woodbury University. He has past teaching experience at Harvard, Cal Poly SLO, MIT and the Universidad de Monterrey, Mexico.
CA Architecture License, 36268
CO Architecture License, ARC.00405257
• Harvard Graduate School of Design, Master in Architecture II, commendation
• Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Bachelor in Architecture, cum laude
• Harvard Business School, Mini-MBA
• Harvard University, multiple grants & VIP Residency at Innovation Lab
• Former endorsed competitive surfer
Mikaela Pearson, LEED AP
Founder
Mikaela earned a Master of Landscape Architecture with Distinction from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and holds a Bachelor of Architecture, cum laude, from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She has been involved in projects, across landscape and architecture, ranging from rural housing to urban open space. She has pursued research related to storm water filtration as a resident in the Harvard Innovation Lab, studied the use and perception of urban wilds with botanist Peter Del Tredici, and visualized subterranean root systems through a grant from the Penny White Fund. She is currently working on a number of landscape projects in San Diego.
CA Landscape Architecture License, 6484
AZ Architecture License, 64049
• Harvard Graduate School of Design, Master of Landscape Architecture with Distinction
• Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Bachelor in Architecture, cum laude
Scott Schwartz
Technical Director
With over thirty-five years of experience in architecture, construction and development, Scott brings a soundness of action throughout project stages whether it be early conceptual design and cost implications or the quality assurance needed to build long lasting well-executed architecture. Scott is a fourth generation Californian who has lived and worked in San Diego, San Francisco, Atlanta, New Mexico and Colorado.
His resume also includes notable project/process management and improvement as well as computer related fields, including work with a Fortune 500 healthcare company.
• Undergraduate studies in architecture & masters in psychology
• Project Management Institute, Six Sigma Process Improvement certified
Joa Suorez
Creative Director, Poet
Joa ensures that our communication design reflects the firm’s unique aesthetic perspective. She oversees all aspects of our marketing efforts, from brainstorming, to copy writing, to grant proposals, and brings considerable writing and editing experience to the team. Before joining PALO, she worked as an editor at Stanford University Press and at Hart Howerton Architects and Planners as a project assistant.
• University of California Santa Barbara, Bachelor of Arts in Literature, summa cum laude
• St. Mary’s College of California, Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Amy Kittisoros
Project Designer
Amy earned a Master of Architecture from Woodbury University and a Bachelor of Political Science and International Relations from the University of Washington. Born and raised by Thai restauranteurs in Las Vegas, Amy draws inspiration from a diverse background of cuisine, culture and travel. She is interested in architecture’s ability, like food, to provide a framework that brings diverse cultures together and strengthens communities. She is currently working toward licensure.
• Woodbury University, Master of Architecture
• University of Washington, Bachelor of Political Science & Int’l Relations
We are grateful to the past and present junior architects and production assistants who help make our projects reality.
Jenna Chaplin
Luis Espinoza
Jose Ascencio
Ryan Jae Woo Kim
Patrick Waipak Yip
Regina Amirova
Angela Tamayo Cardenas
Macey Laughlin
Savannah Ribeiro
Guilherme Ribeiro
Founder
David founded PALO in 2015 as a place to build an integrated architecture, landscape & development firm. Previously, he worked at a wide range of architecture & design firms, from the very small boutique to the polished behemoth Gensler.
With a deep interest in craft that stretches back to his early days as a surfboard craftsman, he maintains sensitive attention to relationships between form, construction and ultimately appreciation and use in the world. He works to increase access to spaces that fit the shifting, complex requirements of people from all walks of life—with a special focus on giving people personal control, meaning and freedom within the places they live and work.
In addition to his work at PALO, he is actively involved in the Urban Land Institute, the AIA and academia. He teaches graduate level thesis design studio at Woodbury University. He has past teaching experience at Harvard, Cal Poly SLO, MIT and the Universidad de Monterrey, Mexico.
CA Architecture License, 36268
CO Architecture License, ARC.00405257
• Harvard Graduate School of Design, Master in Architecture II, commendation
• Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Bachelor in Architecture, cum laude
• Harvard Business School, Mini-MBA
• Harvard University, multiple grants & VIP Residency at Innovation Lab
• Former endorsed competitive surfer
Mikaela Pearson, LEED AP
Founder
Mikaela earned a Master of Landscape Architecture with Distinction from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and holds a Bachelor of Architecture, cum laude, from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She has been involved in projects, across landscape and architecture, ranging from rural housing to urban open space. She has pursued research related to storm water filtration as a resident in the Harvard Innovation Lab, studied the use and perception of urban wilds with botanist Peter Del Tredici, and visualized subterranean root systems through a grant from the Penny White Fund. She is currently working on a number of landscape projects in San Diego.
CA Landscape Architecture License, 6484
AZ Architecture License, 64049
• Harvard Graduate School of Design, Master of Landscape Architecture with Distinction
• Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Bachelor in Architecture, cum laude
Scott Schwartz
Technical Director
With over thirty-five years of experience in architecture, construction and development, Scott brings a soundness of action throughout project stages whether it be early conceptual design and cost implications or the quality assurance needed to build long lasting well-executed architecture. Scott is a fourth generation Californian who has lived and worked in San Diego, San Francisco, Atlanta, New Mexico and Colorado.
His resume also includes notable project/process management and improvement as well as computer related fields, including work with a Fortune 500 healthcare company.
• Undergraduate studies in architecture & masters in psychology
• Project Management Institute, Six Sigma Process Improvement certified
Joa Suorez
Creative Director, Poet
Joa ensures that our communication design reflects the firm’s unique aesthetic perspective. She oversees all aspects of our marketing efforts, from brainstorming, to copy writing, to grant proposals, and brings considerable writing and editing experience to the team. Before joining PALO, she worked as an editor at Stanford University Press and at Hart Howerton Architects and Planners as a project assistant.
• University of California Santa Barbara, Bachelor of Arts in Literature, summa cum laude
• St. Mary’s College of California, Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Amy Kittisoros
Project Designer
Amy earned a Master of Architecture from Woodbury University and a Bachelor of Political Science and International Relations from the University of Washington. Born and raised by Thai restauranteurs in Las Vegas, Amy draws inspiration from a diverse background of cuisine, culture and travel. She is interested in architecture’s ability, like food, to provide a framework that brings diverse cultures together and strengthens communities. She is currently working toward licensure.
• Woodbury University, Master of Architecture
• University of Washington, Bachelor of Political Science & Int’l Relations
We are grateful to the past and present junior architects and production assistants who help make our projects reality.
Jenna Chaplin
Luis Espinoza
Jose Ascencio
Ryan Jae Woo Kim
Patrick Waipak Yip
Regina Amirova
Angela Tamayo Cardenas
Macey Laughlin
Savannah Ribeiro
Guilherme Ribeiro