Hi! I’m Tess —

A little about me:

I’m a CA Licensed Architect and currently working as a Designer at Henrybuilt in Mill Valley, focusing on highly functional and beautiful built-ins for the home.

In May 2024, I finished two years at The Krenov School of Fine Furniture — a time I spent slowing down a bit and immersing myself in the lessons of woodworking (and the secret magic of the school). I was at my workbench most the time, heightening my sensitivity to wood, the tools to work it, and to myself as the woodworker. I am incredibly lucky for the opportunity.

I was previously working in the field of architecture, pursuing my license before relocating to Fort Bragg. I worked in San Francisco at Síol Studios as an Assistant Project Manager, doing residential architecture primarily.

In the heat of the pandemic, I was in Santa Cruz, CA working part-time as a Designer/Drafter at SpaceCamp Studio, a design build practice led by Trevor Jones, and part-time as assistant to Andy Orsini at Andy’s Fine Woodworking.

My first job out of school was as a Junior Designer/Technician at Neumann Sloat Arnold Architects, Inc. in Oakland, CA — honing my detailing skills and learning about the importance of waterproofing.

I graduated as a Bachelor of Architecture cum laude from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo June 2019.

I spent the school year of 2017/18 studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark at DIS and the summer of 2017 touring/watercoloring architecture in Switzerland and Italy with a Cal Poly Abroad program.

You can find me:

Running on trails, roads, or beaches
Surfing my 8’6” twin fin
Painting or drawing
Biking everywhere (commuting and for fun in the forest)