Kathrina Simonen

Kate Simonen has been in independent practice as an architect and structural engineer since 2000, most recently as a partner in the design collaborative Operation Architecture. She is a founding partner and COO of Parco Homes, a company that develops mass-customizable, green prefabricated homes. This company is developing high-performance, site-customizable, net-zero energy-home homes.

Using a system-based approach to design and construction capitalizes on the benefits of factory production and permits mass customization. As an architect and structural engineer, she brings a passion for design solutions that successfully integrates technical performance and aesthetic criteria. Kate has extensive professional experience on diverse and complex projects that range from high-rise towers to custom residences to art installations.

Kathrina joined CCA in 1995 and has been coordinator of the building technology curriculum in the Architecture Program since 2000. In this administrative role she oversees the course content, structure, and staffing for this segment of the curriculum. In addition to being a primary instructor of the structural design sequence, she also teaches courses in design, construction detailing, digital fabrication, and building systems. Her academic research has focused on teaching structural engineering as a design discipline and digital fabrication techniques in wood-frame construction.

Kate's undergraduate degree in architectural engineering offers an emphasis in lighting design and she is licensed as both an architect and structural engineer in California.