Licensed as an architect as well as an engineer in California, Brendan’s educational and professional background in both architecture and structural engineering make him somewhat unique as an interdisciplinary educator and designer.

His interest in architecture began during high school while participating in an intensive summer college program. Later, during architecture graduate school, he rediscovered his passion for science and math and pursued an additional masters degree in structural engineering.

Brendan has worked for major award winning architecture firms including Payette Associates in Boston and Skidmore Owings Merrill in San Francisco. He has also worked for several award winning Bay Area structural engineering firms including Steven Tipping + Associates (Tipping Mar) and Jon Brody Structural Engineers.

In an effort to integrate architecture and engineering as well as hone his foreign language skills, Brendan moved to Italy in 2003. While there he became fluent in Italian and studied at the University of Rome La Sapienza. He also worked in several Italian architecture studios. In 2005 he consulted on a development for a series of floating houses and island apartments near Tegel in Berlin.

In 2006 Brendan co-founded Studio Ku with Adele Salierno. That same year they were recognized as semifinalists for the Global Green Housing Competition in New Orleans. Their post-Katrina project in the Holy Cross neighborhood included a net-zero energy green design for the humid climate of southeastern Louisiana.

Brendan was awarded the Certificate of Merit for his entry in the 2010 Structural Steel Design Detail Competition held by the seismology committee of the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC).

He has been teaching at CCA since the fall semester of 2006.