About Us
Meet Our Team
William J. de St. Aubin, AIA, LEED AP
CEO
Joel Helms, AIA, LEED AP BD+C,
WELL AP
President
Lily del C. Berrios, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C
President Emeritus
Angel Kauffmann, IIDA, LEED AP, BD+C
Director of Interior Design, Principal
Kathryn L. Scott, AIA, LEED Green
Director of North Carolina Office
Nathan Baker, RA, NCARB
Architect
Kessie Estil, Associate AIA, CNU-A
Designer, Planner, Project Manager
Pulkit Jain
Project Designer
Steven Mills
Account Manager
Ashlyn Oakes
Planner
Monica Polo
Executive Assistant
Wyatt Proudfoot
Project Designer
Noah Stogner, Associate AIA
Project Designer
William J. de St. Aubin, AIA, LEED AP
CEO
Bill de St. Aubin brings over 30 years of experience leading aspirational, culturally significant designs involving complex challenges. His process is to collaborate in an open manner with the client, communities they serve and multi-disciplined teams to assure aspiring designs are completed within constraints of the market while addressing the needs of the community. He directs each project or town plan to realize the highest aspirations of the community and client. The results are innovative resilient environments that provide a beautiful sense of culture and community. Often these projects and studies are catalysts for the redevelopment of an entire urban/suburban district and become regional and national models.
These days, Bill can be found working with clients as well as building the next generation of firm leadership moving our practice in a positive direction. Since becoming the CEO in 2015 the firm has doubled in size and continues to grow through innovation, geographic expansion, leadership training and acquisition of new and diverse talent. In his free time you can find Bill on bike trails throughout the region and annually throughout the world, as his passion for endurance riding fuels the energy for his passion for the firm and our clients.
Email: bill@sizemoregroup.com
Lily del C. Berrios, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C
President Emeritus
With 40+ years of experience as an architect, Lily leads the higher education design, campus planning and comprehensive facilities planning efforts at Sizemore Group using a team approach to planning, design and management. She has worked with over 30 college campuses nationally and worldwide helping them with their programming, campus planning, design, and implementation of projects. Her facilities planning efforts extend to school districts, cities, counties and other agencies. In addition to leading design commissions, her methodology for planning has generated a road map for the implementation of wide-reaching capital requests with over 65% of institutions’ top priorities completed by architects. Her approach blends quantitative and qualitative facets that amplify the character and culture of institutions. It serves as a foundation for workshops and seminars delivered to her peers and advances the role of architects as owner representatives. Her contributions to the profession were recognized in 2024 as she was elevated to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects. Other professional affiliations include the Society for College and University Planning, and USGBC.
Email: lilyb@sizemoregroup.com
Angel Kauffmann, IIDA
Director of Interiors
Angel Kauffmann is a Principal of the firm and Director of Interiors. She brings over 15 years of award-winning experience with education, civic and religious facilities. Her experience includes space planning, conceptual and design development, construction documents, millwork detailing, and finish/furniture selection. Angel strives to build strong client relationships and develop intelligent solutions that respond to the project’s goals and the clients’ needs. She enjoys collaborating and working in teams to come up with innovative solutions that optimize the use of spaces. Through listening, understanding, collaboration and sustainable design, Angel helps clients enhance interior spaces and improve the experiences of the people who inhabit them. Angel Kauffmann is a NCIDQ certified Interior Designer and professional member of the International Interior Design Association.
Email: angelk@sizemoregroup.com
Joel Helms
President
Joel Helms has over 25 years of architectural design and construction administration experience and has worked on a wide range of building types. These include state parks projects, K-12 schools, college and university buildings, civic arena buildings, commercial development, renovations, and interior design projects. Joel joined Sizemore Group in 2023 as Director of Architecture after operating his own architectural firm focused on Wellness Driven spaces for 5 years.
As the senior architect and project manager for several state, county and city funded projects, Joel has controlled the schedule, cost, and design, directly leading the project team to create award winning projects that were completed on-time and within the project budgets. He has worked with a variety of state and local agencies including: the North Carolina State Construction Office, North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, and multiple counties and municipalities in Western North Carolina and the Piedmont area.
Joel has led sustainable building design on several projects including the LEED Gold Certified Gorges State Park Visitor Center, School of Nursing at UNC Chapel Hill, the Duke Energy Administration Building at their new natural gas plant in Arden, NC and the new City Hall for Brookhaven, Georgia.
Email: joelh@sizemoregroup.com
Deanna Murphy, AICP
Director of Planning
Deanna Murphy is an urban designer, planner, and architectural designer who works to enhance our cities through community-oriented place-making and inclusive design. Deanna has worked as a designer and planner in the private, non-profit, and public sectors over the past 21years, including positions at the Georgia Conservancy, G.H. Forbes and Associates, and the City of Atlanta. She is Director of Planning at Sizemore Group, where she leads planning and architectural projects throughout the state. Deanna is a certified member of the American Planning Association, an expert in Tactical Urbanism – short-term, inexpensive placemaking strategies, a 2016 and 2021 alumni of Arts Leaders of Metro-Atlanta (ALMA) and a 2019 alumni of ULI Center for Leadership (CFL). Deanna co-founded PopATL, a tactical urbanism brain-trust that works to create excitement and possibilities through temporary installations that highlight how we can improve our everyday spaces for all. Deanna also currently serves as a DeKalb County Planning Commissioner.
Email: deannam@sizemoregroup.com
Kathryn Scott
Director of Western North Carolina Office
Kathryn Scott is the director of Sizemore Group’s Western North Carolina office. She is passionate about making a difference in people’s lives and bringing order to the world through design. She enjoys projects that reflect the client’s values, such as churches, schools or key buildings in the urban fabric. Kathryn returned to Sizemore Group in August 2019, where she previously worked as a project architect in Atlanta in the early 2000s, to lead the firm’s Asheville team.
Email: kathryns@sizemoregroup.com
Nathan Baker
Architect
Nathan Baker, a Project Architect at Sizemore Group since March 2023, specializes in community, religious, civic, and higher education projects. His design philosophy explores the intersection of nature and architecture, focusing on regenerative solutions that reflect the unique mission of each project. Trained by a senior architect who emphasized caring for the whole person, Nathan carries this mindset into his work, mentoring younger staff and fostering growth beyond the professional realm. Outside of architecture, he enjoys furniture design, crocheting, and woodworking, deepening his understanding of materials and craftsmanship.
Trained by a senior architect who poured into him both in and outside of work, Nathan seeks to lift up those around him and care about the whole person and not just the work. This care extends into the way that he designs and carries through tasks on projects. Nathan’s design philosophy is a continued exploration for how nature, along with architecture, can be used to find the intersection which coalesces in regenerative architecture.
Kessie Estil, Associate AIA, CNU-A
Designer, Planner, Project Manager
Having joined Sizemore Group in 2024 Kessie brings a wealth of urban design and planning experience from both the private and public sectors. With a robust background in architecture and urban planning, Kessie has been involved in numerous projects that blend technical expertise with a deep commitment to community engagement. Her experience in urban design and planning complements Sizemore Group’s focus on inspiring the best in culture and shaping unique communities.
Carlo Lewis, LEED AP
Project Manager
Carlo Lewis has over 10 years of experience working on a multitude of project types, including federal courthouses, prefabricated residences, hotels, broadcast studios, medical office buildings, and educational facilities. Through effective communication, he can work with a multidisciplinary team, improving coordination and project synchronicity while simultaneously prioritizing the client’s vision.
Carlo approaches every challenge by bringing his passion, education, and skills learned through the study of fine art. His unique perspective toward design allows him to see the details at a superior level, resulting in solutions that are technically sound, practical, and provide the client with options that are practical and will withstand the test of time.
Email: carlol@sizemoregroup.com
Steve Mills
Accounting Manager
Steve Mills joined Sizemore Group in 2018, bringing more than 30 years of accounting experience to the firm. Prior to joining Sizemore Group, Steve worked at TRC Companies. Steve was drawn to Sizemore Group because of our commitment to improving the environment through architecture and sustainability. Originally from Connecticut, Steve relocated to Atlanta in 2014.
Ashlyn Oakes
Architect
Having joined Sizemore Group in 2022, Ashlyn integrates her interests in the arts, sustainability, and inclusivity into her planning work for cities and communities. Her technical savvy and graphic design expertise make her a valuable contributor to civic planning projects and community engagement sessions.
Nishant Ostwal
Urban Planner
Nishant is an Urban Designer who has mastered his skill in the city of Chicago, Illinois where he began to assist Sizemore Group until relocating to the City of Atlanta. Nishant brings 5 years of experience and a background that includes first-hand knowledge in the planning of the landscape for high-end healthcare data centers. Nishant has become an integral member of the Sizemore Team where he shares his mastery and technical ability to use Revit, a widely used design software. Nishant has used REVIT to create more efficient and productive workflows for his team and received high marks of recognition within his company and amongst peers.
Email: nishanto@sizemoregroup.com
Noah Stogner, Associate AIA
Project Designer
Noah is a graduate of Kennesaw State University and is currently completing his Master’s Degree in Urban Design at the Georgia Institute of Technology, expecting to graduate in summer 2024. He is driven by a passion for quality and excellence, continuously enhancing his skills in design, planning, and project management. Noah’s commitment to delivering quality results is exemplified by his contributions to projects such as the Brookhaven City Hall. Additionally, during his time at Georgia Tech, Noah served as the team leader in the Urban Land Institute’s prestigious ULI Hines Student Competition. His team emerged victorious in the national competition, triumphing over 60 other top-tier institutions.
Our Core Values
We are caring.
Architecture and planning has the potential to changes peoples’ lives for the better. We see our projects as acts of service that help improve the lives of the people who live, work, go to school, and worship there. Our passions for sustainability, inclusivity, and, equity are key factors in the projects we decided to pursue and how we approach them. For us, it’s all an opportunity to serve the greater good.
We are responsive.
Timely responses and attention to our clients’ needs have become hallmarks of our work over the years. We believe that it is our duty to answer questions and concerns quickly and decisively. The ability to anticipate the potential roadblocks within a project and plan proactively means that we keep our eye on the target when it comes to project budgets, timelines, and quality of work.
We are curious.
As long as we are architects and planners, we will never stop asking questions. Whether it’s careful scrutiny of a long-standing approach or an idea for an innovative new strategy, our inquisitive nature is part of what keeps us going. We believe that, to create something, it’s important to retain a child-like sense of wonder and curiosity and welcome a diversity of voices and opinions.
We are inspiring.
The best legacy that we can strive for is design and planning work that lives on to inspire future generations to make their communities better. Our goal to create spaces that stand the test of time is buoyed by a sense of relentless optimism for the future and the hope that those who come after us finding new ways serve their communies visions better than we ever did.
We are joyous.
The collaborative nature of architecture and planning fosters connections with clients, builders, and fellow creatives, enriching both personal and professional experiences. A sure sign that a project is going is the sound of laughter echoing through a project meeting. We look to infuse our projects with a sense of joy and gratitude for being in a position to transform the abstract into something beautiful.