January Staff News

FitzGerald Names Two New Associate Principals, One Project Architect
Tim Blatner, AIA, CDT, LEED AP and Robbie Brundige, AIA, LEED AP have been named Associate Principals at FitzGerald Associates Architects. They both previously held the title of Senior Architect. Tim is the project manager for Wheaton 121, the 306-unit residential development in Wheaton, Illinois, and Robbie is the project manager for Glendale Heights Senior Apartments, an 80-unit senior living community in Glendale Heights, Illinois. They will both take on a larger management role within the firm, and a greater focus on business development and client relations.
Rachel Groff has been named a Project Architect, from her previous position as an Architect. Her team roles will expand to include a greater focus on coordination of construction documents, and more client interaction as a project manager.
FitzGerald Staff Continues to Grow
FitzGerald continues to expand and develop its talented studio staff with the addition of five new staff members: Senior Architect Fernando Araujo, AIA, CSI, LEED AP, NCARB; Project Architects Osvaldo Contreras, CDT and Edmundo Gonzalez; Architect Mark Giannini, LEED AP; and Staff Architect Becca Waterloo.
Fernando Araujo, AIA, CSI, LEED AP (top left), NCARB is joining FitzGerald as a Senior Architect. With over 21 years of experience, Fernando will provide a diverse portfolio with management and technical leadership. Prior to joining FitzGerald, he was Technical Director at HOK Chicago, Technical Leader and Senior Project Manager at OWP/P, and Senior Architect at Lohan Associates. With these firms he worked on many significant projects in Chicago including the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois Corporate Headquarters, The New Prentice Women’s Hospital at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and the University of Chicago William Eckhardt Research Center.
He earned his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology, and is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI). He is National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) Certified, a LEED Accredited Professional, and a past member of the CSI Chicago Chapter Board of Directors.
Edmundo Gonzalez (top center) joins FitzGerald as a Project Architect with over twenty years of experience leading projects. Since joining the firm, he has led a number of residential and corporate interior renovation project teams and has passed the State Licensing exam, becoming the firm’s 12th registered architect. Prior to FitzGerald, Edmundo worked on commercial, municipal, and other public sector work with Wight & Company. He earned his degree in Advanced Technical Studies with an emphasis on Architectural Technology from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.
Project Architect Osvaldo Contreras (top right) rejoins FitzGerald after spending time at bKL Architecture on projects including the Wolf Point Redevelopment’s West Tower and collaborating with premier small architectural firms where he worked on commercial and residential projects. Prior to that, Osvaldo spent four years at FitzGerald working on such projects as Park Kingsbury Lofts, 2100 South Indiana, and the Metra Ravenswood train station. He also brings experience with Antunovich Associates and B.A. Taylor & Associates, working on retail build-outs and new free-standing retail buildings at Yorktown Center and The Shops of Butterfield and numerous branch bank build-outs for a top national bank. Osvaldo has his degree in architectural studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and is currently part of the FitzGerald team working on Arkadia, a 33-story, 351-unit apartment building designed for Chicago’s West Loop.
Mark Giannini (bottom left) joins FitzGerald as an Architect. He has twelve years of experience in a diverse range of architectural work, including corporate interiors, healthcare design, and higher education for firms including BSA Lifestructures and VOA Associates. He is a LEED Accredited Professional with the US Green Building Council, and he earned his degree in Architectural Studies from the University of Illinois.
Staff Architect Becca Waterloo (bottom right) comes to FitzGerald from Fullerton Engineering Consultants where she worked on telecommunications engineering. She earned a Bachelor of Architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology, where she developed her passion for philanthropic architecture.