Smolen Emr Ilkovitch Architects

SEI is honored to announce that Ryan Litzinger is a registered Architect! Ryan obtained his undergraduate degree from the Pennsylvania College of Technology followed by a Master of Architecture from the University of Maryland. In addition to passing all his exams to become a licensed Architect in Maryland, Ryan served as long time Chair of SEI's EP group, heading multiple professional development initiatives, including mentoring his peers through their own licensure journeys. Congratulations, Ryan! We look forward to seeing your continued success as a Professional Licensed Architect!

SEI was delighted to tour Board Members of Montgomery County Public Schools through our recently completed replacement of Stonegate Elementary School! A standout feature of the project, beloved by the school, is the playful learning stair that connects the multi-story building to the dynamic outdoor play areas.

Stair Image by

We are celebrating Liam Berson’s 5-year anniversary at SEI Architects! Liam has supported us all in many ways including designing and executing impactful buildings, creating successful marketing concepts, co-chairing the EP group, and mentoring his peers. Liam’s positive energy is infectious, and we look forward to his continued impact in the years to come!

Anniversary

SEI staff had a great adventure day visiting our recently completed Beach Elementary School. Rochelle Cusimano led the tour of the project as we learned about the local Chesapeake Bay ecology through the building’s interior design! We then made our way to the waterfront, having a wonderful lunch at Ketch 22 and soaking in some sunshine. As our tour tradition, we enjoyed the entire journey on the bus as Samanty Habib played our favorite tunes.

Summer is almost here, the sun is shining, and the weather is gorgeous! Whether you’re shooting hoops, swinging, climbing the jungle gym, or just relaxing on a nice patch of grass, today is a great day to go outside and play!

We are in the final phase of construction for the renovation of and addition to Meade High School in Anne Arundel County! This final phase will refront the building providing a single, defined, secure and welcoming entry for all students, staff and visitors whether living on- or off-base.

Thank you to Locust Lane Farms Inc. for these impressive aerial shots!

SEI was proud to collaborate with Montgomery County Public Schools to design their new boardroom at 15 W. Gude Drive!

MCPS, school board relocate headquarters to spiffy, new digs in Rockville Move to 15 W Gude Drive to allow historic Carver building to undergo repairs, transform into community, educational space.

SEI is attending the 70th Annual Spring ASBO Conference in Ocean City this week. Stop by and visit us at booth 417 for a groovy time!

Today is Drawing Day! A love of drawing starts as a young child in art classrooms and sometimes carries into adulthood. Drawing plays a huge role in an architect’s design process!

May 2024 marks 5 years since Ryan Litzinger joined SEI Architects full-time! Ryan began working for SEI part-time while he completed his Master's in Architecture from the University of Maryland. He has impacted the firm through his architectural designs and leadership. Ryan served as SEI's Emerging Professionals Group Chair from September 2021 – December 2023 and was instrumental in advocating for his peers. We are looking forward to the next 5 years with you, Ryan!

Margaret Jamieson Thornton Elementary School, formerly known as Elementary School #23, is about halfway through construction. These comparison photos share how the learning environments are coming together!

We closed out Earth Month by painting planter pots and dining on worm and dirt cups (don’t worry...it’s just pudding and gummy worms!).

We are excited to share that ES #23 in Charles County has a new name: Margaret Jamieson Thornton Elementary School! The Board of Education of Charles County and a naming committee reviewed around 50 proposed names and voted unanimously to approve the name at their March 18th session.

Born in 1931, Margaret Jamieson Thornton was a lifelong resident of Charles County and an educator with Charles County Public Schools. She strongly supported early education, lobbied for the Board of Education to include kindergarten in the local educational curriculum, and was one of the first kindergarten teachers in Charles County. She taught in CCPS for more than 30 years.

Charles County Public Schools

Northwood Elementary School has received an Outstanding Project Award in Learning By Design Magazine’s Spring 2024 Educational Facilites Design Awards Showcase! A jury of five education, architecture, and facility design experts determined that Northwood Elementary School should be recognized for its use of next generation learning space design and planning methodologies. The jury noted that “sustainable practices, community engagement, and thoughtful programming contribute to the project’s success, resulting in a welcoming environment that supports learning and social experiences.”

Check out Northwood Elementary School’s page and the rest of the amazing school designs featured in Learning by Design’s Spring 2024 issue here! https://pubs.royle.com/publication/?m=31173&i=818273&p=76&ver=html5

LEARNING BY DESIGN

We hope everyone got a good (and safe!) look at the solar eclipse yesterday! The office took some time to go outside and enjoy the phenomenon during peak viewing. What a sight to behold!

We are excited to announce Dave Fischer's promotion to Vice President and Partner in SEI Architects! Dave has devoted his architectural career to SEI. Starting as a summer intern, he has been steadfast in his journey by building a strong architectural foundation, designing impactful community buildings, and leading our talented staff. Dave, you are a positive example to us all and we congratulate you on this next phase of your career!

A: A fun afternoon of trivia, food, and drinks hosted by EP Group

Q: What is Jeopardy! Happy Hour?

Samanty Habib and Jefferson Choi put together a super fun game of Jeopardy! for our March happy hour! Three teams competed in categories such as SEI History, Art & Architecture, Animals, Music & Pop Culture, and Food!

Design for a new Elementary School facade is underway! Rochelle Cusimano and her team hosted an internal charrette by presenting the school’s massing during our office meeting earlier in the day and then bouncing facade ideas off of their SEI colleagues in the afternoon.

Happy Pi Day, everyone! Thank you to Samanty Habib, Marissa Tonkay, Jefferson Choi, and Xuan Vo for bringing a plethora of delicious pies for us to enjoy! 🥧

Silver Spring Recreation & Aquatic Center held a ribbon-cutting ceremony last month and is now officially open! SEI Architects provided comprehensive pool design services for KGD Architecture, the Prime Architect. We designed 5 pools totaling 14,500 SF of water surface area within 26,500 SF of total natatorium area. They include a diving and swimming competition pool, a warmer temperature recreation pool, leisure pool, and two spas.

EP Group recently hosted Wall Sections 101! Topics covered included the difference between exterior stud walls and CMU walls, different types of insulation, exterior walls, roof types, and parapets. Thank you to Brian McCracken, Carolina Sarmiento, and Chester Fernando for presenting!

SEI Architects is excited to celebrate Stephen Forth’s 10-year work anniversary! We are fortunate to have had Stephen as a cherished member of our team and family for his entire architectural career. As a celebrated Registered Architect, Stephen applies his unique perspective as a former teacher into designing schools and community buildings. Thank you, Stephen, for inspiring us all in the way you always put your heart, morality, and soul into your work. Cheers to the next decade at SEI, Stephen!

We’re at table 30 in the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center from 1-5 pm for the University of Maryland career fair! See you there!

University of Maryland

The EP Group hosted a game night happy hour to kick off the new year! We had a great time letting loose while playing Hues & Cues and Concept, an office favorite.

We’ll be at the Catholic University of America School of Architecture and Planning Career Fair on February 2nd and the University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation Career Fair on February 16th. Stop by and check out some of our projects and what it’s like to work at Smolen Emr Ilkovitch Architects!

The Catholic University of America School of Architecture and Planning University of Maryland Maryland School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation

Our Emerging Professionals Group is under new leadership! Samanty Habib was voted in as the new EP Group chair with Jefferson Choi acting as co-chair. Samanty has been an active EP Group member since joining the firm and has planned several exciting events such as our Family Feud game night and holiday potluck. We can’t wait to see where her leadership takes the group!

We also want to thank Ryan Litzinger, the EP Group chair for the last two years, and his co-chair, Liam Berson. During their tenure, they drafted and implemented the EP Group charter, advocated for reimbursement of ARE study materials, and curated many successful events.

Congratulations to the Stonegate Elementary School team for winning the Design Excellence award in the Education Category at the Mid-Atlantic Masonry Association Masonry Design & Craftsmanship Excellence Awards!

Potomac Valley Brick

SEI celebrated the holidays with a potluck lunch and white elephant gift exchange! We went around the world in one lunch hour with some delicious dishes from nearly every continent and ended the day with happy hour and gifts!

Wishing you and yours a very happy holiday season!