We’re blitz, an architecture and interior design firm.

Blitz is a full service architecture and interior design firm, specializing in commercial and residential design. We provide the complete range of architectural services required to take a project from programing through construction. We also offer urban planning and furniture services. And though our focus is the built environment, we’re committed to total design solutions – balancing buildings, branding, and experiences.

We are young entrepreneurs with a can-do attitude. Our passion for good design and unlimited energy for creativity make us formidable partners and client advocates. We desire to collaborate with individuals and organizations that share our values and match our energy.

Melissa Wallin

Principal + CEO

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Melissa Wallin

Principal + CEO

A California native, Melissa has spent time studying abroad in Europe and traveling throughout the US and Australia – experiences she considers invaluable to her understanding of people, diversity and the impact of the built environment on our daily lives. Melissa spent several years with a 50+ person firm working primarily on large-scale higher education and whole-campus K12 projects as well as on expanding the firm’s hospitality studio. She has spent extensive time in the field administering over $22M worth of higher education work during construction.

Melissa is dedicated to sustainable, high-performance design as a matter of practice and good design – not an additional service. She is a LEED AP with experience in CHPS and LEED V3.

A creator at heart, Melissa thrives in collaborative settings. She believes in and advocates for branding at all levels of a project as part of Blitz’s vision of holistic project delivery. Her expert level graphics and 3-D modeling skills are vital to communicating this message early in the project and carrying it through to construction.

Melissa believes in service to others and is pleased to have architecture as her medium. She has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and the AIARE as the 2008 Events Coordinator and 2009 – 2010 Director of Chapter Affairs. Additionally she founded the North Bay chapter of the Women in Architecture in 2009 and served as its Director for 2009 and now serves in an advisory role to the current Director.

Education

BA in Architecture, University of California, Berkeley,
Minor – City and Regional Planning

Seth Hanley

Principal + Creative Director

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Seth Hanley

Principal + Creative Director

Originally from London, Seth has been practicing in the US for nearly nine years and he now calls San Francisco home. Seth has worked for both large, internationally recognized firms such as Gensler and smaller, boutique design firms specializing in low-income housing. He has experience in healthcare, medical planning, higher education, hospitality and civic projects.

Seth is dedicated to the craft and profession of architecture. A strong client advocate, he is committed to integrating clients into the design process to produce work that goes beyond function and actually pleases.

Each project is a meaningful opportunity regardless of size or scope and every design decision impacts the potential to improve someone’s experience of a space. Seth prides himself on developing trusting relationships with his clients and responding to their concerns with sensitivity, and by making their project his project. Seth is a registered Architect in California.

Education

Postgraduate Diploma in Architecture (RIBA part 2) + Urban Design Oxford Brooks University,
Oxford, UK

BA in Architecture with Honors (RIBA part 1)
Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds, UK

Ambrosia

Head of Security

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Ambrosia

Head of Security

Ambrosia is a founding member of Blitz and takes her role within the company very seriously. Whether she is greeting clients at the door or ensuring all treats served are of the highest quality, Ambrosia is the epitome of a team player. At 19.4 pounds she packs quite the punch and keeps the office safe should anyone with an eye on our designs try some funny business.

When not supervising the daily operations at Blitz, Ambrosia enjoys shopping online for mid-century Danish furniture, scouring flea markets for Victorian era hat pins, and tweeting about life as a colorblind design guru.

Chris Baumbach

Chris Baumbach

Project Architect

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Chris Baumbach

Project Architect

Chris is a native Californian who grew up in the scenic states of California and Idaho. He received his Masters in Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis. Chris has worked on both U.S. coasts, spending a number of years in Philadelphia and Boston before returning home to California. He has experience with a wide range of project types including education, healthcare, laboratory, public safety, and wineries.

Chris’ broad range of experience and wide range of knowledge give him a valuable edge in the field of architecture. He also has special expertise in developing project graphics and design visualization. He is passionate about leveraging lean and fast technologies to improve the design and project delivery process. 

Chris finds the Bay Area exciting for its constant creative advancement and innovation, and appreciates working in an area where everyone is encouraged to raise the bar. When he’s not working hard at his desk, Chris enjoys the great outdoors through backpacking, gardening, and spending time with his family. 

Education

Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri
Masters in Architecture


Amanda Eckes

Amanda Eckes

Designer

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Amanda Eckes

Designer

Amanda is a mid-west girl at heart, born in Wisconsin and having lived in Kansas for fifteen years. When she was working on her graduate degree she spent a semester abroad in Prague, studying architecture and design. While abroad, she honed her artistic passion and craft, taking advantage of everything Europe had to offer.

After graduating with a 4.0 GPA, Amanda worked for a custom furniture store designing furniture, and then spent a year with a mid-sized architecture firm. Her work there focused primarily on design for schools and healthcare facilities.

Amanda brings a unique approach to interior architecture with her intuitive sense of design combining with a deep passion for each project to produce creative, holistic designs.

But really, at her core, Amanda just likes chai, cats, and cookies. In her spare time she designs and builds furniture and on occasion assembles custom jewelry and accessories. Amanda’s unique style is prevalent in all facets of her life, including her fashion and her colorful sense of humor.

Education

Kansas State University
Masters in Interior Architecture, 2009


Zach Meade

Zach Meade

Designer

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Zach Meade

Designer

Originally from Southern California, Zach developed a love of architecture through years of building with Legos as a child. He first studied architecture at the University of Lund in Sweden, where he gained an affinity for both Scandinavian design and traveling. Zach then received his Masters degree in Architecture from NewSchool of Architecture and Design in San Diego, CA. He has also recently studied digital design at the Vienna School of Applied Arts.

Zach brings a strong expertise in design to the Blitz table, having honed his skills through years of working and traveling all over the world. In prior years Zach practiced architecture in New Zealand and Australia, where he worked at large-scale offices such as Woods Bagot. He has a passion for digital design and the usage of technology to advance the field of design, which he expressed in his exploration of zero-gravity architecture for his Masters thesis.

As a citizen of both the United States and the European Union, Zach keeps a foot on both sides of the globe and therefore always has his fingers on the pulse of good design. He loves both architecture and design, and this passion is expressed in the incredible amount of dedication he devotes to his projects. When Zach is not busy working he enjoys running, exploring the Bay Area, biking, playing the drums, and savoring good comedy.

Education

Masters in Architecture, NewSchool of Architecture and Design, San Diego, California
Bachelor of Arts, University of California at Santa Barbara, California
Intermediate Urban Design Studio at the University of Lund, Sweden
Alessi Mutants digital design studio at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, Austria

Stephanie Doeing

Stephanie Doeing

Executive Administrator

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Stephanie Doeing

Executive Administrator

A San Diego transplant, Stephanie has grown to love the moody climate and vibrant culture of San Francisco. She has years of office management experience with real estate and development firms, with specialties in assisting accounting, HR, and legal departments, and now enjoys working with the more creative side of the building process. Stephanie has a strong sense of organization and helps keep the office running smoothly.

In addition to her clerical skills, Stephanie has a strong background in English and editing, having served as the editor of a literary journal for two years. She enjoys the fact that her editorial skills come in handy every day. When she is not coordinating and organizing at the office, she likes exploring San Francisco’s odd nooks and crannies, hunting through thrift stores for vintage treasures, and writing mystery stories.

Education

Masters in English (2013), San Francisco State University
Bachelors in English, University of California at Davis


What we do

All projects begin with location as climate and context impact everything. We have an obligation to understand where we’re building and this means research. Buildings and sites are synonymous; a building should be of its place. Interior design is an integrated pursuit – a building interior must be in harmony with the over-arching framework. Furniture must bridge the gap between the environment and the user and, ultimately, we design for users.

Roll over each work type for more info.

Architecture

We work with our clients towards the creation of projects that achieve all programmatic requirements and are created with an integrity of vision that surpasses simple design service to achieve a true goal-driven project. We design for humans, and listen to the stakeholders – whatever their position in the company.

Interiors

To speak of interior design as something distinct from architecture is simply nonsense. There must be continuity, and shared language (structure, materials) between building shell and building interior. New and existing buildings afford wonderful opportunities to unite architecture at different scales and provide unified, but also unique design solutions.

Site + Urban Planning

Our sense of place in the world is commanded by our relationship with the built environment. Site, landscape and the wider urban context provide the framework for our lives. Connecting projects to this context is essential to their success, and ultimately the success of the user.

Furniture

Furniture fills the spaces we design and is integral to the experience of the user, since it’s the part of the project people physically interact with the most. We consider it our responsibility to ensure this aspect of the experience is continuous with the project vision, but also the right fit for the user. Cool is, well, cool, but functionality is cooler!

Project

At Blitz, it’s the project that goes in the middle, not our egos. We strongly encourage all those involved in the project to make decisions solely based on what is best for the project.

Our Philosophy

Churning out what you’ve always done won’t just yield the same results, it will leave you and your project behind in an ever changing world. We find it irresponsible not to try things simply because you haven’t done them before. Furthermore, though we appreciate the compliment, you don’t want what we did last year because we’re already doing something better, more efficient and more effective.

Less can actually be more. Really! The key is knowing what to edit to bring out the essence of a project while not devaluing it’s spirit. We believe in smaller footprints and higher quality. What does luxury mean anyway? It’s more than just name and hype, more than just a price tag or a status symbol. It’s about quality, function, and well-being.

It’s about making the most of what you’ve got and celebrating a good idea. That’s where we come in. We’re here to help you realize your dreams – and if you’re not quite sure what they are yet, we’ll help you with that too. And do it sustainably, which means more than just ‘green.’ It means economy + value. It means being adaptable and re-using buildings, materials, even good ideas.

It also means being future-ready, looking beyond the immediate to the needs of tomorrow. We’ll look for ways to maximize the impact of your project, while minimizing the impact on your budget and the environment.

Spaces, systems, and materials are considered in that order. But before we get to that, we want to know the basics: We’ll talk budgets and we’ll discuss image and atmosphere, and probably end up branding the whole experience if you’ll let us. And we’ll have some fun along the way.

Every part of the design from the forks to the fenestration is a touch-point to be experienced by the user and should build on your brand and project identity.

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