Make more. Ego less.
Our talented team is what makes it all possible and what makes us, us. We come from a wide range of backgrounds, we have a ton of different experience, and we're genuinely nice people. It may sound simple, but those values are at the heart of what JtA is all about. Work hard with great people to create great new things with other great people.
Our Team
Principal
Joe Stromer is the Owner and Principal of JtA, which he started in 2008. Originally from Colorado, Joe has over 18 years of experience and specializes in commercial, restaurant, and residential design. He earned his Master’s in Architecture from Boston Architectural College and his Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University. In addition, Joe has over a decade of service industry experience, voted one of Boston’s Most Beloved Bartenders along the way.
Design Director
Alberto Cabré is the Design Director at JtA, overseeing all designs, facilitation of the project teams, and code review. A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Alberto has over 23 years of experience. In addition to working at JtA, he also owned and operated Casa B restaurant, which gives him a wealth of practical knowledge. He holds his Master’s in Architecture from MIT, his Bachelor’s in Environmental Design from the University of Puerto Rico, and his Professional Chef’s from Cambridge School of Culinary Arts.
Interior Design Director
Grace Lopez is the Interior Design Director at JtA, overseeing all interior design, the interiors team, all FF&E, as well as designing and managing her own projects. Originally from Lima, Peru and Montreal, Grace has over 13 years of experience between the U.S. and Canada, specializing in large to mid-sized commercial and corporate design, hospitality design, and retail. Grace holds her Bachelor of Interior Design from Dawson College in Montreal.
Architecture & Sustainability Director
Chris Brown is the Architectural & Sustainability Director at JtA, overseeing a range of projects as well as our sustainability initiatives. With over 26 years of experience in both Boston and Washington D.C., Chris specializes in higher-ed, educational, and sustainable design, and has extensive experience in mixed-use, multi and single-family residential, plus two national memorials. One of Chris’ most notable projects includes the Hawaii Preparatory Academy Energy Lab, the third ever ‘Living Building’ and the first K12 facility to meet Cascadia‘s ‘Living Building Challenge’. He holds his Masters in Architecture from the University of Maryland and his Bachelor’s from Colby College.
Creative Director
Chris Milne is the Creative Director at JtA. Chris comes from the ad world where he has over 18 years of award-winning experience in advertising, branding, marketing, and design. Chris oversees all creative and experiential aspects of our projects, as well as develops branding for both JtA’s architectural clients and non-architectural clients. Over the years, Chris has helped develop brands such as New Balance, Honda, Sam Adams, Titleist, FootJoy, Disney, Calvin Klein, Zipcar, and many others. He holds his Bachelor’s in Communication from Saint Louis University and his graduate Certificate in Advertising and Copywriting from The Creative Circus.
Residential Studio Lead
Robert Brainard is the Residential Studio Lead at JtA. Originally from Ohio and Illinois, Robert oversees all residential projects as well as manages and designs his own projects. Robert has over a decade of experience in high-end residential design and holds both his Bachelor of Science in Architecture and his Master of Architecture from The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Hospitality Studio Lead
Travis Blake is the Hospitality Studio Lead at JtA. Originally from New Hampshire, Travis oversees all hospitality projects in addition to managing and designing his own projects. Travis has over a decade of nationwide hospitality experience and holds both his Bachelor of Science in Architecture and his Master of Architecture from Northeastern University, as well as his Associate's in Architectural Engineering Technology from New Hampshire Technical Institute.
Lead Brand Designer
Elanie Blais is the Lead Brand Designer at JtA who creates and develops branding for both JtA's architectural and non-architectural clients. Elanie comes from the design and ad agency world where she has 15 years of award-winning experience designing for brands of all shapes and sizes. Over the years, she has helped develop brands such as New Balance, Reebok, Stio, FedEx, Toyota, and many more. She holds her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Design from the University of Connecticut and is a Course Instructor at MassArt.
Digital Design Manager & Project Manager
Alberto Malagón is the Digital Design Manager at JtA as well as a Project Manager. Alberto oversees all BIM processes, technologies, and digital tools in our office, in addition to designing his own projects. Originally from Sevilla, Spain, Alberto has over 21 years of experience across a range of work, including multi and single-family residential, modular design, engineering, visual programming, CGI, interior design, and cost estimation. He holds his Master of Architecture from Universidad de Sevilla and his Associate’s in Construction Engineering from Universidad de Sevilla.
Senior Project Manager & Architect
Geoff Farrell is a Senior Project Manager and Architect at JtA. Geoff manages and designs a wide range of projects ranging from commercial, mixed-use, multi-family, and hospitality. In addition, Geoff also helps manage our visual and rendering standards, real-time rendering, plus our VR walkthroughs. Geoff holds both his Bachelor and Master of Architecture from Wentworth Institute of Technology with a concentration in urban design.
Project Manager & Designer
Mayra Cabré is a Project Manager and Designer at JtA. Like her brother, Alberto, Mayra is a native of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Mayra manages and designs a range of projects and has over 20 years of experience in architecture, urban design and master planning. She is also heavily involved in the restaurant industry. Mayra holds her Bachelor’s in Environmental Design from the University of Puerto Rico as well as her Masters of Architecture from the University of Virginia.
Project Manager & Interior Designer
Meg O’Brien is a Project Manager and Interior Designer at JtA. Meg works on a range of both residential and commercial projects, as well as helps oversee our interior design process, materials, and sourcing. She holds her Bachelor of Studio Arts from the University of Rhode Island with a concentration in printmaking, in addition to her Master’s of Interior Architecture from New England School of Art & Design at Suffolk University.
Project Manager, Designer & Publications Manager
Sean Trombly is a Project Manager and Designer at JtA who also spearheads our publications efforts. Sean manages and designs a range of both commercial and residential projects. They hold both their Bachelor’s and Master of Architecture from Wentworth Institute of Technology with a concentration on adaptive interventions.
Project Manager & Designer
Nadya Voitenok is a Project Manager and Designer at JtA. Originally from Belarus and more recently Canada, Nadya manages and designs a range of both residential and commercial project types. She holds her Bachelor of Architecture from Carleton University in Ottawa with a specialization in conservation and sustainability.
Project Manager, Designer & Business Development Manager
Jim DiBurro is a Project Manager, Designer, and Business Development Manager at JtA. Jim works across a range of commercial and residential projects, in addition to managing many of our JtA business development efforts. Jim holds his Bachelor’s in Architecture from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and his Master’s from Northeastern University. He is also the go-to person in the office for all things automotive.
Project Manager & Interior Designer
Camille Woods is a Project Manager and Interior Designer at JtA. Camille manages and designs a range of both commercial and residential projects, in addition to helping oversee our interior design process, materials, and sourcing. Originally from Maine, Camille holds her Bachelor’s in Interior Design from Wentworth Institute of Technology.
Project Manager & Interior Designer
Amanda Gray is an Interior Designer and Project Manager at JtA. Amanda works on a range of both residential and commercial projects, as well as helps oversee our interior design process, materials, and sourcing. She holds her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design from New England School of Art & Design at Suffolk University.
Project Manager & Interior Designer
Audrey Lee is an Interior Designer and Project Manager at JtA. Audrey manages and designs a range of project types and specializes in hospitality design. In addition, Audrey works on all aspects of our interior design process, materials, and sourcing. Originally from Orange County, California, Audrey holds her Bachelor of Interior Architecture with a focus on Adaptive Reuse from RISD.
Project Manager & Interior Designer
Gina Milatzo is an Interior Designer and Project Manager at JtA. Gina manages and designs a range of project types and specializes in commercial and corporate design. In addition, Gina works on all aspects of our interior design process, materials, and sourcing. Originally from the Washington D.C. area, Gina holds her Bachelor’s in Interior Design from Marymount University and is also a certified yoga instructor.
Project Manager & Designer
Chris Drinan is a Project Manager and Designer at JtA. Chris manages and designs a range of project types and specializes in commercial and cannabis design. Over the years, Chris has worked on an extensive number of large cultivation and dispensary projects across several states, including Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida, Michigan, Nevada, and California. Chris holds both his Bachelor's and Master of Architecture from Wentworth Institute of Technology.
Project Manager & Designer
Jeff Carroll is a Project Manager and Designer at JtA. Jeff manages and designs a range of project types and specializes in restaurant and commercial design. Originally from California, Jeff holds his Bachelor’s in Earth Science with a focus in Geology from the University of California Santa Cruz and his Master of Interior Architecture from RISD.
Project Manager & Designer
Matt Drosselmeier is a Project Manager and Designer at JtA. Matt manages and designs a variety of different projects and has significant experience in large-scale, multi-unit design as well as the service industry. In addition, Matt also helps support JtA’s business development efforts. Originally from Long Island, New York, Matt holds his Bachelor of Architecture from Wentworth Institute of Technology.
Interior Design Intern
Amelia Birch is our Interior Design Intern at JtA. Amelia works on a variety of project types as well as helps support the interior design department. Originally from New Hampshire, Amelia holds her Bachelor’s of Interior Design from Wentworth Institute of Technology.
Architectural Design Intern
Allen Crosnier is our Architectural Design Intern at JtA. Allen assists with project work as well as pulls together our base condition documentation to make sure projects start off with the right informational foundation. Originally from Connecticut, Allen holds his Bachelor of Science in Architecture From Keene State College and is a Candidate for Masters in Architecture at Boston Architectural College.
Some Kind Words
We have worked with Joe the Architect for several years on both residential and commercial projects. All of these projects have been successful and have run smoothly. The entire team takes a warm, nurturing approach to fully understand a client’s vision and provide creative solutions to achieve their goals. Communication is clear, complete and concise. We will continue to recommend JtA to all of our potential clients, and are happy to call them our friends.
Bailey Davol / Studio Build
Working with the JtA team was a breeze. From the very beginning, JtA set expectations on timeline and pricing, and the project never strayed from those expectations. Seantel was prepared for every meeting and her turnaround time for sending agendas or follow-up documents was always right on time. She’s amazing. Our follow-up questions were always answered quickly and clearly. We can’t say enough good things about working with this team. JtA works efficiently, openly, and they provide excellent insight. We were in uncharted territory re-imagining our future home, and their expertise in every detail went a long way. We’re so excited to bring our plans to light. Thank you JtA!
Residential Clients
As a general contractor, I’ve crossed paths with a wide variety of architects. In addition to time efficiency and accuracy, the professionalism, organization, and out-of-the-box thinking JtA offers really sets them apart from the rest. When it came time to select an architect for a project at my personal residence, JtA seemed like the obvious choice and I was not disappointed. I wholly recommend their services to anyone seeking an architect.
Fresh Start Contracting
We’ve worked with Joe and his team on two projects now, one for our business and one for our home. For our business, Joe was able to turn our idea of having a non-traditional retail space for our bespoke suiting business into a reality. Joe designed this cool showroom with a lounge and a bar that is more reminiscent of a hip downtown loft than a traditional store with racks of merchandise. When it came down to renovating our home, we turned to Joe and his team again. They more than delivered. We now have a home that is much more functional than it was before, both beautiful and comfortable for our growing family.
9Tailors
