Studio W Architects has welcomed Chelsea Pozar to the role of president, a recent strategic promotion for continued success. Pozar stands apart in the industry with her business background and joins firm owner and CEO Brian Whitmore and COO James Moore, along with several associate architects on the extended leadership team.

With the firm for nearly nine years and in the industry for 20-plus years, Pozar says, “My background is in marketing, communications and business development, so I bring a different perspective to staffing, culture and securing contracts, which helps enable the firm as a whole to excel in business.”

Whitmore, who joined the firm in 2014 and became sole owner in 2019, notes, “Most architecture firms’ executive leaders are licensed professionals, but I wanted someone with strong business acumen to help strengthen the firm and generate revenue for ongoing success as our president. Chelsea was the natural choice.” 

“… I wanted someone with strong business acumen to help strengthen the firm and generate revenue for ongoing success as our president. Chelsea was the natural choice.” — Brian Whitmore, CEO

Studio W, with roots back to 1989, uses the slogan “well beyond design” to reflect their value-added service approach. As education market specialists, the firm offers critical guidance to clients navigating funding and Division of the State Architect requirements. “We often act as project managers as much as architects to support our education clients and as one of this market’s mid-size firms, we’re agile and responsive to their needs,” says Whitmore. 

Serving all of California and parts of Nevada, Studio W’s portfolio includes regional landmark projects such as the North Natomas Community Center & Aquatics Complex with the City of Sacramento and Natomas Unified School District, which received a 2022 Sacramento Business Journal Best Real Estate Project of the Year award, among other accolades. Other notable projects include the firm’s own midtown office building, the Elkhorn Village School modernization in West Sacramento’s Washington Unified School District, and the Paradise High School reconstruction, as well as the rebuild of all of Paradise Unified School District’s campuses following the 2018 Camp Fire.

“Looking ahead, we want to grow as necessary to serve all clients while providing the best service to our current clients and looking at extending into other geographic regions,” concludes Whitmore.