JLA’s Madison Team Welcomes Senior Designer Peter Harmatuck
MADISON — JLA Architects is pleased to announce Senior Project Designer Peter Harmatuck has joined the firm’s Madison office. As a senior designer at JLA, he will work collaboratively with our clients, consultants, and project teams to guide project design from conception through building occupancy while maintaining JLA’s reputation for high-quality, real-world design solutions. Although he will be based in the Madison office, he will regularly collaborate with team members at all three of JLA’s offices.
A Wisconsin native, Peter left the Midwest shortly after college to build his experience in large metropolitan areas, including working for the world-renowned firm Robert A.M. Stern Architects in New York City. In total, Peter brings over 20 years of experience including hospitality, mixed-use, and urban planning. At JLA, he’s looking forward to leveraging his experience in multifamily & mixed-use development. His prior projects have included 100+ acre master planning projects as well as hotels in the United Arab Emirates and Russia.
Madison Office Director/Vice President Leah Teske is pleased to welcome Peter to the JLA team, “Peter’s sense of place-making and thoughtful design make him a great addition to our group of talented team members. We are delighted to have him join us.”
Peter acquired his Master of Architecture with a Traditional Urbanism Concentration from the University of Notre Dame (South Bend, IN).
Learn More About Peter
What drew you to architecture as a career?
I knew that I wanted to be an architect at an early age. I was drawn to the complexity and balance between art and practicality to create something that can be lasting. I’ve been drawn to projects that help create community through good urban design.
What’s your favorite (or most unique) project you’ve worked on and why?
I led a 325-acre master planning project in Kansas City with grand ambitions of creating a Center for Excellence for cutting-edge human genomic research that was to be embedded and woven into a sustainable, pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use community of neighborhoods that supported agrarian urbanism. At its core were very noble causes that would leave a legacy for future generations.
What do you do for fun? Do you have any hobbies or special interests?
Recently, I’ve taken a liking to gardening. I grow cucumbers and hot peppers and make spicy pickles in the fall. Also, I’ve taken up golf, but would not consider myself a ‘golfer’.
Are you involved in the community? If so, what causes/organizations mean the most to you?
I recently coached a 6–7-year-old co-ed neighborhood outdoor hockey team in Minneapolis.
Also, I’ve been involved with the CNU (Congress for New Urbanism) for over 20 years. This is an organization dedicated to the promotion of sustainable communities. Initially, I founded student chapters at the University of Minnesota and Notre Dame, hosting guest lecturers and symposiums. They hold a national conference every year in a different city, and I think that I’ve attended almost every other year or so.
I’ve also been involved with a sub-group called the Next Generation of New Urbanist where we occasionally gather in different cities to discuss upcoming trends and best practices. We’ve met in New Orleans, Western Massachusetts, and Louisville.
In 2011, Madison was the host city for the annual CNU congress, so I helped organize and participated in a national urban design competition for the then undeveloped Union Corners site on East Washington Avenue. I helped organize the same event that following year down in West Palm Beach, FL.
