Team

Steve is Principal of the New York studio and a leader in the performance environments group.

In addition to guiding the firm’s corporate strategy, he supports design processes and enables successful collaborations on a range of projects drawing on broad experience as a consultant, theatrical production designer and manager. His expertise is brought to our clients with the determination, flexibility and humor essential to achieve success over the arc of a project.

In his 28 years at the firm Steve has led major projects including Judy and Arthur Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, three projects for Emerson College, Signature Theatre, MCC Theatre and Writer’s Theatre. Recent projects include renovation of the Huntington Theatre, Boston University’s Booth Theatre and Production Center, and Le Perle by Dragone at Habtoor City. Current work includes renovations to Jesse Jones Hall in Houston and programming and design for the Tennessee Performing Arts Center.

Tom brings a diverse background in theatre technology and production management to his work for Apeiro Design.

With more than 10 years of experience at professional theatre companies in management positions, Tom’s perspective and understanding of facility user operations is of critical importance to the firm’s projects. Tom has completed work on seven permanent show venues for Cirque du Soleil, the Cineteca Nacional Siglo XXI (The National Film Archive of the 21st Century) in Mexico City, Sunac’s Taihu Theatre for Splendor by Franco Dragone in Wuxi China and the Mesa Arts Center in Arizona. He has been with the firm for more than 20 years. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from the University of Northern Iowa and his Master of Fine Arts from the Yale School of Drama.

Patty leads the architectural lighting design studio.

Her strength lies in the blending of design and technical expertise particularly for specialized installations. She was formally trained in theatrical lighting design at UCLA and worked for Walt Disney Enterprises early in her career. These experiences deepened her passion for the profession and influenced her work for her arts, commercial and educational clients. Patty’s recent projects include Salesforce Tower Executive Floors, Haskins Biotech Campus, renovation of the historic Curran Theatre, Arizona State University Media and Immersive eXperience Center and the US Capitol Building Visitor Center Exhibition Hall Redesign. Her lighting has been recognized with awards from numerous industry organizations. She is a Fellow of the International Association of Lighting Designers and was recently awarded the Edison Report’s Lifetime Achievement Award for contributions to the lighting industry.

Rob brings his enthusiasm and his broad experience in theatre production and design to his consulting work.

Rob is principal of the San Francisco design studio. During his tenure with the firm, his project experience has included numerous higher education performing arts facilities, concert halls, outdoor amphitheaters, interactive environments, custom built showrooms, and event centers.

Rob has led major projects in the 17 years at the firm that include numerous performing arts centers in California, SFJAZZ Center, Cirque du Soleil – Michael ONE theater, Dai Show Theater in Xishuangbanna China, and the Dragone Splendor Theater in Wuxi China. Recent projects include Cirque du Soleil – X Theatre in Hangzhou China, UCSD Epstein Family Amphitheater, and Weta Haikou International Duty-Free City Interactive Atrium.  Current work includes Chapman University Sandi Simon Center for Dance, CSU San Bernadino Performing Arts Center, and Los Angeles Community College Performing Arts Center.

Brad brings a solid and diverse background in technical production to his work at Apeiro Design.

With more than 15 years of professional experience, Brad offers expertise to a wide range of areas including audio-video systems, stage machinery and rigging design. Educated in architecture, he also specializes in program layout and backstage/support space design. Prior to his work at Apeiro Design, Brad worked primarily as a theatrical production manager and technical director. Some of his notable project work with the firm includes La Perle Theatre for Franco Dragone at Al Habtoor City in Dubai at Al Habtoor City in Dubai, where he was the firm’s full-time site representative, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Houston’s Jesse Jones Hall, and BAM Harvey Theater. Brad earned a Master of Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the North Carolina School of the Arts.

Collaboratively participating with the project team is truly Samantha's driving interest.

Samantha has a passion for supporting Architects and Owners and designing light that effectively serves the needs of end users. She enjoys exploring pragmatic and durable solutions that are responsive to the team’s design goals, while consuming the least amount of natural resources and energy.

Samantha’s expertise developed from years of practical, hands-on experience in design studios, on construction sites, and working closely with lighting manufacturers.  Her early training in New York instilled the practice of integrated design, and her work weaves together light, space, architectural materials, daylighting, and the intuitive integration of controls.

She was the founder of the Sustainability Committees for the IALD and the IES in 2003. She served as a volunteer contributing author for the ANSI/IES/ASHRAE 90.1-1999, 2001, and 2003 Standards and contributed research to the USGBC for LEED 2.0 revisions of lighting-related credits.

Pete is the Principal of technology systems and leads the performance audio and video group.

He is focused on collaborating with the firm’s team of experts at the intersection of technology and architecture to give clients the flexible, scalable building systems that allow a facility to evolve, while staying relevant and in demand. Pete’s portfolio includes new build and renovation projects for higher education and corporate campuses, offices, theaters, stadiums, and arenas, including scopes for sound, AV and broadcast infrastructure and systems. His strength is in design informed by a background that includes significant experience with operational support and system commissioning. Pete brings international experience and broadens the firm’s knowledge of drawing and construction standards in diverse markets to serve a global clientele. He received his Bachelors of Letters and Sciences in East-Asian History from the University of California, Berkeley.

Ken’s deep knowledge of broadcast, audio, video and information systems supports many of Apeiro Design’s performance environments and media facilities projects.

His work includes educational and professional broadcast, sports, theatre and corporate venues including cinema screening rooms and training facilities. His recent project experience includes Young University’s BYU-Idaho Center Auditorium and HDTV Broadcast Center, on-call consulting, master planning and capital improvements for the SAP Center at San Jose and multiple corporate auditoriums for Qualcomm Corporation. Ken’s education, which includes a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Cornell University and a Master of Arts in Theater Arts from UCLA, and his experience in the film industry are critical to his work at Apeiro.

For more than 40 years Paul has been a trusted leader in the design of performance audio and video systems for venues of all sizes.

His international consulting experience and theatrical production sound design background allow him to support sophisticated projects from modest sound systems for community college theatres to multi-million-dollar sound, video and production systems. Paul’s highly regarded systems for theatres, casino/hotel showrooms, conference centers, planetariums, immersive environments and other special performance venues are found throughout the US and Asia.

Howard is an Associate Principal in the San Francisco studio.

With over 20 years at the firm, he has been a team leader on a great variety of projects from large international projects in Asia and the Middle East to middle school auditoriums and city council chambers. His passion for live music and experience in concert production has been invaluable when designing Tribal Gaming entertainment facilities such as the recently opened Ya’amava Theater and Cache Creek Event Center. Howard brings his past experiences in almost all aspects of the theatre industry including technical, administration, education, construction, and equipment sales to bear on each project by looking at each venue as a whole and considering not only the audience experience but that of the staff, technicians, and educators who call these venues their home away from home.

Howard is active in the American Society of Theatre Consultants where he serves as the Chairperson for the Outreach and Education Committee.

Don has over 40 years of experience working as a theatre professional, 31 of them as a theatre consultant.

Prior to becoming a theatre consultant, he worked as a freelance lighting designer and stage manager for opera, ballet, and modern dance. Don joined Auerbach Pollock Friedlander in early 2000, bringing eight years of theatre consulting and project management experience to the firm.

Over the course of his career, Don has contributed to projects ranging from college and university performance spaces to major facilities designed by world-class architectural firms.

His years spent working as a lighting designer and stage manager for dance and opera companies, combined with his experience gained touring through major national and international venues, has provided him with a keen understanding of performance spaces and technical systems. Don continues to be an active theatrical lighting designer.

Ed has been focused on theatre technology for over 28 years and brings a dynamic background in technical theatre production to Apeiro Design.

Since joining the firm in 2005, he has specialized in the design and documentation of a diverse range of automation, rigging and machinery projects. These projects range from small and simple to complex industrial scale; but each is met with the same enthusiasm for providing elegant and budget appropriate solutions. Ed is detailed orientated and pragmatic in his approach to projects. His notable projects include Virgin Voyages – Scarlet Lady, Cirque du Soleil X Theatre, in Guangzhou, China, La Perle Theatre for Dragone at Al Habtoor City in Dubai, Sunac Taihu Theatre for Splendor by Dragone in Wuxi China, UCCS – Ent Center and USC – Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center. Ed has a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Theatre Technology and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

Sara has designed and managed numerous award-winning projects in her 28+ years in the field of architectural lighting.

She finds joy in crafting elegant lighting solutions that enhance the human experience. For each project, she embraces the character of the architecture while working in harmony with the greater design and construction team to create beautifully illuminated environments. With a B.S. in Product Design Engineering from Stanford, and an MFA in Architectural Lighting from Parsons, Sara has a keen sense of the complex detailing behind well integrated meaningful illumination.  She finds balance in both the creative and the technical aspects of her work.

Sara is active in the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD), is a merit judge for the IESNA Illumination Awards and is LEED AP BD+C credentialed through the US Green Building Council, which represents specialization in green building practices.

With more than 30 years of experience as an audio-video systems design consultant and systems installation/integration contractor, Dan brings a unique, field-tested approach to his design and consulting work.

His systems design projects cover a wide range of facilities including performing arts centers, multi-space university venues, immersive digital projection spaces and corporate auditoria.

His previous experience as a systems installation contractor reinforces the depth of his understanding of both traditional audio-video systems, as well as specialty performance systems required for a wide range of projects.

Dan has participated in major projects in 27 years at the firm including New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, Signature Theatre and several domestic and international projects for Cirque du Soleil. Recent projects include Princeton University Lewis Center for the Arts and Le Perle by Dragone at Habtoor City.  Current work includes UVA Contemplative Commons and 2 Penn Plaza.

Grace brings varied experience to her consulting. She holds degrees in theatrical design and has worked as a professional lighting designer.

Grace has taught stage lighting at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts and Indiana University. She has worked and traveled the world as a consultant, designer and educator and draws on her international experience in her work.

She is most at home in the role of project manager and has managed large projects as a theatre consultant and theatrical equipment contractor; and has also applied her management skill while working for the US Army in Europe. Grace is a collaborator and employs a big picture management view while understanding the importance of detail in the process.

With nearly 20 years at Apeiro Design, Grace has contributed significantly as a designer and project manager on some of the firm’s largest, most prestigious projects.

She is an active member of the American Society of Theatre Consultant and serves on its Board as Vice-President.

Sabra Zacharias has extensive career experience both in the United States and internationally, utilizing her comprehensive design and management skills.

She began her career as a lighting designer with a prominent design firm in London, England, where she was project manager on various international projects that included airports, city master plans, high-end hotels and residences, office spaces, shopping centers, and casinos in countries such as Cyprus, Spain, South Africa, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. She then relocated to the Bay Area, where she continued her work as a lighting designer with a distinguished MEP firm in San Francisco before ultimately joining Apeiro Design in 2006 as a project manager and designer; and where she has been involved with numerous projects including commercial office spaces, theatres, museums, educational facilities, restaurants and wineries.

Ms. Zacharias’ design aesthetic is informed upon and inspired by her observation of other cultures’ experiences and use of natural and electric light.