MEET THE TEAM

STUDIO TEAM

Tyler Kobick is an award-winning California Bay Area Architect and General Contractor. He is the founder and Principal of a 22-person firm, Design Draw Build. The firm specializes in public-interest design, adaptive reuse, custom residences, restaurants, hospitality, historic preservation, and multifamily housing with architect-led design-build methods of project delivery. He believes strongly in warm-modern, critically regionalist architecture, and vertically integrated project delivery methods.
Tyler began his career as a stone mason in Northeast Ohio, where he apprenticed under a master mason and soon enough started his own construction company. After hiking a large section of the Appalachian Trail, he fell in love with the Mad River Valley of central Vermont where he trained and built for 12 years. There, he worked under many different architects and artisans on custom residential and unusual commercial projects predominantly under the architect Dave Sellers, whose work catalyzed the contemporary design/build field. In 2010, Tyler founded Design Draw Build and traveled to build unusual commissions in different areas of the United States, Canada, and El Salvador until setting up a more permanent location in late 2014 in the San Francisco Bay Area.
An educator, residential home architect, and community-builder, Tyler seeks to revitalize and preserve town and urban centers by embracing the material culture of a place with sustainable locally-applied building technologies. Today, Tyler teaches architecture at the University of San Francisco in a variety of studio and material-methods classes. He is a co-chair of the Regional and Urban Design Committee for the AIA East Bay, and currently sits on the Board of Directors for the AIA East Bay and the California AIA. Tyler holds two degrees in architecture, a B.S Arch from the University of Cincinnati, and a MArch from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada.

Justin has spent over 20 years shaping our communities while working in urban-regional redevelopment, landscape architecture, high-end residential, and commercial development projects. He combines his background in design, construction, and real estate into a holistic approach towards enhancing our built and natural environment while creating bespoke spaces and long-lasting relationships with clients. At DDB, Justin is focused on overseeing active construction projects, exploring new business opportunities, and working closely with the architecture team to ensure design integrates with build. Justin carefully allocates his free time to exploring the coasts and mountains with his wife and dog.

Annabelle has been a business professional in the Bay Area for over 19 years. During that time Annabelle has held positions in operations and project management in Foreign Affairs and Geotechnical industries. Annabelle grew up in sunny San Diego, she moved to San Francisco to pursue her education in Business. At DDB, Annabelle oversees all operations of the business from day to day, client relations, business development, project management, while working closely together with the Principal, Architecture, Construction and Building teams. She is fascinated by all the moving pieces of project from design conception to closing the building permit at project completion. She enjoys international travel and can be found taking her dogs on hikes at Sibley Volcanic Reserve on the weekends.

Jason is a Bay Area native, born and raised in Oakland. He has experience with a wide range of project types and scales including, single and multifamily residential, commercial interiors and resort/hospitality. Prior to DDB, he focused on high altitude snow country design, managing multiple projects at ski resorts across the Country and overseas. In addition to being a licensed Architect, he holds a General Contractor License and has hands-on experience building custom homes. He received a B-Arch degree from Calpoly San Luis Obispo with a minor in fine art. Outside of work you can find Jason spending time with his family, tinkering on his house or fly fishing.

The idea that architecture can positively shape and influence human interactions has always inspired Shivani. Growing up in a family of architects in New Delhi, she was immersed in the profession from an early age. Her grandfather’s contributions and commitment to the field inspired her to pursue architecture. After earning her Bachelor of Architecture in India, she received her Master's degree from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her experience spans New Delhi, Boston, Washington, D.C., and the Bay Area, giving her an international perspective on design and project delivery. As a licensed architect in India, she has worked on institutional projects with distinguished clients including the Ford Foundation and the United Nations. At DDB, Shivani manages multifamily housing projects, bringing together her project management skills, and collaborative approach. She enjoys working closely with clients, consultants, and teams to bring ideas together and successfully move projects from concept through completion.

Sayem Shah is an emerging design professional who holds a master's degree in architecture from the City College of New York. He joined Design Draw Build and relocated to the San Francisco Bay area from New York City to explore and learn more about the Design Build environment. Sayem has contributed to several multi-family and single-family residential projects at DDB. Sayem advocates for diversity and inclusion in the architecture and design industries. He is an active member of AIA East Bay and several local ethnic organizations. Sayem spends his free time following his favorite sport, cricket. He is also a big fan of Marvel comics.

Changsi is an architectural designer whose work explores the intersections of architecture, sustainability, computational design, and material experimentation. She holds a Master of Science in Design from the University of Pennsylvania, where her research focused on advanced architectural design. Her work has received international recognition, including First Place in the 2025 eVolo Skyscraper Competition with an Honorable Mention in 2022, and has been featured in architecture publications and exhibitions. Changsi is a LEED AP BD+C and WELL AP and has also served as a jury member for international architecture and design competitions. She is particularly interested in translating environmental research and emerging technologies into thoughtful, responsive design. Outside of work, Changsi enjoys making art, experimenting with digital fabrication, and exploring new design technologies.

Maree is a designer and recent graduate from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She has always enjoyed the problem solving that this profession entails: coordinating constraints, aesthetics, function, and sustainable strategies. After graduation, she relocated to the Bay Area to join Design Draw Build, driven by a passion for the tangibility of design build. Maree enjoys her free time outside, skiing, hiking, camping, and running. Her time spent outdoors helps her better appreciate the indoors and the balance between natural and designed elements.

Following his Bachelor's of Architecture from University of Colorado Denver in 2021, Ethan worked as a large scale public art fabricator for almost four years, collaborating with artists to build and install empowering sculptures across the United States. After a brief stint in Los Angeles working as a furniture designer/fabricator, and architectural intern, he is excited to continue to mesh experimental architecture and custom construction with a focus on affordable housing and adaptive reuse. Outside of work, he can be found exploring an ever-expanding list of hiking trails, restaurants, and historical properties throughout the Bay Area and maintaining a constant rotation of artistic hobbies.

Yanit Mehta is a seasoned Marketing Communication professional with experience in journalism, branding, photography, and filmmaking for diverse publications, renewable tech industries, educational institutions, and now a thoughtful community-driven design-build firm. Yanit uses his skills to develop cogent documentarian stories about housing and energy policy. You can find him training for marathons, photographing local musicians, interviewing folks around the Bay Area, or tutoring the under-resourced students at 826 Valencia.