Denise joined PAYETTE in 2006 and became an Associate Principal in 2019. As the Director of People, Culture and Studio Integration, she is vital to the management of our design studio and coordinates everything ranging from staffing and financials to social media and firm strategy. Her expertise is based on balancing expectations of communication, mentorship and serving as a liaison between the different constituent bodies that form the project teams, from contractual and personnel logistics to financial responsibilities to technological implementation.
Denise’s role leverages all of these efforts, while adding an additional dimension focused on curating PAYETTE’s studio culture as well as developing our internal curriculum for onboarding new staff and continued education of all staff, helping them understand their skills, strength and potential while developing their self-awareness.
Denise has been teaching architectural design and theory for over 20 years, most recently at Wentworth and Boston Architectural College. In the office, she is a core faculty member for PAYETTE’s OpenLAB Studio in collaboration with Virginia Tech.
EDUCATION
MDesS, History and Theory of Architecture, Harvard Graduate School of Design
B.Arch, University of Southern California