Behind every good design is an even better story.

Mitchell is a 2022 graduate of Ball State University. He has had his eye on architecture from an early age with a passion for drawing and building. While recently starting in the profession, he is eager to dive into the field of architecture and soak up as much information as he can. Mitchell gained an appreciation and fascination for detail and the technical side of architecture while at school. He looks forward to using that in combination with his love of design to bring clients’ ideas to reality. One thing he’s excited to dive deeper into is the collaborative side of the profession. He looks forward to working with others and helping each other to achieve a common goal.

Mitchell brings a team-focused mind and unique perspective to the field of architecture. This comes from his volunteer work helping with his church at college and volunteering with different organizations within the school of architecture. He’s also obtained a unique perspective from his many travels. While only having been to twenty-three states and seven countries, he hopes to quickly expand that in the coming years. When not at work, he fills his time with events at his local church, spending time with friends and family, or traveling somewhere new.

Weston is passionate about increasing diversity within the profession, designing equitable spaces for all, fostering mentorship across experience levels, and designing for the changing climate.

Weston is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, and a former Axis intern. He strives to keep the client experience at the forefront and enjoys challenging, intricately detailed projects. His professional excitement comes from collaborating with clients, consultants, and teammates to develop creative solutions for projects.

Weston has led internal and external teams on multiple projects ranging from civic, corporate, education, healthcare, industrial, and multifamily types. He was the interior architectural lead for the Eskenazi Eastside Health Clinic, coordinating design collaboration and detailing of major interior architectural design elements. Through his broad experience, he has led the design, collaboration, and coordination efforts, assembly of drawings and specs, and construction administration efforts in nearly every market sector.

He has an affinity for parks projects, as they create opportunities to design equitable ways for all people to be able to enjoy the outdoors, including favorite projects like Switchyard Park and TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park. He leads construction administration of many team projects, as he has a passion for being on site and enjoys a detailed approach to collaborative resolution of on-site issues with all parties.

Weston was accepted into the AIA Indiana Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program Class of 2022-2023; a competitive program that develops entrepreneurship, firm management, client development, and community leadership skills. He co-leads STUDIOAXIS’s Architecture + Planning Camp for high school students in collaboration with Ball State University and is a member of the AIA Indianapolis Architects Home Tour committee.

As a natural communicator, Susan enjoys collaborative environments and the ability to champion other designers.

Susan has had the pleasure of regarding STUDIOAXIS as her professional home for nearly 9 years. She is a grounding presence that values efficiency and balance in all aspects of her life. Graduating at the top of her class, Susan attributes a strong work ethic and critical eye to her professional success thus far.

Early in her career, Susan interned with the state building commissioner where she was exposed to the gubernatorial world of architecture and quickly appreciated what feats it takes to see a project through construction. She has since had the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects at all stages of the design process including commercial, civic, residential, and mixed-use buildings. Susan is influenced by simplistic forms, balanced proportions, and honest materiality and strives to push artistry through all phases of design.

Her focus and strong knowledge of BIM software make for an effective team member and problem solver. Susan’s goal is to create projects that inspire patrons to notice the beauty of built form and positively impact their surrounding communities. She believes architecture is a rigorously beautiful universe that molds its practitioners into diligent and infinitely skilled artists.

Stephen has a keen awareness and understanding of how a society’s culture plays an important role in determining dwelling types and spatial organizations within them.

Stephen was born and raised in Ghana, West Africa and drawing on his multi-cultural background pays close attention to materials, culture and other image and value systems which affect house form and the built environment in a broader context.

Stephen has worked on a wide range of projects and building types which include residential, healthcare, education, civic, government and criminal Justice facilities.

Stephen’s background in Criminal Justice architecture and planning includes master planning and design of the Elkhart County Criminal Justice Complex in Elkhart Indiana located on 80-acre site two miles south of Elkhart, Indiana which comprised of a new jail with an intake and processing unit; a medical unit; an institutional kitchen and laundry, arraignment courts and minimum-medium and maximum custody jail units that provide 950 inmate beds.

Stephen’s body of work also includes the new White River State Park Amphitheatre (TCU Amphitheater) in Indianapolis, Indiana which was constructed over three concert seasons beginning in September 2019 and finished in June 2021. The resultant $30 million concert venue includes an Artist’s Amenities building, a VIP Area, new Rest Rooms, a Stage house, and an Iconic Canopy that covers 2000 seats with lawn seating for an additional 4000 patrons.

Ryan’s style of design is contemporary and contextual.

In nearly a decade and a half in the architectural profession, Ryan has gained experience working in firms across the country, from New York and Washington D.C. to San Francisco. The varying design challenges that he encountered have allowed him to develop as an architect for projects that engage the client on both a functional and aesthetic level.

With a passion for all phases of the design process, Ryan is involved in studying the site and building concepts for a project and facilitates how those ideas flow down into the construction of the built space. Through wholeness, balance, and radiance, an architectural design of the best possible outcome can be delivered. Ryan’s experience does not limit itself to a particular building type, but rather seeks to find the beauty in the design, whether working on a residential, cultural, or commercial project.

Ryan is a licensed architect in the state of Indiana and a LEED Accredited Professional. His desire to produce projects that invite their users to delight in the moment drives his continued growth in the profession.

The energy and authentic passion which Nia brings to her projects is contagious and
inspiring not only to clients but to STUDIOAXIS.

Originally having the desire to join the Peace Corps, the close bond to her family deemed otherwise.
Thus, Nia concluded to pursue a dormant passion – interior design. When asked about her adoration for
design, Nia responded that “every built environment can be a sanctuary for those experiencing it. As an
interior designer, we are entrusted to evoke perception as well as performance efficiency through light,
color, materiality, and space planning. It is vital to me not waste the opportunity.”

With numerous years of professional experience, Nia’s work includes universities, Greek housing,
hospitality, civic, and residential spaces. As a member of the studio, she attributes her ability to relate
and motivate colleagues and clients essential in creating relationships and ultimately succeeding.
Through effective communication concerning the wants, needs, and uses of a space, she is deliberate in
her design choices and works to ensure the design not only enhances the space but also the lives of
which it serves. Nia considers herself a philomath, always learning information and advancing her skillset to efficiently produce impactful projects.

Nia believes interior designers are integral components of any society, continuously bringing awareness
and educating her community about the technicalities of the profession. Leisurely, Nia is adamantly taking walks with her husband and daughter, studying English landscape design, and curating her fashion fits.

Liz’s style blends beauty and function into detailed spaces and it’s these details that bring those spaces to life.

Liz Sutton is a Senior Interior Designer and has over 14 years of professional experience in the interior design industry, experience that is well-rounded and ranges from sales to interior design. Starting as an interior designer at an education-focused practice, Liz transitioned into a Sales Executive role working in Chicago where she grew a love for business development, customer acquisition, and networking. However, this time away confirmed her true passion and she found herself moving back to Indianapolis to continue pursuing a design-focused career.

Liz thrives when working on local projects that have an impact on her community and takes pride in legacy projects she’s worked on including the Eskenazi Health Center and the Damien Center, both of which serve at-risk populations. Liz has an excellent appreciation for workplace strategy and investigating the ways in which people work and engage together. She uses this important research as inspiration, allowing her to deeply explore how companies operate in an effort to cater designs specifically to them. Her attention to detail and execution of those details connects projects from start to finish.

Liz has been a creator and an artist for as long as she can remember. She grew up flipping through architecture books with her grandmother, developing a deep passion for clean lines and geometric shapes. Liz takes pride in designing environments that evoke emotion, drawing inspiration from the beauty of nature while sitting in her greenhouse or from imaging new details during the renovation of her 100-year-old Fountain Square home.

Lily thrives working in a collaborative environment with people who are passionate about design.

At STUDIOAXIS, Lily brings her energetic design thinking to each project. She enjoys exploring how to personally tailor a client’s space and is a careful listener and a thoughtful decision maker.

She is a graduate of Purdue University and a native of Central Indiana. As an intern, Lily gained firsthand experience working on large-scale projects such as the Cummins Corporate Office Building and other large complex projects and became a valued member of the project design team because of her inquisitiveness and enthusiasm. This experience taught her early on the excitement in creating dynamic places, in Indianapolis and beyond.

Lily’s strength is in taking what she’s learned and applying it to her work. Her hands-on renovation experience with her own home often informs the details of her projects at STUDIOAXIS. Always mindful of craftsmanship and quality in all aspects of design, Lily enjoys tackling each new project, learning from her experience, and creating functional yet beautiful spaces for clients.

Kurt believes great architecture flows from comprehensive design direction and delights in bringing organizational and aesthetic order to the chaos of many possibilities.

Kurt has endless curiosity about humankind’s ever-evolving trajectory and its implications on architecture. His passion for architecture developed in a historic neighborhood in Indianapolis that was undergoing social and material changes around him, which likely contributed to his belief that historic architecture has much to tell us about who we are as a species and how we can learn to thrive in this world.

He completed undergraduate and graduate studies at Ball State University, where he received a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Architecture, as well as a certificate in Social and Environmental Justice. His Master’s thesis at Ball State combined his interests in historic architecture and human flourishing by exploring how transformations can make an old building socially inclusive, especially for people with disabilities.

Outside of Axis, he is a board member at Arts For Learning Indiana, a building committee member at the Indianapolis Athenaeum, a group fitness instructor at the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis, and a welcome team member at Redeemer Presbyterian Church. Involvement in each organization encompasses opportunities for him to share with local communities his passions for time-tested wonders. He is also an associate member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and enjoys being part of the architecture network in the sparkling city of Indianapolis.

Kristen strives to create thoughtful, functional, inspiring spaces that enhance one’s experience.

With nearly a decade worth of professional experience at STUDIOAXIS, Kristen has had the opportunity to be involved in projects of all typologies. Ranging from civic, corporate, and healthcare all the way to retail and single family residential, the common thread is that each require its own unique design solution.

From programming through construction, every phase of a project presents its own set of design challenges and opportunities. Kristen believes in the importance of team members being integrated into all the phases of a project, which ensures the entire project team can collaborate, problem solve and develop details that make each space unique and functional. Being able to work directly with clients, whether it is new construction or a renovation, to help them build a community through thoughtful design is one of the most rewarding parts of being an architect.

Kristen has been critical in the continued success of STUDIOAXIS’s High School Architecture camp from its inception. She is a member of the Ferris State Architectural Advisory Board and is passionate about paving the way for future architects.