Erica Burns Blawat, AIA • Download Full Resume
Associate

Born and raised in Milwaukee, WI, Erica decided to remain in the Midwest for her undergraduate education.  In 1997, Erica graduated Summa cum Laude from Washington University in St. Louis, where she received a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in both Architecture and Psychology.  

Between undergraduate and graduate school, Erica worked for both a small partnership and a large national corporation.  At the Yas Fischel Partnership, in Evanston, IL, she gained valuable architectural and marketing experience, focusing on institutional and hospitality projects. Erica then joined the HNTB Corporation, a national architectural and engineering firm.  While working for HNTB, she participated in the renovation and restoration of the Kentucky State Capitol Building.  Erica also traveled to Kansas City and Denver to join HNTB design teams for the new Denver Broncos Stadium.

In 2002, Erica received a Master of Architecture from the University of Washington.  Her studies emphasized historic preservation and sustainability, as she actively participated in the Pacific Northwest Preservation Field School, the straw bale construction seminar, and the Seattle design/build studio. For her graduate thesis, Erica worked closely with David Miller and Grant Hildebrand, studying the perception of space as applied to compact residential design. 

While attending the University of Washington, Erica joined the small architecture and planning firm, BC&J, on Bainbridge Island, WA.  While at BC&J, she managed single-family residential projects and was involved in developing a community-planning proposal for the Roche Harbor Village Resort in the San Juan Islands.

In fall of 2002, Erica relocated to Philadelphia, where her husband attended graduate school.  Erica joined Bower Lewis Thrower Architects where she managed several feasibility studies for adaptive re-use projects in the city.  She also participated in the design development of a community art center and a large urban shopping complex.

After moving back to the Midwest, Erica hoped to return to residential design and smaller scale projects. In October 2004, Erica happily joined Burns + Beyerl Architects.