Elkus Manfredi Architects Announces the Hire of 3 New Senior Designers

Confirming its reputation as a magnet for top design talent, Elkus Manfredi Architects announces the addition of three acclaimed designers to the firm’s Interior Architecture studio.  Jane Bae, Daniel Castro and Rachel Winokur, each carrying the title of Senior Interior Designer, confirm Elkus Manfredi Architects’ standing as an innovative and national design firm.

“The addition of these three exceptional designers to our award-winning studio is a testament to the firm’s high-caliber client list,” says Elizabeth Lowrey, Principal and Director of Interior Architecture.  “Our design work for architecture and interiors clients has always benefited from the diverse backgrounds and approaches of our designers and Jane, Daniel and Rachel further enhance the abundant talent, reach and possibilities of this team.”

Jane Bae arrives at Elkus Manfredi Architects following a two-year engagement at the NewYork office of Scott Brownrigg. Specializing in workplace interiors and hospitality, Bae applies this understanding to design for today’s collaborative work style. Her previous projects include the interior design of Westfield Corporation’s U.S. Headquarters in Century City, Los Angeles, which won an IIDA People’s Choice Award for Woods Bagot New York. Prior to Scott Brownrigg, Bae was a senior designer at Ted Moudis Associates in New York. She began her design career at Gensler and IA Interior Architects.  Bae earned a BFA in Interior Design at Parsons School of Design.

Daniel Castro AIA, LEED AP, brings significant international experience to Elkus Manfredi Architects. He earned a degree in Architecture from Universidad Javeriana School of Design and Architecture, Bogota, Colombia and spent five years at the prestigious firm of Fernandez Y Associados S. A. Architects in Bogota. In 2005 he moved to New York, earning a Master of Architecture degree at Pratt Institute. He subsequently worked at several large New York firms. Most recently, he managed multi-million-dollar accounts at TPG Architecture, designing high-end commercial spaces for such clients as Cushman Wakefield, Westbrook Partners, General Growth Properties and Jones Lang LaSalle. Castro’s international experience includes managing relationships with premier global brands; he includes GE, Stolichnaya, Victoria’s Secret and CNBS among his clients. At Elkus Manfredi Architects, he will bring his exceptional management relationship skills to clients as they develop retail environments, workspaces and sophisticated multi-residence properties.

Rachel Winokur founded a design studio in Los Angeles catering to clients ranging from celebrities seeking “eco-elegant” interior design to developers of luxury hotels and residences from Saudi Arabia to Shanghai. Winokur and her work were featured in Dwell, House Beautiful, Icon and Coastal Living, as well as popular television programs like HGTV’s Design Wars and DIY’s House Crashers. She was a prominent advocate and practitioner of sustainable interior design in its early days. Her award-winning synthesis of beauty and sustainability supports Elkus Manfredi Architects’ position at the forefront of sustainable architecture and design.  Prior to starting her own practice, Winkour managed luxury residential and commercial design projects for Michael S. Smith, Inc. She studied at Boston Architectural Center in the Master of Interior Design program and at UCLA's Interior Design Certificate program.

About Elkus Manfredi Architects

Elkus Manfredi Architects is an award-winning full-service design firm providing architecture, master planning, urban design, interior architecture, space planning, and programming. The firm, which was founded in 1988, has a legacy and current portfolio of design excellence and is known for its national and international work in mixed-use place-making, workplace strategy and design, retail and entertainment, hospitality, residential, corporate, science and technology, and higher education.

Photo credit @ Junaid Abbasi