ABOUT

THE FIRM

STUDIO 18 is an award-winning architecture and design firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area and Lima, Peru. We are committed to rigorously investigating material efficiency, cost-effective building solutions, renewable energy strategies, and environmental sensibility in our work, from conception to completion.

STUDIO 18 was created in 2008 by Frank Ahn Baumgartner, Mario Gomez Cervantes, and Kunal Parikh. The three hold accredited Masters degrees in Architecture from California College of the Arts (CCA), and have a broad range of professional experience in project typologies and scale in the US, Asia, and South America. Whether the focus is a residential remodel or community planning, STUDIO 18 aims to build relationships with the client to understand their needs while offering design and spatial expertise.

Mario earned his undergraduate degree in Architecture, while Frank and Kunal earned theirs in Political Science and Business Administration Bachelors, respectively. During their pursuit of a Masters in Architecture at CCA, the three received distinguished awards and independent commissions. Their unique bond is rooted in a shared sense of respect and vision, but also realized through their contrasting backgrounds. Understanding architecture and design as an evolving, expressive, and opportunistic profession, STUDIO 18 welcomes new client and consultant collaborations.

THE TEAM

Frank Ahn Baumgartner

Frank earned his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles, and an accredited Master’s degree in Architecture from California College of the Arts in the San Francisco Bay Area where he was born and raised. As a Certified Green Building Professional (CGBP), Frank embraces a responsible approach towards high quality design; one that is collaborative and sensitive to the client and contextual environment. His professional background includes affordable housing and community-serving facilities in the non-profit sector; and restaurant, retail, institutional, residential, adaptive and mixed-use projects. Some of Frank’s most memorable work includes volunteering in the construction of homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, and contributing extensively to Team California’s award-winning Refract House in the 2009 Solar Decathlon. Frank believes architecture’s greatest potential is to interact with individuals on a personal, social, political and economic level.

Mario Gómez Cervantes

Mario holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Urban Design from the Ricardo Palma University in Lima, Perú. After becoming a licensed architect in South America where he was born and raised, he decided to pursue a Master’s degree and broaden his professional contributions in the US. By 2009 he had achieved just that with a wide range of architectural experience from residential, commercial, corporate and institutional projects to furniture and installation pieces in South America and the US. Currently, Mario has relocated back to Perú where he is the Principal Architect of Studio 18’s office in Lima. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Architecture at the Ricardo Palma University (www.urp.edu.pe) and at the Toulouse Lautrec design institute (www.tls.edu.pe), where he teaches multiple studios. Teaching allows Mario to investigate fresh ideas, while also sharing his experiences and approach with the students. Mario’s well traveled background in the Americas and Asia contributes to his ideals and expanding pursuits.

Kunal Parikh

Kunal was born and raised in the Greater Los Angeles area of Southern California. He embraces his multicultural background and believes it has been an influential factor in his eagerness to travel, meet new people, explore new foods, and interact with people of various socio-economic backgrounds. After graduating from the University of California, Riverside with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Kunal decided to pursue his growing appreciation for design and technology by obtaining a Master’s Degree in Architecture from California College of the Arts. He began his professional career with a small-size firm, Mikiten Architecture, specializing in Universal/Accessible design projects. Kunal then transitioned to another award-winning firm that worked with Smith Group on large-scale projects. Along with his diverse project experience and a strong visualization skill set, Kunal’s Business background is extremely valuable to his professional ambitions.