people
Steve Gates, AIA Principal/Owner
Steve Gates has over 20 years of experience in the design and construction industries. After receiving his Bachelors of Arts in Architecture from the University of New Mexico, Gates spent the next few years working in the offices of Antoine Predock and Smallwood Reynolds Stewart and Stewart in Atlanta, Georgia. Here, Gates expanded and developed his design and construction experience working on large scale public and civic buildings. This experience guided his decision to attend graduate school at the University of Colorado, Denver in 1998 where he received his Masters in Architecture. After earning his architecture license in 2005, Gates started Steve Gates Architect, LLC. His construction knowledge encourages a detailed and modern design aesthetic where every aspect of a project is unique and well developed. His involvement with his sister company, E-Terra Construction, allows him to continue to design throughout the construction process to refine and encourage a unique product.
Natalie Mik, Project Architect
Natalie was raised in Farmington, New Mexico where she graduated high school. Her interest in architecture spawned from a summer adventure in Spain in which she engaged in daily lessons about the architecture of the country. After high school she left New Mexico to attend the University of California, Davis where she received her Bachelors degree in Agricultural and Resource Economics. She relocated to Southwest Colorado in 2005 determined to expand her education and interest in architecture. In 2012 she received her Masters of Architecture from the University of Colorado. A parallel interest in modern architecture and love for the Southwest brought her back to Durango in 2012 to work for Steve Gates. Natalie has a passion for activity and the outdoors and can be found trail running, mountain biking, skiing or hiking.
Lisa Gates, Office Manager
A Durango native, Lisa is the glue that holds everything together. Through the years, Lisa has worked in both the private and public sectors giving her a unique understanding of each. As a legislative auditor for the State of Colorado, Lisa was able to observe and identify organizational strengths and weaknesses on a micro and macro level that has proven to be a great tool for managing SGA.
Lisa’s organizational and financial skills make her a perfect fit for the contractual and financial management of the firm. Lisa handles all human resource management, contracts, audits, billing, and even a few birthday parties.
Lisa has also worked throughout the years as a non-profit grant writer, a probation officer for the State of Colorado, and is now the CFO for both Steve Gates Architect and E-Terra Construction. Lisa volunteers a great deal of her time locally in Durango as well as for Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club where their daughter Analise is an alpine ski racer. She enjoys alpine skiing, days at the lake paddle-boarding, and an occasional glass of wine or two, maybe three…