PBK Announces New Northern California Managing Principal

Lance Kutz joins firm as part of continued expansion in California 

BERKELEY, CA., APRIL 15, 2024 – PBK, a leading architecture and engineering practice, announced Lance Kutz, AIA, NCARB has joined the firm as Managing Principal. Based in the firm’s Berkeley location, Kutz will lead all client and business development for PBK’s Bay Area practice. 

“Our mission is to provide local service with local talent,” says Bob Lavey, Managing Senior Principal of PBK’s Western Region. “When it comes to the Bay Area, nobody knows the region better than Lance.”  

Kutz joins PBK from Perkins-Eastman, where he completed planning and design projects across higher education, PreK-12, and civic markets. He is a licensed architect with more than two decades in project management and client relations. Previous clients include the Marin Community College District, UC Davis, UC Berkeley, Eastside Union High School District, Oakland Unified School District, West Contra Costa Unified School District, and the Cities of Pleasanton, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, and Cupertino. 

“Each community in the Bay Area has unique challenges,” says Kutz. “Add in issues like rising home prices, cost escalation in construction, and an election year, and these challenges just get bigger. We need to understand all of the steps that set us up for success before we ever start design.” 

“We’re responding to a need for more than just architecture,” adds Lavey. “From schools to student housing to brand new fire stations, the Bay Area needs state-of-the-art facilities that truly support its communities.” 

Kutz’s hire follows the promotion of  Michael Schöen to Managing Principal of the Central Valley region and the opening of the Los Angeles office last year as part of fulfilling PBK’s commitment to serving its clients by expanding the practice to meet shifting needs.  

As a family of companies, PBK has structural engineers, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineers, interior designers, furniture procurement specialists, building envelope experts, and community relations pros in-house. Under Lance, all resources will be available to serve Bay Area and Northern California clients. 

About PBK  

For over four decades, PBK has served as an award-winning pioneer for architectural and engineering design solutions for clients in education, sports, civic and healthcare. With more than 800 professionals across 28 offices, the firm embraces a unique business culture that prioritizes customer service and approaches each project without preconceived notions to deliver custom solutions that effectively address the unique needs of each client.