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Our architectural design firm provides a custom approach for every project

Our Legacy since 1975

Seaver Franks Architects has worked with a diverse array of clients for almost 50 years. During this time, our architectural design firm has become well-recognized for impactful, dynamic designs influencing the style of commercial and residential spaces.  We offer a personalized, collaborative, high-tech design process that allows us to create designs balancing form, function & landscape aesthetics.

We value integrity, honesty, & communication

Both commercial and residential architecture designs require ongoing communication and transparency to be successful. We hold ourselves to higher standards of honesty and integrity, emphasizing clear communication and collaboration throughout our process. Our architectural design firm isn’t out to simply win awards. Our top priority is always meeting the needs of our clients and exceeding their design expectations.

More About Our Difference

Our closely knit team drives our success

Our firm has a rich history and is constantly evolving to meet the modern architectural needs of our clients. We have been LEED accredited for more than a decade, and we embrace diversity in our team to continue folding in new ideas and artistic visions that elevate our designs. Every member of our team works closely together to help our clients achieve their goals.

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Michael Franks

R.A. | Principal

Michael Franks brings his award-winning design experience and creative problem-solving abilities to each of his projects. He prides himself on his conceptual grasp of architectural design issues and transforming user requirements into successful architectural solutions. As the firm’s managing partner, he is responsible for client development and overall project management, as well as leading several design teams developing a range of project types, including restaurants, churches, schools, casinos, luxury residences and large-scale hotel projects. A registered architect in several states including Arizona and Louisiana, as well as a native Tucsonan, Michael holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Arizona State University and has been in practice for over 35 years. He is NCARB certified, a member of the American Institute of Architects, and involved in many community organizations in and around Tucson.

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Daren Sadowsky

R.A. | Senior Project Architect

Daren is a Registered Architect in Louisiana, a LEED Accredited Professional, and NCARB certified. He holds a Masters in Architecture from Tulane University in New Orleans and has been practicing for more than 15 years. His career began with statewide projects in Louisiana and rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina, working with healthcare, educational, civic, community, residential, sports, and correctional facilities. Before joining Seaver Franks to lead the Louisiana branch office, Daren spent extensive time on thematic architecture and zoological and exhibit design, with multiple zoo projects designed and built around the country. With 15 years of BIM experience, Daren has been integral in creating and implementing Revit standards and software at his previous offices. He was an adjunct faculty member at Tulane’s School of Architecture for five years, teaching a Professional Concerns course on BIM. Daren is a traveler at heart, with a passion for seeing the world and exploring its sites, cultures, art, and cuisines.
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Patricia Nielsen

Finance Manager / Human Resources

Patricia is a bona fide Montana girl who relocated to Tucson in October of 2020. She graduated from Montana State University with a B.S. in Sociology, with a focus on Criminology. Patricia has a love for numbers and started out in accounting before changing her major. Her deep sense of community and beliefs in a communal effort to create a society where everyone is recognized and valued, ultimately led her toward a career in Human Resources. With over ten years of experience in Accounting/HR, her values are a wonderful fit to facilitate finance management and overseeing HR for Seaver Franks’ amazing team.

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Heather Gomez

Office Manager

Heather Gomez has been with Seaver Franks for over a decade. If you’ve ever called us on the phone, chances are you’ve spoken to her! Heather is a Tucson transplant who relocated here in 2007 and never looked back. She is a graduate of Penn State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications (which is fitting, she talks a LOT). She was previously employed by Fox Restaurant Concepts as a server until Mike Franks took a chance on an unknown kid, and she’s been part of the team ever since. Heather isn’t really into “labels,” but in addition to being the front face of the office and friendly voice on the phone, she handles most of the administrative affairs in the office (as well as the occasional stray dog in the parking lot) and is a notary of the state of Arizona. Out of work, Heather loves animals and yoga, and she is a recent graduate of a 200-hour Hatha Yoga teacher training program.
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Richard W. Huch

R.A. | Senior Project Architect

As a Registered Architect and proud graduate of the University of Arizona, the thirty three years of designing projects in the Southwest have given him a broad vocabulary of design styles from the traditional to the contemporary to the regional. He has considerable experience in managing projects of all sizes as well as a good technical and construction background. His last 30 years have been spent at Seaver Franks Architects working on a variety of project types including industrial, retail, casinos, hotels, fitness centers, office buildings, churches, and spas.

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JaMia Dees

R.A. | Senior Project Architect

JaMia grew up in Tucson, earning a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Arizona. A Registered Architect in Arizona, Georgia and South Carolina, JaMia moved back to Tucson to join Seaver Franks after twenty-two years of experience managing multidisciplinary teams on a broad range of work from capital projects to renovations and tenant buildouts. Her design experience covers a variety of industries to include educational, commercial, healthcare, animal care, administration and offices, churches, and residential, carrying projects from concept to completion. She is NCARB certified and a member of the American Institute of Architects. Her main adjective is “teachable”. She enjoys learning new things, traveling to new places, and meeting new people.
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Michael Josett

R.A. | Senior Project Architect

As a young boy, Mike’s dream was to become an internationally recognized architect, and began his ‘career’ designing homes for family friends when he was only 9 years old. He studied every publication he could, and graduated high school with an SAT score of 1599. He then enrolled at Cornell University for his undergraduate and master’s degrees, obtaining a 6.0 GPA for nationally recognized and gifted designs. Following Cornell, he enrolled at U.C. Berkeley for his PhD in architecture before opening offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London and Paris, and receiving the Pritsker Architectural Prize for his sensitive remodeling of Le Corbusier’s Unité d’habitation in Marseille, France……. Returning to reality, Mike enjoyed a very successful 40 year career in his own practice, and now works with Seaver Franks Architects in the design and development of award-winning residential architecture.

Hillary Grigel

R.A. | Senior Project Architect

Hillary Grigel is a Registered Architect in Arizona, and holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Arizona in Tucson. With more than 10 years of experience, she is well-versed in project management, design, planning and construction management. Hillary has experience in medical, dental, commercial, luxury residential, hospitality, churches, and educational design. As a LEED Accredited Professional she has a thorough understanding of green building practices and the LEED certification process. Hillary served on the Governing Council of the U.S. Green Building Council Southern Arizona Branch for 4 years. She is also experienced with BIM, playing a key role in its early implementation at multiple offices, and participated in the Southern Arizona Revit User’s Group for 6 years. In her spare time she enjoys the company of her husband, three children, and dog, as well as, free-lance writing and speaking.

Fátima Valdez

Project Manager

Fátima moved from the Dominican Republic at the age of 11 to Tucson, Arizona. Being the daughter of a structural engineer, she initially studied engineering and attained in 2010 a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering with a focus on structures at the University of Arizona. However, not only was she intrigued on how structural components came together, but also the aesthetics of a building and how it can convey a fulfilling feeling to the user. Consequently, she decided to attend graduate school and in 2014 she earned a Master in Architecture at the University of Arizona. As a project coordinator, she is responsible for communicating with the design team and ensuring the client’s desires are being presented within the construction documents. In addition, she has had experience in construction administration and has worked in an assortment of projects which include, but not limited to: commercial, industrial, educational, and institutional. In her spare time, she loves to sing, dance and spend time with her friends and family — in particular her amazing son.

Ana Victoria Valenzuela

Project Manager

Ana was born in Mexico and raised in Tucson. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona and previous experience in mechanical engineering as well as software development. Ana has been at Seaver Franks Architects since 2018 and has experience in both commercial and residential projects. As a project coordinator for the residential department, she specializes in luxury custom homes. Ana is responsible for developing the client’s vision and coordinating the design team to materialize the project from start to finish. In her spare time Ana loves to travel with her husband and 3 young boys. She is also involved in her community as part of the 2023-2024 GTL Lead class and the VITA program.

Nurlan Herburger

Project Coordinator

Nurlan was born in Almaty, Kazakhstan where he was then adopted and grew up in New Jersey. Nurlan graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering + Technology from the University of Hartford where he was also a 4 year member of the university’s cross country/track + field program. Following his bachelor’s degree, Nurlan graduated from the University of Arizona with a Master of Architecture in 2021 and joined Seaver Franks Architects the following month. Nurlan has experience working on mainly residential projects but looks forward to contributing on a variety of project types as his experience grows. Nurlan is currently pursuing an NCARB certification and is looking to attain his architectural license.
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Anthony Dao

Project Coordinator

Anthony is a native Tucsonan. With a background in science and architecture, his myriad of interests has propelled him to pursue his degree in Sustainable Built Environments at the University of Arizona. Anthony has previous experience in mechanical engineering and architectural design. He has worked on residential and commercial projects throughout Arizona. Anthony enjoys 3D modeling and producing photorealistic renderings. In his free time, he enjoys photography and the outdoors – swimming and camping. Anthony is new to Seaver Franks and excited to join a very talented team. He intends on pursuing his NCARB certification and become licensed as an architect in the future.

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