Peter Miles, AIA, Principal, leads The Drawing Board, Inc. team, earning his Master of Architecture from The Catholic University of America. Born and raised in Annapolis, Maryland, Peter has worked at the firm for more than 10 years and is now the principal. His broad range of experience includes projects in the Washington, DC Metro region, as well as participation in international design competitions.
The Drawing Board, Inc. is an architectural firm dedicated to the design of exceptional residential homes including new homes and renovations, as well as select commercial projects. Based in Washington, DC, The Drawing Board crafts homes that blend timeless architectural styles with contemporary living, emphasizing proportion, high quality materials, and enduring elegance. Its hands-on process involves close collaborations between the principal and partners, clients, and industry partners. Each work is a unique synthesis of this process, producing projects that reflect the desires of the clients.
Joey Barrick, Partner, holds a Master of Architecture from The Catholic University of America and has worked on multi-family residential, corporate retail, and high-end custom home projects. Filipe Silva, Partner, holds two Masters degrees in Architecture and City and Regional Planning from The Catholic University of America. His multicultural background and hands-on construction knowledge influence his innovative approach to all Drawing Board projects.
1. When did you decide you wanted to be an architect? What made you decide this career path?
I’ve always liked making things. I spent hours as a kid playing with Legos – the old kind that you were just free-form to make whatever you wanted. I knew from when I was little that I wanted to do something that involved design and construction. I think having a father as an architect made that the obvious route.
2. What is the best part about being an architect? Most challenging part?
The best part about being an architect is coming up with designs and ideas and then having them built. We live in a world that’s increasingly digital, so to work on something that will turn into an actual physical object is very rewarding. It’s also the most challenging part; the entire process can be years long. It takes a lot of focus to develop a good idea into a good building.
3. Describe the design competitions you participated in that were in other countries? How did they influence your work today? What else influences your work today?
I have participated with a former professor, Miriam Gusevich, on several international design competitions. In general, the competitions were for very large urban-scale projects either dealing with challenging subjects and sites, which was the case for the Babyn Yar memorial competition in Kyiv. The competitions helped me understand how presentation, focus, and clear communication are essential to carry a project through to completion. It’s important that stakeholders feel ownership in the design so they become advocates for the project.
Exposure to a wide variety of styles and buildings through travel and research is a major influence; however, that’s meaningless without a context. I find that our clients provide that context: through their lifestyles, interests, and individually I work to create a design that is architecturally authentic – in a physical sense – and emotionally authentic in the way it connects with our clients’ day to day lives.
4. The Drawing Board, Inc. was founded by your father. How has the company’s vision evolved since you have been in charge?
We’ve embraced the challenge of reinventing an architecture firm in the 21st century. The coming tidal wave of technological change (AI, manufacturing, green technologies, etc.) provides tremendous opportunities for those positioned to take advantage.
5. Describe how your team – you, Joey, and Filipe – work? Do you each take a project, collaborate on some, etc.?
I tend to manage projects and provide client-facing services on our projects while partnering with Joey or Filipe as a design and production collaborator on each one. This has allowed each of us to lean into our strengths and ensures that at least two people in the firm are heavily involved in each project.
6. What are a few of the current projects you’re working on?
We’re in the final stretch of construction for a modern beach home and are also designing some exciting additions and renovations to very traditional homes. Joey and I are nearly complete with an expansion and renovation of our own home, while Filipe is also renovating his home. We’ve all been experiencing both sides of the coin for the last couple of years.
7. What is a dream project?
One with an enthusiastic client that has an appreciation for good process and good design, an interesting site, and a top-notch team. Once that’s in place, having a challenging brief or site would really let us provide a creative solution.
