Steinberg Hart promotes Katia McClain and Rob Barthelman to Partner
The Californer/10200817

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Californer -- Steinberg Hart, an international architecture and design firm, has elevated Katia McClain and Rob Barthelman to Partner.

"I'm proud to welcome Katia and Rob as Partners," said Steinberg Hart CEO David Hart. "Katia's focus on the human experience makes her a highly effective architect, leader and colleague. As an incredible champion of our firm's cultural initiatives, she has enabled our firm to create long-lasting positive changes in the way we work together. Rob's leadership has been integral to the building of a robust planning practice at Steinberg Hart, and he has leveraged his passion for technology to elevate our processes and our practice. Katia and Rob are exceptional leaders and role models; their dedication to knowledge sharing of their specific expertise has been transformative, for our firm and for our clients and industry partners."

A 2022 honoree of the Silicon Valley Business Journal's LatinX Leadership Award and recognized with a San Jose City Council commendation, McClain earned a bachelor's degree in architecture from La Salle University in Mexico City and a master's degree in urban planning from San Jose State University. For 13 years, she was associate principal at HMC Architects and served as the managing director at LPA for three years before joining Steinberg Hart in 2017 as Managing Principal for Northern California. At Steinberg Hart, she has led complex, large-scale projects that span several different typologies including commercial office, affordable housing, and higher education. In addition to being active with AIA, NOMA, and the Design-Build Institute of America, Katia is a deeply committed member of the Silicon Valley and San Jose community. She is a board member for the San Jose Downtown Association, a board member of the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley, a member of the SJ Downtown Design Committee, and a founding member of the Women in Architecture Committee for AIA's Silicon Valley chapter. In her new role as Partner, Katia will continue to lead the San Jose office, with a firmwide focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

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"I place a lot of importance on being a role model to those that have come here from a different country," said McClain. "I am thankful to Steinberg Hart for recognizing that leadership doesn't always have to look the same. Our designs affect people in profound ways, and we have to acknowledgement our influence and perspectives play a part in that. As a partner, I have a deeper ownership and awareness of the power of influence and design and I look forward to using it to lift others while making our projects ever more impactful."

With 30 years of national experience in the design and planning of educational facilities, Rob Barthelman has been instrumental in leading the firms programming, master planning, and design efforts at Steinberg Hart, building a robust team of experts in planning within the firm, who together, serve a wide range of clients from college and university campuses to developers and public entities. He regularly speaks at regional and national conferences, sharing the firm's approach and expertise across technology, design, and planning. Named Principal at Steinberg Hart in 2015, Rob has cultivated a deep expertise in creating educational spaces and campus plans that are outcome oriented, working with his clients to build upon their strategic plans and align their physical environment with those goals. He heads the firm's technology group, maintaining a focus on knowledge management and consensus-building within the firm. In his new role as Partner, Barthelman will continue to grow and develop Steinberg Hart's planning practice and lead firmwide technology, processes, and systems.

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"Everyday experiences in our environments fostered my interest in the process of planning and design," said Barthelman. "Our work in urban environments, campus planning, and higher education offer the ability to design those experiences. At Steinberg Hart, I'm able to align my interests with the tools and technology we bring to our client engagement, design visualization, and technical production. Through continued use of empowering technologies, we can facilitate smart planning and design outcomes that ultimately bring greater value to our projects. As a partner, I'm excited to lead the implementation of our approach to planning, design, and collaboration within our projects, and enhance the experience of our clients in doing so."

About Steinberg Hart
Steinberg Hart is an international architecture, interiors, and planning firm headquartered in Los Angeles. The firm has built a diverse and talented team that works collaboratively across all seven offices challenging one another to develop designs that build community, enhance business, support learning, and connect people with place. Steinberg Hart is known for innovation in design thinking and building technologies that help clients realize the full potential of their project. To learn more, visit https://www.steinberghart.com/.