Our Team
We are a diverse team of architects and designers who share a passion for creating the next generation of sustainable buildings. We value collaboration and work closely as a team, drawing on the skills and talents of each member of our staff. This collaborative approach extends also to our consultants, and to our clients as well. We believe that the best outcomes result from a problem-solving process that fully engages the abilities and imagination of all involved.
Matthew O'Malia, AIA
Executive Partner
The Co-founder of OPAL Architecture, OPAL Build, Timber HP by GO Lab and GO Logic, Matthew O’Malia is an entrepreneur and award-winning architect with a nationwide reputation for innovation and expertise in the design of high performance residential and institutional buildings. A leader in Passive House design in North America and named to Architect Magazine’s Architect 50 list in 2018, he is a frequent speaker at sustainable design conferences in the U.S. and abroad. Matthew has pursued a career based on exploration and innovation, working for architecture firms in New York and Germany, where he gained a thorough understanding of sustainable design and construction systems.
In a field with outsized impact on the environment, Matthew embraces innovation to address the pressing climate and resource challenges we face. His conception of developing the next generation of buildings that can help improve the environment is reflected in his work, which combines the highest levels of energy-performance and resource sustainability with aesthetic simplicity, clarity of form, and designs that have the capacity to spark delight.
Riley Pratt
Design Partner
Riley has a BA from Dartmouth and a Masters of Architecture from Harvard University Graduate School of Design. He was previously an associate and studio director for architectural services and prefabrication at Marmol Radziner, an architecture and construction firm based in Los Angeles. Riley has also worked as a furniture maker and builder.
Timothy Lock, AIA
Management Partner
Alexandra Pagán, Assoc. AIA
Project Manager
Alexandra holds a BA in environmental design and a master’s in architecture from the University of Puerto Rico. It was in this institution that she learned to bring ideas and concepts to life in creative and innovative ways. Her architectural thesis focused on designing workspaces that would serve as catalysts for spontaneous creative collaboration between the space users. During her studies, a passion for architectural, graphic and object design led her to work as a TA for the universities’ fabrication lab, community design studio and first year design course. She joined OPAL in 2015.
Outside of the office, she enjoys travel, exploring the outdoors, and playing soccer.
Alex Rosenthal
Designer
An architectural designer with a background in timber framing, custom furniture and cabinetmaking, Alex’s interest is in simultaneously exploring the macro and the micro: knitting together the specifics of how a building connects its occupants to the larger site and landscape, and the technical resolution of materials and details.
Alex holds a BA Anthropology from Grinnell College, and a MArch from the University of Oregon, with a concentration in Ecological Design. After completing his professional degree, Alex returned as an adjunct faculty member to teach furniture design and building enclosure courses in the University of Oregon’s Department of Architecture.
Gabe Tomasulo, AIA
Senior Project Manager
With a background designing spaces that foster collaboration and community among start-up entrepreneurs, Gabe believes that buildings can bring people together while working positively with the ecosystems that surround them. He joined OPAL in order to help create architecture that pursues sustainability not as an afterthought or a compromise, but as an essential and productive force. He especially enjoys talking to clients, synthesizing their ideas, and collaborating with them to create inventive and inviting spaces.
Gabe holds a BA in Visual Culture from Grinnell College and an M.Arch from Harvard University. Since receiving his professional degree, he has taught architecture and digital design at the Boston Architectural College and Boston College. Gabe is a licensed architect in Maine and he lives on the coast with his wife and son.
George Switzer
Architect
A recent addition to the OPAL team, George is a senior project architect and heads NYC business development for OPAL. George brings over 15 years of experience working in a diverse range of projects and scales with an unyielding focus on clients’ goals and attention to detail.
George has played a central role in the establishment of several firms, including Susan T Rodriguez | Architecture · Design and his own practice of eight years, Swis.Loc Architecture. George received his professional architectural degree with honors from Syracuse University and is entering into graduate studies at the Sloan School of Management at MIT as part of the cohort of 2021 to support and expand OPAL’s impact on the built environment.
In addition to his work with OPAL, George is an active member of the Board of Directors at his co-op, a 12-building community of over 1,200 with an annual operating budget of $17MM. George has led the development and implementation of numerous projects at the historic complex and has been instrumental in the implementation of key sustainability initiatives and investment strategies. Based on these efforts, the cooperative became a founding property partner of the New York City 2030 District, a private sector led partnership affiliated with Architecture 2030 providing active support to building owners seeking to reduce their carbon footprint. George has since become a member of the NYC 2030 District Executive Board.
Erinn Simmons
Designer
Erinn’s interest in sustainability as a core design principle led her to join OPAL in 2020. She believes deeply in the power of architecture as a medium for positive change, and draws her greatest creative inspiration from being outdoors. Originally from the Midwest, where she earned her MArch degree from Kansas State University, Erinn is inspired by the natural beauty of coastal Maine, especially its sunrises. Outside of the office she enjoys travel, photography, and a good cappuccino.
Samuel Woods
Designer
Sam joins OPAL with an M.Arch degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he also holds minors in Urban Studies and Architectural History + Criticism. Drawn to the firm by its dialectical and radical approaches to sustainable architecture, as well as the highly refined nature of OPAL’s physical design, Sam looks to sharpen these theoretical and architectural techniques, while also applying them in praxis. Outside the office, he enjoys running lobster traps on the weekends, hiking, camping, reading, photography, and cultivating the interior design of his Belfast apartment. Sam is originally from his ancestral homelands of Robeson County, North Carolina.
Colleen Tully
Designer
Julia Raite
Practice Manager
With an education in the arts, a professional background in non-profit administration, and a passion for ecology, Julia has synthesized her experience and skills to provide organizational support for OPAL. When she’s not assisting in the day-to-day running of the firm, she’s studying ecological restoration and walking in the woods around her home in Lincolnville.
We are always interested in hearing from talented professionals who are passionate about architecture and design. Submit your resume and portfolio (if applicable) to careers@opalarch.us for future consideration.