Our People: Recognizing Our New Associates

Associate: Aaron Ernst

Aaron Ernst collaborates with teams across all BRR studios, providing structural guidance coupled with quality assurance for all of our building programs. He assists throughout all phases of project and prototype development with emphasis in detail development, risk analysis, material sizing, roof drainage design, slab design, specification evaluation, quality control efforts, forensic analysis, and construction administration.

Aaron joined BRR in 2006 and has since had a strong presence in ongoing professional development efforts. He provides numerous training opportunities to BRR team members, building their technical knowledge and understanding of the built environment. Aaron works closely with industry experts to develop technical documents to aid in the design process for BRR team members.

Associate: Amina Hale

Amina Hale joined BRR in 2019, and since has been a key contributor across a wide range of projects, including tenant improvements and remodels for a major retail client. She is currently working in the firm’s hospitality sector, supporting multiple brands. Amina has been involved in all phases of a project—from schematic design and design development through final opening—while coordinating closely with owners, vendors, engineers, and consultants.

Associate: Greg Peterson

Greg Peterson joined BRR in 2022 and serves as the firm’s Digital Practice Specialist. He brings more than 30 years of experience across architecture and engineering firms, overseeing BIM execution on a wide range of projects. In this role, Greg manages the firm’s BIM processes within Revit and Autodesk Construction Cloud to ensure each project delivers consistent, accurate information.

He serves as an in-house resource for our design teams, helping them make better design decisions and improving the performance of each building. He is also responsible for training new staff on the firm’s BIM processes. More recently, he has been creating custom in-house automation solutions using AI and Autodesk APIs to improve efficiency on teams

Associate: Kurt Grahovac

Kurt Grahovac has been with BRR since 2015 and serves as our System Administrator. In this role, he is responsible for maintaining the reliability, security, and performance of the firm’s IT infrastructure. A natural problem-solver, Kurt is always exploring new processes and technology-driven solutions to keep the firm moving forward. From automating existing systems to planning for the future of our infrastructure and technologies, his passion for what he does is evident.

Associate: Matt Brown

Matt Brown joined BRR in 2010, and serves as a Senior Software Engineer in our Kansas City office. He is passionate about supporting his colleagues by listening closely to their challenges and delivering effective technology solutions. In his day-to-day role, Matt leads internal software development from requirements gathering through implementation, testing and deployment. His work supports and enhances critical areas across the firm, including project tracking, accounting, and human resources, helping teams work more efficiently and effectively.

Associate: Rob Hindman

Rob Hindman brings more than 30 years of experience across a wide range of project types. Since joining BRR in 2002, he has led programs for national retailers and e-commerce clients, while also contributing his expertise to multifamily and restaurant projects. Rob has in-depth knowledge of every phase of a project—from entitlement and construction document production through permitting and construction administration—and is a trusted, sought-after member of every client team he supports.

Associate: Sterling Smith, AIA

Sterling Smith, AIA, NCARB joined BRR in 2023, bringing decades of design experience across the retail, grocery, senior living, and residential market sectors, including new construction, remodels, and tenant improvements. His project experience spans from Australia to the grocery store just outside his neighborhood. From 2008 to 2014, Sterling worked at RHA Architects, which joined BRR in 2020, forming our Dallas office—where he is now based. Currently, Sterling leads our New Sam’s Club team and is committed to building strong relationships with teammates, clients, and general contractors.

Associate: Steve Burton, AIA

Steve Burton, AIA, LEED GA brings more than 15 years of experience to his role as a Program Lead at BRR, where he focuses on building trusted client relationships and delivering strategic, process-driven solutions. Since joining BRR in 2010, Steve has served as a client advisor, deeply engaging with client teams to analyze existing workflows, identify opportunities, and implement innovative solutions that elevate project outcomes.

Steve’s project experience includes a deep portfolio across industrial projects, grocery and retail programs, remodels, expansions, automation facilities, and international work. With a passion for supporting the next generation of architects, Steve has been involved in architectural mentoring both inside and outside the firm and has taught Building Information Modeling as a professor for over a decade. He is deeply involved in the Kansas City design community, currently serving as Treasurer on the AIA Kansas City Board of Directors, and previously served on the Board of Directors for the Construction Specifications Institute.