A full-service architecture firm built on strategy.
Planworx is a project partner that offers professional builders, developers and owners a comprehensive suite of products including custom single-family, multi-family, student housing, neighborhood planning, mixed-use, light commercial, faith-based, recreation, and renovation architecture.
Ken Braswell
Managing Principal
Marc Mills
Architect Principal
Bob Naegele
Director of Architecture
Chad Cronin
Celise Bravo-Taylor
Nick Strickland
Jeremy Konkel
Intern Architect
Anya Aikman
Tom Mense
Brian Boehme
Business Finance/HR Coordinator
Brennen Joyner
C4 Strategic Marketing
Catherine Smith Farley
Brian Bates
Amra Hayslett
Ryan Weymann
Tate Holt
Kiley Blades
Sean Gillespie
Nicholas Aggers
Sydney Shoffner
Email kenbraswell@planworx.com
Growing up in the home of a general contractor here in North Carolina, I was able to gain a lot of knowledge about construction and the various trades within the industry. After graduating from East Carolina (yes I am a "Pirate") I ventured away from my roots towards a start-up business experience in the manufacturing and research development arena. Here I was able to gain a lot of interesting knowledge over about nine years at both a local, national and international level.
Now, it has been almost 25 years since starting Planworx and it has been a wild ride of learning and application within the architectural arena and yes this pulled me back to the construction area similar to my experience as a youth.
I am married to a wonderful woman (Diane) for 30 years that has been by my side on the Planworx journey and without her Planworx would not have been possible! We are blessed with one daughter (Hannah) and we are excited to see what the future holds.
Areas that I stay involved in are the business and community of Planworx, very active in my church on various levels and yes at the age of 55, I still play a little ball every now and then as well as enjoying watching and utilizing sports as a daily reference.
Email mmills@planworx.com
The genesis of Marc's architectural journey started by sketching floor plans from houses he visited from memory at the age of around 6. His academics came from New Jersey Institute of Technology, earning Henry Adams award for the top architectural graduate in 1983. His architectural training led to a diverse field of knowledge of architectural design, site planning, structural design, mechanical and plumbing engineering, and construction administration.
Since partnering with Ken Braswell to establish Planworx Architecture, our projects have extended our geographic reach, from Texas to Maryland, and from Michigan to Florida. Marc is licensed in 12 states and holds certificate numbers in 8 other states.
Marc's personal interests have overlapped with his professional training. Seeing architecture in different regions on the job has created more interest in traveling. Staying active at work is reflected in staying active in exercising and refereeing high school basketball. Creativity on the job has led to design and sketching as a relaxing hobby. And information technology and code requirements have led to being an avid reader. Then reading propels study, and study to teaching. Marc has taught in various capacities and venues, including faith-based groups since 1982. And teaching has opened doors to ministry, along with charitable and non-profit work, as a "giving back" to society (even beyond the architecture). This is the greatest joy blessing of Marc's career.
As president of Planworx Architecture, Marc continually challenges his employees on a business and personal level, while sprinkling in good-natured jocularity to create a more positive atmosphere in the work environment. The goal is that Planworx Architecture strives to be highly professional as well as experientially enjoyable.
Marc enjoys traveling with Sandy, his supportive wife of 31 years. Marc also has an adult daughter, Stephanie, living locally.
Email bnaegele@planworx.com
Little did Bob know that earning an Architecture merit badge in Boy Scouts when he was 11 years old would one day lead to becoming a registered Architect. He is originally from Coral Gables (Miami), Florida and started first studying architecture at Miami-Dade Community College. After graduating from there with an Associate of Arts in Architecture, he moved to Raleigh and eventually was accepted into the School of Design at North Carolina State University. In 1992, he graduated from there with a Bachelor of Architecture.
"When possible, I like to take a fresh approach to every project from a design perspective. Every new design should bring with it a uniqueness that is fueled by all the contributing variables (program, client, site, team, etc.). I also love to see a design grow and morph into something totally unexpected."
Bob's professional experience has been a combination of commercial and multifamily architectural design. From the year 2000 thru 2010, his main architectural focus has been the multi-family and mixed-use market sectors.
His hobbies include running and Krav Maga but his true passion is collecting vinyl records. He presently has over 4,000 albums (half of which are audiophile quality) in his collection. He also has two grown-up kids – Ashley (age 30) and Jacob (age 21).
Email ccronin@planworx.com
Chad was born and raised in southeast Louisiana where he earned his degree in Architecture from Louisiana State University. He spent the next 20 odd years based in New Orleans, but working nationwide, as in-house architect for both development and design-build construction companies specializing in multifamily and hospitality development with a focus on urban revitalization through new construction and adaptive reuse.
Chad's earliest memories of what eventually led him into the profession are of his father, a high school industrial arts teacher, sitting at his drafting table producing single-family and small commercial "floor plans". Chad developed an early fascination with the works of the modernist masters that he holds to this day.
Chad enjoys mountain biking, bikepacking (it is a word) and restoring classic water-cooled Volkswagens. He has aspirations of someday becoming a semiprofessional leisure cyclist.
Email cbravotaylor@planworx.com
Celise is a North Carolina native and received her Bachelors of Architecture from the College of Design at North Carolina State University. She has a wide range of building and design experience, from high-end commercial interiors to educational and municipal projects in the public sector. Celise is a team player that brings an open mind and enthusiasm focused on creating vibrant and thoughtful designs with a goal of exceeding client expectations.
Outside of work Celise enjoys exploration of all sorts, from new spots downtown to traveling as far away as possible (for as long as PTO allows). When it's time to come home you'll find her spending time with friends and family, or occupied by one of her many hobbies (think kombucha to roller skating to home improvements). She loves summer.
Email nstrickland@planworx.com
Nick's drive is to create things and consider the whole aspect of its design. From form and aesthetics, to building science and construction details, he strives to create the best solutions to the project at hand.
He has an Associates (Pitt CC), Bachelors (UNC Charlotte), and Masters (NC State) all in architecture, showing his continuous pursuit for more knowledge in the field.
He has worked on a broad range of projects including restaurants, office upfits, clubhouses, auditoriums, churches, K-12, higher-ed, airport terminals, and much more.
Nick grew up in the small town of Fountain, NC but now calls Raleigh home with wife Justine, and three kids; Ava, Anna, Weston and Hammer (the dog haha).
Favorite things to do are cooking, camping and being outdoors in general.
A few favorite architects are Olsun Kundig and Lake Flato.
Email jkonkel@planworx.com
Jeremy grew up in Wisconsin and moved to North Carolina after serving six years in the US Air Force. After his enlistment, he attended Wake Technical Community College to earn his degree with Architectural Technology. After graduation, he earned experience working for Umicore building products and single-family firms. In 2006, he joined Planworx where is assisted in the single-family studio and then in the commercial studio. In 2009, Jeremy went on to attend North Carolina State's College of Design to earn his Bachelors of Environmental Design and Bachelors of Architecture degree. During his fifth year, Jeremy also worked part-time at a structural engineering firm to learn more about the principles of structures. Upon graduation in 2013, he returned to work at Planworx as an intern. Jeremy is currently working to pursue his NC architectural license and is a project manager and designer in our commercial studio.
Jeremy's favorite architectural project is the Chicago Poetry Center by John Ronan.
Jeremy currently resides in Holly Springs with his wife, two children, and dog. The Green Bay Packers are the best team in the NFL. In his spare time, he enjoys riding in his Jeep Wrangler and on his Harley Davidson.
Email aaikman@planworx.com
Anya was born and raised in Belize, Central America and moved to Raleigh to attend NC State University to study Architecture. She liked it here so much that she decided to stay.
Being raised in Belize, everything was very eco-friendly which has driven her interests in affordable and sustainable design.
Most of her professional career has been in the commercial sector but she is excited to expand her experience here at Planworx.
She enjoys traveling and learning about new cultures. Before moving to the US, she used to dance ballet and taught classes to younger students.
You can find her listening to true crime podcasts, watching history documentaries, or reading a good book.
Tom serves as the Chief Financial Officer of Planworx Architecture and has over 35 years of financial and operational management experience in various industries. As Chief Financial Officer, he oversees the financial reporting and planning of the company. Tom is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants.
Email bboehme@planworx.com
Brian has enjoyed working with numbers and encouraging people since he was a child delivering newspapers, mowing lawns, and shoveling snow in his boyhood home of Dixon, Il. He played several sports growing up (favorite baseball) and is an avid Cubs fan.
After graduating from College in 1985, Brian taught high school math and accounting for many years. In 1990 he married his wife Cheryl, who is an elementary school teacher. Brian and his wife are blessed with three daughters; two are teachers, and one is a registered nurse.
Brian is a quiet member of the Planworx team that works behind the scenes to keep the books balanced and paperwork in order. With his HR responsibilities, he tries to make sure the team is taken care of appropriately.
Email bjoyner@planworx.com
Brennen grew up in southeast Virginia before moving to Raleigh in 2006. He attended Bob Jones University, earning his Bachelor's degree in Finance and Master's in Organizational Communication. Upon graduation, he moved to Norfolk, VA where he began a career with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management as a Financial Advisor. After some time in the financial world, Brennen discovered one of his professional passions: organizational operations and financial management. To that end, he moved back to Raleigh in 2017 to join the Planworx Team as Project Coordinator. In his current role as Operations Manager, Brennen is responsible for planning, organizing, and directing production to ensure that projects are completed smoothly, efficiently, and within budget to help our clients achieve both short- and long-term success!
When not at the office, Brennen can be found spending time with family, watching sports (Go Duke!), or traveling to a new city! He and his wife, Claire, look forward to calling the Raleigh-Durham area home for years to come.
Email lkeegan@planworx.com
Hailing from Pittsburgh, PA–Lauren has recently migrated south and now calls Raleigh home. Over the last 11 years she has built her marketing career in the Media + Medical fields. Working for companies such as iHeartRadio, CBS and Fox bringing a breadth of knowledge and creativity to the Planworx team. She enjoys traveling the world with her fiancé, visiting art museums, trying new restaurants, practicing yoga, and continuing to feed her love of videography. Growing up in Pittsburgh, she obviously loves a good sporting event (Go Steelers!). You will most likely see her drinking something she juiced. She's looking forward to her upcoming wedding and continuing her career in the architecture space with Planworx, Architecture P.A
Email csmith@planworx.com
Catherine grew up in Raleigh and semi-reluctantly returned to town after college at Wake Forest University (BA Art History) and a long stint as an unpaid intern in NYC. Her appreciation of contemporary architecture began while studying abroad in London, where she fell in love with Norman Foster's Millennium Bridge, which was on her route to the Tate Modern. Besides Foster + Partners, she enjoys the work of Mies van der Rohe, Philip Johnson, Moshe Safdie, and Tadao Ando. Most of her time is spent with her two-year-old daughter, but she also has a husband, dog, and cat. Catherine spends as much time as she can boxing, reading, and traveling to see her friends from college.
Email bbates@planworx.com
Brian started his passion for Architecture in High School and by taking a couple of years of Drafting courses as electives. He then went to college to pursue his love for it and graduated with a degree in Architectural Technology. After graduating, he moved to Raleigh, NC and started working at Planworx Architecture in 1994. He loves working with everyone on the Planworx staff. Everyone is so different as people and also what they see in Architecture and it brings a collage of diversity to the office. He also enjoys working with Builders and Clients on new plan design ideas to make each house plan different and better than the one before. He enjoys life with his wife and two kids by spending time at the beach, boating, fishing, attending football and baseball games and hunting in his spare time.
Email ahayslett@planworx.com
Amra grew up in a small town nestled in the Mountains of NC. After meeting his wife while she attended Appalachian State University, they returned to her native area of Raleigh in 1995. He graduated with an Applied Science Degree in Architectural Technology from Wake Technical Community College in 1999. Amra has been a member of the Planworx Team for over 20 years having gained hands-on experience working on all types of Architectural projects including Single-Family, Multi-Family and Commercial Building designs along the way. His current specialty at Planworx is Townhome projects and custom Single-Family home designs.
Amra spends most of his free time with his wife and two sons exploring our state's landscape together from the mountains to the coastline. He is also an active member of the Town of Wake Forest's Architectural Design Review Board and a volunteer with his Church's handyman and outreach ministry teams.
Amra's personal view of Architecture stems directly from his artistic background in that he feels like the buildings the Planworx team designs are very similar to large sculptures that we can all live in and interact with while taking advantage of their beauty and functionality both inside and out.
Email rweymann@planworx.com
Ryan was born in Charlotte, North Carolina from where he attended East Carolina University and earned his Bachelor of Science in Design.
While at East Carolina, Ryan was also a member of the football team as a wide receiver during the 2008-2009 campaign where the team won the C-USA Championship.
Upon graduation, Ryan moved back to Charlotte where he worked as a design manager drafting construction documents for Industrial and Light Commercial projects. After spending 5 years with the firm, Ryan departed from the metal construction world and sought out wood construction. Looking to push his design creativity, Ryan moved to Raleigh to explore the Multi-Family discipline and later joined Planworx in 2015.
As Project Manager under our commercial studio, Ryan applies his years of architectural experience in the orchestration of construction documents from the conception phase right down through permit drawings and submittal reviews.
Ryan also heads up the BIM department where he is responsible for the integration of guidelines and standards across projects while assisting in the Revit models that are applied in the design of the construction documents and 3D renderings.
When he isn't at Planworx, Ryan can be found cheering on his favorite football teams, the ECU Pirates and the Dallas Cowboys. During his free time, he likes spending time with his wife, Ashleigh, and trying to keep up with his two very active kids. Ryan also loves to play golf, vacationing to the beach and taking long walks on cruise ships.
Email tholt@planworx.com
Tate graduated with an Associate Degree in Architectural Technology from Wake Technical Community College in 2003. In that same year, he joined Planworx and began his career in Multifamily. It was here that Tate gained extensive knowledge of accessible design, commercial building codes, and project management. He enjoys drawing conceptual floor plans…putting a building together like a puzzle, one piece at a time. Watching a project go from paper to reality has always been fascinating.
Tate loves sports (GO CUBS!), movies and music. When he's not doing code research, you might find him fishing with his son or coaching his baseball team. His daughter is in gymnastics…so he just gives her a ride to practice and plenty of encouraging words.
Favorite architecture? "Have you seen the new addition to the Guggenheim?"
He currently resides in Garner with his wife, two children, and dog (Ivy Rain).
Email jtaylor@planworx.com
Jerry grew up in Beaufort, NC where in high school from taken drafting courses he discovered he wanted to pursue his career in Architecture. He graduated from Pitt Community College with an Associates degree in Architectural Technology. After getting his degree he moved to Rocky Mount for a job drawing log cabins. In 1997, Jerry moved to Raleigh and started his career at Planworx.
Jerry is one of our Drafters/Project Managers for our single-family and multifamily projects. He has recently in the past year concentrated only on multifamily. Jerry works on all aspects of the project from the beginning of the design development putting the footprints together of a building to the structure and details of the building.
Jerry currently resides in Smithfield with his wife, Misty and two daughters, Ava and Ella, and dog, Coy. He loves to watch sports, especially the Tarheels and the 49ers. He likes going to the beach and the mountains to spend time with his family and friends.
Email kblades@planworx.com
Kiley is a proud Raleigh, North Carolina native. Growing up, he was a constant tinkerer and always marked his surroundings through the built environment. Kiley received a B.S. in Architectural Technology and Design at Appalachian State, where he took part in two design-build studios focused on community-based, participatory design. After leaving Boone, Kiley joined the Charlotte architectural community for two years, where he worked on restaurant upfits, small offices, and single-family custom homes. Missing his roots, Kiley moved back to Raleigh in 2017 and joined Planworx. He plans to pursue his M.Arch in the near future, and licensure thereafter.
Kiley's favorite architectural project (today) is The Therme Vals by Peter Zumthor.
Kiley now lives in a quiet part of Central Raleigh. You may spot him in the wild at your local watering hole or at a show around town.
Email sgillespie@planworx.com
Email naggers@planworx.com
Nick Aggers is a born and raised North Carolinian. Nick went to Wake Technical Community College and started out in Interior Design before changing degrees and graduating in Architecture with a degree in Associates in Applied Science and looking to further his education with a 5-year degree in Architecture to work towards licensure. While in classes, he did a stint at an engineering firm where he got to work closely with engineers on buildings in a different way than he had before and shortly after graduating, he joined Planworx Architecture in 2018. He does a lot of work in the multifamily projects in both CAD and Revit and has begun to recently work on projects from a start to finish basis gaining knowledge on bringing a building from just a footprint to the finer details.
Nick's interests vary from watching his soccer team play on the weekends on tv (Manchester City all the way!), to playing his guitars in his spare time and ventures out to different areas across the state working on his photography.
Favorite architecture project would be VIA 57 West by BIG Architects. Most anything they do is always worth a look or two.
Nick currently resides in Raleigh with his dog Tyger.
Email sshoffner@planworx.com
Sydney has grown up in Raleigh, North Carolina. She graduated from North Carolina State University in 2019, where she received a Bachelor's of Environmental Design in Architecture and a Minor in Business Administration. While attending college she participated in several design studios including a Sustainable Design studio in Santiago, Chile. She held an internship with Novant Health's Design and Construction team where she assisted with several healthcare projects. She joined the Planworx team in 2020. She plans to return to State to complete a 5th year to receive a Bachelor's of Architecture. She is also a part of the Integrated Path to Architectural Licensure as she plans to become a licensed Architect in the near future.
Sydney's favorite architect is Zaha Hadid.
Sydney currently lives in Southwest Raleigh. In her free time, you can find her weightlifting at the gym or painting.