People

Valery Augustin

Valéry Augustin is the founding principal of DNA Architecture +Design, Inc. He received his Master of Architecture from the UCLA Department of Architecture and Urban Design and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Miami.

Prior to launching DNA Architecture + Design, Valery associated professionally with Frederick Fisher and Partners Architects in Los Angeles, Swanke Hayden Connell Architects in London, and Oppenheim Architecture and Design in Miami. His design experience covers a wide range of project types including museums, airports, art galleries, restaurants, multi-family housing, and private residences.

Actively engaged in the design profession as a practitioner and educator, he is an Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Southern California School of Architecture. Valéry's work has been exhibited at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art in North Carolina, the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., and galleries in Los Angeles and Miami. He has served as a symposium panelist, lecturer, and competition juror in Los Angeles and at institutions across the U.S. He has been featured on CNN, Architectural Digest and additional publications and media outlets. Valery is a licensed architect in California, Florida and Texas.

Christina Charalampaki

“It’s not the note you play that’s the wrong note - It’s the note you play afterwards that makes it right or wrong.” - Miles Davis

Captivated by art and science at an early age, Christina Charalampaki found architecture to be the perfect combination of both disciplines. She’s inspired by the play of natural light on materials and brings abundant curiosity to every project. Christina graduated with a Master of Architecture from UCLA’s Department of Architecture and Urban Design. A native of Greece, Christina completed her undergraduate studies at the National Technical University of Athens where she majored in Architectural Engineering. When she’s not busy using design to find creative solutions to problems, you’ll find Christina surfing, traveling or cheering for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Caroline Fletcher

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” - Arthur Ashe

Caroline Fletcher is a native of Virginia and completed her B.Arch studies at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where she minored in Art History and Italian Studies. Passionate about using design to make a positive impact on people’s lives, she credits her obsession with The Sims for setting her on the path towards architecture. Time spent living abroad in London, England and Florence, Italy fueled her appreciation for learning about the world through travel. She loves how design can tackle problems both big and small and is a fixture on Southern California beaches riding the waves or her trusty beach cruiser.

Past Team Members + Contributors

Jeffrey Ahn

Edward Anastas

Lauren Capuano

Bryan Chen

Nicholas S. Coleman

Brynn Garrett

Meredith Jensen

Susie Loewenstein

Alisa May

Lauren Matchison

Loren Perry

Thomas Pfister