A diverse skill set

Chris Peck, AIA, PE

Founder

Since PECK’s inception Chris has created a creative multi-disciplinary environment that has blossomed into the PECK Architecture Structural and Civil team. Like Chris, the architects and engineers are not afraid to tackle the hard stuff and leave nothing to assumption. PECK has grown under his leadership, by applying intelligence in design to all projects.

Chris is guiding PECK to become best in class in Southern California for hillside work and is also expanding the firm’s offerings to mid-rise commercial, multi-family and mixed use projects, expanding the commercial/industrial client base, and partnering with other architects and designers to complete some of the best design work in the City of Los Angeles and beyond.

Prior to starting PECK, Chris gained experience in High Rise Structural with Severud in New York and SOM in London, Civil Engineering at Thor Engineers, and Architectural Design with Mark Mack, Morphosis, Barton Myers, and Roger Sherman in Los Angeles.

Educated at UCLA in Architecture, Princeton University in Structural Engineering, and Lafayette College in Civil Engineering, he is well versed in the underpinnings of these three disciplines. He has been a guest lecturer at the University of San Diego in Sustainable Urban Planning in 2015 and 2016. Active in the City of Pasadena, the AIA, ASCE, and Pasadena Heritage, he has lectured to promote understanding of historic architecture, and he supports local charities such as Five Acres, LA Conservancy, and Pasadena Heritage. On any given weekend you might find him biking the LA river trails to the ocean, hiking Mount Wilson, or competing in triathlons.

Diana Djoneva, PE

Senior Project Engineer

Diana joined PECK in 2015 as a Senior Project Engineer bringing 20+ years of professional, civil, and structural engineering experience for residential, commercial, institutional, educational, hospitality and healthcare developments, as well as public improvements and infrastructure projects. At PECK she leads some of our most challenging civil and structural projects from inception through construction and completion. She prefers intricate and complex projects and has experience working on multi-family and commercial projects, hillside developments, custom luxury homes, DSA and OSHPD projects, and LEED-certified projects.

Diana is licensed as a Civil Engineer in California with a M.S. in Civil Engineering from University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy in Sofia, Bulgaria. She is registered with the California Emergency Management Agency (CAL EMA) to assist the public in case of emergency and disaster and assess the safety of buildings and other structures. In addition, she is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Structural Engineering Institute (SEI), and National Association of Professional Women (NAPW). In her spare time you will find Diana shredding the ski slopes.

Justin Bernhoft, PE

Senior Project Engineer

Justin is a Senior Project Engineer at PECK, who has been an integral part of the PECK team since 2001. Justin performs complex calculations and oversees the production of drawings for both structural and civil projects for our commercial clients including Southern California Edison, Sempra, Haronian Medical Offices, and Ridley Scott Studios as well as for numerous residential customers throughout Southern California. He coordinates with architects to create efficient designs, interprets structural and civil codes to ensure compliance, interacts with city building departments, and performs structural observations. Prior to PECK, Justin worked in the surveying, structural and civil design departments at DuBose & Associates in Toledo, Ohio.

Justin earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Toledo and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of California.

As a boy Justin was fascinated by how rollercoasters were built, and he decided then to become a structural engineer. If Justin’s smiling face looks familiar, it may be because you saw him on the HGTV House Hunter’s Renovation program providing structural advice to some anxious clients.

Alex Zlotnik, PE QSD

Senior Project Engineer

Alex joined PECK’s civil practice in 2014, coming to us with over fifteen years of civil engineering experience including work at TTG and AECOM. As a Senior Project Engineer, Alex manages all aspects of civil land development projects including public works B permit Plans for roadway and utility improvements, on-site grading, drainage, utility design, erosion control, storm water pollution and prevention plans, and cost estimates.

At PECK, Alex handles the largest grading projects and has become an expert in Los Angeles hillside ordinances which contain complex provisions relating to grading quantities, retaining wall limitations, haul routes and various zoning code limitations. Alex coordinates with municipalities, city agencies and utilities to coordinate public works projects and creates the connections required for private developments.

He graduated from Gomel State Road-Building College in Belarus with an engineering degree. Alex has earned both his Professional Engineering certification and Qualified SWPPP Developer certification for the State of California.

Christian Langmuir Foster

Senior Staff Architect

Christian is a Senior Staff Architect at PECK focusing on our high-end residential projects. She joined us in 2014 with over 15 years of residential architecture experience in new construction and addition/renovations. Her prior experience is with Graham Gund Architects in Boston, Hodgetts+Fung in Los Angeles, DMJM Rottet in Los Angeles, and in partnership with her mother, Jane K. Langmuir, an architect and adjunct professor at the Rhode Island School of Design.

She was a member of the Rhode Island School of Design’s Universal Kitchen project, which challenged assumptions of residential kitchen design and created innovative ideas of how to design a smarter, more efficient kitchen. Maytag Corporation was so impressed with the prototypes that it purchased the exclusive rights to the Universal Kitchen from RISD and Christian helped take these prototypes to market.

At PECK, Christian is involved in all aspects of residential architecture design and serves as our kitchen design expert. She recently completed two historic renovation projects in South Pasadena and is currently managing three hillside residential projects with an emphasis on space planning, site design and architectural design.

Christian earned a B.A. from Tufts University in Art History and a master’s degree in Architecture from UCLA. When she isn’t designing, you can find her hiking, painting, or spending time with her three children..

Amber Gao

Senior Project Architect

Amber is a Senior Project Architect at PECK focusing on high-end residential projects. She joined us in 2022 with over 10 years of architecture experience in the U.S. on various projects involving high-rise commercial, multi-family, mixed-use and office campuses.

At PECK, Amber is involved in all aspects of residential architecture design. She is currently leading two hillside residential projects. She is extremely detail-oriented and has strong design and problem-solving skills that enable her to complete her projects to the highest standards in the industry.

Prior to PECK, Amber gained architectural and interior design experience in Jerde and DiMarzio | Kato Architecture in Los Angeles. Amber comes from a family with strong traditions in design. Her father was a professor of Art & Design in college and is now an expert judge for architecture and interior competitions. Amber earned a Bachelor of Architecture from Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture. She participated in two Graduate Programs and earned a Master of Architecture from University of Southern California.

Amber was born and grew up in Beijing, China, and is fluent in Mandarin. She enjoys spending time with her son, painting watercolors, oil pastels, and playing tennis.

Reni Grigorova

Consulting Senior Project Architect

Reni joined PECK in 2015 as an architect bringing 10 years of professional experience for residential, commercial, educational and sporting developments, as well as industrial and manufacturing projects. At PECK she leads the production work on some of our most challenging residential hillside development homes and commercial projects. She has worked most recently on residential projects including Bellagio, Wallace Ridge, Mockingbird and Blue Jay Way.

Reni is a licensed Architect in Europe and California and is certified as a Project Manager Professional (PMP), from the Project Management Institute in the US. She received a Master of Architecture from Sofia’s University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy.

In 2010 she established her own Architecture studio, Ardist, in Bulgaria, Europe and she has previously worked with JP Molyneux in New York City.

Reni comes from a family with strong traditions in design and construction, and is continuously seeking new challenges in the areas of design, sustainability and the built environment.

Phillip Gerard Olive

Architectural Project Manager

Phillip has been an architect at PECK since 2005. Currently, he is our most senior Architectural Project Manager. His experience includes performing research, design, permitting, construction documentation, and construction administration for our residential projects, commercial tenant improvement projects, and site development projects. He works closely with our clients to understand their objectives and translates that into a program and design that fits the client’s values and style along with the site and structure’s heritage.

He served as the architecture project manager for the Butler Residence, a log cabin house renovation that was featured in C Magazine. He developed, permitted and implemented the re-design of a minimalist modern pool house with rooftop deck in Trousdale Estates in Beverly Hills. He also implemented the design of the Monopole Wine Shop in Pasadena, a retail tenant improvement project involving intricate wood millwork displays and a wine service bar. Prior to PECK, Phillip worked at Fasola Architects in Manhattan Beach.

Phillip graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Business Economics and attended SCI-Arc in Los Angeles. He is a Pasadena native who enjoys woodworking, furniture design, photography, poetry and music. He especially appreciates when art becomes a part of everyday life.

Vahe Khachikian

Engineering Designer

Vahe is an Engineering Designer for PECK Civil and PECK Structural. He joined the practice in early 2015 and has been an integral member of the team, designing Low Impact Development Solutions, calculating grading quantities, designing hillside remediation solutions, storm water pump systems and complex hillside structural retaining walls. Currently Vahe is managing several projects in the Los Angeles and Beverly Hills jurisdictions. Prior to PECK, he started his career as a draftsman at Trencode and subsequently became an engineering designer.

Vahe is a graduate of Cal Poly Pomona with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering. When Vahe was young, he remembers seeing a well-dressed engineer at a construction site wearing a yellow hard hat. He knew right then that he wanted to be a civil engineer to build things and look good while doing it. When not working, you can find him in the wilderness camping or fishing which he would prefer over a sunny beach any day.

Steve Mai

Architectural Designer

Steve joined PECK in 2016 as an Architectural Designer. At PECK he develops precision design details for high-end residential homes and produces and manages construction documentation. His recent efforts and works include the Stradella Road and Wallace Ridge projects. Prior to joining PECK, Steve gained nine years design experience working in the healthcare industry as an architectural staff member at Liebke Architects whose clients include Kaiser Permanente, Cedars Sinai, and UC Irvine Hospital.

Steve studied Civil Engineering at California State University Long Beach and has an associate’s degree in Architectural Design & Technology at Golden West College. Currently, he is taking architect registration exams for his California architect license. Steve is an enthusiastic member of our team who is very creative and has a strong passion for residential design.

Alex Bieliaiev

Civil Engineer

Alex joined PECK in 2017 as a Civil Engineer. He is an assistant to Senior Engineering Staff and works on the preparation of structural plans and details. He has worked most recently on residential hillside projects including Mockingbird Place, Bel Air Road, and Beverly Park.

Alex received a Master of Science in Civil Engineering degree, with Honors, from the National Kiev University of Construction and Architecture, Kiev, Ukraine and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Mykolaiv Building College, Mykolaiv, Ukraine. His previous work includes roles with Walt Johnson Construction, Inc., Zodchiy, and the Obolon Project, Kiev Ukraine. He has also taught courses in Engineering at the University level.

In his leisure, Alex enjoys playing soccer, traveling, and visiting architectural landmarks.

Lei Zhuo

Architectural Designer

Lei joined PECK as an Architect intern and was promoted to Architectural Draftsperson in 2018 and Architectural Designer in 2021. He is an assistant to Senior Staff on residential and commercial architecture projects where he oversees computer visualization during the concept and schematic design phases. He has worked most recently on residential hillside projects including Robinson and Glenalbyn Lot Residences, and commercial projects including the Sterling Draft Building in Toronto.

Lei received a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Southern California, a Master of Architecture degree from Nanjing University of Technology, and a Bachelor of Architecture from Sanjiang University. His previous work includes design roles with Architects Orange, 5+ Design and Yan Huang Architecture Design Co. Ltd of Nanjing, China.

Lei is a Chinese National and is fluent in both spoken and written Mandarin. In his leisure, Lei enjoys spending time playing and following sports and water color painting.

Kerri Van Auken

Office Administrator

Kerri joined PECK in early 2017 and serves as a PA to Chris Peck, and office administrator to the professional staff.  Kerri brings a sunny disposition, and excellent problem solving skills, backed by several years’ office administration experience to CM Peck. Originally from Seattle, Kerri is a lifelong artist and holds an MFA in Theatre Performance. When not engaged in her administrative work, she writes and performs stand-up comedy around the greater Los Angeles area. Additionally, she teaches improvisation and comedy techniques to students of the elementary age all the way up through Master’s level candidates. In her other spare time, she explores her cooking passion by teaching kids’ cooking classes with Kitchen Kid, a mobile cooking school and summer camp.

Joan Hearst

Bookkeeper

Joan has been at PECK since 2003 first serving as our Office Manager and now as our Bookkeeper. She has been instrumental in creating the new database to streamline accounting, book keeping, and job tracking practices at PECK.

Joan has a B.S. in Administrative Management and is certified in Risk Management from the Insurance Institute of America. She is an active volunteer and leader in several Pasadena organizations including Pasadena Heritage, West Pasadena Resident’s Association and San Rafael Library Associates. When she isn’t managing our books, you can find her playing bridge, advocating for open spaces in local communities, or watching her four grandchildren play sports.