mat gradias
mat@wag-arc.com
Mat Gradias is a 4th generation Santa Barbaran. He attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo receiving his Bachelors degree in Architecture in 2000. In addition to his time at Cal Poly, Mat earned the opportunity to study abroad in the Beaux Arts tradition at the Ecole d’Art Americaines de Fountainbleau in Fountainbleau, France. It was there that he was awarded the Marion Turnon-Branly award for excellence in architecture. This award gave him the opportunity to return to France in 2000 to work as a student liaison for the Ecole.
Mat’s professional career has taken him to San Francisco, Portland and back to Santa Barbara. As part of an internship program Mat was given the opportunity to work on a variety of projects while in the office of David Baker and Associates. After graduation in 2000, Mat returned to Santa Barbara to work with Andy Neumann Architect. It was here that Mat worked on several high-end award winning residential projects in addition to the Discovery Pavilion for the Santa Barbara Zoo.
After this year long experience with Andy Neumann, Mat moved to Portland, Oregon in 2001 to work in the office of Zimmer Gunsul Frasca. While at ZGF, Mat worked on the design team for both the Pioneer Place Ice Rink; a modular and seasonal structure in the heart of downtown Portland, and the Legacy Health Systems Salmon Creek Hospital; a 220 bed state of the art regional hospital.
In 2003 he and his wife Jean, an elementary school teacher, returned home to Santa Barbara. Upon his return, Mat worked for Neumann Mendro Andrulaitis Architects. While there he managed several high-end residential projects coordinating with numerous consultants and design team members. In 2006 Mat earned an Associate position at the firm.
In 2008 Mat started, studio em:gee, a residential design studio. Mat has been involved in numerous career day seminars at local schools as well as a number of in class art workshops for local elementary schools. When not working, Mat spends time fly-fishing and hiking with his lovely wife and daughter.