Judy Grundstrom, AIA / CID
Principal
IOTA firm principal and founder, Judy is a straight shooting, can-do architect who loves to talk with people. If you spend a little time with her, you will discover that Judy thinks good architects are simply highly educated “problem solvers” who find creative solutions to meet people’s needs. The first step in that process means listening to the clients and stakeholders for a project and facilitating the creation of priorities and goals that will direct the design process from beginning to end. Judy's background in corporate and community branding strategies will assist in arriving at a powerful and cohesive place making strategy that impacts signage, graphics, public art, and the broad range of elements, materials, and fixtures that constitute the built environment.
Over the past ten years, Judy Grundstrom has amassed a portfolio of awards and award winning projects for national clients, ranging from cultural places like the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum to corporate work environments for sophisticated clients like General Mills.
Born in Canada to British parents, Judy has traveled all over the world and has a unique multi-cultural perspective. She currently lives in the Diamond Lake neighborhood of Minneapolis with her husband Rob and their two children.
For the quality of her work and her leadership in community based design and advocacy, Judy was recently named one the Minneapolis and St Paul Business Journal’s 40 Under Forty.
Kate Speckmann, Assoc. AIA / LEED AP
Business Development and Design
Kate is an inventive and creative problem solver with flexibility, drive and focus on achieving goals. Following her architectural education, Kate went rogue for a couple of years working outside the industry gaining market intelligence and interdisciplinary skills. Her love of design eventually called her back to the industry where she now leads the business management and sustainable design side of IOTA. Kate has a strong aptitude for working with people, understanding their needs and desires, and finding innovative ways of translating them into their projects. A LEED Accredited Professional, Kate is well versed in designing environmentally friendly spaces. Regardless of the particular goals and requirements for individual buildings, her commitment to sustainable design and best building practices are integrated into every project IOTA works on.
A native of the Twin Cities, Kate has a passion for community involvement and has a hard time saying “no” to a worthy cause. Her many volunteer projects include: serving as the Chair for the TwinWest Emerging Leaders program, on the board of the Minnesota Orchestra Crescendo Project, and volunteering in the Ad-Prep Program at the Animal Humane Society in addition to her design community involvement with the with the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Urban Land Institute (ULI), and USGBC (United States Green Building Council).
Lauren Rath, Assoc. AIA
Design Studio Manager
A talented designer with broad experience and roots in urban environments, Lauren fearlessly provides leadership and innovative direction to the Design Studio of IOTA. Regardless of the size or type of project, Lauren is dedicated to the details. She has a keen eye for graphics and hands on experience improving the public’s interaction with the built environment by incorporating interactive building technologies and signage. These qualities, along with her ability to listen attentively to clients and input their feedback into her designs, make her a valuable team leader. She is passionate about seeing possibilities and trying out a range of solutions while working with clients to find a customized design for their project. She strives to use space, materials and light to bring some whimsy and playfulness into peoples daily lives, and believes wholeheartedly in the power of design.
A native of Minnesota and educated by way of the University of California Berkeley, Lauren has already been recognized for her design aptitude and particular interest in urban environments. Lauren’s commitment and passion for this type of work has been acknowledged as a recipient of the Gadsby-Trudget Scholarship, awarded to students showing special talent and interest in environmental and urban design, and a FusedSpace finalist for her work using technology to help people relate to the city and urban environments.
Alexander (Zander) Watchman,
Assoc. AIA
Designer
A recent graduate of the University of Minnesota Architecture program, Zander is the IOTA designer most likely to survive the pending technological apocalypse. But seriously, Zander is an exceptional spatial thinker with striking abilities in 3D modeling, both physical and digital. He is capable in nearly every modeling program, including programs he writes himself. He feels that architecture is nothing without a practical way to make a concept exist in the real world.
Born in Minnesota, Zander’s family is from Denmark, where he travels often and in fact speaks fluent Danish (but just realized nobody else here does). Zander is inspired by modern Scandinavian architecture, forging a link between the clean lines and boxy spaces of modernist architecture with local materials and building traditions.
Charles Edvaard-Carlson, Allied AIA MN
Director of Operations
With a background in communications and organizational management, Charles provides invaluable project marketing and public relations assistance to the design team at IOTA. Having lived all over the world and with fluency in four languages, Charles brings an international flare and perspective to the team. A Tweed Scholar having studied Economics and International Relations at Princeton University, Charles now joins us here in Minnesota studying Business Administration at the Carlson School of Management. With special skills in organizational efficiency, Charles helps the IOTA team with the one piece of technology they are still a bit mystified by: the shared calendar. Although a bit like herding cats at times, Charles is vital to operational and organizational success of the IOTA designers.