Studio Combine thrives on complex
problem-solving.
Studio Combine’s lean format enables us to operate with more efficiency, practice with greater agility, and pursue more productive relationships. Our mission is to guide impactful design and realize each project’s potential. We listen closely, test vigorously, and boil decision-points down to clear, legible terms. Internal rigor smooths the process for the rest of the team. Discussions, workshops, and design reviews are accessible and productive. In our experience, cool heads and comfortable competence foster a can-do attitude, no matter how daunting the challenge.
Andrew Ballard
Principal
I founded Studio Combine in 2020 to focus on intensive, meaningful projects locally and nationally. It is a joy to apply my experience realizing high-end residences, crafting performance venues, developing food services, and planning flexible, landscape-oriented campus experiences. My education includes an A.B. in Architecture from Princeton University and an M.Arch from UC Berkeley. My work experience spans both coasts and extends across the pond. I grew up in North Carolina and feel quite at home now in the Midwest. Sure do like to travel, though.
Jim Zeller
Design, BIM Management
Originally from Illinois, Jim earned a B.Arch from Iowa State University while taking an interest in computational design and contributing to DATUM, the school’s architecture publication. He has since worked his way around the Midwest contributing to a host of local and national projects. He brings a wealth of experience to the team in terms of design, documentation, and collaborative coordination. Jim deepens Studio Combine’s capacity to efficiently execute larger, more complex projects. Based in Minneapolis, Jim takes a continued active interest in computational design and computer scripting.
Daniel Leira
Design, Visualization
Daniel brings nimble intelligence and international experience to Studio Combine. His family’s roots are in Spain, where he was born and to which he returned for summer apprenticeships during college. At Iowa State, Daniel guided fellow students as a peer mentor and contributed to pedagogical research and symposia. He studied abroad at the Technical University of Delft in the Netherlands. To Daniel, powerful design responds concisely to complex conditions. He sees architecture’s highest value as enriching the public realm and enhancing community experiences. His professional-grade photography skills have proven to be a strong bonus. We feel a strong incentive to do good work so he can point his lens at it.
H.A. White General Store and House
Headquarters
Our HQ graces the National Register of Historic Places. We absolutely love this building. She deeply informs our thoughts on time and place. The store’s central portion was completed in 1876. At least three additions were built in subsequent years to support North Liberty’s only commercial enterprise between 1876 and 1889. H.A. White served as the local postmaster here from 1877 through 1888 and Dr. James Polk Von Stein boarded and had his office from 1879 to 1891. Per North Liberty’s Comprehensive Plan, our City intends to restore our neighborhood as a walkable, medium-density core. Studio Combine and our neighbors are very much in tune with this goal. Looking forward to what we can create together.
Inigo Montoya
Technical Support(?)
Inigo is an unpaid intern landshark and brings with him no experience whatsoever. He performs the opposite of janitorial services and in his spare time is studying how not to bark at valued clients he has previously approved through treats. Leads the office in sitting and shaking `{`now with high-fives!`}`. Customer service is second to none...unless those customers are cat people, which honestly can’t be helped. His zoomies are quite fast. He is quite cuddly. His favorite color is food.