We are excited to announce and celebrate our newest Associates – Lindsay Abati (LA,) Matt Beaton (MB,) and Sandra Saldaña (SS)!

Lindsay Abati is an Architect and Project Manager in the firm’s Austin office. Since joining Nelsen Partners in 2016, Lindsay has managed several of the firm’s mixed-use, multi-family and office projects, including The Colony and 1111 W. 6th Street. In addition to her architectural work, she is dedicated to developing the firm’s BIM program. Lindsay’s passion and architectural experience lie within the materialization of an idea into a tangible experience.

Since joining Nelsen Partners’ Austin office in 2015, Matthew Beaton has led project teams for several affordable and market-rate mixed-use and multi-family projects, including a new mixed-use residential building on North Lamar Boulevard and the redevelopment of the RBJ Center Senior Apartments and Chalmers Courts in east Austin. Previously, he worked for several years in Chicago, focusing on urban affordable and senior housing projects. Matt is actively involved in the local community, promoting affordable housing and sustainable urbanism in Austin.

As Director of Administration, Sandra Saldaña focuses on human resources, technology, and management systems. Her 20 years in the industry is supported by her Master’s in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Texas and Bachelor’s in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management from Florida State University. Since joining Nelsen Partners in 2004, Sandra has come to play an essential role in the overall success of both the Austin and Scottsdale studios. From Austin, she engages in operational, marketing, technical, and human resource systems and strategies that contribute to the firm’s short and long-term planning.

Lindsay, Matt, and Sandra will join our firm’s leadership team from the Austin studio. Take a minute to learn which of them doesn't like (spoiler alert!) the Eames Lounge Chair, who's a post-it addict, who's taking the whole studio to Amsterdam for a field trip, and which of them brought in some new fur-chitects into our studio. Find out more below!

Warning: Don't read if you haven't had lunch.

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Where did you go to school?

• LA: The University of Florida
• MB: Texas A&M, then University of Illinois in Chicago.
• SS: Undergrad at Florida State + Masters at UT Austin

Favorite designer chair?

• LA: Eames Lounge
• MB: Eames molded plywood lounge chair.
• SS: I've always liked the Eames Lounge Chair

What's the first thing you do when you arrive to the office?

• LA: COFFEE.
• MB: Frantically try to figure out what meetings I have coming up.
• SS: Pick out something to listen to and check email.

What's the most interesting project you've ever worked on, and why?

• LA: The adaptive reuse of a Daniel Burnham banking building in downtown Chicago. Most interesting (and a little spooky) because during demoliton we uncovered massive bank vaults, skylights and clerestory spaces that had been covered for years.
• MB: Probably Chalmers Courts; it is fascinating to work with the residents and the client to envision the future of affordable housing in east Austin.
• SS: In my admin capacity at Nelsen Partners, it's been interesting to learn and implement a new accounting/project management software.

Where would you build your dream house?

• LA: Marfa.
• MB: In the middle of a dense city, walking distance to everything.
• SS: Nestled in the trees overlooking a river or lake some place not too hot or cold.

How many years have you been working at Nelsen Partners?

• LA: 3 years.
• MB: Four.
• SS: 15.

When not at work, what do we find you doing?

• LA: Swimming at Deep Eddy
• MB: Gardening, bicycling, drinking beer outside, exploring the neighborhood, cooking.
• SS: Sloooowly running around Ladybird Lake with my 2 young kiddos (double strollers are heavy, y'all).

Deconstruct your favorite taco. (Details, please.)

• LA: Flour Tortilla, Eggs, Picadillo, Avocado.
• MB: Al pastor pork, diced onions and cilantro on a homemade flour tortilla with just a bit of really hot green sauce. Simple.
• SS: Flour tortilla, refried pinto beans, rice, avocado, escabeche and cabbage, topped with spicy salsa and a little queso.

Favorite office tool/equipment?

• LA: Revit (too obvious?)
• MB: Trace paper and graph paper.
• SS: Are post-it notes a 'tool'?

If you could lead a field trip for our studio-mates where would you take us?

• LA: Hong Kong, why not?
• MB: Amsterdam or Copenhagen, to experience a compact, walkable city.
• SS: Jester King Brewery :)

If Nelsen Partners had an office pet, what would it be and what would you name it?

• LA: A Toy Poodle named Doodle
• MB: An armadillo named Dudley.
• SS: A really friendly, but chill golden retriever named Joe.