Team

Originally from East Tennessee, Brad earned a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Tennessee in 2006. Over the past 15 years, in a wide range of offices, Brad has worked on projects as large as the Music City Center and as small as holiday cards. He is licensed in Tennessee, an AIA ,and National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) certified. Brad enjoys the opportunity to dovetail the art and architecture worlds. From reviewing academic projects to working on professional projects that bolster Nashville’s artist communities, Brad finds inspiration on both sides of the equation.

Lesley came to Nashville in 2005 after working many years as an architect in Mississippi. He has been a part of the MZA team since arriving and has seen the firm grow from six people working on smaller projects to the vibrant multidisciplinary place it is today. During that time he has designed a wide variety of building types in a breadth of architectural styles including single family residential, multi-family, office, medical, and hospitality. Lesley is a registered architect in Tennessee and is National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) certified.

Manuel established Manuel Zeitlin Architects after moving back to Nashville in 1981. He is a past Chairman of the Interior Design Department at O'More College of Design in Franklin, TN, and former Commissioner of the Franklin Historic District Commission in Franklin, TN. A Nashville native, Manuel received a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture in 1976 from Washington University in St. Louis and a Bachelor of Architecture in 1981 from the Boston Architectural Center in Boston. Registered in Tennessee and Arkansas, Manuel is certified with the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), is an American Institute of Architects (AIA) member, and has received LEED AP from the US Green Building Council (USGBC).

Ethan studied architecture at The University of Tennessee and abroad in Krakow Poland. He joined MZA in 2013 when he relocated to Nashville from Hawaii with his family. He is a licensed architect in Tennessee, Colorado, and Hawaii and is National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) certified, a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and a LEED accredited professional. Several of the projects Ethan has led while with MZA have received AIA Middle TN design awards. Prior to joining MZA, he owned and operated his own architectural firm in Honolulu.

With Nashville roots that extend back to 1990, Andy joined MZA in 2015. He is a registered architect in Tennessee, National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) certified, and a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). He has managed educational, residential, commercial, and hospitality projects. Andy earned his B.A. in English at Vanderbilt University (1994) and then spent a decade in the construction industry with an emphasis on historic restoration. He completed his Master’s in Architecture at Boston Architectural College (2010), where he graduated at the top of his class. He is a board member of the Crieve Hall Neighborhood Association, organizes and operates the Crieve Hall farmers market, and reviews student portfolios for Boston Architectural College.

Nelle joined MZA in 2015. An East Tennessee native, she earned her Master of Architecture at Tulane University in 2002 before relocating to Nashville in 2005. She has designed and managed commercial, educational, residential, historic, and adaptive re-use projects. Nelle is a LEED Accredited Professional with specialization in Building Design and Construction through the USGBC.

In addition to her architectural career, Nelle has designed soldered and beaded jewelry for private and retail commission since 1993. Her work has sold in retail shops in Tennessee, Virginia, and Louisiana. In Nashville, her pieces have sold at the Frist Art Museum Gift Shop, where she has been a featured local artist during a Museum Member Preview Event.

Chris graduated from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor's of Architecture in 2004. He is a registered architect in Tennessee and North Carolina, National Council of Architectural Registration  Boards (NCARB) certified, and a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Chris is a former head of his neighborhood’s Architecture Committee, where he was tasked with reviewing, commenting on, and approving local construction projects. His past and current design projects range from conceptual carport additions to adaptive reuse to large scale master planning; and he’s been the lead designer or assisted on projects in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Georgia. 

Matt is a Virginia native who has lived in Nashville since 1995. Prior to becoming MZA’s office manager in 2007, he attended the University of South Carolina and owned and operated a pioneering independent record store in Nashville’s 12 South neighborhood.

Juliana hails from Upstate New York where she received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Cornell University’s Interior Design program. Following graduate school, she worked at a historic preservation architecture firm in Syracuse, NY on projects including Main Street façade programs, religious properties, and housing rehabilitation.

Music brought Juliana to Nashville, where she joined MZA in 2016. Her design work ranges from large scale hospitality interiors, educational facilities, adaptive reuse projects, and residential properties. She relocated to Chicago with her husband and two cats. Juliana loves creating and being surrounded by art, has been known to wrangle the occasional sourdough loaf, and cares deeply about her footprint on this earth.

Scott joined MZA in 2016 after moving to Nashville from Boston. He brings a strong educational and professional background in architecture and design. His professional education includes a Bachelor of Environmental Design from the University of Colorado and Master of Architecture from the Boston Architectural College. In addition to his residential, commercial and institutional work at architectural firms in Boston and Nashville, his design experience includes designing and installing green roofs, working under the ADA on universal and accessible design projects, and developing prospective residential projects for the City of Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development.

Caroline joined MZA in 2020.  She moved to Nashville in 2017 after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Architecture.  She has experience working in hospitality, commercial, institutional, mixed use multi-family, and residential design for firms in Nashville and New York City.  She loves collaborating with local makers and artists on projects and is passionate about contributing positively to the growing, changing urban fabric of Nashville.

Caroline is also a proud dog mom to Mila, who loves to go to work and can usually be found napping under her desk.

A graduate of the University of Kentucky and Columbia University, Mark joined MZA in 2004 after moving his family from NYC to Nashville. He was attracted to MZA by the work variety, the opportunity for greater work-life integration, and the joy of never knowing what tomorrow brings. Mark is involved in the community through public schools, having served as PTO president at his kids’ schools for 3 years, and through Boy Scouts as a District Committee member. Mark seeks out project types that don’t neatly fit into a box and that challenge what we’ve “tried before.” He is a licensed architect in Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, and Tennessee and is National Council of Architectural Registration  Boards (NCARB) certified.