OUR TEAM
Brian Stein, LEED AP
Owner/Principal
Brian has over 25 years of experience in high-end, custom residential and small commercial design , and specializes in highly-detailed homes and coastal residences. He is skilled in all phases of design, approvals, and construction administration. He has designed homes all over New England, Virginia, Colorado, Florida, Ohio and Alabama. Brian holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Cincinnati and a Certificate in Historic Preservation. He has worked in several well-known architecture firms from Martha’s Vineyard to Boston.
He currently serves on the Landmark School Board of Trustees. He is an active and founding member of the Hamilton Development Corporation and served as its President for 7 years. He was a member of the Hamilton Planning Board from 2010-2020, serving as Chairman the final 4 years. He previously served three years on the Hamilton Affordable Housing Trust. Brian enjoys spending time with his wife and three daughters, along with golfing, boating, overlanding and traveling
Chris Vance, AIA, MCPPO, LEED AP
Owner/Principal
Chris brings over 18 years of experience in the planning design and construction administration of educational, residential and commercial projects to this role as principal. With a Master of Architecture from the prestigious Boston Architectural College, he has been able to grow his passion throughout the years. He has strong management and communication skills including project scheduling, contractor supervision, budgeting and strategic problem solving. Chris is a passionate designer whose meticulous care is inspired by his enthusiasm for every aspect of his work and makes him an avid participant in field related conferences, tradeshows, and professional organizations. In addition, he spent four years on the Wenham Zoning Board of Appeals. Chris excels at building longstanding client relationships through trust, dedication, and reliability.
When not at the office, Chris enjoys spending time hiking, skiing and traveling with his son, daughter and wife.
Sandra Venus, AIA
Senior Project Architect
Sandra earned her BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and her Master of Architecture from the University of Washington in Seattle. She has experience working on a variety of project types ranging from higher education to residential. Her knowledge and ability to communicate constitutes her success in navigating the management of projects and leading teams through all phases of the design process. She is especially interested in multi-family projects as well as designing to meet energy stretch codes in the greater Boston area.
Sandra enjoys traveling with her husband and two sons, gardening and cooking up elaborate recipes over the weekends.
Todd Paratore
Senior Project Designer
Todd earned his BArch from the Boston Architectural College and is classically trained under the tutelage of his mentors, Donald Lococo, Eric I. Daum and John P. Margolis. He takes pride in accurately applying historical precedent while utilizing contemporary building materials and methods. Although he has spent the bulk of his career working within the various traditional languages, he also has substantive contemporary experience. At Vance Stein Todd designs and manages high-end residential projects, meets with clients and works with the rest of the team to develop high performance details that meet the aesthetic needs of the project.
Todd is a member of the Institute of Classical Architecture, has substantive construction field experience, is a single father, and enjoys sailing, hiking and building furniture.
Jessica Juncker
Project Manager/BIM Manager
Jessica is a detail oriented, team player with over 18 years of experience in design and construction. She received her Bachelor of Architectural Engineering from Wentworth Institute of Technology. Jessica brings her knowledge of the construction process and drafting protocol to Vance Stein where she translates it into a wide range of tasks. This includes, the production and management of residential and small commercial projects, maintenance of the office project database and the development and maintenance of the office Revit standards.
Jessica enjoys boating, camping and gardening during the warmer months along with a wide range of crafting during the colder winter months.
Claire Mullane
Project Manager
Claire has worked in the architecture and design field since her graduation from Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, MA in 2008. Prior to joining the team back in 2020, Claire had experience working on high end residential projects throughout New England and in commercial and educational building development. At Vance Stein she is involved in design development through construction documents for both residential and commercial projects.
Claire is mother to two young boys and spends her time keeping active with them. Between sports and school activities they love to travel, enjoy beach days, hiking & bike riding as a family.
Reme Pereira
Architectural Designer
Reme earned her BFA in Architectural Design in Boston at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, minoring in Sustainability. Her work at Vance Stein encompasses both residential and commercial projects, in all phases of development from schematic design to the completion of construction documents and details. She greatly enjoys finding new and creative ways to approach a design problem head on and find a solution that fits the needs, and attention to detail, that the project requires.
Outside of the office, Reme gains inspiration from her travel abroad, and photographing European architecture. She also loves to paint and enjoys finding and exploring new hiking trails in New England.
Christine Strayer
Interior Designer & Project Manager
With a Master in Architecture from Boston Architectural College, Christine is an Interior Designer with an architect’s eye. Her project experience ranges in size from 30,000sf to 160sf and through a range of project types spanning residential, food & beverage, hotel, and multifamily housing. She enjoys guiding clients through space planning, materials and FF&E selection to make their spaces their own.
Out of the office Christine and her husband own vacation rentals in Salem, MA and Rockport, ME. On weekends she can be found searching for treasures at antique markets, hiking or going on adventures with her family.
Bobby Mickle
Architectural Designer
Bobby recently received his Masters in Architecture at Boston Architectural College, and is continuing his passion for the field by studying for the Architectural Registration Exams. His journey in the industry began as a carpenter, creating high-end renovations and additions within the Greater Boston area. This experience provided him with a unique advantage of not only understanding how to design spaces but also possessing the knowledge to construct them.
Leveraging the experience accumulated over the years, Bobby finds joy in undertaking DIY projects at home. Primarily, he enjoys raising his 1-year-old son and instilling in him a life full of family and adventure.
IZZY PINZER
Interior Designer
Izzy earned her BFA in Interior Architecture in 2024 at Endicott College. At Vance Stein she is involved in the interior design in both residential and commercial projects, along with rendering, 3D modeling, and marketing. She is passionate about rendering and enjoys using Enscape as a tool to help clients envision their space. She takes a lot of inspiration from her semester abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark.
When not in the office, Izzy can be found spending time with her dogs Bean and Lilac, with friends and family, baking, and volunteering at a local shelter.
