From the time he built a scale model of an ancient Roman villa for a fifth-grade history project, Brett knew he wanted to be an architect—and never veered from that path. He’s been at Perkins Eastman ever since earning his master’s degree with a certificate in urban design from the University of Maryland in 2010. After gaining early experience in large-scale urban design in the US and internationally, he has specialized in mixed-use and mixed-income multifamily projects since 2012, and now serves as the co-practice leader for Residential, both firmwide and for the Washington, DC, studio.

Brett primarily works on challenging urban sites throughout the United States, and thrives on the complexity of these projects, particularly where they involve close engagement with the community and the pursuit of creative solutions that balance the needs of the client, community stakeholders, and the greater urban area where the project is located. “As challenging as that engagement process can be, in the end, projects have always ended up better than they were on the first pass,” Brett says. “It’s building into the process an opportunity to continually refine and challenge our original assumptions.” The mark of a successful project, he adds, is when a residential development creates a new internal community for residents, while also contributing to the vibrancy and vitality of the surrounding neighborhood.

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Brett leads design vision and business development for the Residential team. He also serves as an ambassador for Perkins Eastman on the Housing Council of the Urban Land Institute’s DC chapter and the Housing Committee of the DC Building Industry Association.