PEOPLE

Our Greatest Asset

We know that people are our greatest asset. This is why we bring together the right people with skills catered to each project’s needs. Our talented and diverse staff include world class architects, interior designers, and illustrators that are continuously growing through professional and educational advancement programs. That same culture of diversity, teamwork, and personal growth extends to our deep network of specialized, collaborative consultants.

Shellie Curry

President / Owner / Founder

With over 30 years of practice, Shellie Curry’s passion for architecture inspires him to take each project to its highest level of design and efficiency. A specialist in working with extremely tight budgets, he constantly reminds his staff, “We always have the proportions; ideal proportions don’t cost anything, yet they are everything to the architecture.” Shellie received his Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree from the University of Texas in Arlington and his Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania.
NESTOR ZABALA

Principal

Nestor Zabala brings an extraordinary amount of zeal and playfulness to his projects, as can be seen in the Silo.5 Wine Bar, Aggio’s of Power Plant Live Baltimore, and the newly debuted Nacho Mama’s Towson. His commitment to the environment has also brought our firm wide recognition in the completion of several sustainable projects such as the CHAI building for The Associated Jewish Charities and the new Maryland MVA Hilltop facility. Nestor has over 16 years of experience in architecture and interior design and heads the firms interior design department. He received his Bachelor of Design in Architecture from the University of Florida and his Master of Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin.
VICTORIA LESTER

ASID, CID

Director of Operations / Interior Designer

After receiving her degree in interior design, Vickie worked for an architectural firm in the design and production of both residential and commercial projects. After gaining a sound knowledge of architecture, she moved on to work with some of the best interior design firms in the region. Having over 10 years of experience in both interior design and architecture allows her to bring the best of both worlds to her projects and has lead to the publication of her award winning projects in both Chesapeake Home and Baltimore Magazine. Vickie received her interior design degree from the Bradley Academy for the Visual Arts in York, PA and is a NCIDQ certified interior designer.
Desire Soedharmo

NCARB

Project Manager

Desire has over fourteen years of experience working in multiple project types and phases. She has served as project manager from schematic start to construction administration, and she excels in client services, design, and technical drawings. Desire is a talented designer as well as a proficient technician. Desire received her Bachelor of Architecture degree from Tarumangara University in Jakarta, Indonesia.
RYAN RUMBAOA

Project Designer

In his fifteenth year in Architecture, Ryan has always been focused on achieving great design while having fun doing it. He joins our team as a registered foreign architect from the Philippines, with exposure to a number of different project types. He conceives and implements major and minor projects from conceptualization through documentation. His bright disposition radiates during design collaboration which spills over into consultant coordination and client relations. As an inspired designer he is resourceful, optimistic, and sensible.
DEVON VALLELY

Project Coordinator

Devon recently received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Maryland and provides a fresh and unique way of thinking for the firm. With an engineering background, Devon is able to use his experience to bridge the gap between Architecture and Engineering in order to efficiently and effectively complete projects. New into the field, Devon is excited to contribute to our growing firm.
JASON FISCHER

Jr. Interior Designer

Jason is eagerly starting his career at Curry Architects. Having recently graduated with an Associates of Applied Science in Interior Design from the Community College of Baltimore County, Jason has spent three years as part of the American Society of Interior Designers CCBC Charter Board organizing events and coordinating with professionals and fellow students. His acute organization skills and feel for design aided him in the creation of a custom toile textile in the Made in America: All American House 2016 Competition where his team earned the Best Use of Materials and top Best in Design awards.
MICHELLE SMITH

RA, NCARB

Project Architect

As registered architect with 18 years of experience working in Maryland, New Mexico and Wisconsin, Michelle brings a portfolio that includes a variety of building types, construction detailing skills and many different team experiences to inform each project at Curry. Past projects include higher education buildings such as a school of business with a state of the art moot courtroom, gymnasium, dining facilities and dormitories. She has also enjoyed working with a variety of clients such as local school districts, fire departments, law offices and home owners who were renovating their classic Baltimore row homes. Outside of the office, Michelle enjoys being an advocate in the special needs community, a “Family as Faculty” participant with 2 local medical schools and she is conversant in American Sign Language. The youngest of 7, Michelle followed both of her brothers into the profession of architecture and received her BARCH degree from the University of Minnesota.
Claudia Humphrey

Project Designer

Claudia received her BS in Architectural Technology and AAS in Interior Design from the State University of New York College of Technology in Alfred, NY. Since relocating to Maryland, she has over 10 years of experience in retail and restaurant design with projects in the greater DC and Baltimore areas. With her experience on branded concepts, first-time restaurants, and any hybrid in between, she has gained an attention to detail and a project management style that is well-suited to interior architecture and the fast-paced schedule of retail concept development.
Karen Salvo

Accounting Manager

Karen brings over 15 years of experience in the accounting field with various organizations. She specializes in Enterprise application software and has implemented new tools for increasing efficiencies throughout the office. Karen has a degree in French and Psychology.
Joe Wang

Project Coordinator

Joe Wang holds a master of architecture degree from Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan and a bachelor of architecture degree from Guangzhou University in China. He is a master at 3D visualization and illustration with a great sensibility for capturing the particular essence of environments through a wide variety software platforms. In addition to his architecture and 3D visualization background, he also has experience in digital fabrication and manufacturing. His design approach is minimalistic with a ‘less is more’ design aesthetic.
Alisa Holmes

Project Designer

Alisa received her BS in Architecture and Environmental Design, as well as her Master of Architecture (2015) from Morgan State University. She has 10 years of experience working in industrial, commercial and residential architecture within the greater Baltimore/DC area. She is always eager to achieve excellence in all phases of a project and enjoys working with clients and team members to achieve the best design. One of her favorite quotes by Frank Gehry is “architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness.” She is eagerly preparing to take her Architectural Registration Exams and become licensed. Fun Fact, Alisa is originally from Riga, Latvia and can speak fluent Russian.