About the PKN Collective

:: Tom Di Santo

Tom Di Santo, Architect is a partner in M:OME and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, where he teaches design, theory, representation and the implementation of sustainable principles. He achieved his Bachelor of Architecture degree from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and earned a Master of Architecture degree (M.Arch II) from L'Ecole d'Architecture de Paris-La Defense.

His interests range from family (wife Eva and children Trinity and Nico) to watercolours, from poetry to music, from furniture to design-build, from graphic design to fine art and film, and from photography to travel.

:: Laura Joines-Novotny

Laura Joines-Novotny, AIA is a partner in M:OME and a Professor of Architecture at California Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo. She received her A.B from Vassar College in Geography/Anthropology, studying abroad at London School of Economics. For graduate work she attended Columbia University, the Architectural Association, London, and received an M.ARCH from North Carolina State University, School of Design.

Outside of sustaining an architectural practice that emphasizes earth-friendly principles and simple yet beautiful design, her main interests are her three children, Bardo, Anna Dasha and Carmen. Laura is into frozen foods and doesn't like packing school lunches. Her rare domestic talent is baking chocolate chip cookies. She enjoys boogie boarding with her kids, and those fleeting moments of nothingness.

:: Eric Meyer

Hopelessly dated former trendsetter turned unlicensed architect... self unemployed

Born in Morro Bay 1962
Cal Poly degree in Graphic Design
Creative Director Vision Street Wear 1986-1990
Creative Director MTV Clothing 1990-1991
CEO Simple Shoes 1991-1996
Thought a long time about moving to New Zealand... but didn't 1997-2004
Chairman Medium Footwear 2004-2006
Married to Cynthia for last 20 years... no kids... 1 cat..(very old cat now)

Eric spends his free time attempting to create interesting things. He's still not sure what he wants to do when he grows up.

:: Catherine Trujillo

A ‘beautiful nightmare’ at times a ‘blissful malcontent’, curator Cate Trujillo has worked with designers, artists, architects, and photographers to create long-standing contributions to the cultural life of the Central Coast. Originally from East Los Angeles, and heavily influenced by the El Sereno artisans in her neighborhood and the artistic teachings of her grandmother, she moved to the Central Coast with a commitment to work in the arts with a focus on the preservation and dissemination of multicultural history and art. Her favorite work of art is her daughter, cruz.

she has bourbon colored eyes...
wakes up facing east in the morning...
has never finished a game of monopoly...
she invented astro turf when she was 7 years old, but then…discovered when she was 10, that it had already been invented...
carries a card of santo nino de atocha in the pocket of her moleskine.

:: Vanessa Amerson

1977- 1996: Vanessa Amerson is from Long Beach and Topanga Canyon where she always had access to a blues infused art studio.

1982 - current: cultivates a contempt for grace

1992 - current: thrives due to an amazing group of friends who like to make things, explore, play dress up and ride bikes

2001 - current: manifests a fierce love for her daughters

2003: receives degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in Landscape Architecture and Planning

2003 - 2008: maintains a career communicating the landscape in plan and the plan in landscape

2006 – current: commits to foster a community less dependent on automobiles through academic research on bicycles, architecture degree and peace on earth to follow

2009 - current: manipulates data to create graphics which assist in the conservation and repair of sensitive environments

Vanessa enjoys practicing the autoharp, growing vegetables, and supporting community events like Pecha Kucha and Kidical Mass. She daydreams about the process of creation, the beauty in every emotion and dinner.

:: Brian P. Lawler

This is what the internet told us about Brian, because he still hasn’t sent in his bio:

The vintage photo is of Brian and a 16mm motion picture camera in 1971. The internet says he used to be a news cameraman for NBC affiliate KSBY TV in San Luis Obispo, California.

The internet told us he sings (Vocal Arts Ensemble)

And that he reads (board member Foundation for San Luis Obispo County Public Libraries)

writes (stuff about the graphic arts industry, printing, prepress and color management subjects)

balloons (hot air balloons in secret places in California Valley)

likes letterpress (Shakespeare Press Museum, Cal Poly)

and teaches (Graphic Communication Department, Cal Poly) 

 

 

:: Enrica Lovaglio Costello

Enrica Lovaglio currently teaches digital arts at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She is known to inspire and stimulate her students, pushing them to be outstanding and individual. Born on the French border in the Italian city of Bordighera, her childhood took her to Egypt, Borneo, Singapore, France and then Spain as her family followed her father's career in deep sea exploration. This exposure to diverse cultures increased her visual sense and led to a passion to discover new forms of expression through design.

In Italy, Enrica studied architecture where beauty, function and meaning all intersect in a magnificent sculpture that becomes part of a living city. In France, she studied town planning which deepened her understanding of the context of architecture and expanded her ability to design on the larger scale of urban environment. In the United States, she has studied multimedia arts in order to extend her design knowledge into the virtual world.