Just Two Kids,
With a Crazy Dream

The Beginning

Maureen and Joe met at the USC School of Architecture, sitting next to each other on the first day of studio. Thirteen years later, Pica + Sullivan Architects was born.

Their first office was a tiny garage — originally sized for a Model T — behind their matchbox home on a postage-stamp-sized property. Renovated to resemble Mr. Ed’s barn (home to Wilbur, the architect), the little indoor/outdoor studio held three tabletops on sawhorses, T-squares, task lamps, vellum, and No. 2 Ticonderoga pencils.

With Maureen’s background in historic restoration and Joe’s experience with institutional clients, the firm’s early projects included redesigning stalls at Grand Central Market and a modest entry project for Crossroads School. Those projects launched a growing practice focused on historic renovation, adaptive reuse, and educational, religious, and non-profit architecture.

As the firm expanded, operations moved into a duplex that housed both a growing staff and daycare for employees’ children. Over the past 36 years, Joe, Maureen, and their team have completed more than 1,000 projects for independent schools, religious organizations, and other mission-driven institutions.

Today, Pica + Sullivan Architects is known for hands-on principal involvement, responsive service, thoughtful value engineering, and long-standing client relationships built over decades of campus growth and change.

Black-and-white photo of a young Maureen Sullivan, founding principal of Pica + Sullivan, a Los Angeles-based educational, religious, & non-profit architecture firm.

Black-and-white photo of a young Joseph Pica, Founding Principal of Pica + Sullivan, a Los Angeles-based educational, religious, & non-profit architecture firm.

Black-and-white photo of a young Maureen Sullivan and Joseph Pica, Founding Principals of Pica + Sullivan, a Los Angeles-based educational, religious, & non-profit architecture firm.

LEADERSHIP

Founders

Hands-on principal involvement throughout every educational, non-profit, and religious architecture project

Joe Pica

Founding Principal

Joe is a founding principal of the Pica + Sullivan firm. With over 45 years of experience in design, construction and project management; Joe has designed everything from education facilities and medical buildings, to commercial offices and luxury hotels, to entertainment centers and historic restorations. As a result, he has an extensive expertise in projects of large scale and complexity, with a particular passion for schools. Joe has written extensively on the subject of K-12 master planning and design, and his articles have been published in several national education journals.

As lead designer in the office, Joe heads all of Pica + Sullivan’s projects, overseeing the master plans and setting the architectural direction. He has led the team through over 1,000 projects, including Westridge School, Windward School, Le Lycee Francais de Los Angeles, St. Monica Parish Community, St. John’s Seminary, St. Bede’s Parish Community, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, Curtis School and many more.

Maureen Sullivan

Founding Principal

Maureen is a founding principal and the face of Pica + Sullivan Architects; the educator and communicator who brings our work to the world at large. She has an expertise and interest in the master plan process, entitlement, client relations, and sustainability. As a principal, Maureen is involved in all phases of office projects with a special focus on establishing the color palette, materials, lighting and interior design direction. When she’s not leading the way for P+S, Maureen teaches design in the prestigious Bachelor of Fine Arts Interior Design Program at California State University Long Beach.

Maureen has taken the lead on several key projects over the years including Westridge School for Girls, Windward School, and Chandler School. In addition, she has also led historic restoration and renovation projects such as the Downtown Women’s Center, Allen House, the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in the West Adams District, and the Phillips Mansion for the City of Pomona. She is a licensed architect in the State of California.

Institutional Ecosystems,
Not Isolated Buildings

At Pica + Sullivan Architects, we design to activate all facets of the campus to enhance and extend the learning environment. We’re a responsive and flexible team of seasoned professionals led by hands-on principals. Our award-winning value-engineered and context-based approach to design has earned us the trust of clients for over 1,000 projects.

We Bring:

36+ years of experience
1,000+ completed projects
Deep specialization in non-profit institutions
Repeat client relationships built on trust
Value-engineering sensibility from day one
Context-sensitive architectural solutions

An empty classroom at the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.

View of the stage from the top row, stage-left, of an auditorium at the Mozilo Family Center for the Arts at the Flintridge Sacred Arts Academy, an educational architectural project in Southern California. Theater lights are visible above, while the red curtain is closed on stage. A staircase to the right of the stage leads back.

Students work and talk in a room at the Chandler School in Pasadena, an educational architecture project in Southern California.

Students raise their hands and work on their laptops in a classroom at the Chandler School in Pasadena, an educational architecture project in Southern California.

An interior display room at the Mozilo Family Center for the Arts at the Flintridge Sacred Arts Academy, an educational architectural project in Southern California. Two wooden display cases with glass tops sit in the center of the room, while a larger display case is recessed in the wall containing photographs. Signs and a TV are on the adjacent wall to the larger display case.

LEADERSHIP

Principals

Hands-on principals involved throughout every project

The practice of architecture is a collective endeavor, particularly
when clients have multiple constituencies and long-term priorities.

Anne Wong

Principal, Director of Architecture

As the Director of Architecture, Anne is the engine that makes Pica + Sullivan go. She is responsible for the work and staffing, providing calm and experienced leadership in the studio.
Anne is also directly involved in all project phases and client relations, and has expertise in permitting and the construction administration process. She ensures that there’s a smooth transition from design through the permitting and construction phases.

Anne joined Pica + Sullivan Architects in 1998 and has completed many educational and religious architecture projects in Southern California since, including Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, Saint Bede the Venerable Parish Hall, and Holy Family Parish Center.

Anne is a graduate of the University of Southern California, having earned her Bachelor of Architecture in 1998.

Scot Oehlbert

Principal, Director of Design

When it comes to breathing life into the building at hand, Scot is the expert. As the Director of Design, Scot leads the design team through most projects at Pica + Sullivan Architects, translating initial concepts into fully realized buildings and spaces. His talent and leadership have been critical to the success of educational, nonprofit, and religious architecture projects throughout Southern California, including the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center at Curtis School, Westridge School Sustainable Science Building, St. Monica Community Center, and Robinson Family Aquatic Center at Crespi Carmelite High School.

Scot joined Pica + Sullivan Architects in 2003 after working with The Albert Group in Culver City and H2L2 Architects in Philadelphia. A graduate of SUNY @ Buffalo, he earned his Master of Architecture degree in 1995 before moving to Los Angeles to follow his beloved Dodgers and enjoy the perfect weather.

He is a licensed architect in the State of California.

Strategic Design,
Enduring Impact.

Pica + Sullivan Architects specializes in architectural design and campus planning for independent schools, faith-based institutions, and non-profit organizations throughout California.

We help institutions evolve with clarity — aligning mission, facilities, operations, and financial reality.

Our work is grounded in long-term partnerships, contextual design, and practical implementation.

Who We Serve:

Independent Schools (Pre-K through 12)
Faith-Based Schools
Religious InstitutionsSocial
Social Service Organizations
Charitable Foundations
Mission-Driven Non-Profits

Three students walking across the lawn at the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.

Religious service at the American Martyrs Church, a Southern California Religious Architecture Project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.

Two students painting in a classroom at the Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center, a Los Angeles educational architectural project by Pica + Sullivan Architects.

The front entrance of the Mozilo Family Center for the Arts at the Flintridge Sacred Arts Academy, an educational architectural project in Southern California. A tower with a cross topping it is visible at the front end of the building.

Mimi Pon

Senior Project Manager

If there’s anyone who can bridge the gap between the creative team and the technical department, that person is Mimi. An accomplished designer in her own right with extensive experience in project management, Mimi makes sure that the building comes together exactly the way the client wants it.

She was instrumental in the new religious architectural project at the St. Monica Community Center and has worked on multiple projects for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Kings. She also played a key role in the award-winning non-profit architectural project Downtown Women’s Center in Los Angeles.

Mimi is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), having earned a B.A. in Urban Studies and Planning in 1998. She joined Pica + Sullivan in 2005.

Sandy Burns

Architect

Sandy does it all. After joining Pica + Sullivan Architects in 2010, she became an integral team member and an asset in marketing and business development. In addition, she has special expertise in master plan development and client relations, and has worked on a variety of educational and religious architecture projects, including the Holy Family of Glendale, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, Dominican Sisters Rosary Building Restoration, St. Bede the Venerable, and the American Martyrs Catholic Church.

Sandy is a graduate of the University of Southern California, earning a B.A. Architecture in 2006 and is a licensed architect in the State of California.

Maria Jose Gil

Designer

A consummate architectural designer and graphic artist, Maria brings her special vision to all the projects that she is involved in. After joining Pica + Sullivan Architects in 2006, Maria has participated in a wide variety of design activities, including traditional architectural and interior design as well as lighting, graphics, web design, social media presence, and marketing materials. She was a crucial member of the team on the Sustainable Science building at Westridge School, the St. Monica Community Center, and the Notre Dame Academy School of Los Angeles projects.

Before joining Pica + Sullivan Architects, Maria worked with Pich-Aguilera Architects in Barcelona, Spain. Maria is a graduate of the University of Santo Tomás, having earned a B.A. Architecture in 2001.

Natalie Levins

Designer

An accomplished designer and the resident expert in lighting design, finish selections, color palettes, and graphics, Natalie refines the design and mood of the many office projects, ensuring that we are creating the most conducive environment possible. She is also an accomplished lead designer and has completed a variety of projects, including the Curtis School Ahmanson Building Renovation/Addition, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy Arts remodel, and St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church.

Natalie graduated from the University of Southern California and joined Pica + Sullivan in 2010.

Neil Muntzel

Architect

With a range of experience - spanning interior architecture and ground-up construction, institutional, commercial, and residential project types, corporate and boutique practices, and all project phases from Design through Construction Administration – Neil brings a broad skill set developed across more than 25 years of working in the industry. While lending his expertise to a range of projects, Neil’s primary focus is the religious architecture project at the Incarnation Catholic Church Project, where a Master Plan with a range of campus improvements is being implemented.

Neil began his architectural career in Pennsylvania, where he graduated with a Master's in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. But the lure of a West Coast adventure brought him to Los Angeles in 2002, and the outdoor lifestyle, great food, arts, culture, and people convinced him to stay. Neil joined Pica + Sullivan in 2024. He is a licensed architect in the State of California.

Angela Mitchell

Business Manager

As our Business Manager, Angela utilizes her talents to make sure that all financial and administrative records are accurate and well organized. Adept at accounting software and new technologies, she excels at finding proactive and creative ways to assist our team with integrity and accuracy, while her extensive experience makes her skilled at finding innovatively elegant solutions to whatever may come up, expected or unexpected.

Angela’s sense of humor and interests in writing, art and astrophysics contribute a unique, diverse, and broadly inclusive perspective that she dedicates to keeping Pica + Sullivan Architects running smoothly and efficiently on a daily basis.

Anthony Zubick

Architect / In Memoriam

Anthony Zubick, our dear friend and beloved colleague, has passed away. Anthony was the consummate Architect. His imagination and artistic creativity were boundless. He loved building. He loved buildings.

Tony was a teacher, a mentor and a friend. In our office he was the bridge between paper and concrete. He knew how to make three-dimensional dreams into reality. His expertise ranged from urban planning to master planning to architecture to interiors. Always one to roll up his sleeves Tony handled construction administration for such projects as Chandler Middle School and St. Monica Community Center. His role was critical in helping to realize each of those visions.

We miss Tony dearly. He was kind. He was generous. He enthusiastically shared his knowledge and wisdom. He was always happy. He was always joyful.
Rest in Peace friend.

"At Pica + Sullivan Architects, we believe the significance of a project is not measured by its size, but by the trust our clients place in us. Each client receives our full focus, thoughful collaboration, and personalized service from the first conversation through completion"

OUTCOMES

Accolades + Influence

We help institutions evolve with clarity — aligning mission, facilities, operations, and financial strategy. Our work is grounded in contextual design, disciplined implementation, and long-term partnerships.

Exterior of a plaza area with benches and a fountain at the Saint Monica Community Center in Santa Monica, a Pica+Sullivan Southern California educational and religious architectural project.

2015
Sustainability Quality Award

Santa Monica COC
St. Monica Pastoral Center

2011
Sustainable INNOV Award

Los Angeles Chapter
Sustainable Science Building

2011
AIA Design Award

Pasadena & Foothill Chapter
Sustainable Science Building

2008
Pasadena Beautiful Award

Marjorie May Braun ’36
Science Building

2026
Los Angeles Business Journal

Commercial Real Estate Awards
The Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center

The Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center (CLIC) received the Bronze Award at the 2026 Commercial Real Estate Awards, presented by the Los Angeles Business Journal. The awards recognize the developers, architects, contractors, and project teams behind Los Angeles’ most impactful developments and community-focused initiatives.

This recognition celebrates CLIC’s thoughtful design and its contribution to creating innovative learning environments that enrich both campus life and the broader community.

Bronze Award from the Los Angeles Business Journal for Educational Project of the Year for the Curtis School Collaborative Learning Innovation Center, Educational Architect Pica + Sullivan Architects, LTD.

2026
ENR Regional Best Projects

Award of Merit K-12 Education
The Collaborative Learning and Innovation Center

ENR West’s 2026 Regional Best Projects program recognizes standout work across the architecture, engineering, and construction industry, awarding projects in the Northern and Southern California subregions.

An independent group of AEC experts reviewed 131 projects from across California and Hawaii and selected 29 Best Projects and 32 Awards of Merit. Projects were evaluated on the ability of the project team to overcome challenges, their contribution to the industry and community, safety and construction and design quality.