HOUSTON, August 23, 2007 - To meet the growing demands of additional projects, Brave/Architecture is adding to its staff and taking additional space at the firm's location in Chelsea Market on Montrose Boulevard.

"We have almost doubled our space to accommodate the growth we're experiencing," said Fernando L. Brave, AIA, LEED AP, principal of the Houston-based firm. "We are also pleased to announce some important additions to our design team."

Agnes van der Meij has joined the company as Associate Designer. A native of Holland, van der Meij is a graduate of Delft University of Technology. Prior to moving to New Orleans in 2003, she worked at de architectengroep in Amsterdam. In New Orleans she worked with Waggonner & Ball Architects until relocating to Houston following Hurricane Katrina. Her experience encompasses a wide variety of building types, including historic renovation, community facilities, civic buildings and university structures.

Van der Meij is currently part of the design team on a number of BRAVE / ARCHITECTURE projects, including the Cypress Creek YMCA programs building, the Trotter Family YMCA addition and renovation, and the University of Houston - School of Communication's new Computer Lab.

Joining the firm as interns are Peter Ho, Alp Bozkurt and Jonathan Mitchell, all recent graduates of the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture at the University of Houston.

About Brave/Architecture

Formed in 2002, Brave/Architecture is a multidisciplinary firm offering a wide range of services from complete architecture and engineering projects to additions, renovations, and planning.

Houston-area projects completed by Brave/Architecture include several retail centers, the New Horizon Family Center and the Alief Family YMCA. The recipient of numerous awards, the firm received an Honor award in architecture in the AIA Houston Design Awards 2005 for De Santos Gallery in Houston. The same project also won an Honor award in the Texas Society of Architects Design Awards 2005.

Fernando L. Brave, AIA, LEED AP, graduated from the University of Houston in 1988 with a Master of Architecture degree. He is currently a professor of design at the University of Houston College of Architecture, where he teaches a third-year design studio. He is a board member of the Rice Design Alliance and the Houston Chamber Orchestra and is a past president of Casa Argentina de Houston.