STAFF

Jared Polsky

Founding Principal

Jared founded the firm of Jared Polsky and Associates, now Polsky Perlstein Architects, in Larkspur in 1982. The firm grew rapidly in its first few years and has remained a mid-sized firm since the mid 1990’s.

Jared has a deep interest in creating spaces that celebrate and enhance the lives of each of his clients. Every project presents a new challenge. There is no "office style" other than responsive outstanding design. He believes in an interactive design process that includes the clients and his very talented architectural team.

Jared brings more than 28 years of experience and expertise in design, wood frame construction, product specification and estimating. The firm’s philosophy is that all projects must be responsive to the client’s budget. He understands construction costs and believes that his clients must be carefully informed of the cost ramifications of their design choices. He also has an extensive background in the political process of architecture and has represented hundreds of clients at design review, planning commission and city council hearings.

Jared has been very fortunate to have attracted an exceptionally talented team of architects. His love of architecture, team leadership, efficient management and a keen interest in people has resulted in a very successful award winning firm. The firm strives to be community oriented, volunteering time at high school architecture classes and events and at local non-profit agencies.

Jared has traveled extensively all over the world soaking up the architecture and taking thousands of photographs. He lives in Larkspur with his wife and two sons.

Richard Perlstein AIA

Principal

Richard brings over 30 years of diverse architectural practice to the firm. A native of Pittsburgh, PA, he was an undergraduate architecture major at M.I.T., then relocated to California to complete his Master of Architecture degree at U.C. Berkeley. He worked for several years in Bay Area architecture offices large and small, designing low and mid-rise commercial buildings, multi-family residential, light industrial parks and shopping center/ retail projects. He joined Polsky Architects in 1989 and has since focused on custom residential and commercial design.

In addition to his role as design principal, Richard shepherds the office's IT needs. He is the office's point person on construction detailing, products and specifications-related issues. He is always striving to improve the office's proactive approach to supporting the general contracting team by remaining current of research and practice in the fields of construction materials and building processes, including the transparent integration of green and responsible building technologies to the office's work. He's adept in applying the diverse planning codes of Marin's many jurisdictions, as well as interpreting building code-related questions. With additional background in graphic design, he pursues marketing opportunities with local, regional and national design publications.

Richard has been affliliated with the Marin Task Force, a North Bay-based sub-committee of the AIA San Francisco chapter. He has participated in his hometown Corte Madera's community affairs, serving on various steering committees within the Town, then several years as a Planning Commissioner. He lives in Corte Madera with his wife and two sons and has a long- standing love of singing small group a cappella.

Patrick LePelch

Project Architect

Patrick has been involved in architecture and design for 3 decades and started his professional career 25 years ago. He holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Architecture from the University of Maryland, then moved to California 25 years ago from the east coast.

Patrick brings a broad base of residential design to the office, having worked on every housing type throughout his career. He began his career in San Francisco working for a mid-sized firm specializing in residential urban context designs. He then started his own partnership practice in Eugene, Oregon where affordable, mid-density housing was the main focus. In 1999 he moved back to the Bay area to continue working on his own practice, focusing on custom homes, additions and remodels for private clients. He is happy to have joined the Polsky Perlstein team. He is adept in working in many building styles and enjoys bringing every client's ideas and aspirations to reality while working with the industry's best consultants and builders.

While not designing beautiful homes Patrick can be found running the trails of Marin, riding his mountain bike or surfing the local beaches with his family. He has always had a passion for adventure sports and loves and appreciates everything Marin County and California has to offer.

Kathleen Heimerman

Project Architect

Tyler Shelton

Associate

Tyler has been involved in design and construction of one form or another for most of his life. One of his earlier experiences was helping his grandfather build a log cabin in the Alaska wilderness. Others included helping his uncle build a greenhouse, a root cellar, and other rustic structures at a homestead, also in the Alaska wilderness.

After high school Tyler traveled extensively throughout Western Europe and studied in France during a semester at college. This experience opened his eyes to architecture.

After moving to California, and finding himself unsuited to conventional forms of employment, Tyler began working for ranches and wineries in the North Bay and became licensed as a general contractor in 1987. Over the course of the next fourteen years his work gradually became highly customized and entailed more and more design. He then began using the computer as a design tool.

At the end of 2000, having taught himself to use the same computer design (CAD) program as Polsky-Perlstein Architects, Tyler interviewed with the firm and was hired in early 2001.

He has since been taught, and continues to learn, the fine art of drafting and design by the best in the business (see other biographies) and is very privileged to have a career working with professionals of this caliber.

Laura Van Amburgh

Associate

Elizabeth Raar

Associate

Jessica Smith

Associate

Amanda Arnesson

Associate

Amanda graduated cum laude with a B.A. in English and Fine Art from the University of Southern California. After 10 years as a graphic design professional, she decided to pursue her increasing interest in design for the built environment. In 2013 she completed U.C. Berkeley Extension's Interior Design and Interior Architecture Program, with distinction, while raising her two boys and collaborating with her husband to renovate their home in San Rafael. Amanda joined Polsky Perlstein Architects as an interior designer in 2011.

Amanda is also a volunteer at her childrens' elementary school. In any remaining spare time she might be found SCUBA diving, collecting Japanese baskets, giggling at her own snarky comments, or buying unusually high shoes.

Kathy Sanders

Office Manager

Kathy worked many years for CBS Sports in New York within their Finance Department doing planning, budgeting and acquisition analysis, prior to re-locating to California. She has been the office manager for Polsky Architects since 1995, maintaining all office accounts and invoicing, and more generally keeping the office running smoothly. She lives in Mill Valley with her husband, son and daughter.