Image courtesy of Allied Works.

Meet the Design Team - Allied Works

Allied Works is an architecture and design practice that joins artists, builders, and thinkers in a collective pursuit of new expression. Founded in 1994 by Brad Cloepfil with studios in New York City and Portland, Oregon, the practice has completed prominent cultural projects, museums, educational facilities, residences, and workplaces in locations across the globe. In each project, Allied Works seeks to craft enduring and timeless designs, responsive to both purpose and place.

Brad Cloepfil, AIA

Founding Principal, Allied Works

Brad Cloepfil is the founding Principal and creative leader of Allied Works. Established in 1994 and located in New York City and Portland, Oregon, Allied Works gained renown for its sensitive approach to creating space for art and community, and has completed a range of prominent cultural projects, museums, educational facilities, residences, and workplaces in locations across the globe.

Cloepfil’s body of work is informed by his native Oregon landscapes, a deep sense of place, and love of craft, making, and tectonics. His design approach pairs an intense focus on the specific character of each project with an understanding of the transformative possibilities of space, light, form, and material. Signature works such as the Clyfford Still Museum in Denver, the National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, and the National Music Centre of Canada have established Cloepfil as a leading figure in cultural and civic design. His projects for universities, museums, and communities across North America continue to reflect a deep belief in architecture’s ability to shape collective identity and memory.

In addition to leading all aspects of creative work at Allied Works, Cloepfil has held visiting professorships at art and design schools across the country, including Cornell University, Washington University St. Louis, and the University of California at Berkeley, among others.

As Design Lead for Vero Beach Museum of Art, Cloepfil has been involved in the project, offering vision, and leadership, and guidance to the design team throughout the process.

Brad Cloepfil, AIA (left) and Chelsea Grassinger, AIA, LEED AP (right), Allied Works

Chelsea Grassinger, AIA, LEED AP

Principal, Allied Works

Chelsea Grassinger is a principal of Allied Works and a guiding hand in many of the firm’s most significant cultural and academic commissions. A native of southern Arizona, she began her career working alongside Rick Joy, where she developed an enduring appreciation for the craft of building and the dialogue between architecture and landscape.

Since joining Allied Works more than two decades ago, Grassinger has played a central role in shaping the firm’s work. She is recognized for her ability to translate ambitious visions into enduring form—balancing design clarity with the complex demands of civic and institutional projects. Her leadership is grounded in both intuition and technical mastery, qualities that have made her a trusted partner to clients and collaborators alike.

Grassinger has led major projects including the Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State, the Middlebury College Museum of Art, and the National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus. On each commission, she has been instrumental in orchestrating the efforts of design teams, consultants, and stakeholders, ensuring that buildings of great complexity emerge as enduring landmarks of clarity and purpose.

As Principal Architect of Vero Beach Museum of Art, Grassinger serves as the key liaison with VBMA leadership and oversees the project management and design development.