Our People
Meet Anselmo Testa
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Anselmo Testa is a national design principal specializing in planning, design and execution of critical infrastructure for private and public U.S. Department of Defense and National Security agencies.
Anselmo believes a thoughtful journey always yields outstanding destinations. From his beginnings as a theme park and destination resort designer, he brings a 鈥済uest experience first鈥 approach to his work across defense and national security markets at 网曝吃瓜黑料一区二区三区.
His knack for leading award-winning design teams began after earning his Master of Architecture from Washington University where he returned as a graduate program lecturer in his field. In this position he found his voice and learned to motivate individuals in a collaborative setting.
Today he leads project teams in the planning, design and execution of specialized facilities for the U.S. Military and Intelligence agencies. Notably, he has led the design for several Command Training Centers, Mission Training Complexes and Information Systems Facilities at military bases across the world. He鈥檚 even had the chance to work on a project in his own back yard, the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center, which introduced a hub for arts & culture in the middle of a growing town, and was a point of pride for Anselmo to combine his knowledge of architecture, federal design and buildings to contribute back to his hometown community.
鈥淐lients know we can do excellent buildings and projects but what makes the experience memorable is that the process is exciting and engaging鈥he better the experience the more likely they are to remain partnered with us on future opportunities.鈥
Anselmo Testa
Get to know Anselmo
What sparked your interest in pursuing a career in architecture?
When I was five years old growing up in South America one of my father鈥檚 good friends was an architect 鈥 he sent me on my way. He was the picture of an architect, extremely well dressed, smoked a pipe, drove a vintage convertible. You know, one of those guys! I looked up to him. I used to love going to his house and visiting his studio because he taught me to make little models and draw with a scale to get my brain working. He connected an intuition I must have had with the beginning of a skillset. He was a wonderful individual and a huge motivator for me.
Your leadership has led to multiple award-winning projects, what鈥檚 your method for leading these highly collaborative and client-focused teams?
I鈥檓 a highly collaborative person by nature. Having a problem to solve and being able to lean in and solve it as a team is exciting; that鈥檚 where the magic is for me. I believe in the process, not necessarily the product. I have full confidence that at the end of the day we can make beautiful buildings, so I don鈥檛 worry about that. I worry about the process and getting the team engaged, to lean into the obstacle and develop ideas that will invariably lead to that solution. I don鈥檛 focus on the target; I focus on the doing. That鈥檚 a personal philosophy and has been successful for me for over 30 years of practice.
What is the biggest challenge working within the Defense and National Security market? And what do you love about it?
The answer to both of those questions is the same. We often deal with challenging sites, schedules, and, most importantly, budgets. The challenge is giving the men and women of the armed forces what they need to do their jobs well. We also need to think about the future, how are they going to be doing their work in five to ten years from now. By focusing on creating the kind of spaces that generate pride of place, we can in turn make a place where people enjoy coming to work and enjoy what they do. So, the biggest challenge is carrying out these goals within the parameters we鈥檙e often given. At the end of the day, you have citizen soldiers, who don鈥檛 always have the best facilities to work in, and when they walk in and I get to see them smile, that鈥檚 what I love about it.
If you weren鈥檛 in your current role, what would be your dream alternative career?
My dream alternative career would be a full-time musician. I was in multiple bands from high school through graduate school. I was the frontman if you can imagine. We played mostly rock, with a brief shift into punk. When I look towards retirement, and what the future might look like, that鈥檚 one thing I鈥檇 go back to, getting a music degree and making music.
When you aren鈥檛 working, what are we most likely to find you doing?
I spend a lot of time outdoors and hiking. I also do a lot of paddleboarding with my family. The workshops and design charrettes we do can be intense, and the depletion from that process requires regenerative times. Nature-bathing, I call it.
What do you enjoy most about being part of #Our网曝吃瓜黑料一区二区三区?
The people. We deliver work at an extremely high level of quality, and I love the fact that I can reach out to a network of professionals who help me do my job. I can always count on there being someone knowledgeable about something I need help with. I was working on a dive stations project, and with little effort, I found an Underwater Demolition Specialist, an ex-Navy Seal. What kind of company has these resources? Or you go to some remote site and realize that you鈥檝e got two of the planet鈥檚 best specialists sitting next to you with their sleeves rolled up, drawing. The level of skill and knowing there鈥檚 someone somewhere within this organization that can support, give answers, and help me do what I do better; that鈥檚 excellent to me. Also, 网曝吃瓜黑料一区二区三区 genuinely cares about who we are. I鈥檓 particularly enamored with the direction we鈥檝e taken with Inclusion & Diversity, that鈥檚 been important to me.