Quackenbush Architects + Planners announces three newly licensed architects

Quackenbush Architects + Planners announced that three of its team members—Wendy Michelle Bertani AIA, LEED AP, Kyle Fant AIA, and Spencer Hutchinson AIA—passed the Architectural Registration Examination and are now licensed architects in the state.

Michelle Bertani, Kyle Fant and Spencer Hutchinson

Bertani joined Quackenbush Architects + Planners in 2012. Her work has focused on higher education projects, including the new freshman housing development for Coastal Carolina University. This summer she completes an $11 million design and construction project creating a new library at Midlands Technical College at the Beltline Campus in Columbia. The three-story, 43,000-square-foot building was designed as the new heart of campus, a centralized location for students to learn, study and collaborate. The library facility incorporates a learning commons, variously sized study rooms, an Academic Success Center, new Life Skills Center and multiple outdoor spaces that expand the learning environment. The library is the first building on the Beltline Campus designed to achieve LEED Silver Certification.

Fant joined the firm in 2013. His recent work ranges from labs to athletic facilities in both K-12 and higher education projects. Current examples include the University of South Carolina Student Health Center, Central Carolina Technical College Science Labs, Chapin Middle School, and Sunset Park Elementary School Renovation, among others.

Hutchinson first joined the firm as a summer intern in 2016. After completing graduate school, he returned to Quackenbush in 2017 and has worked on a range of projects, including several athletics facilities for collegiate and K12 clients. He is currently working on the $50 million Football Operations Facility for the University of South Carolina, which is now in the early construction phase. Having completed the majority of the experience hours required for licensure while working between undergrad and grad school, Hutchinson was able to complete the registration exams over a 6-month period, narrowly reaching a personal goal to achieve licensure by age 27.

Bertani and Hutchinson are graduates of the Clemson University Master of Architecture program. Fant holds a Master of Architecture from Washington University in St. Louis. Bertani received a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago and Fant and Hutchinson have a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Clemson University.

Registration as an architect is an intense process requiring the candidate to pass a series of Architectural Registration Exams and complete the Intern Development Program, a work experience regimen aimed at developing competence in programming, site and environmental analysis, construction documents, specifications and materials research, and project management.

The three architects say their new status signifies an architect’s ability to design and practice at a high level for clients and community. “It helps show my dedication to being a professional,” says Fant. “The care with which you build your capabilities means you care enough to bring that to your work. The recognition allows me to take a more leadership role on a project to project basis.”

“We’re given a lot of responsibility here at Quackenbush,” Bertani says, “and that played a key part of me being able to apply my experience in the profession to the exam.” Hutchinson notes that licensure opens up opportunities to take on more responsibilities and certifies a high level of competence. “The firm is very supportive of helping young professional architects do what they can to help with that process,” he adds.

“Wendy, Kyle and Spencer are talented architects and I’m very proud of their accomplishments,” says Quackenbush Architects + Planners President Doug Quackenbush.

“Seeking licensure is a significant challenge,” he says. “Passing the exams and obtaining the necessary intern hours demonstrates the high standards by which Wendy, Kyle and Spencer practice, as well as the emphasis our firm places on continuing education and professional development.”

Quackenbush Architects + Planners

Quackenbush Architects + Planners is a full-service architecture and planning firm located in Columbia, SC. The firm specializes in institutional, civic, educational, and commercial projects. Its services span from building design to land planning to interior design. The firm’s portfolio includes projects for universities, cities, colleges, government agencies, school districts, and private clients. The team’s work reflects commitment to innovation, sensitivity to our regional context, and the richness that comes from collaboration with our clients and the community.