People
Browse by Name
- Adam James, AIA
- Aleesha Jones
- Alex Kircher, RA, WELL AP
- Allen Clark
- America Toledo, NCIDQ, RID, LEED Green Associate
- Amy Hart
- Angie Senko, RA, LEED AP BD+C
- Anna Dick
- Ashley Kanyuh
- Avery Mortakis, Associate IIDA
- Bill Ledger, AIA, ACHA, NCARB, EDAC, LEED AP, LSSGB
- Bob Sanderson, RRC, REWC
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- Chris Stine, AIA
- Christopher Cooper
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- Craig Scully PE, LEED AP
- David West, RA
- Daymon Marlowe
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- Monika Medonaite, RID, NCIDQ
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- Phillip Breckler, RA, ICAA
- Phillip Oprie, PE
- Quinn O’Heeney, PE
- Rachel Vedder, RA, LEED AP
- Rebecca Martin, RA
- Rebecca Welch, SHRM-CP
- Rich Busfield
- Ron Dick, AIA, LEED AP
- Ryan Birkey, RA
- Sean O’Sullivan
- Shalina Gupta
- Steve Staley
- Tanzim Rachana
- Tayler Myers
- Taylor Tropp, Assoc. AIA
- Thad Berkes
- Thomas Harber
- Tim Terman, NCARB
- TJ Jones
- Todd Goodwin
- Yogen Solanki, Assoc. AIA
Our Team
Thad Berkes
Chief Cost Estimator,
“We deeply understand the stress that comes with a construction project. Put that pressure on us—it’s what we do best.”
Thad is a Design Collaborative boomerang, having first joined the firm in 2018 before returning in 2022. The Chief Cost Estimator role makes a real difference for our clients. We believe that the cost of a project can be controlled with a well-disciplined and cost-knowledgeable team. While construction costs are always changing, they can be managed by working with a team that has an excellent understanding of how to predict those costs. Thad joins DC architects, engineers and designers—and clients—early on, and maintains a steady voice throughout a project’s life-cycle.
Thad is one of several veterans at DC. He was enrolled in the United States Army’s E5 Combat Infantry from 1999–2003.
Areas of Expertise
Memberships
- American Society of Professional Estimators (ASPE) - Chapter Board President
- Leadership Fort Wayne 2022
Honors
- 2025, AIA Indiana Healthcare Design Award - Citation Award for New Construction (Construction cost less than $5 million), Rush Memorial Hospital Milroy Clinic
Publications
- Construction Costs Update: A Closer Look at Spending, Labor, and Tariffs
- Construction Costs Update: Navigating Tariffs, Workforce Needs, and the OBBBA Impact
- Construction Costs in 2025: Tariffs, Uncertainty, and What Comes Next
- Construction Costs in 2025: The Good, The Bad, and What’s Ahead
- Navigating Construction Costs: What You Need to Know
- Cost Estimating Insights: Trends You Should Know
- Exploring the Construction Landscape: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities in 2024
- Change Orders Demystified: Navigating the Complexity of Construction Adjustments
- SmartCost Quarterly: Q2
- SmartCost Quarterly
- Escalation: Predicting Project Costs in a Volatile Market
- Business People Magazine Shares “Navigating Construction Costs: What You Need to Know” in Its December Issue
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