Welcome To Cornerstone
Founded in 1991, Cornerstone Architects is a full service architectural and interior design firm specializing in new construction, renovation, and rehabilitation. Having worked together at Marshall Erdman, a national design/build firm, founders Richard Morse & Richard Peterson felt strongly their years of experience, coupled with their depth of knowledge in design, would shape the foundation for a firm dedicated to providing excellence in design services.
Cornerstone has become a leading competitor in Central Virginia’s Architecture/Engineering community, completing many successful projects working with developers, corporations, major healthcare systems, private healthcare practices, as well as state and federal agencies.
Who We Are
To create a built environment that makes a distinguished statement and contribution to the community while remaining environmentally responsible.
We help clients make value-based decisions and achieve clear, quantifiable results. We apply our extensive knowledge and collaborative process to achieve innovative solutions that are beautiful, functional, and inspiring. We continually seek to understand the client’s experience and we integrate what we learn into our design solutions.
In all our projects, regardless of scale or location, we celebrate our client’s values, goals, and intentions. Rather than solutions derived from preconceived notions, we pledge to respond to each client’s needs individually and deliver innovative solutions that keep practicality, economics, and environmental concerns in mind.
Our Strengths
Meet Our Team
Mr. Morse has over 30 years of experience in architecture, project management, and construction, and is responsible for Cornerstone’s business management.
Mr. Peterson’s robust professional history includes over 30 years of experience in pre-contract activities, programming, architectural design and administration through project delivery for a variety of design-build projects.
Erik was born and raised in Virginia, but has spent time overseas in various pursuits. He graduated from Virginia Tech in 2006 and has worked in healthcare design since joining Cornerstone in 2009. He enjoys spending time outdoors, and serves in volunteer capacities in his community.
Charlie comes from an architectural family, and while he has worked in several allied fields (set design, furniture design, exhibits design, illustration), his interests lay in the built environment. He has a passion for tackling complex design challenges.
Amanda received her degree at Eastern Michigan University. She relocated to Richmond and created Cornerstone’s interior design arm of the business. She ventured around, gathering experience in corporate and healthcare design, then returned to Cornerstone in 2013. Amanda enjoys spending her free time with her family.
After graduating from Virginia Tech with degrees in both Architecture and Spanish, Johanna began her career in architecture leading volunteers in building houses at Habitat for Humanity. She then switched into the more traditional office environment and joined Cornerstone in 2015. Johanna enjoys singing and exploring Richmond.
Qi is responsible for our firm’s accounting operations. She also works with project managers on project budgeting, planning and management needs. Qi earned her Masters of Accounting from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is bilingual, fluent in both English and Mandarin Chinese.
Originally from New Hampshire, David moved to Washington DC where he graduated from the Catholic University of America with degrees in Civil Engineering and Architecture. Passionate about aesthetic yet practical design, David moved to Richmond and joined Cornerstone in 2017. He enjoys staying active, sketching, and visiting historical sites.
Victoria was raised in both Aiken, South Carolina and Newport News, Virginia. She’s the newest addition to our studio, joining us in the fall of 2017, shortly after receiving her Interior Design degree from Virginia Tech. Victoria inspires to positively influence quality of life through sustainable and creative design. She is passionate about her faith, salsa dancing, and exploring new places.
Kyle graduated Virginia Commonwealth University having studied Interior Design and business and has been with us at Cornerstone since early 2017. Outside interior design, he has a passion for all things business and is a partner in various investment companies dealing in equity securities and real estate. In the hypothesis of his free time, Kyle enjoys a good (or bad) movie and anything otherwise outdoors.
Originally form Addis Ababa Ethiopia, Metaya moved to Richmond, Virginia where she graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in Architectural History. She is currently pursuing her Master’s of Architecture at the University Of Notre Dame and has joined Cornerstone for the Summer of 2018 as an intern. She is passionate about urbanism and historic preservation and in her free time loves dancing, painting and exploring what Richmond has to offer.