New Team Members at CSA

We are thrilled to announce the addition of two new members to our team!

Chris Bach joined us this May as a Project Manager. As a licensed architect with a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee, Chris’ design perspective is shaped by a rich and varied background including experience working in landscape, and graphic design.

Before transitioning into architecture, Chris spent several years as a language teacher. He earned his undergraduate degree in Spanish Language and Literature from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and taught Spanish and English in Madrid, Milwaukee, and Brazil. He’s fluent in both Spanish and Portuguese.

Chris currently lives in St. Paul with his wife, their three daughters, a dog, and a cat. Outside the studio, you’ll often find him hiking, biking, or exploring national parks with his family. He’s also in the process of renovating his 1908 Craftsman home - an ongoing project that reflects his appreciation for historic architecture and thoughtful design.

We are also welcoming our new office administrator, Elena Kehew to CSA this month!

Elena recently graduated from St. OIaf College with a Bachelor of Arts in both Studio Art and Mathematics. Her experience at a liberal arts school helped develop a passion for interdisciplinary work and collaboration, and her academic journey has been supplemented with a semester in Copenhagen studying architecture and design, and a month in New York City exploring the professional art world.

In January 2025, Elena was a student in an architectural drawing and drafting course led by Chris Strom (St. Olaf class of ‘95!) that solidified her interest in architecture as a career. She is now excited to be working at CSA alongside Chris and the rest of the team.

You can read more about the St. Olaf course led by Chris Strom here

Elena is especially interested in sustainable, community-focused design and plans to pursue a graduate degree in architecture in the future. Outside the office, Elena enjoys exploring farmers markets around the Twin Cities, catching live music of all kinds, and spending quiet weekends in northern Minnesota at her family cabin near Ely.