Our Team
Meeting freshman year at Washington University in St. Louis in the School of Architecture, Ashley and Ilana quickly became each other’s go to person for design studio projects due to their shared aesthetic and work ethic. Even as they moved on and left for their respective master’s programs, they continued to collaborate and share a passion for design. They combined their experience in single family and multi-family residential architecture, as well as historic preservation, to create an architecture firm for families and individuals interested in creatively updating their space.
ashley shaw
Ashley is a Project Manager at Tilt Architecture & Design, and has worked with Ilana to form and manage Tilt since it’s earliest conception. She received a Master of Architecture from the University of Washington and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Washington University in St. Louis. Prior to establishing Tilt, she worked as a Project Manager at J3 Architects and a Designer at Milbrandt Architects, both located in the greater Seattle area.
Throughout her career, Ashley has specialized in residential architecture, with a particular interest in designing for families and individuals. Designing at the familial scale is especially rewarding for her, as she believes the most significant impact on peoples’ daily lives comes from enhancing what's most personal to them: their home and their space.
Ashley has always been interested in prioritizing green building and design — she holds LEED certification in sustainability and a concentration in Sustainable Systems and Design at her Masters program at the UW. She also appreciates the creative side of architecture — she was recognized by the AIA (American Institute of Architects) as first prize recipient for demonstrating the art of architecture through drawing. She has also been featured in design magazines for her distinctive and artistic design style.
When Ashley is not busy designing and practicing architecture at Tilt, she can be found exploring Seattle with her husband, their growing family, dog (a UW husky!) and silly cat named Bert.
ilana spindel, aia
Ilana is the founding Owner at Tilt Architecture and Design. She became licensed in California and a member of the American Institute of Architects in 2023, just prior to establishing Tilt.
With a Bachelor’s of Science in Architecture degree from Washington University in St Louis in hand, Ilana headed west to San Francisco. There, she spent two years working for Architectural Resources Group, a firm that specializes in historic preservation. It was there that she fully realized her love for old structures and the importance of personalized, small-scale details in design.
With a newfound design focus, she returned to grad school at the University of Southern California to finish her education. She completed her Master’s of Architecture, using this time to hone her professional skills as well as further investigate her interests in renovation and the reimagination of existing spaces.
Upon graduating, Ilana took a position at Harrison Design, a high-end residential architecture firm in Los Angeles. She found that residential architecture was a combination of problem solving and high levels of personalization that she enjoyed from her experience working in historic preservation. And when the houses are historic, all the better!
Outside of architecture, Ilana enjoys traveling, exploring art museums, and playing piano.