Charles Fadem
Senior Associate | Commercial Studio Lead
Charles viewed a Louis Kahn exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art as a child that stuck with him and evolved into a fascination with architecture and design. While studying architecture at Cornell University, he joined the Journal of Architecture’s staff and met the Editor in Chief, a guy named Jeff, who also helped Charles get his first job in New York City following graduation.
Working for years in New York City, Charles forged an eclectic background, working in corporate interiors, residential interiors, historical restoration, and eventually high-rise, mixed-use residential. During that time, he founded a graphic design company, as well. Eventually, he landed at Handel Architects, a firm run by a few of his former professors. After a brief layover in Philly doing some freelance work, Charles moved to DC, first working at Shalom Baranes Associates, where he rediscovered his love of interiors. It was there that his passion for the challenge of designing the human scale experience took hold. It led to another unique opportunity at Hickok Cole Architects, working in their fledgling Lifestyle Interiors department.
Charles had been keeping tabs on Board & Vellum from afar, and got in touch when an opportunity opened up. He packed himself into a rental car and drove across the country with his dog, Q, a Tibetan Terrier named after the subway train back in New York. When he’s not designing interiors he can be found writing fiction, drooling over classic cars, or working on his own slightly less than classic ‘12 Mustang.
