Our Team
Jonathan Barnes
Principal
Jonathan Barnes was born in Columbus, Ohio, and earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Design from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He received the degree of Master in Architecture from Harvard University Graduate School of Design in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He began work in Chicago, Illinois, in 1986 as an architect with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, one of the world’s largest and best-known international architecture firms. There Jonathan’s technical and design talents were applied to both new construction and renovation projects in New York, Washington, San Francisco and London, England, as well as to the development of the NBC Tower, one of Chicago’s premiere high rise buildings and the cornerstone of the Cityfront Center Master Plan.
In 1990, Jonathan relocated to Milan, Italy, to work with the famous Italian architect and designer, Michele De Lucchi, on numerous projects throughout Europe. These works included architecture and interior design as well as product, exhibit and graphic design. In the most notable project, these various design disciplines were combined to create Deutsche Bank’s new branch bank system for its 1,200 retail locations throughout Germany.
In 1993, Jonathan returned to Columbus and formed Jonathan Barnes Architecture and Design. JBAD is a small, highly acclaimed architectural firm that has been involved in a variety of project types in the Midwest for nearly 25 years. The practice integrates technical expertise and creative design solutions in a multi-disciplinary approach. The work includes residential, commercial and institutional architecture, historic preservation, interior design, furniture design and retail design.
In 2018, Jonathan was inducted into the College of Fellows of the AIA, an honor bestowed on only 1% of AIA Architects.
Ben Pacheco Robles
Associate
Benjamin Pacheco Robles earned architecture degrees from The Ohio State University. During his Masters of Architecture, Ben was a graduate teaching assistant, where he taught Architectural Representation and Sustainability in Architecture. In his final two years of undergrad, Ben participated in a study abroad in Rome as well as an Eastern Europe architecture tour. Throughout and after school, Ben has worked at Dorsky Yue International, Trinity Health Group and ms Consultants where he gained a wide variety of experience in healthcare and retail. While at JBAD, he has gained valuable experience in single-family residential, civic, multi-family and mixed-use projects.
In 2017, Ben received an Honorable Mention in the international Tenancingo Square Mediascape Competition organized by Arch Out Loud. In 2019, along with 100+ other Mexican participants, he had the pleasure to show his work in an exhibition in Harvard’s Graduate School of Design’s Kirkland Gallery. Ben’s projects at JBAD include PL – Hanover Park, Warner Road, Dresden, Sherwin Road House, Ohio State Bank, CML Reynoldsburg, Whittier Residential and 840 Michigan Avenue. Ben is currently working towards licensure in Ohio.
Kayla Mahoney
Architect
Kayla Mahoney AIA, NCARB received her Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning with a certificate in Sustainable Landscape Design. In her final year of undergrad, Kayla’s studies on sustainable urbanism took her to Central and Northern India where she studied the works of Louis Kahn and Le Corbusier for their impact on economics and urban development. Upon graduation, she returned to a previous co-op at Gensler in Houston, Texas to work full time. At Gensler, Kayla joined the hospitality studio working on the design and detailing of a private penthouse and luxury suites for a five-star, high rise hotel in the Galleria area of Houston. She returned to Ohio to receive her Master of Architecture degree at The Ohio State University Knowlton School of Architecture where she continued her studies of Le Corbusier’s work under José Oubrerie, his protégé. Kayla was awarded the William Riat prize for her exemplary thesis research on the Anthropocene and its future impact on culture and the environment.
After graduation, Kayla worked for BHDP in higher education design and joined JBAD in early 2021. At JBAD, Kayla is the project architect for Columbus Preparatory Academy Renovation, Lucas Lofts, Ballet Met Addition, 840 Michigan Avenue, Markison Residential, Rich St Townhomes, and Taylor Avenue. She is currently developing an Accessory Dwelling Unit Prototype Program with the City of Columbus to address the city’s growing housing market. With previous employment at David B. Meleca Architects LLC, Kayla assisted in construction administration of two Lifestyle Communities developments in downtown Columbus totaling over 200 units with retail below. These experiences allowed her to gain knowledge about scale, standards in the housing industry, and an understanding of a wide variety of living spaces.
She is licensed in Ohio.
Fontyne Pagán
Associate
Fontyne Pagán joined JBAD in 2021. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the Knowlton School of Architecture at the Ohio State University. During her undergraduate studies she had the opportunity to study architecture while traveling extensively through Europe. Upon graduating in 2017, Fontyne worked with Gary J. Alexander Architects, where she focused on residential additions and renovations. After working for two years, she returned to KSA for her master’s degree and traveled throughout Peru for a study abroad focusing on architecture, landscapes, and urbanism. During her graduate studies she was also awarded the Enrichment Fellowship and the George van Neil Scholarship for participating in the annual specifications writing competition. For her final year of graduate school she worked as a graduate teaching assistant for the freshman architectural history course. Fontyne joined the team at JBAD after graduating with her master’s in 2021, and she is currently working towards licensure in Ohio.
Matt Johnson
Associate
Matt Johnson earned his Masters in Architecture at The Ohio State University, where he taught as a graduate assistant for the architectural history courses and lead an extensive study abroad trip to several countries in Europe. Additionally, Matt also worked under Ann Pendleton-Julian as graphic editor for her book, Scaffolding the Future/ Notes from the Field. Matt also has 2 years of experience as a residential general contractor, which has equipped him with a working knowledge of the trades and construction methods.
Matt Joined JBAD in the summer of 2023 and is currently working towards licensure in the state of Ohio.