Placeworks was formed in July 2003 to pursue infill real estate development opportunities in the greater San Francisco Bay Area.  Stuart Rickard is the principal of Placeworks and has extensive experience in real estate development, especially with projects that involve challenging entitlement and construction issues.

Mr. Rickard attended the University of California, Berkeley and obtained a B.A. in Architecture in 1988.  He then worked in the studio of Eric Lloyd Wright, grandson of Frank Lloyd Wright.  Following the apprenticeship tradition established at Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright’s studio, Mr. Rickard worked both in the office as a drafter and in the field on the construction of buildings.  This training, both in the aesthetics of organic architecture and in the rigors of construction, prepared Mr. Rickard to apply building technology to resolve real estate development design issues.

Mr. Rickard then worked overseas in London as an architect on a large public building and traveled through Europe, experiencing the inspiring architecture and urban spaces there.  He then returned to California to work for a general contractor as an estimator and project manager, followed by a stint in the Housing and Economic Development Department of the City of San Mateo.

In 1997, with a well-rounded background in architecture and construction, and with real estate development experience in the public sector, Mr. Rickard joined Ellis Partners managing value-adding development projects while simultaneously attending UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business Evening MBA program.  Mr. Rickard finished the MBA program early, and continued with Ellis Partners for six years before launching his real estate development firm.