About / Michael Zepeda
Ideas take shape
through people.

Design Director / Associate Principal
I’m a Houston-based Design Director and Associate Principal working at the intersection of architecture, experience, and technology. I founded and developed Ether Design Lab into PBK’s immersive experience design practice, bringing exhibition design, interactive media, visualization, and emerging technology into the firm’s architectural work.
My role is to establish a clear design direction and help a multidisciplinary team carry it through. I work with clients to uncover the possibilities in a brief, guide the design narrative, and stay involved as ideas move through documentation, fabrication, technology integration, and implementation.
The projects here range from elementary schools to cultural destinations. Across them, I’m interested in how a place can create identity, preserve history, invite participation, and make learning tangible. Architecture, graphics, media, and exhibits work best when they develop together.
View résuméExperience
PBK
Associate Principal / Design Director, October 2024–present. Previously Senior Associate, Associate II, and Architectural Designer.
University of Houston
Guest Lecturer. Coursework and workshops in virtual reality, interactive visualization, and emerging design technologies.
Studio Red Architects
Associate. Architectural visualization, design development, and presentation work.
Kirksey Architecture
Design Team Intern. VR presentations, parametric modeling, digital fabrication, and environmental analysis.
Bachelor of Architecture, cum laude, University of Houston, 2017. Minor in Energy and Sustainability.
Beyond the brief
Cinema, photography, permaculture, and cooking keep me curious about light, atmosphere, systems, and how things are made.
Background drawn from the résumé and preface in the supplied 2026 portfolio.