Zak Rathgeber Wins 1st Place with His Modern Inner-City Kitchen Design!
![](https://blog-cdn.chiefarchitect.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Zak-Rathgeber_edited-1140x660.jpg)
By Jake Murray
Zak placed 1st in the Chief Architect Kitchen/Bath & Interiors Design Contest! A start with Lego houses has led to a long career and successful company of his own, Livara Design Inc.
![](https://blog-cdn.chiefarchitect.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/FAMILY-2-1024x592.jpg)
Zak, his wife, and two children. With a passion for design that began at an early age, his work is the product of an experienced and talented designer. Congratulations on winning 1st place!
“I was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with a small stint in British Columbia. I always knew I wanted to design homes. I can remember sitting on the floor as a kid building Lego houses and hotels, and I always gravitated to drawing sprawling dream homes over all the other topics little kids usually draw! I was gifted my first drafting table when I was 13 or 14, and I was off to the races. I had a great Drafting & Design program in my high school and it definitely solidified my want to do this for a living. (more…)
Chief Academy 2018 Recap
![](https://blog-cdn.chiefarchitect.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Chief-Academy-Highlight-Image-1140x660.jpg)
By Dani Walker
Last week Chief Architect held the 2018 Chief Academy near our headquarters in Coeur d’ Alene, ID. There were over 100 attendees who came for the 2 ½ days of in-depth training, 1 on 1 support, and networking events. Over the course of the event, Users were able to soak up the last few days of summer in Coeur d’ Alene through morning events and evening receptions.
Day 1 kicked off with a Welcome and Company Update from our CEO, Greg Wells. Shortly after, Users headed to their class to start training. Classes ranged from Introductory to Advanced, each taught by a certified Chief Architect Instructor. The day was full of tips, tricks, and techniques to help Users utilize Chief Architect within their business.
Jennifer Lazarus Places 2nd with Her Stone Tudor Home Design
![Dream Home that has evolved over many years,](https://blog-cdn.chiefarchitect.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Jennifer-Lazarus-1-1140x660.jpg)
By Emily Black
Jennifer placed 2nd in the Chief Architect Residential Design Contest! Her passion for design began when she was 10 years old and has flourished in her career as a home designer.
![Jennifer Lazarus](https://blog-cdn.chiefarchitect.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IMG_3132-copy-copy-1-820x1024.jpg)
I chose Chief Architect because of its realistic appearance, reasonable price, and user-friendliness.
“Unofficially, I started drawing house plans on graph paper when I was 10 years old, and I knew that designing was something I wanted to pursue as a profession. Officially, I started designing in 2005, when I began working for and training with a local designer in my hometown of Memphis, TN. In 2010, I began doing freelance residential design while also pursuing a career in another field. I founded Ideal House Plans, LLC in 2017 and am currently working on growing the business.
“I’ve been a Chief Architect customer since May 2018. Earlier in the year, I knew that I would need quality 3D renderings to post on the new website, so I began my search for the right software to use. I downloaded several trial versions of various software to determine what would work best for me. In the end, I chose Chief Architect because of its realistic appearance, reasonable price, and user-friendliness.”
We really enjoyed seeing Jennifer’s work. To see more examples of her designs, visit idealhouseplansllc.com/shop. We wish Jennifer the very best with the launch of her new website.
August’s Kitchen/Bath & Interior Design Contest Winners
![Chief Architect Kitchen, Bath and Interiors design contest](https://blog-cdn.chiefarchitect.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Blog-1140x660-design-contest-kitchen-1140x600.png)
Congratulations to our three Chief Architect Kitchen/Bath & Interior Design Contest winners!
Thank you all for sharing your designs with us and our community.
Sarah Rickard Places 1st with Her Dream Home
![One story home design with walkout basement, covered deck, pool and pool house.](https://blog-cdn.chiefarchitect.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Sarah-Rickard.jpg)
By Emily Black
Sarah placed 1st in the Chief Architect Residential Design Contest! She is a home design hobbyist, but you can see her eye for design shine through in her winning home design.
![Sarah Rickard & Her Husband](https://blog-cdn.chiefarchitect.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/10509671_10102420063021268_6379763739632798343_n-1.jpg)
Sarah was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, and now calls the Dayton, Ohio area home with her husband.
Angela Brings Home Silver at the 2018 National Leadership Conference
![Angela with her interior design boards that she designed using Chief Architect.](https://blog-cdn.chiefarchitect.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Angela-highlighted-image.jpg)
By Emily Black
Angela’s passion for Interior Design has grown through her years participating in the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) and the National Leadership Conferences.
Fine Homebuilding California House Collaboration
![FHB California House Watercolor Rendering by Chief Architect](https://blog-cdn.chiefarchitect.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/X10-FH-California-house-back-watercolorWM-1140x660.jpg)
Taunton Press’s Fine Homebuilding Magazine has been the gold standard reference, covering quality home design and construction for over 30 years. I remember as a youngster sifting through the stacks of my dad’s coveted back issues, soaking up the details and anticipating the next “Great Moments in Building History” featured on the last page. It wasn’t long after I purchased my first fixer upper that I started an archive library of my own. (more…)
July’s Residential Design Contest Winners
![](https://blog-cdn.chiefarchitect.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Instagram-1920x1080-design-contest-residential-2-1140x660.jpg)
Congratulations to our three Chief Architect Residential Design Contest winners!
Thank you all for sharing your designs with us and our community.
Danielle Earns First in National Student Competition
![TSA House rendering with brick fascia and concrete edging along curved front pathway](https://blog-cdn.chiefarchitect.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/TSA-House2-1140x660.jpg)
By Emily Black