THE JUMP
TALENT
FERNANDEZ FOCUSES ON HIS PEOPLE Elevar’s CEO builds a diverse staff to mimic its variety of architecture projects and communities.
Emilio Fernandez founded SFA here after emigrating from Cuba. His son Tom now leads the firm, renamed Elevar.
Elevar’s work on the Kenton County Administration Building included new construction and renovation of the 100-year-old Bavarian Brewery.
Emilio Fernandez emigrated from Cuba to the U.S. after serving as the head of public building projects for Fidel Castro’s government, designing the Soroa Tourist Center and other official projects. But he ultimately left the country and founded SFA here in 1967. His son Tom Fernan-
dez now heads the architecture firm, rechristened Elevar (“elevate” in Spanish), with a team of 80 employees in four markets. Fernandez leads with a focus on the people. Nurturing his team with the best talent sometimes means reaching out to students who may have fallen off their
20 REALM SUMMER 2021
planned path toward engineering and architecture, specifically to combat a lack of diversity in the architecture field. “We’re trying to recruit from colleges like Howard University, trying to attract folks to Cincinnati,” says Fernandez. “It’s our obligation to help those who come next and
West Clermont High School merged two existing schools at a new location, where Elevar built the school buildings and athletic facilities.
our responsibility to provide these opportunities for the younger generation, especially when this exposure might not have been something an individual could have found on their own.” As a firm that works on a variety of projects, understanding the needs of each neighborhood and community is critical, he says, and having a staff that reflects the community where they work, live, and serve is important. Fernandez’s work in the community doesn’t stop with recruiting talent to Elevar and to Cincinnati. An Elevar team is currently dedicated to clients’ work with minority suppliers and subcontractors, tracing the impact of dollars spent on creating jobs, supporting community programs, and
generally benefiting those living in minority communities. Fernandez also leads Cincinnati’s immigration task force, which evaluated how welcoming Cincinnati is for immigrants moving from other parts of this country and arriving from other countries. Elevar’s architecture portfolio stands tall across the region, including in FC Cincinnati’s new TQL Stadium. Elevar contributed to elements like the 30-foot grand staircase, the external LED wave-like fins, and The Bailey, the superfans’ 3,100 section at the stadium’s north end. The firm has also designed the nearby Freeport Row at Liberty and Elm streets, a mixed-use project slated to open in late 2022 or 2023.
P H O T O G R A P H ( T O M F E R N A N D E Z ) BY C H R I S V O N H O L L E
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY (EMIILO FERNANDEZ, KENTON COUNTY BUILDING) EMILY DONNELL, ELEVAR DESIGN GROUP; (WEST CLERMONT HIGH SCHOOL) HEATHER VERST; (TQL STADIUM) POPULOUS
—SARAH M. MULLINS
