As all good Silicon Valley stories start, the early 1960s found a meticulous engineer, J. Don Mincey, and a talented designer, James Wetzel, working out of their garages; one on the West side and the other on the East side of the famed valley. Over the decade, the two often worked together and created buildings and spaces from which innovation and technology emerged.

Chuck King, a client of both and a local real estate developer, encouraged Don and Jim to join forces and create one company. The two firms pooled their resources in 1972. With a staff of five, DES began.

To serve the fast paced development of the 1970s, DES adopted an entrepreneurial style encouraging architects to take complete control of the process, from negotiating the contract, hiring staff, completing the punch list and keeping the clients happy.

The early days of Silicon Valley involved the development of entirely new types of facilities. Success required listening and understanding the client's innovative business models so that buildings could be tailored to new approaches to working.

As the entrepreneurs of Silicon Valley were bringing personal computers to us, DES pioneered new uses and looks for the construction technique, tilt-up. DES was the first to use a blind column with the tilt-up panel that passed invisibly behind continuous ribbons of sleek glass. Now common practice, this was made possible only by the innovative collaboration of the designer and engineer, each with a common goal: to design a bold look that would define the Bay Area as a leader in creativity. By the late 1980s, the sleek Silicon Valley style of architecture was being adopted worldwide.

To underscore the cooperation present in all of the disciplines: architecture, interior design, structural engineering, civil engineering, landscape architecture, and graphics, and to emphasize the contributions of all the employees, Don and Jim named the new firm Design and Engineering Systems, now known as DES Architects + Engineers.

When Don and Jim retired, they turned to Keith Bautista, one of the five original employees, to lead the firm and continue DES’ legacy. After 10 years of serving as President and CEO, Keith retired in 2005, and left the firm in the capable hands of our current seven principals.

Four of our principals joined the firm more than twenty years ago. Steve Mincey, Don's son, began working summers in 1974, then came on board full time in the 1980s, and now serves as CEO. Tom Gilman, DES' President and Lead Designer, joined the firm in 1973. Susan Eschweiler came in 1981, followed by Craig Ivancovich in 1983. Mark Hutchinson started with the firm in 2000, and Jana Gunsul joined DES in 1993.  Our newest principal is Melanie Rogers who came to DES in 1998.