about
Meet Ven Studio Architects
Ven Studio Architects is a team of five architects and designers based in Bowie, Maryland. Since 2017, we’ve helped growing and multigenerational families across Maryland, DC, and Virginia design homes that hold every phase of life — planned from the beginning to evolve with the people inside them, built all at once or in thoughtful stages over time.
We combine technical depth, sustainable design expertise, and a genuinely collaborative process to help you move from “we’ve outgrown this house” to a home you’ll want to stay in for decades.
How We Got Here
Nine years ago, Ven Studio Architects was something Justin worked on in the margins — evenings and weekends carved out from a full-time job at a large architecture firm, taking on whatever projects came our way. Back then, that meant mostly basements and bathrooms: the kind of careful, small-scale work that quietly teaches you everything.
Within the first year, something unexpected happened. The work grew quickly, almost entirely through referrals, and Justin was able to move forward full-time. Kiley transitioned from juggling two worlds to joining full-time as well. The early 2020s brought our project architects Nusheen and Ian, and project coordinator Cristian, as the practice grew beyond what two people could carry alone.
The growth was intentional but not always smooth. We tried to do it in a manner that helped us evolve — building the team carefully, adding people whose skills and values genuinely complemented what we were becoming, not just filling seats. We didn’t network exactly. We met the right people at the right time. And those relationships with clients, contractors, consultants, and collaborators have been the foundation of everything that followed.
Nine years of Ven Studio Architects is really nine years of the relationships that made it possible.
One of our earliest projects is a story we still come back to. A woman who loved to cook was living in a house where the kitchen was its own separate room — cut off from the guests gathered in the living room, from the family she was cooking for. She just wanted to look at the people she loved while she cooked. To be part of the conversation instead of apart from it.
We opened up the kitchen. We added a deck. When she called to tell us it had changed her life, we understood something important about why this work matters — not because of the square footage or the finishes, but because of what a well-designed space makes possible for the people inside it.
That’s still why we do this, nine years later.
Why We Do Things Differently
The name Ven comes from the idea of a Venn diagram — the place where different things overlap and something new becomes possible that couldn’t exist on its own. For us, that’s the intersection of the architect, the consultants, the contractors, and the clients: where design and construction stop being separate conversations and start becoming one, where function and beauty reinforce each other, and where every decision is made with the full picture in mind.
That philosophy is the foundation of what we call the Forever Home Blueprint — a way of designing that starts with the home your family will eventually need and maps the smartest path to get there. We look at how your family will live today, in five years, and in twenty. We use virtual design and construction tools to understand structure, systems, and phasing implications before a single drawing is made. And we design every phase to protect the next one, so your investment compounds over time rather than being undone by it.
A home is not a finished product. It is a living framework that changes with the people inside it. The families who come to us have usually already discovered this — their home hasn’t kept pace with the life growing inside it, and they need more than a renovation. They need a roadmap.
That’s exactly what we provide.
A Team Built for the Long View
Meet the Team
Working with Ven Studio Architects means working with a team of five architects and designers who think several moves ahead — because in residential renovation and new construction, the decisions that matter most aren’t always obvious until it’s too late to change them.
Our five team members come from a diverse range of backgrounds, specialties, and interests — and that breadth is intentional. Together, we bring the range needed to strengthen communities, protect the planet, design spaces that genuinely elicit joy, and champion health, equity, and accessibility through every project we take on.
Justin Cullen
RA, NCARB, LEED Green Associate Design Principal, Co-Founder
Justin has almost 15 years in the architectural industry and has extensive experience leading the design, documentation, and construction administration processes of Single-Family and Multi-Family Residential, Commercial, Mixed-used, and Cultural projects throughout his career. His expertise includes new construction, renovations, additions, and tenant in-place. Detail-oriented by nature, Justin appreciates diving into the specifics on each project and tackling the challenges associated with the science of building construction. He prefers to work closely with the builders as a collaborative effort to bring the space to fruition.
Justin has a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Fairmont State University (2010) and a Master of Architecture from University of Maryland, College Park (2012). He is a licensed architect in Maryland, Washington DC, West Virginia, and North Carolina. In his free time, he enjoys gardening, beekeeping, working out, spending time with his energetic dogs and cats, travel, and the outdoors.
Kiley Wilfong Cullen
RA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C
Design Principal, Co-Founder
Kiley has over 15 years in the architectural design and construction industries. She has worked on Residential, Commercial, Mixed-used, and Cultural projects during her career. A master-planner at heart, Kiley recognizes the importance of big-picture strategies that structure how the detail work will proceed. She works closely with the clients to understand their needs and inspiration. She also has experience in Virtual Design and Construction at a large national general contractor, including rendering, animations, mixed reality, and site logistics, reality capture, and 4D/5D BIM processes.
Kiley has a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Fairmont State University (2010) and a Master of Architecture from University of Maryland, College Park (2012). She is a licensed architect in West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio and holds LEED AP BD+C credentials. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, beekeeping, hiking, reading, cooking/baking, and spending time with her energetic cats and dogs.
Cristian Amaya Aparicio
Project Coordinator
Cristian earned his Master of Architecture from the University of Maryland and his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of the District of Columbia.
Native to Washington, DC, Cristian brings a balance of technical skill and creativity to his role, supported by over two years of general contracting experience. His favorite part of the design process is connecting with clients and understanding their ideas, personalities, and preferences, which help shape the direction and character of the final design.
Outside of architecture, Cristian enjoys going on walks and runs, watching anime, and sharing a fun hidden talent—whistling like a bird.
Nusheen Majidi
RA, Project Architect
Nusheen has 3 years of experience in the industry. She holds a Master of Architecture, Master of Real Estate Development, Graduate Certificate in Urban Design, and Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. She is especially interested in adaptive reuse projects, large-scale urban design, and all scales of residential design. More broadly, she is interested in how the built environment can influence individual, societal, and environmental health.
Outside of architecture, Nusheen enjoys fitness, traveling, spending time with friends & family, and spoiling her dog, Jarvis.
Ian Rosario
Project Architect
Ian graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. Ian has been with the Ven team for over 4 years and has worked on projects of all scales. He loves helping the client visualize their project through 3D modeling and rendering. His favorite part of the job is that he gets to help people live in more functional and usable spaces. He also has a professional working fluency in Spanish.
Outside of architecture, Ian enjoys watching and playing sports, eating his wife's home-cooked meals, and learning guitar.
Led by principals Justin Cullen and Kiley Wilfong Cullen, our team brings combined experience spanning residential architecture, large-scale commercial and multifamily projects, and virtual design and construction. Before focusing on residential work, our principals managed projects exceeding $30 million in construction value — including multifamily developments of more than 100 units — and have successfully stepped in to rescue more than ten projects that had gone off track under other architects. That depth of experience means we bring a level of coordination discipline and risk management to residential projects that most architecture firms simply can’t offer. When your renovation or new home represents hundreds of thousands of dollars, having a team that has managed projects an order of magnitude larger means you get a level of oversight and expertise that protects your investment at every stage.
Serving Families Across Maryland, DC, and Virginia
Ven Studio Architects is based in Bowie, Maryland, and licensed to practice in Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC, West Virginia, Ohio, and North Carolina. Our primary focus is the DMV area, and we’re experienced navigating the zoning, permitting, and construction landscape across the region from Prince George’s County to Bethesda, from Alexandria to Howard County and beyond.
If your project is located outside our typical service area, reach out. We’ll let you know what’s possible.
Active or Completed Projects since 2017
Ready to Start the Conversation?
Whether you have a clear vision or you’re still figuring out what’s possible, we’d love to hear about your project.
A discovery call is a conversation, not a commitment — and it’s the best first step for most families.
