Philip Auchettl

About Philip Auchettl

I am an architect, developer, and hospitality entrepreneur, focused on design, real estate, and operations.I am the Co-Founder and CEO of RAD Lab, an award-winning architecture and development firm, the Co-Founder of Quartyard in San Diego, and the Co-Founder of Hotel Herringbone, a boutique hotel and mixed-use hospitality project in Waco, Texas. My work focuses on hospitality, mixed-use, and modular real estate with an emphasis on brand-driven development and long-term asset performance.Over the past decade, I have led the design, development, and execution of residential, commercial, and placemaking projects exceeding $75 million in total development value, with current projects spanning hospitality, mixed-use, modular housing, and experiential real estate.My approach is deeply entrepreneurial and vertically integrated. I do not separate architecture from development, branding, financing, or operations. Instead, my teams and I conceive projects holistically, from site strategy and capital structuring through construction, brand creation, and long-term asset performance.In 2013, my partners and I founded RAD Lab while simultaneously launching our first development project, Quartyard, a pioneering public-private partnership with the City of San Diego that transformed a vacant downtown block into a nationally recognized cultural and community destination. That project set the foundation for a career focused on turning underutilized real estate into high-performing, experience-driven places.My work has received 14 local, state, national, and international awards for architecture and urban design and has been featured in publications including The New York Times, ArchDaily, and Dwell. RAD Lab has received honors from the American Institute of Architects including the Young Architect of the Year Award and the Urban Design Award, and was awarded first place in the APR World Architecture & Design Awards.Today, my focus is on scaling experiential hospitality and mixed-use platforms through disciplined execution, aligned capital, and long-term value creation.

Experience

1. Co-founder & Owner

   Hotel Herringbone

   Apr 2024 — Present · Waco, TX, US

   Founder and owner of Hotel Herringbone, a 73-room boutique hotel and mixed-use hospitality campus in Waco, Texas.Conceived, developed, and executed the project from early site strategy and concept through design, financing, entitlements, construction, brand creation, and operations. The development integrates hotel rooms, destination food and beverage, rooftop bar, retail, events, and experiential programming into a cohesive, narrative-driven environment.Key responsibilities and accomplishments:• Led full development lifecycle including site selection, underwriting, capital stack structuring, investor relations, and lender negotiations• Directed architectural and brand vision through RAD Lab, aligning design, experience, and commercial performance• Structured operating model and management systems for hotel, F&B, retail, and events• Launched and scaled multiple on-site brands including Red Herring restaurant and rooftop bar• Positioned the property as a regional destination with strong occupancy, ADR growth, and diversified revenue streams• Built local partnerships, community engagement, and repeat-guest strategy to support long-term asset valueHotel Herringbone serves as both a flagship hospitality project and a living case study for vertically integrated development, design, branding, and operations.Hotel Herringbone opened in 2024 and continues to expand its programming, partnerships, and experiential footprint.

Education

• NewSchool of Architecture & Design

  Master of Architecture (M.Arch.), Architecture

  2010 — 2013

• Federation University Australia

  Bachelor's degree, Fine/Studio Arts, General

  2005 — 2009

Skills

• Sketchup
• Revit
• Architectural Design
• Photoshop
• Indesign
• Illustrator
• Drawing
• Autocad
• Adobe Creative Suite
• Architectural Drawings
• Microsoft Office
• Sustainable Design
• Design Research
• Rendering
• Interior Design
• Submittals
• Rhino 3d
• Architecture
• Research
• Powerpoint
• Sketching
• Concept Design
• Space Planning
• Mixed-Use
• Bim
• Green Building
• Leed
• Urban Design
• Comprehensive Planning
• Architectures
• 3d Rendering
• 3d Studio Max
• Residential Design
• Leed Ap
• Interior Architecture
• Autocad Architecture
• Urban Planning
• Construction Drawings
• Feasibility Studies
• Sustainability