Our Staff
Thomas A. Buchar | Bret D. Mitchell | Thomas C. Bajt | Snezana D. Banjac
Michael Kren | Kaleb W. Yanko

THOMAS A. BUCHAR, AIA, NCARB
PRESIDENT

Principal and Owner of Buchar, Mitchell, Bajt Architects, Inc.
Licensed Architect in Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Maryland and Missouri

Bachelor of Architecture, University of Illinois, Chicago Circle—1971
Certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB)
Member of the American Institute of Architects
Past President, University Club of Joliet
Committee Member, Downtown Development Council Design Committee
Building and Zoning Officer, City of Crest Hill 1976 - 1991
Past Board Member of St. Paul the Apostle Church
Past Board of Education Member of Joliet Catholic Academy
Past Board Member of the Trailways Girl Scouts Council
Alumni of the Year (1996) of Joliet Catholic Academy

President of Buchar, Mitchell, Bajt Architects, Inc. (Formerly Thomas A. Buchar & Associates, Inc.—Architects) since its inception in 1980. Mr. Buchar assumes personal responsibility for all of the firm’s projects and continues to be involved in the company’s full range of projects.

Mr. Buchar’s professional career has over spanned 30 years. Prior to starting his own firm, he worked from 1974 to 1980 for the Professional Construction Company of Joliet, Illinois as an Architect. His area of concentration was the structural design and detailing of buildings. This experience continues to show its prevalence today as he takes personal responsibility for structural design of many of the company’s projects.

In addition to this experience, Mr. Buchar worked from 1971 to 1974 for Healy, Moore & Associates in Joliet, Illinois. Prior to this, he worked for the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, Illinois; A.A. Lipsey & Associates in Chicago, Illinois; Carl Garner & Associates in Chicago, Illinois; and the City of Joliet Planning Department in Joliet, Illinois.

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BRET D. MITCHELL, AIA, NCARB
PROJECT MANAGER/ARCHITECT

Licensed Architect—Illinois and Minnesota


Master of Architecture, University of Oregon, 1993
Bachelor of Arts in Art and Communications, University of Iowa 1990—

Highest Honors

Certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB)
Member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA)
Member of Phi Beta Kappa National Honors Society
Member of Omicron Delta Kappa
Member of the Joliet Rotary International Club
Current Two-Year Director of the Joliet Rotary International Club
Former Sergeant-At-Arms of the Joliet Rotary International Club
2011 Honorary Alumnus of the Year for Joliet Catholic Academy
Committee Member for Building and Grounds Committee for Joliet Catholic Academy
Group Co-Facilitator for the Facilities Strategic Planning Focus Group for Joliet Catholic

Academy

Keynote Speaker at the Induction Ceremony for the National Art Honor Society for Joliet

Catholic Academy

Former Board Member for the Girl Scouts of Trailways Council
Former Co-Chair for the Real Estate Sub-Committee for the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago

and Northwest Indiana

Board Member for United Cerebral Palsy of Illinois Prairieland
Chairman of the Building and Grounds Committee for United Cerebral Palsy of Illinois

Prairieland

Treasurer/Secretary for United Cerebral Palsy of Illinois Prairieland
Former Board Member for the Will County Historical Society

Mr. Mitchell is a Project Manager and Staff Architect whose specific duties include Project Design and Management, Creative Problem Solving, Master Planning, Project/Consultant Coordination, Specification Writing, Construction Document Production Scheduling/ Coordination/Review and Construction Administration.

He has eighteen years of experience in commercial, office, institutional, religious, educational, health care, hospitality, and community housing architecture. This diverse experience has given him a substantial breadth of knowledge in a variety of building systems, construction methods and space planning options, which allows him to bring a unique perspective to each and every project.

Mr. Mitchell has completed a number of high profile projects including the Prairie Pointe medical office building, MK Orthopaedics/Spectrum Eye Institute medical office building, EquiMed Professional Plaza, new student activity center for Joliet Catholic Academy, and the new City of Joliet Fire Station No. 10.


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THOMAS C. BAJT
PROJECT MANAGER/ARCHITECT

Licensed Architect—Illinois and Wisconsin

Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies, University of Illinois,

Champaign-Urbana, 1985

Associate Degree of Science, Joliet Junior College, Joliet, Illinois, 1982

Mr. Bajt is a Project Manager and Staff Architect whose specific duties include Project Design and Management, Project and Consultant Coordination, Specifications, and Construction Document Production Scheduling, Coordination, and Review, and Construction Administration.

Mr. Bajt has been with Buchar, Mitchell, Bajt Architects, Inc. (Formerly Thomas A. Buchar & Associates, Inc.—Architects) since October 1985. He has been involved with all types of projects including churches, commercial, office, institutional, residential, banks, retail developments, and a varied array of industrial projects.

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SNEZANA D. BANJAC
INTERN ARCHITECT/DESIGNER

Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies, University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia, 1993.

Ms. Banjac is an Intern Architect and Designer whose responsibilities include the design and documentation of both small and large projects within the office.  She has been involved with many building types including offices, commercial, residential, churches, and a variety of industrial projects.  

Prior to joining the firm in February 1998, she worked on a number of commercial, industrial, and bank projects in Yugoslavia as an Associate Architect with “Kosovoproject” – D. P. Agora, Belgrade, Yugoslavia from July 1996 to September 1997.  Prior to this experience, she worked from April 1993 to July 1996 as an Assistant Senior Designer for Matex Engineering, Belgrade, Yugoslavia.  In this capacity, she worked on several residential, industrial, religious, bank, and commercial projects.

 

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MICHAEL KREN, LEED AP BD+C

INTERN ARCHITECT

Bachelor of Science, Architectural Studies, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois,

2003.

Member of the Phi Kappa Phi National Honors Society

Mr. Kren is an Intern Architect whose responsibilities include the design development drawings and all aspects of construction documentation on both large and small projects in the office. Prior to joining Buchar, Mitchell, Bajt Architects, Inc. in August 2006, he was employed by David Wayne McEachern Architects Ltd. of Joliet, Illinois as a Draftsman Supervisor. His responsibilities included the management and coordination of mechanical and electrical information for use in construction documentation, and the production of colored plans and elevations for client review. Prior to this, he worked as a Draftsman on both large and small commercial and educational projects for Healy|Bender and Associates, Inc. in Naperville, Illinois.

In June of 2009, Mr. Kren became a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional. He brings to the office a strong dedication to sustainable building practices and remains committed to living an ecologically sustainable lifestyle.

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KALEB W. YANKO

INTERN ARCHITECT

Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois,

2007

Mr. Yanko is an Intern Architect whose responsibility includes all aspects of a project from programming and design development to construction administration and project closeout for various building types including commercial, residential, educational, industrial, medical and offices.  His responsibility also includes the coordination of project consultants such as Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing engineers. In addition, he is skilled at the production of colored 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional renderings.

Prior to joining Buchar, Mitchell, Bajt Architects, Inc., he was employed by David Wayne McEachern Architects, Ltd. where he specialized in the production of presentation renderings. Prior to this, he worked as a draftsman on a wide variety of projects for Healy|Bender and Associates, Inc. in Naperville, Illinois.

In his eleven years of experience, Mr. Yanko has contributed in many aspects pertaining to the design and production of various types of projects.

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