Orange Buensuceso Promoted to Director of San Francisco at FPBA

Ferguson Pape Baldwin Architects (FPBA) has promoted Orange Buensuceso, AIA, LEED AP, to Director of San Francisco, a milestone that takes on added significance as it coincides with the start of Women in Construction Week.

Orange joined FPBA in 2020 and built the Bay Area presence from the ground up, bridging the firm’s established San Diego life science platform with a burgeoning Northern California market. Over five years, she has grown from Project Manager to Director, now leading the office’s next chapter.

Her project portfolio spans life science, advanced technology, workplace and Higher Education work, with notable experience managing complex, technically demanding environments. Key projects include life science repositioning and tenant improvement work for Healthpeak in South San Francisco, as well as ground-up R&D facilities and cGMP manufacturing projects across the Bay Area.

Beyond her project work, Orange is a recognized voice in the Northern California industry community. She co-chairs the Events Committee for the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) NorCal Chapter, is a member of the ISPE San Francisco/Bay Area Chapter, and is active with CREW SF and CoreNet. She also dedicates time to mentorship through AIA SF, reflecting a commitment to building the next generation of design professionals.

Part of what drew Orange to FPBA was the firm’s culture of women and minority leadership, as well as its employee-owned (ESOP) model. “I was attracted to FPBA because of the genuine opportunities for women in leadership and how diverse the firm is at its most senior levels,” she said. “I’m proud to carry that forward in San Francisco.”

That culture is well established at FPBA, which recently appointed Amanda Schultz, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, DBIA, as the firm’s first female President, a milestone in the firm’s 50-year history.

Looking ahead, Orange aims to deepen the firm’s existing client relationships in Northern California, cultivate new ones, strengthen FPBA’s brand recognition across the NorCal market, and expand the office’s reach into civic and higher education sectors alongside its technical core.

Orange holds a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley, is a California licensed architect, and is a LEED Accredited Professional. She is the recipient of a Merit Award in the Built Category at the AIA Redwood Empire Design Awards.

ABOUT FPBA

FPBA is a full-service, award-winning architectural, programming, planning, and interior design firm, with offices in San Diego, San Francisco, and Mountain View. We provide a balanced and diverse practice designing for the life sciences, advanced technology, mission critical, healthcare, higher education, and civic sectors – building environments for an exceptional life.