Monica Rokicki

Principal / Owner

Monica is passionate about “architecture that listens”. She founded Better Building Works to help clients implement intentional, cost-effective strategies for context-driven, high performance new construction, development projects, and improvement of existing buildings and campuses. She holds various building performance certifications, including LEED AP BD+C and EBO+M, BPI, and HERS. Continuing education in this rapidly developing field augments her decades-long experience in building design.

Monica currently serves as a Board Member with the Greater Virginia Green Building Council, is Immediate Past Chair for the ten-state USGBC Southeast Regional Committee, and has conducted numerous building performance presentations for the Roanoke Regional Home Builders Association, Virginia Building and Code Officials Association, and many others.

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Nicole Roberts

Energy and Design Alchemist: PE, LEED AP

Vision girl, creator and early associate of BBWx, Nicole is a rural enthusiast, aficionado al fútbol and mother of a three member brood of ‘cheesy smile’ faces. Her affinity for buildings and construction has grown over the decades and really began to blossom when she graduated from college with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering (with Honors).

With a concentration in structural engineering, Nicole ventured into the construction document design world but soon discovered there was more, oh so much more to the construction industry. Earning a LEED AP designation started a chain reaction to safeguard the environment for future generations while still holding true to her knack for engineering. Soon she was working for BBWx and earned the designation of BPI Building Analyst. Understanding how a building is constructed offers great advantage when analyzing energy assessment results and crawling around in attics with their own microclimates . . .

Nicole utilizes her time to fulfill LEED administration responsibilities, run the open trails, draft expertly designed construction plans, volunteer as a youth soccer coach and children’s ministry leader and assemble strategies to prosper and improve BBWx client services.

Hannah Utter

Resilient Design Advocate

A high school drafting class was Hannah Utter’s first introduction to architecture. Now, Hannah has graduated from Virginia Tech’s architecture program. What she likes best about design and architecture is, “You can do it your whole life and never do the same thing twice.”

Her curiosity and willingness to try new things gives our team a fresh perspective. Her design talent is expanded by her exposure to building science and our systems approach.

Hannah’s favorite piece of architecture is “Falling Water” by Frank Lloyd Wright. When she thinks about designing, the process begins with an emotion and the way she wants people to feel in the space. From there, she gets a visual and then just starts drawing. She looks forward to the day, “when she gets to try everything.”

In her free time Hannah loves to read fantasy and science fiction. She is a talented artist as we have come to know at Better Building Works and Hannah also enjoys riding her horse, Piper.

Get ready world: A new kind of architect is on the horizon.