Doug and Liza Cruze are managing partners of Cruze Architects, an architecture firm that works predominantly on urban projects in the city of Pittsburgh and that includes both in-house construction and development capabilities. Since founding Cruze Architects, they have designed and developed numerous mixed use projects while building a track record of providing superior work within tightly constrained budgets.What began as an ambitious house renovation project ( and an informal apprenticeship to Pittsburgh's master builders circa 1900) turned into an integrated, hands-on way of working that is motivated partially by financial necessity and partially by a desire to control the level of craft in the construction process. The concern for materials, details and site responsiveness informs all of their work, regardless of their roles in completing a specific project.

Liza is a licensed architect in the state of Pennsylvania, and is currently an adjunct faculty at the Carnegie Mellon School of Architecture. Before becoming a managing partner at Cruze Architects in 2012, she worked at BCJ Architects with a focus on high end residences throughout the United States. Liza has a B.Arch and M.Arch from Virginia Tech. In addition to architecture, she has a background in industrial design with specialized studies in Switzerland and ten years of full time teaching at Carnegie Mellon University School of Design. Doug is responsible for day to day operations at Cruze Architects and Cruze Construction, and he is a licensed architect in the state of Pennsylvania. Doug has a B.A. in economics from McGill University and an M.Arch from Virginia Tech. Originally from Washington, DC, he has studied and worked in Canada, Germany, Switzerland, San Francisco and Washington, DC.