Interviewed by Katie Donahue, Senior Associate at Handel Architects.

How did you decide to become an architect? What were some of your early influences?

My father was a civil engineer who started his own general contracting business. So I grew up seeing how buildings come together. My father had an architect who worked with him, a woman named Mary. When we played pretend as kids I would always say ‘My name is Mary!’... she is definitely the person who made it clear to me - here’s this great woman and she’s an architect. I always wanted to be an architect.

What are your thoughts on being a woman in architecture?

At many of the meetings I go to, I’m one of the few women… I think if we want more women in architecture we need to give young women opportunities to see architecture as a profession early on. I think that’s where it needs to start.

I think if we want more women to be represented in architecture we need to get more girls and young women interested in it. And I think one way we can do that is volunteering and introducing them to the idea of architecture - that the school that they are in right now, a person or a team designed that school. It didn’t grow like a flower, someone made decisions.

What are some of the things you like most about working at Handel Architects?

I like the people here. I think everyone respects everyone else and the work everyone is doing. People are actively working together to create some good work and make this city a better place to live in. We all listen to each other. The things we do - like Whiteboard Groups and Happy Hours - I think this fosters getting together and realizing we are all in this together as a team...

I have several mentees through our Mentorship Program which is a great way to get to know and share information, but I also like to think that I am like that with all my colleagues ...my interest is much more than ‘get that drawing done’ it’s that I want to make sure that they are growing and that they are happy.

Any final thoughts?

I came to Handel Architects because a friend told me to drop off a resume right when I got out of school. And I realized that this is exactly what I wanted to do. Each day is always different. I think it’s fun that you get to mix things up now and again. You’re learning new things all the time. I feel like a lot if it is sort of solving the puzzle. Sometimes you get down in the weeds, you have to solve a stair or figure out a sprinkler, which is fun, but it is good every once and awhile to look up at the rendering of your building and say ‘Oh yeah, that is going to be a cool building. That’s going to be a part of the city now.’

The buildings that we are doing are a part of the living organism that is the city so that makes it particularly exciting. You get to one day walk past that building and think, "I helped build that." I find that pretty rewarding.

Team Talks provide a snapshot of working at Handel Architects through interviews and employee profiles.