When did you first become interested in architecture as a career? When I was young, I never knew an architect. So, I had no experience or background in architecture. Architecture was never offered to me as a career option. I come from a family that works in the aviation industry, and, if anything, I might have been on track to become a pilot. Towards the end of earning my undergraduate, I took a general ed design studio class, and I just fell in love with architecture. I knew from that moment that architecture was my thing. But I was about to graduate, and it was kind of too late to switch gears. So, I ended up completing my undergraduate education at the University of Utah, not in architecture. But then, I discovered a workshop class taught by Gail Della-Piana, a legend in Utah. She followed the curriculum of Tom Cass. After I took that class, I knew I was going to study architecture, and I wanted to do that professionally. After I graduated from the University of Utah, I moved to Los Angeles and started studying architecture, taking night classes to build a portfolio and working in a company that specialized in interior design. Then, I went to Graduate School in New York at Columbia University. I also studied at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) in Los Angeles and in Switzerland. I loved every moment of being in school and studying architecture. It's really important to find something that you love, and your education just flows after that. What college degrees and certifications have you earned? I earned a Master of Architecture with Distinction from SCI-Arc and a Bachelor of Arts in Business from the University of Utah. Has your career taken you anywhere you didn’t expect? While I was in school, one of my professors identified me as somebody who could be a potential teacher. I never saw that in myself, but I've had a dual career as both a practitioner and also an architectural educator — I never expected to have two jobs my whole life. Which one of your current projects excites you the most? That’s tough, I always love the projects that I work on. For example, this week, we presented a design for a new Civic Center for a special community in Utah. This is a really exciting project because we're working hard to deliver a landmark building for this organization and nonprofit that has an incredible history in our state and in our region. What has been your proudest moment as an architect? I have to say this milestone of being recognized as a Fellow and being included with the top architects in the country is an honor. It's very gratifying to have been recognized with that award this year. What do you hope to contribute from your work? I really hope to contribute a body of work in architecture that endures for generations. This requires a level of design and quality that allows a building to be timeless. It's definitely what I strive for in our office. We've developed a pretty rich and rigorous design process, and we've been honing that for the last couple of decades. Hopefully, that leads to a body of work that will stand the test of time, but that's for the next generations to determine, and that's what I'm working toward. Have you won any awards for your designs? What elements from those projects would you like to see shape the future of the profession? Well, the firm has won quite a few design awards, up to 50. We, again, take our design process seriously, and our rigorous process leads to design excellence. Some of the elements that we focus on are thinking about materials and the unique ways they are used, the translation of the concept into materials, and detailing. It's not just about form, it's about spatial quality and experience and then, a bit of surprise. I really hope to contribute a body of work in architecture that endures for generations. 17
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