Pub. 1 2020-2021 Issue 1

16 REFLEXION | 2020 | AIA Utah Name: Eman Siddiqui Hometown: Karachi, Pakistan. A city of 20 million people on the coast of the Arabian Sea. Education: University of Kansas M.Arch. ‘2014 Current Employment: IBI Group Favorite Place in Utah? Moab. My husband and I find any excuse we get to drive down South. Our favorite Moab activity is hitting up the off-road trails in a jeep. What is the last book you read? Recently finished Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Toni Morrison calls it “required reading,” and I couldn’t agree more. If you could learn anything, what would it be and why? The power of my voice. My voice is a powerful tool. As I’m getting older, I’m getting more and more comfortable in using it. The more I use it, the easier it becomes. Incredible people throughout history have used their voices to create change. Why did you become an architect? I was very fortunate to travel the world with my parents. It was clear to me at a young age that across cultures, people used architecture as a means to showcase and preserve heritage (along with cuisines, my other favorite topic). I would also, as a kid, fill notebooks with drawings and writings of my travels. What area(s) do you specialize in? Hospitality, luxury resort design. Previously, I worked in sports architecture, which in many ways requires a deep understanding of hospitality design as well. Place you have always wanted to visit? Alaska! For the glaciers and the orcas. Where are you most likely to be on a Saturday morning? In my kitchen, whipping up an elaborate breakfast. Nothing says weekend more than sitting down and enjoying breakfast. Do you do any volunteer work? I am on the NCARB ARE 5.0 Item Writing Committee that writes questions for the licensing exams. This role has provided me with a challenging but rewarding experience to serve the profession. What do you like about the AIA? The AIA has done a great job of keeping us connected, especially during these unprecedented times. Providing resources for continuing education, bimonthly COVID updates, and helpful links to articles on this new normal. It’s a reminder that we are all in this together. b MEMBER SPOTLIGHT The AIA has done a great job of keeping us connected, especially during these unprecedented times. Providing resources for continuing education, bimonthly COVID updates, and helpful links to articles on this new normal. It’s a reminder that we are all in this together.