When I decided to further my education in architecture, my vision was to design functional commercial buildings and “cool,” highly usable residential homes, and to move quickly from project to project. I learned that’s the tip of the iceberg in architecture. There are so many more dimensions to this practice; literally every day I learn something new. And literally every day I enjoy it.

In architecture, we wear several hats at the same time. That’s something they don’t teach you in school. My role encompasses everything from listening to a client’s dream, designing and solving for that dream, and coordinating with many others to cost-effectively make their dream a reality. Fortunately for me, I enjoy the collaboration with the client, the end users and the other partners in the process. Together we create something truly special.

I’ve also learned it’s important to put myself in our clients’ shoes. Each project has been conceived from the heart and mind of this person or team, so it’s very personal to them. It’s also vital to understand our clients’ budgetary and scheduling goals, and to be transparent with them in communicating how we will work together to accomplish all their desired outcomes.

Reflecting on my career, I’ve often asked myself, “What is the legacy I want to leave?” My early thoughts were about structures that stand the test of time. Now I know my ultimate goal is to create lasting relationships with teams of people who share in dreams and successes.