professional development blog

2023 ENVD Alumni Recognition Events

Anonymous — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 20:04:31 +0000

2023 ENVD Alumni Recognition Events Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 12/14/2023 - 13:04

Lydia Mercante

The Program in Environmental Design (ENVD) is proud to celebrate its design community by recognizing individuals who have demonstrated leadership and made significant contributions to the design and architectural professions and their communities.

This fall, ENVD honored Nancy Blackwood with the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award and Thomas Hoffmann with the Young Designer Award. Learn more about the recipients here. ENVD hosted events to recognize each recipient's professional career and personal achievements during the Wednesday of CU’s 2023 Homecoming Week.

The recognition kicked off as Blackwood received a tour of the ENVD building from sustainable planning and urban design senior Lydia Mercante, and thereafter presented to a group of students in their urban planning studio. Blackwood described the highlights of her career to aspiring planners and offered insights into the nature of the profession. With ENVD134 filled with alumni, faculty, staff, students, and members of the Boulder professional design community, the evening kicked off with an hors d'oeuvres reception followed by the awards presentations.

ENVD Assistant Director for Advising and Professional Development Nate Jones opened the recognition event and introduced Blackwood and Hoffmann. Teaching Associate Professor Jeremy Ehly then presented the Young Designer Award to Hoffmann, recounting his experience as Hoffman’s capstone instructor. ENVD Director Stacey Schulte then took to the podium to present the Distinguished Alumni Award to Blackwood. ENVD will celebrate the 50-year anniversary of its first graduating class in 2024, of which Blackwood was a graduate. Schulte recognized Blackwood’s membership in the first cohort of ENVD graduates and referenced her influential career and countless contributions to the program.

After the awards portion of the event, Hoffmann spoke to the audience about his time as an ENVD student, his early design career, and the experience of starting his own company Campworks. He emphasized his journey from student to young entrepreneur and how his innovative camper is impacting the existing market. Blackwood spoke to the audience about her time as an ENVD student back in the 70’s and presented work from her exemplary career. She chronicled the many urban planning projects that she has worked on throughout the Front Range and around the world (including projects in Africa). Blackwood’s presentation illustrated a veritable tour de force of impactful urban planning in Colorado.

Concerning ENVD’s forthcoming anniversary, ENVD Teaching Professor Jade Polizzi concluded the ceremony by introducing her efforts to chronicle the program’s history. She implored the various alumni members in attendance to support the project with anecdotes and other information highlighting their ENVD student experiences.

The alumni recognition continued into the night with a dinner at Café Aion on University Hill. During the dinner, Schulte discussed the creation of an ENVD Alumni Advisory Board and asked the alumni members in attendance to consider participating.

It was a wonderful night of recognition and reconnection as the ENVD community celebrated its legacy and looked forward to the exciting changes yet to come.

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ENVD hosts lunch with class of 1978 alumni

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 19:18:19 +0000

ENVD hosts lunch with class of 1978 alumni Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 11/02/2023 - 13:18

Kitty deKieffer, the wife of alumnus Robert C. deKieffer, assisted Environmental Design in organizing an endowment lunch event with alumni from deKieffer’s 1978 graduating class. The alumni group and their families were provided with a tour of the ENVD building, getting an exclusive look at the newly redesigned studio and materials library spaces. They also learned about the Community Engagement, Design and Research Center (CEDaR) and heard from Tamara Islas Morales, Environmental Design Diverse Scholars (EDDS) board president.

In 2015, deKieffer established the Robert C. deKieffer Endowed Program Support Fund in memory of her late husband. The fund provides general support and flexible resources for advancing strategic initiatives, strengthening core offerings, and addressing ENVD’s greatest needs.

Give Now

Kitty deKieffer, the wife of alumnus Robert C. deKieffer, assisted Environmental Design in organizing an endowment lunch event with alumni from deKieffer’s 1978 graduating class.

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ENVD student contributes to Taos Pueblo community development project

Anonymous — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 21:03:47 +0000

ENVD student contributes to Taos Pueblo community development project Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 10/30/2023 - 15:03

Sierra Brown

Nestled in the valley beneath northern New Mexico’s Sangre de Cristo range, amidst expansive high desert terrain scattered with juniper and sage brush, lies the oldest continuously inhabited community in the United States: Taos Pueblo. This ancient village comprises a multi-storied residential complex with ceremonial kivas and multiple layers of interconnected individual homes. According to the Taos Pueblo website, the Taos people have preserved and revitalized the pueblo for more than a millenium using traditional materials and methods, including replastering with thick layers of the structure’s primary building component, adobe.

“Architecture isn’t just siding and wood, it can also be adobe,” Masani Salazar, a fourth-year architecture student, explained. “People forget that this building method is pretty much the most sustainable thing you can do for architecture.” Adobe, a combination of burnt-orange earth mixed with water and straw, is both energy efficient in its insulating properties and incredibly resilient to climate and time. “I’m really interested in looking at ancient architecture and how it still stands. In Taos Pueblo, the structures still hold and the adobe stays put.”

Salazar has lived in Colorado for most of her life. But as a tribally affiliated member of the Taos Pueblo people, she has deep connections to the community. “It’s a part of my culture and I practice their traditions. Even though I’m from Colorado, it’s home.”

Despite the village’s long-standing history and living culture, available and affordable housing has become a critical need for the people living in the vicinity of the Pueblo. The expansion of Taos, a nearby municipality, and the consequential impacts from regional tourism have put pressure on the community, forcing many to leave. Young people especially are struggling to find available housing in the community as it hasn’t seen new housing development in over 30 years.

In summer 2023, Salazar hoped to address this need.

Through an internship with Ferguson Pyatt Architects, a Boulder-based architectural firm, Salazar took a vital role in the firm’s long-term community development project with Taos Pueblo. The firm’s principals and owners, Janna Ferguson, Rob Pyatt (both ENVD alums) and Heather Kahn-Pyatt, see the firm as “the embodiment of the philosophy that ENVD teaches in terms of integrative design and interdisciplinary approaches to projects.”

“We’re both interested in architecture that is contextual,” Ferguson added. “The foundation of the work is place-based and informed by local context.”

In this case, the place is Taos Pueblo. Ferguson Pyatt first began work with the Taos Pueblo Housing Authority in 2017 when they were hired to develop a master plan for a 50-acre housing development project known as the “New House” neighborhood. The plans include four emergency housing areas and a 50-unit housing complex.

“Masani joined when the project had already been underway for a couple of years,” Pyatt explained. “But for us, it was really important to include Masani in all aspects of the project. This is her community. Her family is there. She is emotionally and intimately knowledgeable of the culture.”

Under Ferguson Pyatt’s mentorship, Salazar designed and constructed a three-bedroom floorplan prototype model at an 8-inch scale, mirroring the Taos Pueblo’s traditional style of architecture. “Native American typologies aren't really being talked about in architectural history at ENVD,” Masani acknowledged. “So, this experience was a way for me to understand more about what else the field has to offer other than European architecture.”

She hopes that by designing housing that is familiar and comfortable, built out of adobe or similar material and following traditional architectural styles, more people will choose to stay in the community.

Site work and construction has already begun and final design plans for the rest of the houses are expected to be finalized by the end of the year. Despite the project’s successes, however, it didn’t come without challenges. “There’s a historic imbalance of power,” Salazar commented. “Initially, it’s hard for my community to really trust outside agencies.” Masani explained that Ferguson Pyatt’s work, however, focuses on building long-term relationships and incorporating community input every step of the way.

“We have a big emphasis on community engagement and community-led design. It can be difficult, and it takes a lot of time, but I think the projects are better because of it,” Ferguson expressed. To the firm, this engagement is highly variable from project to project and looks different depending on the needs of the community: listening sessions with elders, design workshops for students or feedback sessions with invested community members.

According to Shawhin Roudbari, ENVD associate professor, this kind of engagement practice isn’t as common in the field of architecture as one might think. He noted that the Ferguson Pyatt approach is “profound in our discipline. In the research I’ve done, I haven’t seen people really succeed in managing a sustainable practice and doing it deeply. These deep relationships they have with partners has allowed them to do something that I haven’t seen other practices do.”

“They are helping our community modernize, but in a way that’s for the people while keeping it as traditional as possible,” Salazar agreed.

Salazar has found some unexpected fame as a result of her work. “My family has gotten more notoriety. The people at the community events tell my family that they’re excited that I’m pursuing this kind of work that’s helping them,” she said. When she presented her work to the Tribal Council and other community members, she nearly received a standing ovation. The governor of Taos Pueblo personally acknowledged her and her contributions and addressed the importance of supporting young professionals and tribal members like Salazar who can work in their community to support their families and relatives.

“It was inspiring especially for some of the young people that were there. One of our goals is trying to connect tribal youth in the communities that we are working with to higher education and the field of architecture, design and engineering,” Pyatt noted.

Salazar is currently studying abroad in Barcelona. For her, it’s an opportunity to get in touch with the other side of her heritage which has roots in Spain. “There’s this gap that I’m trying to fill, to learn a little bit more about my culture. I wanted to go to Spain to learn more about what the architecture is like but also seeing how the people are here. I’m really interested in learning cultural things about indigenous people, and I’ve been learning about the indigenous people here and what they value.”

She won’t be away from Ferguson Pyatt for too long, however. When she returns, she plans to assist the firm on a new school project in Colorado, redesign her parents’ house that burnt down in the Marshall fire, and, of course, continue her work at Taos Pueblo.

“To have her involved in the first new housing that is going to be built at Taos Pueblo in over 30 years is such a cool story.” Ferguson beamed. "It's historic.”

Under Ferguson Pyatt’s mentorship, fourth year architecture student Masani Salazar designed and constructed a three-bedroom floorplan prototype model at an 8-inch scale, mirroring the Taos Pueblo’s traditional style of architecture. She hopes that by designing housing that is familiar and comfortable, built out of adobe or similar material and following traditional architectural styles, more people will choose to stay in the community.

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ENVD announces 2023 alumni award recipients

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 06:00:00 +0000

ENVD announces 2023 alumni award recipients Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 10/06/2023 - 00:00

The �� Program in Environmental Design has announced the recipients of the 2023 Environmental Design Alumni Awards. This year’s honoree for the Distinguished Alumni Award is Nancy Blackwood and the Young Designer Award recipient is Thomas Hoffmann.

The Environmental Design Alumni Awards honor individuals who have demonstrated leadership and made significant contributions to the design and architectural professions.

Celebrate the 2023 Alumni Award winners on Wednesday, Nov. 1, from 5-6:30 p.m. at the Environmental Design Building.

Schedule of events:
5-5:30 p.m. – Pre-ceremony hors d'oeuvres reception
5:30-6:30 p.m. – Presentation of awards

RSVP

Distinguished Alumni Awardee:

Nancy Blackwood, winner of the 2023 ENVD Distinguished Alumni Award, came to Boulder from suburban Detroit in 1970 to attend what was the new Environmental Design Program at CU. She graduated from ENVD in 1974, the first graduating class, and has lived and worked in Boulder for the past 49 years, including 15 years at DTJ Design (Downing-Leach and Associates), 15 years with OZ Architecture, and a cumulative 19 years as a private Urban Planning Consultant.

Her work over the years has encompassed both public and private urban mixed-use developments, land use planning for large-scale residential/commercial developments, urban planning, design guidelines, downtown redevelopment plans, corridor master planning and streetscape design concepts for projects in communities across the country. A notable project was the Master Planning and Design Guidelines for a new 5,000 acre sustainable/off-the-grid city outside Nairobi, Kenya. She has also served on urban design review teams in multiple Colorado municipalities.

Nancy has been a long-standing member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and has served the Boulder community extensively. She has been the president of the University Hill Neighborhood Association Executive Committee for the past eight years and served on the Historic Boulder Inc. Board of Directors for 17 years.

Highlights of Nancy’s time at ENVD in the early 1970’s include: Buckminster Fuller’s visit to the campus and the opportunity to build a geodesic dome in the Norlan Quad; the wide range of projects the classes tackled (from designing a play toy to an entire city); staying up night after night upstairs on the 3rd floor to finish a project; making long-lasting friendships and playing flag football on the “green” to the west of the building (now filled in with a building). She was pretty good for a girl.

Young Designer Awardee:

Thomas Hoffmann, the Environmental Design 2023 Young Designer Award recipient, graduated with his Bachelor Degree in ENVD in 2017. During his time at ENVD he focused on design studies which offered an interdisciplinary approach to design. Currently, Thomas is a young entrepreneur and instructor in the ENVD program who is constantly building upon his education. From his early days at CU Boulder, Thomas was captivated by design's multifaceted nature. Informed by ENVD courses in communication, history, and policy, he recognized that design wasn't solely about aesthetics but also its impact on cultures, communities, and individual lives.

Thomas established Campworks in 2019 where he created the NS-1 adventure trailer. The NS-1 is a micro-architectural product that interacts with landscapes while incorporating technical innovation, sustainable design, and environmental ethos. Building Campworks and the NS-1 represents Thomas's life's work, and he is grateful to only be 29 and on this journey. Thomas's ambitions transcend product design, as he aims to create a world where humans live in harmony with nature, and sustainability isn’t an afterthought but ingrained into our lifestyles.

The �� Program in Environmental Design has announced the recipient of the 2023 Environmental Design Alumni Awards. This year’s honoree for the Distinguished Alumni Award is Nancy Blackwood and the Young Designer Award recipient is Thomas Hoffmann.

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A Perspective on Urban Design and Being a Woman in the Design Workplace from Isabella Marcotulli with the Bjarke Ingels Group in New York

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 21:13:47 +0000

A Perspective on Urban Design and Being a Woman in the Design Workplace from Isabella Marcotulli with the Bjarke Ingels Group in New York Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 01/23/2023 - 14:13

Lydia Mercante, a third-year Environmental Design (ENVD) student majoring in sustainable planning and urban design, works in the ENVD’s Professional Development Services Center. She spent the summer of 2022 meeting with various design professionals in New York City to learn more about the industry to share with other students. During her adventure, Mercante met with Isabella Marcotulli, an urban designer at Bjarke Ingels Group’s (BIG) Brooklyn office, for an interview to better understand what it’s like as a woman in urban design

Marcotulli graduated from Rice University in 2017 with a bachelor of architecture (B.Arch.). . She planned on becoming a professional architect and landed her first job with Weiss/Manfredi, a multidisciplinary design firm based in New York City.

Urban design can be seen as a difficult profession to enter since there are so many facets of the profession. According to Marcotulli, urban design is a growing profession that combines city planning, landscape design and architecture. For those interested in entering the urban design field, she suggests that the best place to start is by working in the public sector with a city or county. It is also critical to learn the fundamentals of urban planning before working in urban design. Although this is the preferred route to a career in urban design, Marcotulli took a different pathway.

While working with Weiss/Manfredi, Marcotulli began on the business development side of architecture and later worked in project design. Although this was a positive experience, Marcotulli felt something was missing in her career and eventually realized her passion for urban design. In order to explore urban design, Marcotulli left Weiss/Manfredi after a year to join Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) as a project designer and later transitioned to the role of Urban Designer. Her first project was Google’s new campus in Sunnyvale, California, whereshe helped with landscaping and circulation. After having that experience, Marcotulli realized how much she loved working on master plans and began making her professional transition as an urban designer.

When asked what she wished she could tell her younger self, Marcotulli talked about being a woman in the professional world, which can often make a career in design more challenging.

“Even though it makes things harder,it also makes you feistier and tougher in the long run,” Marcotulli said.

One thing Marcotulli wishes she had found along the way was more female mentorship and successful women role models in the industry. Marcotulli wishes she could tell her younger self to “stay nimble” and try out as many things as possible, to seek connections and not be closed off to technical processes.

Marcotulli describes BIG as young, fresh and open-minded. Regarding how she considers being a woman has affected her career in design, she said, “if you are working hard it doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman.”

Marcotulli's work environment has indeed allowed her to thrive as a female designer, but she argues that many other women haven’t had the same experience. She suggests that one of the most important things to do as a woman or even just as a young professional is to seek support from people who value quality work regardless of gender. The best way to navigate any situation, according to Marcotulli, is to develop a network of support among professional colleagues.

Marcotulli’s most memorable professional experiences stand out primarily due to what she learned rather than what she accomplished. One of her most rewarding projects has been the design for the Howard Terminal Masterplan, a new district that surrounds the proposed Houston Astros Stadium. Much of the project focused on community building and working on how the design will improve the neighborhoods and businesses around it. The stadium will incorporate public outdoor space, provide more jobs for the surrounding area and thereby offer economic benefits back into the surrounding community.

Another project Marcotulli is proud of is her research and work on designing in the Metaverse, a virtual reality system that allows users to interact both together and with computer-generated content in a three-dimensional environment. Marcotulli is particularly interested in how working in the metaverse might change the future of design and how her firm will approach designing in the virtual realm.

Marcotulli is an energetic young woman making strides in urban design, which is a unique, relatively new discipline. Her accomplishments so far in her still early career and potential to create innovations in this growing profession are inspiring.

Lydia Mercante, a third-year Environmental Design (ENVD) student majoring in sustainable planning and urban design, spent the summer of 2022 meeting with various design professionals in New York City to learn more about the industry to share with other students.

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ENVD Honors Jordan Lockner with 2022 Young Designer Award

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 20:50:04 +0000

ENVD Honors Jordan Lockner with 2022 Young Designer Award Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 12/06/2022 - 13:50

This fall, ENVD honored Jordan Locker, AIA, with the 2022 Young Designer Award. Lockner graduated from The �� with a bachelor’s in Environmental Design, emphasizing in architecture. He is now the principal architect and owner at Collab Architecture in Windsor, Colorado. During this year's CU Alumni Week, ENVD hosted various events to recognize Lockner’s professional career and personal achievements.

Recognition events kicked off on Tuesday, Oct. 25, as Julia Rodriguez, American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) President, led a tour with Lockner through the Environmental Design building. Following the tour, an award presentation took place during the ENVD Colloquium Lecture Series, where over 100 students, faculty and staff attended, both virtually and in person.

ENVD Director Stacey Schulte opened the recognition event and introduced Lockner, followed by Assistant Director of Undergraduate Education and Teaching Assistant Professor Neal Evers, who presented the Young Designer Award. After receiving the award, Lockner spoke to the audience about his time as an ENVD student, his early design career, and the experience of starting his own architectural firm in northern Colorado. He emphasized Collab Architecture’s commitment to making contributions to their local community as a top priority of his firm. Following the commemoration event, a group of ENVD faculty, staff and students attended a celebratory dinner at Ado’s Kitchen on University Hill with Lockner.

The Young Designer Award recognition events continued on Wednesday, Oct. 26, with an alumni open house and breakfast in the ENVD Lobby. Students, faculty and staff had the opportunity to meet and interact with the new award recipient. Following breakfast, Lockner participated in instructing students for studio desk crits in ENVD Instructor Jeff Shi’s intermediate architecture studio.

As part of the young designer’s recognition and benefits, Lockner has been invited to be the commencement speaker for the ENVD Class of 2023 recognition ceremony. In March, students can also interact with Lockner in preparation for the Career and Internship Fair.

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ENVD Announces 2022 ENVD Alumni Award Recipients

Anonymous — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 22:13:12 +0000

ENVD Announces 2022 ENVD Alumni Award Recipients Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/18/2022 - 16:13

The �� Program in Environmental Design has announced the recipient of the 2022 Environmental Design Alumni Awards. This year’s honoree for the Young Designer Award is Jordan Lockner.

The Environmental Design Alumni Awards honor individuals who have demonstrated leadership and made significant contributions to the design and architectural professions.

Join us in presenting the Young Designer Award during the Colloquium Lecture Series on Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 3:30 p.m. in GOLD A2B70 in the Gold Biosciences Building. On Wednesday, Oct. 26, please join us from 8-9 a.m. for an alumni open house to meet with Jordan, reconnect with classmates and engage with current students. Walk through the ENVD Gallery to view exhibited student work. Light breakfast snacks will be provided.

Young Designer Awardee:

"It is hard to recall my time in the Environmental Design program without reliving the countless hours and memories spent in the studio. The atmosphere of so many dedicated, passionate individuals working so hard, yet still enjoying the process was, and always will be, unforgettable. It became a second home. So many nights were spent taking shifts sleeping at the computers, bandaging cuts from X-acto knives suffered while model making and exploring new and different mediums.  All while unknowingly building lifelong friendships that would outlast the years spent at CU Boulder. That teamwork and collaboration has really driven my outlook and passion as I continue to pursue architecture in a professional environment in my practice. One memory that stands out relates to my final project for my green technology class. In it, I was able to combine my passion for architecture and design with my passion for hockey.

From an early age, I spent a majority of my free time at the ice rink playing hockey and was able to acquire quite a collection of wood hockey sticks and other hockey materials. This collection continued to grow as I played on the CU hockey team, and my green technology class provided an opportunity to reuse it creatively for my final project. With the encouragement of my professor, I pushed the limits of a typical desk design and added my own story and twist. The story and desk were eventually published in the national USA Hockey magazine and is still a family favorite that is used to this day."

Jordan Lockner, AIA, graduated from the University of Colorado Program in Environmental Design in 2013. He is currently the Principal Architect at his firm, Collab Architecture based in Northern Colorado. He has experience in a variety of project types, including municipal, education, hospitality, healthcare, and residential architecture. Jordan has always enjoyed finding creative solutions to difficult and complex problems. He approaches architecture in a very similar manner, working to make every project both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Jordan believes that the root of all good architecture must support the community that it exists within. He has been heavily involved in many community outreach events, including sitting on the AIA Colorado Board of Directors as the Associate Director in 2018, and mentoring young professionals through programs such as ACE Mentorship. His passion for architecture directly stems from his personal experiences, and his understanding that every project should have a positive and lasting impact on a community.

The �� Program in Environmental Design has announced the recipient of the 2022 Environmental Design Alumni Awards. This year’s honoree for the Young Designer Award is Jordan Lockner.

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ENVD’s Davis Velte Discovers Real World Design at Mosaic Architects + Interiors

Anonymous — Thu, 16 Jun 2022 16:54:50 +0000

ENVD’s Davis Velte Discovers Real World Design at Mosaic Architects + Interiors Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 06/16/2022 - 10:54

Davis Velte is a third-year architecture student from Evergreen, Colorado, who has been balancing school and an internship at Mosaic Architects + Interiors since November 2021. Mosaic is a Boulder-based firm that specializes in custom residential architecture and interior design.

Velte landed the internship after his environmental design (ENVD) studio instructor, Jade Polizzi, suggested that he apply. Through the fall 2021 and spring 2022 semesters, Velte worked 16-20 hours a week at Mosaic while handling the responsibilities of being a full-time student. This transition into such a sizable work commitment during the school year was possible due to Mosaic’s insistence that he prioritizes his studies and his ability to manage his time at work and school effectively. During this experience, Velte was able to earn academic credit for his work with Mosaic through the ENVD Internship for Credit Program.

Velte began the internship by doing a lot of behind-the-scenes office work, like organizing closets and creating magazine ads. Eventually, he transitioned into assisting with Revit renderings, going on-site visits and playing a larger role in the company.

ENVD students are often curious about what computer programs are important and how their schoolwork will apply to future careers in design. Velte referenced Revit as the predominant program he uses at Mosaic. By taking a Revit course during his first year in ENVD, he credits that experience with giving him a leg up when searching for and applying to internships. Analog design skills are also valued at Mosaic. While the firm does a lot of digital work, many of its early conceptual designs are still done by hand.

From Velte’s perspective, one of the biggest differences between doing a school project and a project in the real world is that everything isn’t as hypothetical and the architects really understand the significance of what they are designing. He has enjoyed his time with Mosaic and understands how the skills and concepts he has learned in ENVD apply to real-world contexts.

Velte’s experience at Mosaic has been so successful that the firm has asked him to take a full-time role upon his graduation from ENVD.

Davis Velte is a third-year architecture student from Evergreen, Colorado, who has been balancing school and an internship at Mosaic Architects + Interiors since November 2021.

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ENVD community spotlight: Korey White, architect and urban planner

Anonymous — Thu, 10 Jun 2021 17:08:58 +0000

ENVD community spotlight: Korey White, architect and urban planner Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 06/10/2021 - 11:08

The Environmental Design Professional Development Services team is spotlighting members of the ENVD Community. This week, the office features a conversation with Korey White, an architect and urban planner working for the DLR Group, an integrated design firm in Chicago. Although White did not attend CU Boulder, she is an active ENVD community member and is very interested in connecting with ENVD students to discuss professional licensure, how to market oneself to potential employers, interviewing for jobs and anything else related to the world of design.

While earning her master's from CU Denver, White served on the AIA Colorado Board of Directors and then went on to work at several firms in Denver, Washington D.C., and Chicago. In 2018, White was named the AIA Young Architect of the Year for her tireless commitment to advocacy, collaboration and community engagement to better the built environment.

ENVD students and alumni are invited to reach out to White. Contact info can be found below.

What is your current position at DLR Group and what types of projects do you work on?
I am an architect and planner. I’ve had a few different jobs and most of them were more traditional architectural roles, so I’ve worked as a designer, production staff member, and some assistant project management all on the singular building scale. I started at DLR Group in 2018 in our Chicago office. My first project was a renovation of an addition of a school building, and I'll be really honest I got to a point where I was like, this is not what I want to do. I don’t want to be a project architect who runs the design and construction of a building. Luckily, I talked with my managers and I started working on educational master planning projects, and I much prefer it. That basically means I work with public k-12 school districts on putting together a long-range vision that aligns their facilities with their education readiness for teaching in the future.

What path did you take to get a license?
I went to the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Science and Architectural Studies degree. I finished up in 2011 while we were coming off of the last recession and people weren't really getting hired at the time, so I decided to go to grad school. I moved to Denver, went to CU Denver, and got a dual degree in architecture in urban and regional planning, and for me, the dual degree added a semester. When I was at CU Denver, I volunteered with AIAS and did a lot of crossover work with the AIA so I could build my network. At the time, attending certain AIA courses allowed you to get hours towards your [AXP licensure] hours. I also started an internship with a sole proprietor in the last year of grad school, and so that allowed me to start working and gain experience hours while I was still in school.

By the time I finished my accredited degree, I was allowed to immediately start taking those exams [for licensure]. When I graduated, I scheduled my first exam as soon as all the paperwork cleared. There was a three-month gap I had for studying/making sure all my transcripts got to NCARB. I really just wanted to get started so that I could be done and get it out of the way, and the sooner that I did that, the sooner I could figure out what I really want to do in the world of architecture and planning. Now I am licensed in Colorado and Illinois.

How did your interdisciplinary, dual degree in both Urban Planning and Architecture help you in your professional career?
[At CU Denver,] I volunteered with an organization called Housing Colorado, which was a three-day charette with different professionals from architecture, planning, landscape architecture, and housing authorities. What enlightened me was the impact of what you do as a design professional can be much greater than a single building. I’m really thankful for my architecture degree, but the planning part of it really opened my eyes to the impact–good and bad–that we can have on people and communities. That was always kind of my career goal–to find a job where I was able to use both skill sets in a way that I was able to have a broader community impact.

[Now,] I work for DLR Group, which is an integrated design firm, and what that means is we have a lot of different professionals from a lot of different backgrounds so that our teams are not just architects or just engineers. We really try to make sure that it's integrated across multiple areas of expertise so that we can develop the best project possible. When I was interviewing with DLR Group, they mentioned that they did a lot of educational master planning work and I was really interested in what that meant because I knew it would give me an opportunity to use both degrees.

What do educational master planning projects look like?
We have a five-phase process.

We look at [a district’s] existing buildings, talk with stakeholder groups, assess what the state of conditions is in terms of buildings, community and program, and the disparities from one school to the next.
We move into the visioning process where we ask teachers, students, and community members what they would like to see for the district.
We move to a programming model that accomplishes their ideal vision.
We move into a phase of conceptualization and [decide:] what does it look like to apply a programming model to these schools?
We present that final recommendation with a group of community members to the board of education where they will either adopt it or not. If it does get adopted, it moves to implementation.

Do you have a favorite project you have worked on?
I do! I think Mockery Brewing in Denver has been my favorite. One, because it was the first project that I worked on that I got to see built, and two because it was a brewery. I was able to go visit it beyond just the point of it getting built, so I was able to take my family and friends there to show them what I did. Now that I work more in the public sector, you can't often take people around and show them what you're doing.

You have worked as an architect in Washington D.C., Chicago and Colorado. What are the differences you see in the architectural industry in these regions?
It's interesting because architecturally they've been three very different cities, but the architectural community is so small in all of the areas, so I know a lot of architects who know each other. Colorado is really a work-to-play [mentality]. When you're done with work, you're done with work. Whereas D.C. is very, work, work, work. It's kind of around the clock which is just the nature of it being the capital. Chicago is somewhere in between because it's a midwest city that has just an astounding architectural history.

I’ve noticed that [in Chicago,] there's a real acknowledgment of the history and how it still lives on. When I worked in Denver, because it is a younger city, the best idea wins, it doesn't matter if you've been an architect for forty years or five. Chicago and D.C. have trended to be a little bit more established in the history and legacy of certain things related to architecture and that legacy.

Why should students get involved with organizations like AIAS and AIA?
I was involved in my senior year of undergrad and then two and a half years in grad school. And then I immediately became an AIA member after graduation. For me, it was the best way to connect with professionals. As a student, I was able to meet with professionals and practicing architects so that when I was finishing up I had people to talk to about what type of firms I would be interested in working for. On the flip side, because I had made those connections when they had positions open they would come to me and say "hey, are you interested in this?" So it was very easy to get a foot in the door at firms, and then the key was maintaining those relationships over time. Then through the connections I made through AIAS and AIA I was able to transition to another firm more easily because I had made that network.

The second [reason] is connecting with peers and like-minded people. There are a lot of emerging professionals who are all in the same position and I think it builds really great comradery and creates a network of peers that you can work with and explore different things with. A lot of younger people in firms want to get leadership experience. The AIA allows younger folks who are recently graduated to volunteer and get those leadership skills that they might not be getting at work. If it's something you're passionate about, with one year of experience you can lead a committee and develop those skills and it's sort of a great space to test those out.

Based on what you know about ENVD, how would you advise recent graduates to market themselves in the architectural industry?
I would advise recent graduates to really showcase and elevate the collaboration that is central to the ENVD program, [as a result] of the varying interests, experience, and skillsets. I think just in general, our marketplace has become more complex. Projects are more complex. You really need people on teams that can see multiple perspectives and can speak multiple design languages. What ENVD graduates have is the ability to see a holistic picture and be able to talk across those boundaries of those different industries.

Do you have any advice for ENVD graduates when it comes to finding a firm that is a good fit?
As much as you all are eager to get jobs, you are also interviewing the firm as well. Ask them questions about how interdisciplinary they are, what their collaboration looks like, what their values are. This will all be really telling on how valuable they see your degree and how much your values align with theirs. If you value sustainability but interview a firm that has never done a sustainable [project], it's probably not going to be a great fit because you aren't going to be able to use the skills that you learned or apply your passions to the work you do every day.

Everybody who comes out of school has some sort of gap. [whether that’s] you don’t know how to do technical drawings, or you've never presented to a client. Whatever it is, firms know that, so when you're interviewing or applying, what are the things that make you unique, or what is your story or passion? They want to know what type of person you are going to be like to work with, what type of vibe you are going to bring to the office, are you eager to learn, to be mentored, do you ask good questions?

Those are all really important things to think about when going into an interview because that is what's going to set you apart from other people. If you don't get the job, it's not that you haven't done the right things, it may just be about the fit that a firm is looking for. Try to be true to yourself and don't change your story to fit what they want, you won't be honoring all the work you've put in.

Contact Korey White: kdwhite2@gmail.com

This week, the office features a conversation with Korey White, an architect and urban planner working for the DLR Group, an integrated design firm in Chicago.

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Ask an Architect: Career Hour with AIA Colorado

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 16:27:23 +0000

Ask an Architect: Career Hour with AIA Colorado Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/30/2020 - 10:27

Do you want to become an architect? Whether young or young at heart, this event is for those at any point in their journey looking to enter the profession of architecture.

Ask an Architect: Career Hour with AIA Colorado is an event for students, alumni and young professionals of all ages. It's a free event, but participants will need to register.

During this career Zoom hour, ask your pressing questions to five architects who represent a broad range of backgrounds and practice areas. You'll get to chat directly with members from the AIA Colorado Equity, Diversity and Inclusiveness Committee on what it's like to be an architect and how you can, too—no matter what stage you're in.

When: Friday, October 16 at 12 p.m.

Ask an Architect: Career Hour with AIA Colorado is an event for students, alumni and young professionals of all ages.

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