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Favorite Hobbies?
Are hobbies what we do when we are not working? Do hobbies still exist?! On an ideal Saturday, you’d find me running trails, hitting Humble Sea, and then relaxing on my favorite lounge rock at my favorite secret beach. I just started mountain biking, so that’s fun and also hard and definitely not as easy as running. When I’m bored, I like to brush up on my geography to make sure I can still beat everyone at trivia. Or practice French, or any new language that interests me at the time. Most recently it was Arabic and Portuguese.
Buildings you like/dislike the most?
Hands down my favorite building is Peter Zumthor’s Therme Vals. It checks every design box for me. It is a well thought out, minimal yet complex design made to look simple. For those who don’t know, it’s a building constructed over a natural thermal spring in Vals, Switzerland, and serves as a spa for visitors of the adjoining hotel. There is a pool that connects from inside the building to outside, where there is an unobstructed view of the Swiss Alps. It also contains a plunge pool, sound pool, and blossom pool. The purpose, the local materials, the evocation of tranquility, the picturesque backdrop—perfection.
Why do you love what you do?
For a myriad of reasons. The first being that it satisfies my creative outlet in a way that nothing else can. The second being that I love my work family and I genuinely look forward to showing up everyday. I love using my brain to come up with solutions that contribute to making the built environment a more beautiful and enjoyable place. Each project is different and brings new challenges, whether they are instantly gratifying or mentally taxing, and I constantly learn new things in an environment that encourages collaboration. Maybe it sounds cheesy but it’s true. The fact that I’m surrounded by friends makes it even better.Your cliffnote Bio?
Your cliffnote Bio?
Here comes the hard part. Have you read everyone else’s yet? You can just skip this one. JK. I don’t actually remember the first time I thought to myself, “I want to be an interior designer when I grow up.” I do remember thinking, “I want to be an architect” from a young age, and then realizing how much math THAT involved and scratching it off the list. Little did I know that there is still a lot of math involved. I have floor plans of my dream home dating back to age 9, so I guess that’s where it started. Let’s just say that I had no concept of money, because my dream home had a circle driveway, pool, tennis courts, and horse stables (and me, no job to speak of).
By the time college came around, I landed on an interior design program in Philadelphia, which did turn out to be filled with math. Along with science, physics, ergonomics, occupational therapy, business and financial management, textile design, architectural history, and oh yeah…design. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design, and made my way to Santa Cruz. With just an interim stint in San Francisco, I have spent my post-college years in Santa Cruz, growing my experience in design (and the things that come along with it).
The other thing I’ll mention is my intense desire to travel and be traveling. I think I feel most myself when I am not “home,” because in fact I most often feel home when I am in transit.
