ILEANA SCHINDER
SAY IT LOUD - WASHINGTON DC Exhibitor
Washington DC Based Designer
Who or what inspires you professionally?
Everyday people are the biggest inspiration. The daily struggle to make the residential space work for them. From cooking to playing, the home is the stage for life. The design for daily life really excites me.
ILEANA SCHINDER
Bio:
The great architect, Argentina-born architect Ileana Schinder has a passion for modern design and creative solutions and is the go-to expert on Additional Dwelling Units. She graduated with a BA in Architecture from Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, an MA in Communications from the American University. She was awarded “Best Architecture Firm” by Washington City Paper’s Best of DC. Ileana is licensed to practice in Washington DC, Virginia, and Maryland, is LEED accredited, and a Passive House Design Consultant.
How did you first learn about architecture and when did you decide that built environment profession was an area of interest for you?
Architecture was a choice right out of high school. We are a family of builders; my dad's an engineer, my grandfather, a carpenter, and my uncle was an architect. The built environment was a natural space to develop professionally.
What do you do?
I do residential design, mostly adaptation of early 20th century buildings in the Washington DC area. I specialized in additional dwelling units and accessory apartments, small buildings between 300 and 700 sq ft.
What excites you in the work you do?
The transformation, the potential, the opening to natural light. The people that enjoy the space.
Who or what inspires you professionally?
Everyday people are the biggest inspiration. The daily struggle to make the residential space work for them. From cooking to playing, the home is the stage for life. The design for daily life really excites me.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment or achievement?
When I hear "We use all of the space!" coming from a client with a challenging project. Most of the projects don't include additions, but adapt old structures. Optimizing and rediscovering potential for each project, those are my proudest moments.
Featured Project Name:
The Mighty Blue House
Featured Project Location:
1209 Gallatin St NW, Washington DC 20011
Featured Project Completion Date:
November 2019
Role in Featured Project:
Architect
Featured Project Description:
In the existing structure of a 1950s garage, the architect created an additional dwelling unit. The project consists of one bedroom, a full bathroom, and an open kitchen with living space. With updated windows and doors, the existing exterior envelope preserves the original cedar shake siding. A parking surface was created adjacent to the existing structure to accommodate outdoor living space.
