MARY TRAN
Liollio Architecture
SAY IT LOUD - SOUTH CAROLINA Exhibitor
South Carolina Based Designer
Who or what inspires you professionally?
My mom and women in architecture in general. Women are constantly juggling with multiple balls in the air and they still show up in our profession displaying grace, confidence, and compassion. I am in awe of and inspired by the women I work with every day.
MARY TRAN
Bio:
The Great Designer, Mary Tran, exhibits curiosity for problem solving and a passion for design in every project from award to close-out and beyond. Her 8 years of collaborative design experience with sustainable architectural and interior design projects ranges from health and wellness, community, public/commercial, higher education, and interior upfits. While at Clemson, Mary was instrumental in launching the local Crop Stop Initiative to provide adaptable commercial kitchen space for local farmers.
How did you first learn about architecture and when did you decide that built environment profession was an area of interest for you?
In high school, I watched a lot of renovation shows but I was not allowed to decorate my room growing up. Not having that autonomy, I constantly imagined how my environment could be different. Design was an opportunity to express myself.
What do you do?
I help people organize, visualize, & transform ideas & spaces into reality that they may not have realized on their own. My strengths are problem solving & providing various design opportunities. I love seeing how design can optimize people’s lives.
What excites you in the work you do?
Getting to know people, learning about their wants and needs & the infinite number of design possibilities excites me! It’s exciting to see how people use finished spaces & learning from them which design decisions worked & which didn’t.
Who or what inspires you professionally?
My mom and women in architecture in general. Women are constantly juggling with multiple balls in the air and they still show up in our profession displaying grace, confidence, and compassion. I am in awe of and inspired by the women I work with every day.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment or achievement?
At one of the libraries I designed, I overheard a librarian raving about how well the space worked for them. It’s not often that you get candid feedback about your designs & to see how proud end users feel about their spaces is a source of pride.
Featured Project Name:
South County Regional Library
Featured Project Location:
5801 Rea Rd, Charlotte NC 28277
Featured Project Completion Date:
January 2021
Role in Featured Project:
Project Designer
Featured Project Description:
This 2-story, 34Ksf interior renovation responds to community needs for increased/flexible learning & meeting spaces for a robust collection in a fixed footprint. The community valued their “treehouse library” & wanted to preserve connections to nature, while celebrating connections to global culture, children/families, & lifelong learners. Renovation design was transformative, enhancing existing assets while sculpting them into a welcoming community-focused library, connected to its landscape.
