How did you first learn about architecture and when did you decide that built environment profession was an area of interest for you?

I first learned about architecture in high school when my family moved down south to Georgia from NY. While house hunting with my mother, I always found myself thinking of a more efficient layout than what had been built. Later in life I realized that from a young age I had the mind of a problem solver, from redesigning products in my head to the idea of traveling to somewhere new every month by rearranging all the furniture in my bedroom.

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What do you do?

I am an Architect working at Studio 397, where I not only practice architecture but discover ways to use architecture as a social service to inform and empower people to use design to create healthier sustainable environments, through inspiration, wellness, home, or fashion. While we currently practice only in NYC we intend to expand globally.

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What excites you in the work you do?

Getting clients excited about realizing their vision, and how it will positively affect them in the future. Celebrating the solution is always fun. 3D modeling excites me, as it brings the 2D drawing more to life. Being able to zone in on the architectural puzzle then having the ability to zoom out to see the bigger picture always keeps me looking at my work from different perspectives.

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Who or what inspires you professionally?

Being sustainable inspires me, and brings reason to conscious decisions that I make. Simple choices such as material selection and building configuration can make a huge difference in how one experiences a space. Simple choices made in our daily routine can also impact how one experiences the world.

 

What is your proudest professional accomplishment or achievement?

Becoming the 397th Licensed Black Female Architect in the United States. This unique, intelligent, strong, and creative group of women solidifies why I need to continue dreaming bigger than my eyes can see.

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Featured Project Name: 

COS Retail Store

 

Featured Project Location: 

Toronto Ontario

 

Featured Project Completion Date: 

2015

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Role in Featured Project: 

Architectural Designer at Office AO

 

Featured Project Description:

COS, an upscale European retailer, recently expanded into the Canadian retail market.  New York-based Office AO was commissioned to bring life to the brand’s 3-story, 6,700 sf flagship location in Toronto’s fashionable Yorkville neighborhood. The modern façade is clad in shou sugi ban charred wood.  Inside the store is light and airy, reflecting the same sparse Scandinavian aesthetic found in the menswear, womenswear and kids wear sold at the store.

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Photography Credit:

Exterior and & Interior (photo credit Office AO)