This month’s Staff Spotlight is all about Kate Theodoridis, a Finegold Alexander Architect who is enthusiastic about sustainability and project management. Kate attended Syracuse University where she received her Bachelor of Architecture and participated in study abroad in Florence, an area rich in architectural treasures and history. We sat down with Kate to get some insight into her professional journey, including inspirations, design principles and more.

Q:What inspired you to become an architect/designer?

When I was a sophomore in high school, my parents hired the original architect who designed our house to design an addition to our home that would allow my grandparents to move in with us. My parents let me sit at the dining table with them for the design review meetings with the architect, and I remember thinking how cool it was to see my home documented in such a scientific yet artistic way (all the drawings were done by hand). I ended up taking an Architecture class offered by my high school shortly after that and the rest is history.

Q: If you could give advice to a young designer what would you say?

My advice would be to not be afraid to speak up and let your voice be heard. It’s easy to be intimidated as a young designer in a field where experience is everything, but good ideas can come from anyone no matter their age. If you don’t feel comfortable speaking up in the moment, seek out someone who you feel comfortable sharing ideas with who will advocate for you at times if needed.

Q: Do you have any guiding design principles in your process?

I think it’s important to always be contextual, and to remember who the end-user of your project is. Every project is so different and there are a million ways to “skin a cat,” as the saying goes.

Q: What have been some of your career highlights/proudest achievements so far?

Passing all exams in the timeframe of 1 year and ultimately getting licensed is absolutely my proudest achievement to-date. Project wise, since joining Finegold Alexander I’ve been able to identify that I love working on K-12 schools. Working on Gladstone Elementary School has been such a treat and I am excited to watch it come to life.

Q: Do you have a favorite city to visit for architecture?

All of Italy– for sure. I know that isn’t a city, but how do you pick just one? I love how nearly every building in Italy has some sort of historical value and a lot of them are quite unassuming. It’s like finding little gold nuggets everywhere –an architect’s paradise!

Q: Do you have a favorite building or perhaps a favorite architect?

This is a tough question to answer because I have a lot of favorites, but if I had to pick just one, I would have to say Zaha Hadid simply for what she was able to accomplish as a woman in our field before her untimely death in 2016. I was able to visit a handful of her projects during my study abroad semesters in college and it always amazed me how she could take such whacky forms and make them functional.