Professional or personal website

dreamcollaborative.com

Degree(s)

B.A. Smith College

M.Arch Southern CA Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc)

Professional interests

Adaptive Reuse, Historic Preservation, Affordable Housing, Public cultural projects

BSA/AIA involvement

Member since 2011

When did you first become interested in architecture as a possible career?

When I was in elementary school, I wanted to be a cartographer and would spend hours drawing maps of geography I made up in my mind. It was very satisfying for me to see places from above; it helped me to make sense of them. Even now, I feel right at home in floor plans and get a little vertigo looking at building sections. It wasn’t until many years later when I received an AIA brochure in the mail that I considered architecture as a possible career. I took a hand drafting class my senior year of college, and I remember sitting at the drafting table wondering what had taken me so long to get there. It was a perfect fit for the creative and analytical sides of my brain.

Who or what deserves credit for your success?

My parents. My mom always referred to me as “her artist,” while my dad encouraged my interest and success in math and science. They truly (and literally) represented the two sides of what makes me who I am. My parents both passed away in the last year, which has motivated me to spend my time wisely, with an emphasis on what brings me joy and what we call at DREAM, “the greater good.”

What is your favorite Boston-area building or structure?

The First Church of Roxbury (see job sheet below). I’ve been working with the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry, the BLC, MHC, CPA, BFD, and countless contractors and skilled tradespeople to bring this historic structure back to its former life. We have worked as a team to completely renovate the interior of the Meetinghouse as well as create more accessible access to the building.

What do you see as the largest barrier to equity in our field?

One of the barriers to equity in architecture has to do with exposure to opportunities. I worked for an organization called Diversify Architecture, where a colleague and I ran an after-school architecture club at the O’Bryant High School. My dream is to create an apprenticeship program for architecture students before they get licensed requiring them to acquire hands-on knowledge about all aspects of construction. I firmly believe this would enable future architects to understand how assemblies and systems go together, which is something that is not always easy to convey in books or by drawing. I’ve learned more in my years of construction administration than I ever could have learned at my desk or in school. I’ve also witnessed the lightbulbs going on when junior staff at DREAM get to experience a job site to see what all those lines they’ve been drawing in window details actually represent in real life.

How do you believe architecture/design can have the greatest impact shaping a community?

Involving the community is the only way to have a great impact. Deciding in a vacuum what the community needs or wants is not only unproductive, but it is also irresponsible. The community who lives and works in a particular neighborhood knows it best and is the greatest resource to inform the architecture and design.

What is the most effective step you’ve taken in your work toward a more sustainable built environment?

I have shifted my focus to look closer at existing buildings whenever possible. The simple practice of using what already exists can be a radical way to achieve a more sustainable built environment. Renovating a building with good bones is almost always a more sustainable option than starting a building from scratch.

What do you hope to contribute from your work?

In 1998, I got the chance to see Sam Mockbee (Rural Studio) speak at an architectural symposium at Smith College. He spoke about how architects have a duty to serve their communities, which really stuck with me. My recent work at DREAM has been focused in adaptive reuse and historic preservation, which is an area that can bring existing, often neglected, buildings back to life. The hope is that the renovation of a tangible space will also bring new life to the neighborhood, both through community engagement as well as creating pride in the building itself. As a board member of the Boston Preservation Alliance, our goal is to elevate voices and histories that are not always front and center.

Do you feel like your education and/or internships prepared you well for your career?

I attended the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) in Los Angeles for graduate school, which was a mind-altering experience. I still draw on the ideas and approaches that I learned there. I went to grad school after working for three years in architecture firms, which was a massive culture shock. I had to try to “forget” everything I learned in the practical world in order to be creative and be imaginative with my school work. SCI-Arc was a place for challenging all the norms of reality, which seems counterintuitive to the code-based world of architectural practice, but it helped me to seek out solutions that satisfied both realms. School, for me, was a place to pause reality and really dive into my creative side. Because architecture is an art form, it requires creativity, ingenuity and innovation. Building codes and regulations help to put guiderails on artistic vision, but the vision can still be bold and interesting. The jobs I’ve held in various firms have taught me so many different angles for approaching work – there is never just one way.

Thea was nominated for a BSA Profile and Member Highlight in our monthly newsletter Progress.

Subscribe to Progress, or submit your own nomination via our online form.