NEUMANN MONSON ARCHITECTS

I took a high school art class with an extremely creative and supportive teacher who helped me see how curiosity could mix my intellectual and creative sides. It was a pretty short path from there to architecture. Design helps me balance what I hold in my head and what holds me in this world.

Language does the same thing for my wife. I am extremely proud of her for being accepted into the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Although her acceptance brought us to Iowa City, I might be the reason we stay because I love working at Neumann Monson. I feel that I joined the team at an exciting and critical moment. We’ve built some strong momentum in terms of design quality, client relationships, and community ties. This is not a group to rest on its laurels, so I aim to learn from and contribute to something deeply worthwhile.

What excites you most about Neumann Monson?

The range of projects in scale, program, and context shows a vast pool of experience that both educates young architects (like me) and serves our clients in many, diverse ways.

What do you appreciate about the architect-client relationship?

A building project is an immense undertaking. The opportunity to walk through that process with someone gives us, as architects, the opportunity to help realize our clients’ passions. It’s a powerful, humbling experience. 

What's an untapped passion you'd like to devote more time to?

I love making architectural drawings by hand on a drafting board. Now that I have more space in my home in Iowa, I’ve got my drawing board set up and ready to rumble.