I like to learn from clients what their challenges are, see things from their side of the table, and create solutions together that elevate the status quo. Lincoln Elementary is a project I’m particularly proud of in that respect. The administration and teachers wanted to enhance learning opportunities and convey their community’s values without sacrificing that intimate, small-school feeling. We walked them through a process that helped them craft an outcome that was uniquely theirs. The solution gave the community a new park and a building that reflects the community’s heritage in an appropriately modern way while staying flexible and adaptable. The best reward was hearing a visiting student gasp “Man, I wish I went to school here!”
Where have your world travels led you?
I studied abroad in Rome and backpacked through England, France, and Spain. Traveling helped me understand how closely what people build reflects their culture. That drove home the depth of our responsibility to convey Iowa’s legacy to future generations.
What does NM do well?
Our team will go to hell and back if that’s what it takes to find the right solution for each client.
What's your favorite place in Iowa?
My family farm is my most favorite place in Iowa (Iowa City is a close second). I grew up in the northeast corner of Iowa in the Driftless Area. This area was never glaciated, which allowed erosion to form deeply-carved river valleys, bluffs, and created a very beautiful and unique landscape – very atypical of the Midwest.
Education
Iowa State University (BArch)
Recent Experience
Iowa City Public Works
Cascade High School Addition
Green State Credit Union, Jordan Creek
Service
Habitat for Humanity
Willowind School
Iowa Big
