Name: Nicole Graycar, AIA Firm: Carnegie Mellon University Campus Design and Facility Development Years in practice: 6 Education: BArch, Carnegie Mellon University Your first job: Babysitting. But my first proper job was the Drive-Thru at McDonald’s; on 49 cent cheeseburger days it was pretty intense. Project you’re proudest of:  Materials Science & Engineering at Carnegie Mellon. It was the first professional project I ever got to see from start to finish. A little bit of me is still there. Building you’d like to tear down: None – I’d prefer to repurpose it. No need to waste what is already there. What’s the best part of your job? Being able to literally put my money where my mouth is. An owner...

Name: Michael P. McDonnell, AIA Firm: IKM Incorporated Family: Son Luke – 14 years old in 8th grade Years in practice: 25 years Education: Carnegie Mellon University School of Architecture Your first job: Lifeguard for the Recreation Department in Davenport, Iowa Project you’re proudest of: The Ice Rink & Fountain at PPG Place. It transformed an otherwise unused public space. What’s the best part of your job? The best part of my job is that every day presents something new. New design challenges, new technology, new clients.  I never really know what the day will hold until I am in the middle of it. It drives me forward with excitement. What would you change about your job? I wish I could change the timeline projects typically have today. There...

Name: James C. Lord II, AIA Firm: KGA Architecture Family: Married with 4 children Years in practice: 30 years Education: M.Arch and BS from the University of Michigan Your first job: Running blueprints while in college. Projects you’re proudest of: UNLV College of Health Sciences and The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain. Most embarrassing moment: Answering the last question. Building you’d like to tear down: Any addition to one of our designs that we didn’t do. What’s the best part of your job? The creative people I get to meet. What would you change about your job? More time to draw. What have you always wanted to tell your clients? Trust your Architect. What’s the most annoying thing architects...

Name: Stephen Winikoff, AIA Firm: Astorino-CannonDesign Family: Susan (spouse) Years in practice: 15 Education: B.Arch, University of Toronto, Canada Your first job: High-end residential work in Toronto, Canada Project you’re proudest of: Allegheny Health Network’s Health & Wellness Pavilion, Wexford Most embarrassing moment: My second job as a recent architectural graduate was working for a small design-build firm in Toronto. The office was in a private home. One day my boss’s husband, a wealthy hedge fund manager, came downstairs to the office and seeing that I was the only one present, says “Hey Champ (did not know my name), when you take your lunch break, would you mind walking Sophie (the dog)? Thanks, Buddy.” Needless to say, Sophie did not...

Name: Joanna Beres, Assoc. AIA Firm: AIA Pennsylvania (currently the AIA PA Associate Director) Family: MaryEllen and Steve Beres (parents); Stephanie and Andy (siblings);  Frank (fiancé) Years in practice: 6 Education: M.Arch. with a concentration in Urban Design and Conservation at the Catholic University of America; B.A. Urban Studies from the University of Pittsburgh Your first job: I ran a snack counter at a golf course. What’s the best part of your job? I advocate for fellow associates. What would you change about your job? I would like to find a full time position in the field, so that I may complete IDP. Project you’re proudest of: Participation in the Market Square Place project by STRADA. What have you always wanted...

Name: Alan Schlossberg, AIA, LEED AP Firm: Perkins Eastman Family: Wife Loretta, daughters Sarah (age 16) and Anna (age 14), dog Bruce (age 3, people years) Years in practice: 27 (February will be my 20th anniversary with PE) Education: Master of Architecture, Carnegie Mellon University; Bachelor of Fine Arts, Theatre, Carnegie Mellon University Your first job: Stock boy, frozen food aisle, Waldbaums supermarket, Long Island, NY. Always dress warm! Favorite building: Any school. Schools hold the potential to shape the people who create our future. Favorite outdoor space: Bryant Park, NY – perfect balance of formality and respite in an urban greenspace. Favorite indoor space: Grand Central Terminal, NY …the ultimate city arrival experience. Favorite city: New York. What’s the...

Name: Christian James Hughes, Assoc. AIA Firm: Michael Baker International, LLC.; Carnegie Mellon University, Architecture Explorations; Affiliate, The Kingsley Association (Larimer); Affiliate, Green Building Alliance – The Green and Healthy Schools Academy Family: Single, oldest of 4. From Detroit, which is where my immediate family lives. My extended family is divided between North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Maryland, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. Years in practice: 3 (including scattered summer internships) Education: Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia – Master of Architecture, May 2014; Carnegie Mellon University, UDream Fellow (Urban Design Regional Employment Action for Minorities) – June – September, 2014 Your first job: Family Dollar Stores What’s the best part of your job? Learning. Learning the tricks of the trade at Michael Baker International....

Name: Adam Yarinsky, FAIA LEED AP Firm: Architecture Research Office (ARO) Family: Wife and two children, ages 13 and 17 Years in practice: 27 (21 with ARO) Education: BS in Architecture, University of Virginia; M. Arch, Princeton University Your first job: Raking leaves. Project you’re proudest of: Most recently, the boat house we designed on the Hudson River in Beacon, New York. Having grown up in the Hudson Valley, it was especially satisfying to help connect people to the river, which is a national treasure. What’s the best part of your job? I am always learning; almost every day presents new challenges and opportunities. What’s the most annoying thing architects do? Behave with hubris, rather than humility. What’s the next...

Name: Raymond Bowman, Assoc. AIA Family: Married Years in practice: 6 Education: B.Arch., Carnegie Mellon University I belong to the AIA because: I like the friendships I’ve made and participating in the events I’ve heard about through the organization. Some people call this “networking”. What’s the best part of your job? As a young architect, it’s great to be involved in all phases of a project. What would you change about your job? More time outside. I’d settle for more time not immediately in front of a computer screen. Most embarrassing moment: I tore my pants right before a meeting with a client and, to cover it, wore a woman’s sweater around my waist, making the attempt to hide the...

Name: Carl Bolton, AIA Firm: Allegheny County Department of Public Works Family: Audrey (Wife), Dinks (Associate #1), Belle (Associate #2) Years in practice: 13 Education: M.Arch, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; B.F.A., University of Bridgeport Your first job: Shoveling snow for my neighbors as a kid. Project you’re proudest of: Isn’t that a bit like asking a parent about their children? What’s the best part of your job? Walking into a building or space after construction is completed to see people using the space as the design team envisioned they could. Knowing we can improve people’s lives, albeit in small ways, is very satisfying. What would you change about your job? The sometimes adversary roles between Architect, Contractor, and...