A Year of New Talent Pt. 5

Celebrating the one-year anniversaries of Ameilia Ashley, Shradhan Shrivastav, and Sophia Alberts-Willis.

We are excited to commemorate one year with three designers from MWA’s Portland office. Their curiosity, drive, and desire to make meaningful change in the world have led to thoughtful design work on affordable housing and water-wastewater projects. On the Housing team, Ameilia brings excellent communication skills with a passion for community outreach, and Shradhan contributes technical drafting skills throughout the schematic and design development stages. A member of the Infrastructure studio, Sophia is an enthusiastic designer who loves the collaborative process of bringing conceptual designs to fruition. We are thrilled to have them on our team and can’t wait to see their contributions as they grow with the firm.

AMEILIA

“It has been a hilarious year getting to know and work with Mia. I am so appreciative of her communication skills, curiosity and team dynamic. Not to mention her epic story telling about cheese curds, egg experiments in 115 degree weather and basically anything about a dog. This is the first of many happy milestones. Congratulations on reaching one year.”

– Taryn Wheeler

What projects are you working on right now?

I am currently working on Good Shepherd Village, which is an exciting project, as it will be the first affordable housing project in Happy Valley. This was my first project with MWA, and it is satisfying to see the team’s hard work begin to come out as a comprehensive design.

The other project I am working on is West Powell Apartments in Gresham. This project is a new typology for the firm, and it features a courtyard and sky bridges, which will help shape the outdoor space.

What project phase is your favorite? Why?

I think design development is my favorite phase. Progressing the design and seeing different iterations and colors for a building brings it to life for me. I really enjoyed working with the community and asking them what they would like to see in the building and how certain spaces would best be utilized. It is cool to see these pieces of the program get worked out and put together in a way that benefits the user and highlights well-designed spaces. I also enjoyed the big brainstorming sessions in our OACs to solve design issues. It taught me a lot about designing housing (and the code) and what people need in housing.

What’s your favorite thing about working at MWA?

I love that MWA still tries to foster great workplace culture despite being remote. I started remotely, and we are still working remotely, but I feel like I know my coworkers pretty well. I am a regular attendee at Fluffy Friday (30 minutes on Friday morning, where we just take a breather and hang out), and it has been a pleasure to chat with new folks every week and meet their pets. We also had a virtual holiday gathering and were each sent boxes full of fun gifts and had a gingerbread competition and other activities throughout the season. It feels nice to be able to do non-work things with coworkers, even virtually. 

How do you maintain work/life balance? During COVID, how have you been maintaining your sanity?

I always take my full lunch break to go on a walk, run errands, or at the very least get out of the “office,” I think it is great to give yourself a change of scenery. I schedule things after work almost every day since I just spent the entire day in my house. In the summer months especially, it is easy to get out and bop around in Portland.

I would say sanity is a loose term at this point, but I try to see friends as often as I can for a drink or a walk or dinner. I have been going on long walks exploring the surrounding neighborhoods, practicing baking French macarons, and teaching myself how to weave little tapestries. I also binge-watch bad reality television and read magazines and books to escape. And ANY chance I get to see a friend’s pet, I will take, borrowing people’s animals for pet therapy is a big thing for me.

What do you hope to do more of in the next few years? 

I hope to see more National Parks via backpacking and road-tripping. Traveling abroad would be nice as well. General exploring is the goal, I suppose. I think I have slight cabin fever. I would also love to continue practicing my macaron skills and keep experimenting with more flavors. Finally, it would be nice to do more team sports, join some volleyball, kickball, or softball league for fun, I think it would be a great way to spend the spring and summer.

What is your next career goal that you would like to tackle? 

My next career goal is to just keep absorbing information and learning about what being a practicing architect looks like. I feel like I have already absorbed so much this past year, and it has been great. A less abstract goal is to look into different certifications and find one that interests me, study up for it and take the test next year. I also plan to register for ARE testing this fall and hopefully take one of the tests early next year.

Is there a particular architect’s work that inspires you?

There is no shortage of inspiration from the architecture community, but for me, two stand out: Kengo Kuma and Shigeru Ban. There is something almost magical about the way that Kuma’s wooden structures march or dance across their landscapes. I think the depth to which he considers the site context and natural aspects of the world allow him to create visually stunning architecture that stands out yet blends in. Shigeru Ban’s work is stunning, sharp, and clean. I think his dedication to no waste is important and especially relevant now. His temporary paper tube housing is inspirational in the sense that we can use cheap, local, and abundant materials to create durable homes and spaces. But it also serves as a reminder that as climate change escalates, we will continue to have to adapt to living with large climate events, whether that is temporary housing post-event or adaptable housing as things progress.

SHRADHAN

“Shradhan joined our team during the unique (and sometimes difficult) work-from-home setting, and has proven his diligent work ethic from the start. He accepts each challenge we present him with, always open to developing his skills and continuing his growth as an architect. His strong drafting skills in various programs are an asset to the team. We are happy to have him on board.”

– Erik Peterson

What projects are you working on right now?

I started out with 122nd and Powell, which is in the permitting process now, and for the last few months, I’ve been working on the Arts Plaza housing project.

What project phase is your favorite? Why?

I have not had a chance to work on the construction phase yet, so I am curious about that. Still, I think the Schematic and Design Development stages are my favorite because that is when the building starts taking shape. There is an opportunity to explore ideas and start detailing.

What’s your favorite thing about working at MWA?

The projects that we do have a great purpose, and it makes me happy to be part of it. The people are super talented and helpful, which makes learning and working here even better.

How do you maintain work/life balance? During COVID, how have you been maintaining your sanity?

A lot of cooking/eating, and to balance that, I like to go out for hikes or bike rides as much as possible or just run around the neighborhood.

What do you hope to do more of in the next few years? 

I hope I get to work on more affordable housing projects. I want to sketch more, build things and travel more. It often gives me new perspectives and ideas for work and life in general.

What is your next career goal that you would like to tackle? 

I am in the middle of taking my AREs, and the goal is to finish it this year.

Is there a particular architect’s work that inspires you?

There are many. I have been inspired by architects like Laurie Baker and Geoffrey Bawa for their low-cost housing techniques in South Asia to star architects like Peter Zumthor for his amazing works in Europe to firms like MASS Design Group that does community-focused projects in Africa and the US.

SOPHIA:

“Sophia has an upbeat, can-do attitude, and she has jumped in on every task handed to her with gusto. She can be counted on to follow through, communicate, and be a smiling face to help morale and meet hard deadlines.”

– Casey Hagerman

What projects are you working on right now?

The Bull Run Filtration Project is currently my primary project, which I am really enjoying because it is the first large project with MWA. I enjoy the balance between that and my smaller-scale projects for Ridgefield, Portland Parks and Rec, and Metro’s RID program. These projects have gotten me out of the house, on-site, and in front of our clients which is a nice change of pace.

What project phase is your favorite? Why?

It is hard to say what my favorite phase of projects is since I am so new, I have not experienced them all at MWA. Generally, some of my most enjoyable days have been fighting with as-builts (you learn a LOT), iterating Sketchup designs for visualization and debate, and cranking in the drafting-redline cycle with an endless supply of coffee.

While it’s not a phase, I have also enjoyed getting to know both my colleagues and many of our various engineers better, meeting after meeting.

What’s your favorite thing about working at MWA?

My favorite thing at MWA is that every day I feel like I am learning something and helping people, even if the building isn’t done yet. This job keeps you looking optimistically to the future, and that is not true of every firm. I am not just looking forward to the coordination issue being resolved but eagerly awaiting the integration of our projects into the world. People are getting houses and clean water. What’s not to like?

How do you maintain work/life balance? During COVID, how have you been maintaining your sanity?

I maintain work/life balance by getting up early, front-loading my week whenever possible (to avoid Friday afternoon brain fog), and keeping to a regular weekly schedule as much as possible.

During COVID, my super relaxed boyfriend and cats have helped me show more patience and flexibility with the constantly shifting pandemic conditions than I would have thought possible. My friends and I try to do what we can to still celebrate holidays, whether it was masking up for an outdoor Halloween party or decorating the hallway of our apartment and hanging out stocking for Christmas.

Now, over the summer, just getting out of the house to bike, walk, or skate (/fall) around as much as possible is helping me prepare emotionally for another strange winter…oh, and I tried to cut my own hair.

What do you hope to do more of in the next few years? 

In the next few years, I hope to get better at skating, stick to my biking instead of driving (stay strong and not get a car), and get out of Portland more often. I have a few trips that are backlogged at this point, and it would be nice to expand my world again.

What is your next career goal that you would like to tackle? 

Career-wise, I am looking forward to seeing my first project under construction with MWA. I have worked on-site in a jobs trailer, and it would be a nice little full-circle moment. I am also looking forward to learning more about Project management, working on our DEI initiatives, and actively working towards licensure.

Is there a particular architect’s work that inspires you?

I am a little embarrassed to admit that even with the personality issues, Frank Llyod Wright will always be one of my favorite Architects for the sense of completeness in every building of his I have been in. There are no remainders, no unconsidered angles, and I love the calm that creates. In general, that is something I always look for. Is the building a Gesamtkunstwerk? Does the design actually carry through the whole space, or is it just skin deep?

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