How did you come to join Curran Architecture?
I went to grad school at Ball State with Melissa Garrison, one of the principals here. We’ve kept in touch over the years, meeting for lunch and catching up, and eventually I had the opportunity to come in and meet with the team. It was a great conversation, and I was lucky enough to receive a job offer. It’s wonderful to be among so many talented and dedicated professionals.
What project or building type would you love to tackle?
I’ve thought about a library, just because it’s a space that serves so many people in the community with such unique requirements. It’s not just about access to books. Libraries provide programming, services, and a community space for everyone in our communities. People go there to study or read, but I also take my kids to LEGO Club and see our friends and neighbors taking advantage of everything from computer access to the seed library.
What’s the most valuable career advice you’ve received?
The advice that stuck with me is to only present options to clients that you would genuinely be proud to see built. It’s a simple principle, but it shapes how I approach every presentation. I want to be excited about what I’m sharing with clients and ensure it hits all the marks—that it’s truly the best solution for their situation. This mindset keeps me focused on quality and helps build trust with clients who know I’m invested in their success.
If you had unlimited budget and creative freedom, what would you design?
My first answer would have to be my home, because I’d get to enjoy it every day. I always have that wish list! But with two young boys, I think designing an elementary school would be incredibly fun. With unlimited resources, you could make it the best possible space and incorporate everything that helps foster learning. There’s so much awareness now around mental health and emotional development for that age group. To incorporate all of that as one comprehensive case study would be amazing.
My oldest son attends a local elementary school that was renovated, and they did a wonderful job with what was likely a limited budget. When we walked in for kindergarten orientation, though, the ceilings felt so low and constricted the space. The teachers do a fantastic job with their spaces, but they’re working with one window and trying to bring in color and creative design to make up for the lack of natural views that nurture self-regulation, creativity, and learning. If those rooms could feel bigger and lighter, filled with pops of color, sensory rooms, and spaces for children to work through all the emotions they experience—that would be incredible.
When you can’t be with them, you want to know their environment is meeting all their needs. With unlimited budget and creative freedom, you see such innovative approaches on architecture blogs. It would be wonderful to bring that level of thoughtfulness to schools right here in Indianapolis.