2020 Emerging Professionals Co-Chairs
Get to know Lindsay Schweitzer, Assoc. AIA, LEED Green Associate, RWA Architects, and Matthew Zix, Assoc. AIA, MSA Design.
Of your recent projects, which is your favorite and why?
Matthew: There have been a number of projects at MSA that I have been proud to have worked on, but by far my three favorite projects are the FC Cincinnati Training Facility, Mariemont High School addition/renovation, and all the work I have been able to do with the Cincinnati Reds. Over the course of those three projects I have had the opportunity to get involved really early on in the design process and to work with some really talented people to impact the city I grew up in. To see a project like the training facility in magazines or on TV, or hear teachers say thank you for something as trivial as having a window in their classroom, or seeing a model I’ve worked on at Redsfest and watch everyone get excited to go to the ballpark, have been incredibly rewarding and fulfilling on a level I didn’t know was possible.
Lindsay: My favorite project so far at RWA has been a large basement remodel. This was my first project that I got to see all the way through from predesign and proposal writing all the way to construction administration. Seeing the design I drew come to life for the first time has been very rewarding, and being the project manager has taught me more in eight months that I ever learned in school.
Who inspires you?
Lindsay: My clients inspire me. Tailoring our architectural abilities to their varying needs and desires keeps us from doing the same thing repeatedly. We are constantly redefining what a custom home looks like. I am also inspired by strong women in architecture. It kept me motivated to keep going through school and get licensed to say that I am helping the ratio of women to men in architecture.
Matthew: I have always been inspired by the clients and end user. Seeing how little details can make a profound difference in the way others experience and interact with the spaces we design has been the driving factor behind doing what I do.
What does the Emerging Professionals committee do?
Matthew: Our committee plans and hosts events tailored to emerging professionals in the AIA. We network and provide learning opportunities for those just starting out in the field or those who have been in the field for a while on the road to licensure. We also aim to connect the AIA EP to other members of the built environment community, forging personal relationships to better the city and local design culture.
Who should get involved with Emerging Professionals?
Lindsay: Young, eager members, and diversity is important to us as well – women in architecture, people of color – let’s redefine who an “architect” is. We want to attract anyone who is hungry to get involved with our local design culture no matter their race or gender.
How can AIA members get involved with Emerging Professionals?
Matthew: Contact either Lindsay or me and we will include you on the invite list for our events or offer ways for you to get more involved. We serve as the primary contact for the EP community to get engaged with one another and the built environment community as a whole. If you have an idea of something you would like to see, bring it to us and we can get it set up.