Growth Doesn’t Just Happen at Work
This post is part of a series we'll be featuring about the perspectives at Quinn Evans and how they shape our approach to projects and how we deliver value for clients.
At Quinn Evans, we are creators of possibility. We strive to connect people with communities and history with the future. As forward-thinking designers, we are united by one purpose: to empower people and places to thrive.
We amplify this commitment by encouraging everyone at Quinn Evans to seek out ways that they can personally engage with their community and industry. Having an appetite for enrichment and community involvement outside of work builds more diverse perspectives and even helps advance careers.
“Don’t let your job just turn into a job,” says Quinn Evans Architect Chris Lattimer, RA, Fitwel Amb.. “What I see in architecture is that a lot of people are passionate and get involved in many other ways outside their job.”
Everyone at Quinn Evans is connected through a common interest: design. However, the ways in which different team members approach projects are quite varied.
For Quinn Evans Senior Architect Devan Anderson, AIA, his 17-year position on the Historic District Commision in Detroit has molded and shaped the trajectory of his career. “As my career in architecture in Detroit matured, I naturally gravitated towards historic preservation and adaptive re-use of existing structures,” he explains.
As a member of the Historic District Commission, Devan brings a passion for preservation and re-use to his practice at Quinn Evans where he is a member of teams working on major restoration projects within the city of Detroit such as Michigan Central Station. Devan calls this project the most important building he’s ever worked on.
“I am humbled by the opportunity to play a meaningful role in its restoration,” he says. “The work bears concrete results that will materially improve our community.”
Quinn Evans has also seen its team members selected as part of the Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program, a competitive program where emerging architecture and design professionals learn leadership and business skills.
Sessions are often led by scholars, including architect and activist Pascale Sablan, who helped Quinn Evans Architect Aurora Smith, AIA, LEED BD+C, evaluate what she’s doing to build the architectural profession and support communities that have typically been marginalized in architecture.
“Pascale tells us to Google “great architects,” and you get a bunch of old, white men,” Aurora says. “But that’s not the whole story. So getting to hear her speak about her work and everything she is doing to build the profession and make it more equitable was phenomenal.”
Quinn Evans will always encourage our team members to challenge themselves through networking and personal development outside of the office. A diversity of perspectives not only defines the firm’s success but helps us engage with our communities, design a better built environment, and deliver the most impactful results for clients.
What comes next?
We are looking forward to sharing more about the perspectives and people at Quinn Evans in the coming months, featuring unique projects that fall outside of the expected realm of traditional architecture. We hope you’ll tune back in!
