Jane Smith, of Spacesmith, and the Brooklyn Bridge Pop-up Pool by Spacesmith + David Brody Bond. Photo: Kevin Chu/KCJP
Talk about girl crush. Jane Smith started out as an interior designer at Prudential Financial, traveled the world with ExxonMobil, and, after getting her MBA from New York University, started her own architecture firm. She now runs Spacesmith, a New York City-based architecture, planning, and interior-design firm based that she also co-founded. Spacesmith specializes in public sector, education, and corporate interior projects, and the firm?s work includes such city-boosting projects as the Brooklyn Bridge Park Pop-up Pool and the Part of the Solution soup kitchen in the Bronx. Jane is currently chair of the Interior Design Department at the School of Visual Arts in New York, where she helps to strengthen and inspire young talent. Her other clients include Donna Karan, Mulberry, Avon, New York University, and more. We asked her some questions about her work, how architecture gives back to the community, and design education. Click through for the interview!
Mulberry store in Soho, New York City
How did you get interested in design and architecture?
As a young girl in Wyoming I started by building forts and clubhouses from construction scrap with my friends. From there I moved to handy-man projects with my dad and spent a summer at the age of 12 as a helper for our architect neighbor who was building his own house. Not sure I was much help, but I learned to use a hammer and was fascinated and thrilled by how the drawings became reality.
The architecture industry has been historically male-dominated. How tough was it as a woman running her own firm to break through and get projects? Do you think gender still is an issue in the profession?
Unfortunately I always get asked this question! Architecture has been and probably will continue to be male-dominated in my lifetime. This creates obvious and subtle challenges every day, but it?s not worth dwelling on. ? There are other challenges that are more interesting and have a greater impact on architecture that affect men and women architects equally. How are architects perceived in the marketplace? How do we empower the profession? What is our ethical responsibility in a world that is moving at the speed of light to deliver more, faster? How do we strengthen our role as leaders in the built environment?
The School of Visual Arts in New York City
How do you see your firm?s work tackling these more broader, social issues and fitting in with the world at large?
For over 25 years I have practiced meditation and mindfulness. I believe that we are universally connected and that every good deed creates a ripple affect through the city, the world, and the universe. ? In every project we work to be sensitive to our clients and our communities. Designing a soup kitchen for ?Part of the Solution? in the Bronx in the midst of the recession created positive ripples for many. Designing a Tow Pound at the Brooklyn Navy Yard that makes people smile when they pick up their cars causes other ripples. One never knows the full impact of our work, but good intention is a start.
What are you currently working on that has you really excited?
Spacesmith is part of the joint venture team of Todd Williams Billie Tsien Architects and Davis Brody Bond, who were recently selected for the new U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. We are extremely excited to be a part of this team, adding our expertise as interior designers. On a different scale, Spacesmith is the architect for the new Senior Center in Hudson, New York, which will be located in the heart of this historic and emerging city on the banks of the Hudson River. Each of these projects has the opportunity to build, heal, and invigorate communities from large to small in incomprehensible ways.
In addition to running your own firm, you?re also chair of the interior design department at SVA. Where do you see the future of design education going?
Now, this is an exciting topic that needs its own special interview! The possibilities are endless, as educational change is essential in today?s world. In order to create a cultural shift for architecture and interior design professionals, I hope that we will teach our students to embrace the leadership, marketing, and business aspects of the profession along with the design aspects. Not only to design well, but to appreciate what is needed to be a leader in a firm that is committed to design.
Finally, do you have any advice for recently graduated, aspiring, or struggling designers, engineers, and planners?
Don?t be discouraged. You are embarking on a great and essential path. And you never know what direction your path will take. Keep your mind open to all possibilities and get ready for the ride!
Photos courtesy of Spacesmith, unless otherwise noted
Source: http://www.architizer.com/en_us/blog/dyn/75986/awesome-woman-alert-jane-smith/
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