About Jack
Through perseverance of many challenges in my life and career, I have not only grown to become a licensed architect, but a mentor, educator, and advocate for the growth of others.
By finding and carving my own way into the world, the journey continues to teach me who I am and my purpose in this life. It has allowed me to see and meet so many incredible people, and given me the opportunity to support many great causes. I hope you enjoy my webpage, and consider joining me on this exciting rollercoaster we call life.
MY JOURNEY TO BECOMING A LICENSED ARCHITECT
HAVE YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO BE AN ARCHITECT? HOW DID YOU ‘FIND’ ARCHITECTURE?
Growing up, architecture was not my original dream job. As a kid from early on, I always had a deep obsession with detail, the understanding of how things are made, and how complex tasks are performed. I have always been fascinated by processes. Initially as a child, I found a way to translate the creative designs running throughout my head rapidly into 3-Dimensional objects, through the wonderful world of LEGO. It allowed me to design things quickly with great precision, and I still can't get enough of it.
As a young designer I wanted to take this further and one day become a LEGO 'Master Builder', but as I was exposed to more ways to create, I realized that becoming an architect was one of the few careers that would give me the capability to create whatever my imagination desired. Finding that desire in 8th Grade, I planned my entire high school career to get accepted into an architecture school.
HOW DID YOUR DESIGN TOOLS AND EXPERIENCES DEVELOP OVER YOUR CHILDHOOD?
Transitioning into my teenage years, my passion for creation was divided into several avenues. I developed a deep love and understanding of music theory, structure, and performance, and began creating designs digitally within video games, such as Halo's Forge, and Minecraft. I was now able to create designs without the limit of materials or money from my allowance.
Eventually in my high school career, I was exposed to many new programs to create things to significant detail and complexity, such as AutoCAD, Revit, the Adobe Suite, and music composition programs. Thanks to my development of understanding design at this moment in time and the capability of these programs, I was able to rapidly expand my design skills and projects. This correlated directly with my extracurriculars in school, such as writing a piece for the school's percussion ensemble, starting my high school's first-ever STEM team, and joining the ACE Mentor Program.
HOW DID GROWING UP IN FLORIDA HAVE AN IMPACT ON YOUR INTEREST IN DESIGN?
Born and raised in the coastal town of Sarasota, FL, I was exposed early on to the capabilities of architecture and the impact it can have within a community. As I’ve grown, I've also had the opportunity to live in a variety of unique locations, giving further exposure to the many ways architecture can be designed and built.
More specifically, growing up on the Gulf Coast of Florida was special. I was always surrounded by water and nature, and immersed in how the built environment could interact with it. I also learned the importance of the resiliency of structures, living in Sarasota during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Outside of resiliency, my connections to architecture during my childhood were plentiful, including exploring beaches, visiting amazing buildings, and creating a fort with my friends on an island in the pond behind my house.
WHAT ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES YOU’VE BEEN ABLE TO EXPLORE AS AN ARCHITECT?
Architecture has not only given me the opportunity to learn how things are made, but how buildings play a crucial role in our lives, experiences, history, and overall well-being and safety. Furthermore, it has taught me that good design comes through understanding others and their needs. Architecture is not only a ‘service’ for providing design, but a service for meeting the needs of the user. In other words, architecture is to help others. When you think about it, it only makes sense why the profession of architecture has such powerful communities such as the AIA, as we all have a shared purpose of creating spaces that help the well-being of those around us.
Comparing architecture to mentorship, my professional journey has taught me how critical having someone to look up to that invests in your future is. Through programs such as ACE and the AIA, I have experienced the power and opportunity mentorship has on people’s lives, including my own. Once a mentee and now a mentor, I have learned that to be a great mentor, you must exhibit the three ‘A’ traits: Availability, Advocacy, and Assertiveness.