TSKP Studio celebrates diversity, not only do we represent 10 distinct countries, but nearly 50% of our staff are women. Recently Archana, Hajar, Kara, Diana and Susan were featured in the New England Journal Real Estate's 2020 Women who Build Spotlight, Presented by The Construction Institute.
How many years have you been in your current field? 14 years
Which project, deal, or transaction was the “game changer” in the advancement of your career during the last 10 years? CREC Discovery Academy, Wethersfield, CT. Being a project architect of the building exterior helped grow my construction knowledge immensely and gain confidence in my abilities as a designer.
What was your favorite job and what did you learn from it? Greenwich New Lebanon School, with its curved exterior walls clad in Zinc.
What would you tell your daughter about entering this profession? Passion, perseverance and hard work will keep you going in this profession.
Hajar Aldouri, Architectural Designer
How many years have you been in your current field? 3 years
What are you planning to do differently in 2020 to have a positive impact on your career? Design with full awareness of the impact on the environment. Our design profession has always impacted our built environment both positively and negatively. It is time to steer our attention to global issues and act responsibly to make only positive impacts.
What would you tell your daughter about entering this profession? I would tell her that she can easily portray her personality, attitude and emotions in a building design. Buildings can communicate messages and ideas from the people behind them.
Kara Gruss, Director of Business Development
How many years have you been in your current field? 14 years
What would you tell your daughter about entering this profession? It’s an amazing and crazy industry. Stand up for what you believe, don’t be afraid to use your voice and help raise the woman around you up. Most of all, understand that you are a part of an extremely talented network of people literally creating the world with and around you. Take this opportunity to make it better.
How many years have you been in your current field? 26 years
Which project, deal, or transaction was the “game changer” in the advancement of your career during the last 10 years? I am originally from Peru, so working as an architect in the USA gave me a new perspective on the way we design/develop projects. Very different methods of construction and construction process. The quality control of the construction in the USA is impressive. The project that was a game changer was the American School for the Deaf for so many reasons!
What would you tell your daughter about entering this profession? This is a beautiful profession, where we have the opportunity to combine art with science.
Susan Pinckney, Senior Interior Designer
How many years have you been in your current field? 24
What would you tell your daughter about entering this profession? Like any profession it’s nothing like TV, it’s hard work. Design is only a small slice of the pie. You need a thick skin, to be able to hold your own in an industry that is dominantly male, and you should have a good work ethic - but I know you can do it (I actually don’t have any kids but if I did…)
Which project, deal, or transaction was the “game changer” in the advancement of your career during the last 10 years? Guilford High School
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