April Student Member of the Month

Taylor Hess

Where do you attend school and what type of design work would you like to pursue?  I am a fourth-year architecture student at Iowa State University; I am also pursuing a minor in digital media. 

Why did you choose the design/construction field?  I think that design provides the opportunity to think creatively while solving real world problems, taking critical thinking to fully developed ideas. I view it as a way to combine many different fields – fashion, industrial design, interior design, urban planning, and architecture – into a synthesis of new design elements that can impact people.

What motivates you to work towards a career in design/construction?  Architecture creates an opportunity to make a physical change within the built environment, which implements theoretical thinking into real world solutions.

What is the best advice you have received?  The best advice I have received was from my professor Cal Lewis, “to appreciate when people talk about your work because it means they care.” 

How has Iowa Women in Architecture influenced you?  The Iowa Women in Architecture has shown me the opportunities for women in leadership positions, within the architecture field.