September Professional Member of the Month

darci lorensen

Solum Lang Architects

architect & Project manager

1. What is the most exciting and energizing aspect of your current position?

I work in a smaller firm; there are only nine of us: two partners, four architects, two intern architects, and one interior designer. Because of our size, we all have the opportunity to manage projects start to finish, and typically multiple projects at a time. While things can get a little busy and hectic with being an architect, I love that no day is ever the same as the last! And, being involved at all stages of the project, you get a lot of interaction with the client and user groups, which I feel helps to create a more successful outcome. I also really enjoy being on the jobsite during the construction phase. So much can be learned from the folks in the field making you and your client’s dream a reality.

2. What was the last interesting book you read?

I am in the process of reading In the Middle Are Horsemen, by Tik Maynard. In my free time, my hobby (obsession) is my horse, so I tend to gravitate towards horse related things, and although this book is about the author’s journey as a young man working towards furthering his education in the horse world, many of his stories and lessons can be applied to everyday (non-horsey) life as well.

3. What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?

Obtaining my license was a big goal for me. Now that I’ve been licensed for a few years, I’ve discovered it’s is only a starting point. Part of the reason I’ve gotten involved in iaWia is to gather additional resources and gain new skills that will help me achieve what I want next out of my career.

4. How do you define success? And measure it?

I think success is about the journey, and what you make of it. Everyone leads a busy life, and it’s easy to just get in a routine of just slogging through, but to me, success is as much about the path you take to get there, as it is the end result or goal. Everyday small victories keep me motivated to do more, and help lighten the load (at least mentally!) when working toward a monumental task

5. We are Iowa Women in Architecture; who were the female role models that inspired you? 

Obviously, the point of our group is to celebrate and promote women in the industry, and this is awesome, and why I’m apart of the group. But from a career perspective, there is nothing a man can do that a woman can’t. So really for me, the women that inspire me are the women I see every day in the industry, doing their thing, and getting it done, slowly shifting our male dominated industry to one that looks at us all as equals.