Hey listeners, this episode marks both our 80th episode and the finale of this series and season. It’s been a true pleasure sharing the stories of licensed architects from diverse backgrounds, and I hope these conversations have given you valuable insights into why some designers choose to pursue licensure. Most importantly, I hope you’ve found inspiration in each episode.

To close out the series, I have a conversation with Dyesha Holmes is a licensed architect at Cooper Carry. With an interdisciplinary background, she works in their Atlanta office planning + urban design and mixed-use studios. She graduated from Kennesaw State University’s Bachelor of Architecture program in 2019, where she was the first recipient of the ARCC King Medal award for her architectural thesis research on “Reframing Urban Redevelopment via Women Empowerment: Sustaining Existing Community in the West End Neighborhood.” This has driven her passion for social and environmental justice design and her belief that architectural design should be based on advocacy over agency. She has a defined purpose of helping people see their full potential within themselves, in the places they

live, and in the work they do. With this purpose in mind, she actively uses design to tell stories through community-led, people-first approach to design to advocate for people in communities.

In her free time, she enjoys volunteering her time in community outreach. She enjoys having opportunities to be involved with different community efforts and professional organizations. In 2021, she acted as community liaison for a mural in the Reynoldstown neighborhood in Atlanta,

GA, organized by the Young Architect’s Foundation of Atlanta (YAF of ATL). In 2021, she was the Director of Communications for NOMAtlanta. She had the honor of being a 2022 graduate of the AIA Georgia Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program. She sat on the 2022

board for the Atlanta Art and Entertainment. She was a part of Cooper Carry’s Equity and Diversity Council (EDIC) helping to further the advancement of equity within the workplace and design. Currently, she sits as secretary on the Architecture Foundation of Georgia board and was a recent 2024 Project REAP graduate.

While we shared similar feelings towards completing the ARE’s Dyesha shares with us how she merges her love for Urban planning and Architecture in her daily practice.

We sketched the roof top bar at The Betty Hotel. You can check out her sketch on our LinkedIn profile. I hope you enjoy this episode!

Hey listeners, in this episode, I have a conversation with Chris Gongora, a Miami native with Cuban-American roots, Chris's early experiences cycling through the vibrant neighborhoods of South Florida cultivated his appreciation for natural beauty, cultural diversity and unique architecture.

A graduate of Florida International University's Master of Architecture program, Chris's professional journey was inspired by an interest in urban revitalization, particularly in Rust Belt cities. In 2017, he left the plantains and palm trees behind and moved to Detroit, where he has since contributed to the city's renaissance. His work spans a comprehensive range of architectural interventions, including new construction of single-family homes, townhomes, and apartment buildings, as well as significant adaptive reuse and renovation projects.

Beyond his profession, Chris leads architectural bike tours, serves on the board of a local preservation advocacy group, and provides architectural advisory services to small-scale minority developers. Currently, he continues to pour his passion for restoration into renovating his 110-year-old home, a project he shares with his boyfriend and their senior feline companion.

Beyond reminiscing about college, Chris and I delved into the complex mix of guilt and relief that comes with the licensure process. He used powerful analogies to describe the range of emotions he experienced, and they truly resonated with me.

We sketched Paul L. Cejas School of Architecture. You can check out his sketch on our LinkedIn profile. I hope you enjoy this episode!

Hey listeners, in this episode, I have a conversation with Bob Farrow. His professional career has spanned over five decades in the architectural field, with a mission of designing facilities which offer healing and wholeness of life – our healthcare environs. This expertise has taken him across the world, from Alaska to Kuwait to China.

Bob is a national thought leader and frequent speaker/lecturer of design/healthcare trends at national conferences and academic venues such as SCAD, Clemson University, Georgia Institute of Technology and Auburn University. He is a former Board Member and past President of the Atlanta Chapter of the AIA, and Emeritus CEO/President of the Health Facility Institute (HFI), which is a national organization dedicated to the education and training of professionals responsible for managing, designing and constructing healthcare faculties across the world.

Bob also holds a Master of Divinity from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University and is an ordained Deacon within the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta and is a Chaplain with Piedmont Healthcare.

I have gotten to know Bob over this past year as we co-host the design podcast - Voices By Design. He is thoughtful in his approach to design thinking. It’s always a pleasure learning from him and I’m glad I am able to share his story with you all.
We sketched Colony House. You can check out his sketch on our LinkedIn profile. I hope you enjoy this episode!