MKM was honored with 2 Design Awards and Senior Associate, Megan Crites, with a Service Award at the 2022 AIA Indiana Convention.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Fort Wayne and lived in the Waynedale area.
What interested you in pursuing a career in architecture/interior design?
I’ve always been interested in repurposing or building new structures. Whether it was playing with Lego or reimagining cardboard boxes into an infinite number of possibilities. Only later on did I realize that the common thread that interested me was understanding how these spaces affected people and how they worked, lived, and played. It’s not as much the final product of the building, it’s how our designs can create successful environments that meet the needs of our clients and their patrons/patients/residents.
What motivates you to come into work every day at MKM?
It’s always the same thing and usually the first thing I say to students who are in a design program or considering enrolling in one. The best thing about being an architect is that my day is different from one day to the next. Whether it’s sketching an idea, walking a jobsite, or interacting with a potential client.
Where do you look for inspiration?
It’s not usually one single place. Most of it comes from reading and observing.
How do you recharge during your free time?
Spending time with my wife and three children.
Which projects are you most proud to have worked on?
There are too many to list. If I had to pick a few recent projects it would be the new hybrid cath lab and OR renovation for St. Joseph Regional Medical Center and the Lutheran Health Network Access Points.
Where is your favorite place to travel?
For relaxation, it is usually some place warm on the gulf coast with a white beach and pristine water out my backdoor. To engage with the city, Chicago has always been a place that amazes me every time.
What is your favorite quote?
“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” – James Baldwin
What was the last book your read?
It was actually two simultaneously. My oldest son is 13. He and I have been reading from a “banned books” list. We pick a book, read it together, and then discuss it. The most recent book was Animal Farm by George Orwell. Mixed in with that, I reread The Hospital by Brian Alexander.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself!
I enjoy good barbeque and am often smoking something (brisket, ribs, seafood) on my expanding collection of smokers and grills. It is a labor of love and one that I don’t think will ever go away.
