Q&A with Aimee

Where are you from?

I was born and raised in the Davis County area in Utah.

How did you get here to Utah?

I grew up here then moved out to the bay area in California to get my undergraduate degree. I moved back to Salt Lake City to get my master’s degree at the U and decided to stay in SLC.

What are your hobbies?

Most people know me for playing an excessive amount of volleyball, but I just like to be active. I really enjoy activities like yoga or hiking. I’m very excited about travelling to different places. I also love to cook and learn about food and nutrition. Besides that, anything creative is appealing to me, like drawing, painting, sewing, or writing poetry.

What is your life motto?

I feel like I haven’t lived enough life to have a life motto, but my favorite self-reminder is “be present” – my best focus and mindset always happens when I recognize the importance of being in the moment.

Was there a person or experience that made an impact on your life?

The experience wasn’t an exact moment in time, but spread over a period of time. I think moving to California and playing volleyball in college had a big impact on my life. It was the first time being on my own. I was able to meet so many people from different walks of life. It was also a time in my life where I developed a lot of anxiety. Really, it made me more empathetic and understanding towards other people. Since then, I have always seen volleyball as more of a social activity. People who play are so in love with the sport that it brings us all together. I have many friends that the only thing we have in common is volleyball. I would have never met them otherwise. But those connections always extend beyond the sport. Because of them, I’ve learned so much about different cultures, communities, food, relationships, and self-expression. I am a firm believer that everyone in your life can teach you something and my volleyball friendships have given me some of the most colorful life lessons.

Tell us something about your job that you are very passionate about.

I am the type of person that gets bored very quickly. I love the ability to come into work and do or learn something completely new every day. As an architect, you get to become a mini-expert on different people, places, climates, jobs, etc. It all depends on the challenges and opportunities each project presents. I enjoy the ability to be so versatile in my work. The world changes constantly, and the information we have is always changing. To be a good architect, you have to be able to react and adapt. I like the personal growth that comes with that.

Tell us something about your life you are very passionate about.

Let’s be honest, I’m probably most passionate about food. Ask any of my friends and they will confirm that, unless I’m eating, I’m usually thinking about my next meal. I have a lot of food sensitivities and cooking my own meals became necessary to avoid reacting to restaurant or store-bought food. Eventually, I grew a passion for making my own food. Besides architecture, it’s the perfect combination of my creative and scientific interests. There is so much complexity in cooking and it can be very experimental. I like testing different flavors but I’m also very conscious about how different foods and ingredients affect my body. I’ve been working on a project for several years now where I make a dish from a different country every week.

What path would you have taken if you didn't choose architecture? 

Well, I have an undergraduate degree in forensic chemistry so I would have likely followed that route. A lot of people ask me how I got from chemistry to architecture, and they usually assume the connection is in materials. Actually, I think what they share is the ability to understand how things are built, how they exist, and how that affects the way they work (they’re just at very different scales). In short, forensic chemists and architects are both puzzle solvers and that’s what I’m drawn to.

If we told you that you get to take the day off work tomorrow, how would you spend it? 

Ideally, I would probably just find a peaceful mountain hike and take my time on the trails. I like slow hikes, it allows me time to look at all the plants, critters, and textures. I’m fascinated with the variety of textures that occur in nature. There are so many beautiful, little things that go completely unnoticed if you don’t take the time to look. I love any kind of activity that allows me to exercise and process my thoughts at the same time.

When you first meet someone, what is something you hope they understand about you? 

I strive to be as open and welcoming as possible to people. I always hope that I present myself in a way that people are comfortable telling me anything without fear of judgement. Whether we agree or not, everyone is allowed their own opinion. I often think there is so much discourse in the world, we could all use a little extra love….hopefully that’s palatable and not too cheesy.

What is your favorite season? 

I am a super big fan of summer, I thrive in the warmth. As long as I have drinkable water (I also love water), summer is my happy time. I will, hands down, take a 100 degree day over a 32 degree day. I just love the sun and all the fun activities that go with it.