What do you consider to be your greatest professional achievement?
At age 35 I was selected by the General Services Administration to be the lead designer for the new Lloyd D. George United States Courthouse. Having lead a very committed and talented team to design and execute one of the most successful new courthouses built under the GSA's "Design Excellence Program" was no doubt my greatest professional achievement to date. What makes it more rewarding is to have made many friends both at GSA and the Courts.

What is the most fulfilling part of your job?
Experiencing the moment where our ideas for a project align with the visions and expectations of our client. At that moment, the journey becomes truly magical.

What advice would you give to design students or those just starting out in the field?
Stay focused, sketch, and construct physical models.

What are the biggest challenges facing designers today?
Our fascination with digital technology presents not only a promise but also poses challenges to the way we design. We must not get trapped in the virtual world, but remember to think about the tactile, physical, and emotional aspects of design.

What do you consider to be the worst invention of the last 100 years?
PDAs.

What do you consider to be the best invention of the last 100 years?
Personal computers.

What inspired your career choices?
I have always been intrigued by influencing and having an impact on the built environment at a large scale. My career choices were always in an effort to work with public and institutional clients building on campuses and in urban environments.

If you could have selected another career, what might you have been?
A film director.

What would you like to leave as your legacy?
Personally, I would like to leave an impact on the relationships that I have in a meaningful way. Professionally, I would like a significant impression to be left on the inhabitants and users of the places that I have built.

How do you foresee the future of educational design or museum design changing?
Three factors that would influence the future of educational and cultural designs are empowerment, interactivity, and the use of digital technology.