Employee Spotlight: Laura Wolf, AIA
Laura Wolf joined NBA in 2014 after graduating from Boston Architectural College with a Master of Architecture and Georgetown University with a B.A. in Art History. Over the past 10+ years, she has become a trusted leader in the Washington, DC office, a firm-wide mentor to younger staff, and a vital member of NBA’s Revit committee, helping keep the firm on the leading edge of ever-changing technology. Her recent projects have centered on mixed-use and multifamily housing across the East Coast, including a high-rise in New York and a mid-rise in Uptown Charlotte that will both wrap up construction this year. Laura is an active member of Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Washington chapter and is a proud mom to two young daughters.
Read more to see what led Laura to NBA and what she’s been up to since joining the firm…
What initially drew you to Architecture?
I have always been drawn to architecture and the power of design–you control how people move through and interact with space. It’s so powerful! As a kid, I always drew houses and floorplans, making buildings out of my wooden blocks. It’s really the only vocation I felt drawn to time and time again. When I was six, I moved to a new house that my parents built, and they would complete projects over the years; I think this profoundly influenced my love of building and design. I still love the smell of sawdust! So much potential.
Why did you choose NBA compared to other companies after graduating from Boston Architectural College?
After graduating from my Master’s Program in Boston, I really wanted to return to the DC area. I had worked in a smaller, single-family residential practice right out of college, but the small scale and repeat design recipes didn’t appeal to me. Multifamily architecture allowed me to embrace design on a larger playing field, which is so much more exciting in my opinion! NBA provided an amazing opportunity for me to explore architecture on a grander scale while learning from colleagues at a firm with an incredible reputation, and I wanted to be part of that environment. I always tell prospective clients and employees that NBA’s DC office is the best of both worlds–an intimate studio with the resources of a major firm.
“I always tell prospective clients and employees that NBA’s DC office is the best of both worlds–an intimate studio with the resources of a major firm.”
What is the most important thing you have learned from your team?
I try to work to everyone’s passion; all of us enjoy different aspects of architecture, and I like celebrating that. I think you get the best results from your team if they love what they’re working on. You can’t always separate a project like that, but I find if you ask your group what they prefer or what they are passionate about, you’re going to end up with a more inspired design than assigning tasks without considering this. Design should be fun and empowering! I also have to remind myself to LISTEN–something I am still working on. A good leader listens to those supporting the process and asks for insights and feedback so they can continue improving and evolving.
What is your favorite part of the design process?
I enjoy the challenge–to me, a large project is like a puzzle needing to be solved. Weighing the different, often competing, factors of code, aesthetics, budgets, practicality, zoning, etc. means that our work is solution-oriented. All buildings, but especially larger ones, are living organisms–they flex and breathe, need sustenance, need refuse removed, and have a circulatory core that you build around. The complexity of the scale of work we do just appeals to me. Working at NBA allows me to explore architecture on such a large platform, and I enjoy the challenge of how to fit a building together so it functions, complies with code, and becomes livable and (hopefully) beautiful or endearing.
The Leaf was one of your first experiences leading a team on a complex high-rise. How did this compare to some of your previous projects?
This project (The Leaf) has had so many lives–it arrived on our desks in late 2016 and seeing it completed this year is going to be surreal. The project has so many facets all combined in a very dense site–477 units for residential use, valet-system car lifts, indoor and outdoor amenity areas, a community center and worship space, civic office space, and corner retail–you name it, we’ve got it!
One of the biggest challenges was creating an open basketball court and sanctuary space with 26 stories sitting on top of it–the beams holding up the parking levels above are massive and incredible to see.
Getting everything to come together (did I mention a pool on the roof?) and seeing it come to completion this year will honestly be one of the highlights of my career and I feel like I’m just getting started!
You serve as a leader on NBA’s Revit Committee. What led you to that position?
I felt strongly that one of the best investments our firm makes is in technology and staying current. It became clear that we needed a Revit advocate in our (DC) studio, so I joined the team and have been really happy to keep the firm’s focus on strategic technological investments moving forward. Our focus this coming year is pulling in younger staff members to keep the group engaged and current as we branch out into exciting but unknown realms like AI and programs that can increase our productivity on an accelerated level.
As a firm-wide mentor to younger staff, what advice would you give to an aspiring architect?
Jump in! Learn as you go–we have so many resources and wonderful mentors at the firm, but the biggest thing is learning hands-on. It’s important not to gate-keep experiences or methods. You’re never going to truly learn how to lay out parking or create a good unit floorplan until you do it, again and again. I think you also have to be okay knowing your limits–I’m still frustrated at how much I have to learn, but as long as you recognize that and keep moving forward, you’ll consistently be a better designer.
Kirsten Reed, Laura Wolf, and the Parallax Team at a conference in Dallas, TX.
How did you get involved with Urban Land Institute (ULI)? What has your experience been like?
I was invited to join ULI by the firm and it has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my professional career. I went into it thinking this will be good for networking and my role in NBA, but every time I leave an event or take part in an engagement, I’m struck by how fulfilling it is on a personal level. It’s also so much more than architecture and design–it brings together industry professionals who all feel a social commitment to shape the immediate environment responsibly.
I’m passionate about being an active member of ULI’s Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) and lifting women in the industry up–everyone deserves a voice and it’s fabulous to be part of such an impressive group of leaders. I also spend my time volunteering on the Case Study Committee which is fun–we organize tours, presented by panels of speakers, of area projects that are interesting or unique; I’m curating an upcoming tour of the VA Tech Innovation Campus here in Northern Virginia and I’m very excited to learn more about it and the University’s role in the tech field.
What have you learned about work/life balance? How do you prioritize being successful in your career and raising two daughters?
I struggle with this question because I feel like it’s day-to-day–some days work wins and other days, family naturally takes precedence. But overall, I think it’s healthy for my daughters to see their parents working hard, having professional goals, traveling for work, even if it takes time away from them. I had that growing up and a strong work ethic will serve them well. Luckily, I really enjoy their company–I find my home life so rich and rewarding that it kind of balances the workload most of the time!
My favorite thing to do outside of work is to be with my family! Traveling is always a plus, but in general, I like my free time to be spent with people I love. Watching my girls excel in sports or spending a lazy day together–it never gets old. I have also invested in some great art supplies–watercolors, alcohol markers, and different mediums. I find it relaxing to sketch or color at home during downtime, and I hope it keeps me aligned with the creative process. At some point, I’d love to get into sculpture, but I doubt I have the patience for that!
What’s been your favorite thing about working at NBA?
The autonomy and ability to take on whatever you can reasonably achieve- I feel like there aren’t many boundaries or reasons for you not to perform at your best. The expectations are high, but the social aspect and firm culture is also abundant. If you want to truly excel and take on even more, the opportunity is always there, which has been personally fulfilling.
Interested in growing your career at NBA like Laura? Check out our careers page for more information.