Lauren DuCharme has been promoted to senior architect on our Travois Design team! If you think about the challenges that occur in construction, chances are Lauren’s been there and handled it. For the five years Lauren has been with Travois, she has been the go-to on the design team for her expertise.
This is a role that in many ways Lauren was already filling as architect, so you probably won’t notice too much change in her day-to-day activities.
Here’s more information about Lauren’s promotion, in her own words.
Q: How do your past experiences help you assist clients as senior architect?
A: I’ve been a patchwork entrepreneur most of my career. I’ve had some really great role models in my family, coworkers, business partners and bosses, professors and clients who were all a wealth of knowledge.
When I was working in San Diego, CA, I really got into development and writing proformas. I enjoy knowing how projects are funded and what options are possible to make them a reality.
The economic downturn in 2008 forced everyone to be more creative and necessitated actually constructing my own projects. We built the staircase in Travois at night, years before I came to work here, just to try and keep the lights on. I think it gave me a broader perspective on ways to accomplish goals, how to be flexible, think outside the box and pull your bootstraps up if things don’t work out how you intended.
I really value the knowledge of every team member and their communication. Architects can’t live in a “designer bubble,” and I always tell my students that it’s important to understand business and construction firsthand so they know the right questions to ask.
Q: What client successes are your most proud of having contributed to?
A: I really value the relationships that I’ve created with clients, contractors and the entire project team. I hope that in some small part, they keep coming back to Travois because they feel like I did a good job and was invested in being part of their team.
Q: Favorite Indian Country travels?
A: There are so many unique places I’ve gotten to see and people I’ve gotten to know. Almost five years later and I’m really not tired of traveling yet—especially because one of my dogs, Diesel, gets to join me now.
Lauren’s a great resource for all of us and continues to work tirelessly on behalf of Travois’ clients. Congratulations and thanks again, Lauren, for all you do!
She is an amazingly flexible manager and designer. I don’t think I’ve ever met a harderworking person. Her skills, abilities, and personality are what makes difficult jobs happen.