Author Archives: Jenna Mogstad

2021 Design Excellence Awards | Meet the Jurors

TAHMINA ARJONA
MILLER HULL| SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

Tahmina Arjona is an Interior Designer at Miller Hull dedicated to creating sustainable interior spaces that positively impact human interaction with the built environment. With over seven years of experience in commercial, mixed use, and civic projects, Tahmina has collected an invaluable experience in all phases of the design, including early space planning concepts and delivering high-quality construction documents. Her unique portfolio also includes working as a National Expert for the U.N. Industrial Development Organization focused on modernizing and increasing export capacity of carpet weaving, embroidery, and textile sectors in her home country of Tajikistan. The experience has provided her an in depth understanding of a large-scale commercial textile production and a meticulous and labor-intensive process of hand weaving a single carpet.

Tahmina graduated from Bellevue College with Bachelor of Applied Science in Interior Design.

Amazon Apollo

2701 Eastlake

 

Bellevue Plaza

LAURA ANDREWS, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF INTERIORS
LPA| SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

As Managing Director | Interiors, Laura Jeanne Andrews leads LPA’s San Diego office’s interior design practice. With over 18 years of experience in the San Diego design community, she has diverse experience and collaborates on a wide range of project types with her primary focus being on the workplace practice. Experience includes projects for companies such as Ford Mexico, Warner Brothers Games, High Moon Studios, ID Analytics and Century 21 Award. At 701 B Street, the revitalization of the San Diego office tower was recognized as San Diego Business Journal’s Office Project of the Year and received awards from the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Illuminating Energy Society.

She is passionate about the social aspects of design and learning how companies work and interact with spaces. She serves as an advocate for several teams at LPA, with the firm being named as AIA’s California Firm of the Year for 2021. She is an active member of the Programs and Education committee for CREW San Diego and in May 2021 Laura was featured as a Woman of Influence in Architecture 2021 by the San Diego Business Journal. Originally from the East Coast, she holds a degree from the University of Connecticut with a course of studies at the Design Institute of San Diego.

LPA Offices, San Diego

High Moon Studios, San Diego

701B, San Diego

ANNA MIKOLAJCZAK, NCIDQ
GENSLER| CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Anna is an award-winning designer at Gensler Chicago Workplace studio. She is a trusted design leader with a unique point of view that is continuously evolving based on the project and client she is working with. With a license in Interior Design and a degree in Architecture, she is a true problem solver who provides a multifaceted perspective to every challenge. Anna is experienced in all phases of design, with a focus on conceptual storytelling, finishes and materiality and presentation methods. 

Anna has transformed many client’s companies and she always makes sure that the design concept supports the workplace strategy as well as focuses on reflecting client’s culture and brand. She leverages both design and storytelling to help organizations connect to the purpose of their people and deliver experiences that foster talent and build a culture of change.

NCR Midtown, Gensler

Inspire Brands Headquarters, Gensler

Gensler Offices, Atlanta, Georgia, Gensler

Annual Sponsor Spotlight: Willis

 

Company Name: Willis
Your Name: Katy Rothert
Local Rep’s Position/Years?: Material Application Specialist / 4 years
IIDA member since: 2000

Based in Toronto and established in 1967, Willis is a North American distributor and curator of premium design materials such as Corian® Design, Lapitec®, Arpa laminate and Fenix NTM, with which we offer solutions for both interior and exterior applications. We exist to assist the design community by offering relevant design material solutions and education to real-world design problems. We cover Western Washington and Oregon, Alaska, California, Hawaii, and all of Canada. Willis is committed to providing materials that support your creative vision in an innovative and responsible manner. Check out Willis and our partners at:

www.4willis.com,  @willisdesignsolutions

www.coriandesign.com,  @coriandesign

www.fenixforinteriors.com,  @fenixforinteriors

www.arpaindustriale.com, @arpaforinteriors

www.lapitec.com, @lapitec_official

What is your favorite IIDA event and why?:
My answer changes every time I’m asked this question, but without a doubt this year’s answer is the annual celebration. It was so wonderful to have an opportunity to celebrate in person with the entire design community. While the pandemic has kept us physically apart, in other ways it has brought us together and we’re coming out the other side stronger than ever. It made this year’s celebration extra special.

What is your favorite product/service offered by your company and why?:
My current favorite product we offer is Lapitec® Sintered Stone. Sustainably made with 100% minerals and no binders or resins, it is not only color-thru, but the veining goes all the way through, as well. Highly scratch, UV, thermal shock, and impact resistant, it has a lot in common with natural stone but it’s better – it is non-porous so it never needs sealer and is considered antibacterial.

What aspect of your company are you most proud of and why?: 
Our company culture is something that has always been important to me. Willis embraces progressive values that count both personally and professionally, that we work as a team where individuality and diversity are valued, and that commitment to family and community service is a given. The past 18 months have been challenging but knowing I have such a great company and a team that supports me has been invaluable. I’m also pretty proud of the fact that we became FSC Certified this past year!

What value do you see in being an IIDA Oregon Chapter Annual Sponsor?:
Having a platform to connect with people – both designers and other reps is so important to the work that we all do. Those connections are priceless.

What impact do you see the IIDA Oregon Chapter having on the A&D community in Oregon?:
IIDA not only creates a platform for connecting with others, it offers education and support to long time members and allows new members to quickly integrate into the community.

What is your personal mantra?: 
“Assume the best” – whether that applies to a situation or to an individual. Life is easier when I assume that others have the best intentions or that a situation is going to work out. Sometimes I’m proved wrong – but not nearly as often as I’m proved right.

What gets you excited about design?: 
Good design’s ability to change lives. Personal and public spaces have the ability to lift people, creating environments that allow one to focus, be creative, feel safe, or just relax. I am especially excited about the growing spotlight on diversity in design – we have so much we can learn from each other.

On a typical Saturday where can we find you?:  
Whether I’m pulling weeds, having a happy hour, or watching an outdoor movie with the neighbors, my garden is my go to weekend place to be.

What is an interesting Interesting fact about you?:  
I worked my way thru college at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, transcribing undercover tapes. It’s not as exciting as it sounds!