Question 6

Q: Your ability to weave urban dreams into reality is remarkable. Could you share an instance where you faced significant challenges during a project, and how your tenacity and creativity helped you overcome them to ultimately create a successful and meaningful urban space?

A: Making projects a reality takes much more than design. There are multiple factors for a project's success, and many trade-offs that need to be evaluated. It is critical that the economics for a project works to make it a reality. It is also vital that there is community support to allow changes to be made. We are careful to draw our ideas from built precedents while still maintaining our big vision. Whether this has to do with the amount of retail, the parking ratios that are being considered, or the size of public open space, we have to drive towards our ideal while listening to what is possible. In some projects our role is to define the dream. In other projects we are there to advise on how to make things work. It takes patience to understand that a grand vision takes steps and phases to become real.