Celebrating New Architects: Megan van der Linde

Megan van der Linde recently joined the firm’s ranks of registered architects. Today we celebrate her accomplishments.

Megan joined PAYETTE in 2010. Currently working on the Tufts University Science and Engineering Complex, her recently completed projects include the Boston College Merkert Chemistry Center Renovation, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine design competition, Midtown Detriot Master Plan design competition and the MidMichigan Medical Center Gratiot Master Plan. Megan received her M.Arch. from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design in 2010. From 2012-2014, she served as a co-chair of PAYETTE’s Women in Design group and from fall 2012-2013, Megan co-taught a first year design course at the Boston Architectural College. In her free time, she enjoys drawing, painting and gardening.

What inspires you?
What inspires me most is the beauty of creation. Nature is by far the most complex and beautiful thing we have to teach us, humble us and delight us.

What is the best part of your job?
Collaborating with very intelligent, kind and hard-working people to come up with unique design solutions for every client, from finding the initial design concept to working through construction details.

What is the most important thing you’ve learned so far?
Communication and encouraging team members are the most important factors to making a project successful, where individuals are valued and respected as much as the design itself.

The sky is the limit: if you could design or redesign anything, what would it be?
I would love to design civic buildings for rural cities so that those not living in urban areas can experience and enjoy the beauty, inspiration and benefits of thoughtful and contextual design.