Celebrating New Architects

Alison Duncan recently joined the firm’s ranks of registered architects. Today we celebrate her accomplishments.

Since joining PAYETTE in 2007, Alison has impacted projects including the Brigham & Women’s AMIGO Suite, Connecticut College, AKU Karachi Private Wing, AKU Nairobi FHS and Doctor’s Plaza and programming for Amherst College Science Center. Alison often manages the Revit model for projects in which she is involved and displays her expertise through firm work in Revit. She received her Bachelor of Architecture from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2007. Additionally, she teaches the A-1 Foundation Studio at the Boston Architectural College and has since 2011.

What inspires you?
People are absolutely what inspire me in designing architecture. At PAYETTE I’ve had the opportunity to work with clients and users who do extraordinary things to make the world a better place, and making spaces for them to do their job better inspires me every day. The people at PAYETTE also inspire me to think about architecture in new and more intelligent ways every day.

What is the best part of your job?
What inspires me is the also the best part of my job. Getting to meet new clients and learn about them and what they do and how they do it, and how they could do it better has been the most interesting and challenging part of what I do.

What is the most important thing you’ve learned so far?
To not be afraid to question a design solution and change it for the better. While the first solution that you design might be a fine one, taking the time to reflect on that solution and test its implications for a project is really important. Sometimes you might find that your first idea is the best one, but sometimes you might find a better design solution, but you won’t know unless you take the time to test many ideas.

The sky is the limit: if you could design or redesign anything, what would it be?
I think it would be really fun to design a home for a client who was willing to really reflect on how they live from day to day and think about how to design a space that really reflects that way of living.