Gensler Appoinments 2012

Juli Abbott

Associate

Project Architect, Atlanta

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Facebook. There, I said it!

Your ideal day?

Exploring a new city or country with my husband ñ the sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and cultural differences all nuance the way I move through life going forward.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Any gathering related to the U.S. Green Building Council. I am blown away by the fact that so many people around the world are committed to donating unknown quantities of time, year after year, to make the world a better place.

Favorite book or author?

Ishmael by Daniel Quinn and Getting Things Done by David Allen are both books which changed my life.

Favorite local restaurant?

Bahel Ethiopian Restaurant, Atlanta

Your proudest achievement?

Getting my architecture license!

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading, watching movies, taking myself and a good book to a nice restaurant for lunch.

Everyone should experience?

Taking a sabbatical from the working world. It will change your life significantly.

Shamim Ahmadzadegan

Senior Associate

Design Director, Shanghai

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Soulpancake.com, archidose.blogspot.com.

Your ideal day?

Any day involving good coffee, good music and good friends.

Most indispensible “App”?

Flipboard.

Favorite book or author?

Malcolm Gladwell.

Favorite local restaurant?

Mr. and Mrs. Bund, Shanghai.

How do you like to spend time alone?

I typically don't like to spend time alone.

Everyone should experience?

The diversity and beauty of the different cultures and peoples on this planet.

Chuck Albright

Principal

Design Director, San Jose

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Family, friends, and a little Facebook.

Your ideal day?

Visit a contemporary art museum, then out for sushi.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

San Jose Museum of Art.

Favorite book or author?

Currently reading Empire of the Summer Moon by S. C. Gwynne.

Favorite local restaurant?

Sushi Infinity in San Jose, CA.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Watching a good film.

Everyone should experience?

The Venice Biennale.

Bryan Amsden

Associate

Project Architect, Houston

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Personal Conversation.

Your ideal day?

Sailing a catamaran across a deep blue ocean.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My Wife.

Favorite book or author?

Isaac Asimov.

Favorite local restaurant?

Papadeaux in Houston.

Your proudest achievement?

Leading the Energy Center team.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Stained glass and art.

Everyone should experience?

Peace and fulfillment.

Benjamin Anderson

Senior Associate

Design Director, Los Angeles

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

FFFFOUND!

Your ideal day?

Building something with my hands.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Get outdoors.

Favorite book or author?

Right now? Survival of the Beautiful by David Rothenberg.

Favorite local restaurant?

The Little Door, Los Angeles.

Your proudest achievement?

My loyalty to friends and family.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading, drawing, creating, running.

Everyone should experience?

Being north of the Arctic Circle.

Andres Angel

Senior Associate

Project Architect, Houston

Your ideal day?

Any day off.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My wife Veronica and my daughter Sofia.

Most indispensible "App"?

The App store.

Favorite local restaurant?

Fogo de Chao in Houston.

Your proudest achievement?

Becoming the National Champion in Archery in Colombia. Finishing Undergrad and Grad school in the US by my own means. Riding the MS 150. Finishing a Sprint triathlon.

Everyone should experience?

Different cultures and travel the world.

Riko Arsiananta

Associate

Urban Planner, Washington DC

Your ideal day?

Any day I am outside on a cool sunny day with my family, doing outdoor activities.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My family and the web.

Favorite book or author?

Miyamoto Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa.

Favorite local restaurant?

Sushi Taro and Penang (Washington DC). 2941 (Falls Church, VA).

Your proudest achievement?

One: my family. Two: summiting at Mount Rinjani and Mount Semeru.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Browsing the web, listening to music, and experimenting with food/coffee in my kitchen.

Everyone should experience?

Backpacking and traveling abroad by yourself, avoid being a tourist.

Ami Austin

Associate

Interior Designer, London

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

At the moment it's rockmywedding as I'm getting married this year!

Your ideal day?

Waking up at home (when I want), followed by a nice breakfast, then spending the day with my favourite friends and family.

Favorite book or author?

It changes constantly, but at the moment one that has stuck with me is The Island by Victoria Hislop (probably because it reminds me of being on holiday as that's where I read it).

Favorite local restaurant?

I have recently been introduced to Tayyabs in Whitechapel London, and it is quickly becoming a favourite of mine!

Your proudest achievement?

My Degree.

Everyone should experience?

Being on top of a mountain, feeling petrified of how you're going to ski down, and then surprising yourself by actually doing it!

Sarah Bachus

Associate

HR Manager, New York

Your ideal day?

A day at the beach with my family, perfect water, perfect weather and great company.

Most indispensible “App”?

HopStop.

Favorite book or author?

I like a variety of authors and genres of books, but the one that I’ve been able to read again and again since I was a child is The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Your proudest achievement?

I'm always proud when I take a risk and challenge myself. One of the biggest risks I've taken was skydiving, especially since I'm afraid of heights. I don't think I'll do it again, but it worth trying once!

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading, watching a good movie, and exploring the city.

Everyone should experience?

Wine tasting in Italy.

Matt Baltera

Senior Associate

Senior Server Administrator, Firmwide Resources

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Twitter, TWIT.tv, Google +, theverge, Jalopnik.

Your ideal day?

Every day is ideal. I am thankful for every day.

ever-fail source of inspiration?

My Wife and Kids.

Most indispensible "App"?

MIRC and PUTTY.

Favorite local restaurant?

The Salt Lick in Driftwood, TX.

Your proudest achievement?

My Children.

How do you like to spend time alone?

One way is: Motorcycle. Helmet. Winding Road.

Everyone should experience?

Italy.

Daniel Baroni

Associate

Project Manager, San Francisco

Your ideal day?

A long hike with the family followed by a delicious meal!

Most indispensible “App”?

Teach Me, First Grade — always calms the restless first grader. LinkedIn — great quick research on your future clients.

Favorite book or author?

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson.

Favorite local restaurant?

Sushi Bistro in San Francisco’s Richmond District.

Your proudest achievement?

Two wonderful girls and a wife they take after!

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading or creating.

Everyone should experience?

Yosemite in the winter.

Tony Beavers

Associate

Project Manager, Las Vegas

Your ideal day?

Vacationing in Hawaii with my wife, horseback riding, scuba diving, driving around the island in a two-seater scooter, having mai tais at a luau, and finally resting on a secluded beach.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Spirituality and family.

Favorite book or author?

Alex Haley.

Your proudest achievement?

This appointment ranks high, though being an entrepreneur and buying my mom a new car were very rewarding.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Enjoying a snifter of 1738 Remy Martin cognac while watching a competitive game of football and reminiscing over life's journeys.

Everyone should experience?

The joy in giving.

Ashlee Bennett

Associate

Project Designer, Atlanta

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Etsy and The Cool Hunter.

Your ideal day?

Spending time with family and friends, preferably at the beach with an umbrella cocktail or at the lake on a boat.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Music and nature.

Favorite book or author?

James Howard Kunstler and Dr. Seuss.

Favorite local restaurant (please name city/town)?

Red Bar in Grayton Beach, FL and Ecco in Midtown Atlanta.

Your proudest achievement?

My son, Dean.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Spa day with mani/pedi and shopping.

Everyone should experience?

Living in Tuscany.

Samuel Bermudez

Principal

Office Director, San José, Costa Rica

Your ideal day?

At the beach under the shade of an old tree.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Pencil and paper.

Favorite book or author?

The Lost Steps by Alejo Carpentier.

Favorite local restaurant?

I eat everywhere there's good food.

Your proudest achievement?

The opportunity to lead an amazing group of people in the Gensler Costa Rica office.

How do you like to spend time alone?

With my dogs, at the beach, reading or doodling.

Everyone should experience?

A portobello mushroom broiled upside down with a slice of tomato and melted cheese hanging over it. A hike through Yosemite National Park in California. Or both simultaneously!

Barbara Best-Santos

Senior Associate

Regional Hospitality Practice Area Leader, San Francisco

Your ideal day?

A day spent with my son, exploring a new place.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Travel.

Most indispensible “App”?

Maps, so I don’t get lost when I take off in a foreign city.

Favorite book or author?

Any book I read with my son at the end of a long day.

Favorite local restaurant My kitchen  Lafayette, CA.

Your proudest achievement?

Landon Santos.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Exploring a new city on foot, soaking up the local flavor.

Everyone should experience?

Being a parent.

Aaron Birney

Senior Associate

Architectural Designer, Los Angeles

Your ideal day?

Sunny, clear mid 70's at the ocean, with a glass of wine enjoying family and friends.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Nature.

Most indispensible "App"?

TripAdvisor.

Favorite book or author?

Ayn Rand.

Favorite local restaurant?

Bottega Louie in Los Angeles.

Your proudest achievement?

Becoming a Father.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading, cycling.

Steven Bitterman

Associate

Studio Director, Morristown

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

LinkedIn.

Your ideal day?

On the golf course.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My dad.

Most indispensible “App”?

Pandora and ESPN Score Center.

Favorite book or author?

JRR Tolkien.

Favorite local restaurant?

Bangkok Kitchen, West Caldwell, NJ.

Your proudest achievement?

Getting my license.

How do you like to spend time alone?

I don’t.

John Blesener

Associate

IT Manager, Tokyo

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Hacker News, The Verge.

Your ideal day?

40 cm of powder, bluebird skies, and silence on the mountain. Eat yakiniku and soak in a rotenburo afterwards.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

The shower.

Favorite book or author?

William Gibson.

Your proudest achievement?

Waking up in the morning.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Programming, reading, snowboarding.

Everyone should experience?

Sunrise at the top of Mount Fuji.

Mauricio Bolivar

Associate

3D Visualization Leader, San José, Costa Rica

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Ronen Bekerman's 3D Viz Blog

Your ideal day?

Play a soccer match with my team of friends and then hang out together.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Music.

Favorite book or author?

Bone by Jeff Smith.

Favorite local restaurant?

Goyi, San José, Costa Rica.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Playing Xbox.

Everyone should experience?

My Grandmother's Caribbean rice & beans.

Michelle Boll

Associate

Interior Designer, Los Angeles

Your ideal day?

Wake from a restful sleep, have breakfast with my partner, explore whatever city we happen to be in, have a foodie-hotspot dinner, and chat up the night under the moon and stars.

Favorite book or author?

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez and Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller.

Favorite local restaurant?

Cheekys in Palm Springs. Wilshire in Santa Monica. Mama’s Fishhouse in Maui.

Your proudest achievement?

That I continue to try new things and take risks without fear.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Listening to music, browsing a magazine or book, cooking, chopping, eating!

Everyone should experience?

Living in a third-world country.

Dessislava Boneva

Associate

Interior Designer, New York

Your ideal day?

Any day I am exploring a new place. There is nothing more exciting than roaming foreign grounds. Even better, when the engines of a plane roar and you know soon you will be somewhere new, it is going to be a good day.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Music, especially one with an extended guitar solo.

Most indispensible “App”?

The Weather Channel. Pandora is a runner-up.

Favorite book or author?

Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino.

Your proudest achievement?

Winning every design competition I have ever applied to.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Strolling through art exhibits or going for a long run.

Everyone should experience?

Eastern Europe, the Russian ballet, and being in the front row at a rock and roll concert.

Norine Bougher

Associate

Senior Accountant, Firmwide Resources

Your ideal day?

Sunny and 70 degrees almost anywhere as long as I'm with my husband. (But I'd really like it to be at Disneyland!)

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Military men and women in uniform. I have a lot of veterans in my family, and I admire their courage and sacrifice.

Favorite book or author?

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry.

Favorite local restaurant?

The Salt Lick in Driftwood, TX.

Your proudest achievement?

Passing the CPA Exam.

How do you like to spend time alone?

I love spending my day alternating between a good book, a good movie and organizing all my “crap.”

Everyone should experience?

A beautiful sunset on the beach.

Cathy Bregenzer

Principal

Studio Director, San Francisco

Your ideal day?

Vacation in Barbados: swim, dive for conch, read, nap, eat, drink rum.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Funny videos my kids make of themselves.

Most indispensible “App”?

Useful = Evite; Funny = Helium Booth.

Favorite book or author?

West with the Night by Beryl Markham.

Favorite local restaurant?

Breakfast at Jeannine’s Bakery in Montecito, CA.

Your proudest achievement?

House renovation with newborn twins!

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading magazines, dreaming up vacations.

Everyone should experience?

An African safari.

Eric Brill

Associate

Project Manager, New York

Your ideal day?

Playing golf at 7am on a 70-degree day; eating brunch with my family; using LEGOs to create buildings with my daughters; bicycle-riding around the neighborhood; power nap; attending a NY Broadway show and dancing with my wife; and ending the day with a glass of 30-year-old Port and dark chocolate!

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My family, architectural books and magazines.

Favorite book or author?

The Fountainhead (x4) by Ayn Rand.

Favorite local restaurant?

Barcelona in Stamford, CT (awesome tapas!).

Your proudest achievement?

Tie between daughter #1 and daughter #2.

Everyone should experience?

Florence, Italy, aged Gouda, Montreal Jazz Fest, rack of lamb, traveling to another country, and the hug of a child (to name a few).

Elizabeth Brink

Associate

Senior Strategist, Los Angeles

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Curbed, Pottermore, Apartment Therapy.

Your ideal day?

Lazy morning with my family, bike ride at the beach, and a movie marathon with a great bottle of wine in the evening.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Sunrise.

Favorite book or author?

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez.

Favorite local restaurant?

Reel Inn and Zuma Sushi in Malibu, CA.

Your proudest achievement?

My travel list. 32 countries and counting.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading or trying a new craft project.

Marc Bruffett

Associate

Studio Director, New York

Your ideal day?

A big iced tea, nothing scheduled, and a serious dose of family time.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My wife, Jorrie, and little girl, Vivian.

Most indispensible “App”?

Shazam. I’m totally amazed it can tell me the artist and name of the song playing in the background while people are talking and glasses are clinking.

Favorite book or author?

Universal Principles of Design by Lidwell, Holden, & Butler.

Your proudest achievement?

I’ve traveled to 49 states (only North Dakota left). And, experiencing our cultural diversity has made me a more knowledgeable and empathetic person.

Everyone should experience?

Parenthood. Life gets better when a little person wants you to read them a story every night. And nothing beats the wonderment of seeing them experience things for the first time.

Katie Buchanan-Bjarke

Associate

Designer, Los Angeles

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Swissmiss, A CUP OF JO, thedieline.

Your ideal day?

Wake up early, head out on a drive up the coast and just explore.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Traveling somewhere new.

Favorite book or author?

Raymond Carver.

Favorite local restaurant?

Little Dom's, Los Angeles.

Your proudest achievement?

My newborn baby.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Probably cooking something new.

Everyone should experience?

The deluxe Focaccia at Avec.

Sean Burke

Associate

Job Captain, New York

Your ideal day?

When everything goes according to plan.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

I am often inspired by live music and travel.

Favorite book or author?

Cormac McCarthy.

Favorite local restaurant?

Christos Restaurant in Astoria, NY.

Your proudest achievement?

I was the first person in my immediate and extended family to complete college and follow through with my lifelong dream to become an Architect.

How do you like to spend time alone?

I love to create: whether it’s music, cooking, designing a house, or creating a new piece of art.

Everyone should experience?

A desert night sky, skydiving, and reef diving.

Julia Campbell

Principal

Regional Project Management Leader, San Francisco

Your ideal day?

Breakfast in bed, walking the dogs at Crissy Field, trampolining at the House of Air, cooking with friends, board games with the family.

Most indispensible “App”?

Flipboard for congregating everything on the iPad; Mint to keep a check on $$$; and Carcassonne (I am addicted to Carcassonne  it is worse than chocolate).

Favorite book or author?

The Devil in the White City by Eric Larsen

Favorite local restaurant?

Allegro Romano on Russian Hill in San Francisco.

Your proudest achievement?

Completing the AIDS Ride to LA  twice! Juggling three children, my husband, three dogs, two cats, and a foreign student!

Everyone should experience?

St. Petersburg in the snow.

Stacy Cannon

Associate

Project Manager, San Diego

Your ideal day?

Sleep in until 7am. Curl up with a cup of coffee and a good book for a couple of hours. Then spend the rest of the day playing games on the Wii with my family.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My kids.

Favorite book or author?

James Peterson or Dean Koontz. I love suspenseful, odd, murder mysteries. Most recent favorite book series is The Hunger Games. All-time favorite is Roots.

Favorite local restaurant?

Firestone Grill from my college town of San Luis Obispo, CA, or my new hometown fav: Hash House a Go-Go in San Diego.

Your proudest achievement?

Graduating with my graduate and undergraduate degrees in the same weekend.

Everyone should experience?

Living on your own.

Rick Cardenas

Associate

Project Architect, San Jose

Your ideal day?

Summer vacation with the family, somewhere we have never been before.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My wife Mary Ann.

Favorite book or author?

This Boy's Life by Tobias Wolff.

Favorite local restaurant?

Garcia's in Sunnyvale, CA (great burritos).

Your proudest achievement?

Becoming a dad.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Rocking out to my tunes during a long walk.

Everyone should experience?

Driving cross country to Mount Rushmore.

Andrew Caruso

Associate

Head of Intern Development and Academic Outreach, Firmwide Resources

Your ideal day?

Performing a concert (currently with the Congressional Chorus of Washington DC), exploring an unfamiliar city, or photographing the landscape.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Nature. From a three-month analysis of the natural geometries of wheat, to a night spent peering deep into the universe at the National Observatory, I have always been fascinated by nature.

Favorite local restaurant?

Cantina Marina in Washington, DC. Tie up next to the historic presidential yacht with a cold beer on a hot July evening in this secret Potomac River dock turned fiesta. A Washington insider favorite.

Your proudest achievement?

Being elected by thousands of my peers to represent the next generation of leaders in the built environment as the national president of the American Institute of Architecture Students.

Everyone should experience?

The moment when a vocal ensemble locks in a complex harmony.

Jose Cerdas

Associate

Studio Director, San José, Costa Rica

Your ideal day?

A day at home with my Lab dog, playing the bass guitar for a while, and having some friends around playing.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

The nights while reading the best-selling book ever WWJD.

Favorite book or author?

Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho.

Favorite local restaurant (please name city/town)?

The Tin Jo  Oriental best ever!

Your proudest achievement?

Rehabbing my Lab dog when she wasn't unable to walk at all.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Diving 100% sure about it.

Everyone should experience?

The silence.

Gaurav Charaya

Associate

Senior Strategist, New York

Your ideal day?

Waking up after a beautiful dream. Doing Yoga and meditation before stepping out. Lunch with friends and colleagues in an open café. Wrapping up all tasks successfully. Unexpected call from an old friend. Home-cooked meal with family.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Favorite book or author?

Five Point Someone by Chetan Bhagat.

Favorite local restaurant?

UPSC Lane Chaat Bhandar in New Delhi, India.

How do you like to spend time alone?

I often think about small things that made me smile and thank almighty. Also dream about bringing change to society and the world.

Everyone should experience?

Life in a developing world that offers limited resources to appreciate all that we have around us.

David Chason

Associate

Design Director, Miami

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

DesignMilk, Facebook.

Your ideal day?

At the beach from sunrise to sunset.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

A day trip to New York City.

Favorite book or author?

It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be by Paul Arden.

Favorite local restaurant?

Prime 112 in Miami Beach.

Your proudest achievement?

My daughters, Morgan and Zoe.

Everyone should experience?

Traveling throughout Europe (with a backpack).

Sonmoy Chatterjee

Associate

Office Manager, Bangalore

Your ideal day?

A walkabout in a quaint European town in the warm sunshine, drinking in the sights and sounds.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Travel.

Most indispensible "App"

Flipboard for iPad.

Favorite book or author?

The World According to Garp by John Irving.

Favorite local restaurant?

Toscano in Bangalore.

Your proudest achievement?

For the moment, making Associate at Gensler.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Watching an old war movie or reading a thriller.

Dorian Chau

Associate

BIM Manager, Firmwide Resources

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Engadget.com  to feed my other geeky side.

Your ideal day?

Spending it with someone I love.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My family and friends have always listened and given me great advice.

Favorite book or author?

Forrest Gump by Winston Groom (and the movie)  reminds me how remarkable life can be and to enjoy the simple things in life.

Favorite local restaurant?

King of Thai Noodle House in San Francisco.

Your proudest achievement?

It's a tie between seeing the first building I designed built and being the first person in my family to graduate University with Honors.

Everyone should experience?

Sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge on that rare warm summer's day.

Pankaj Chaudhary

Associate

Project Architect, London

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Indian by Design http://indianbydesign.wordpress.com/

Your ideal day?

A day that inspires and brings the best out of me!

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Lord Ganesha!

Favorite book or author?

The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari by Robin Sharma.

Favorite local restaurant?

The Elements in Bangalore.

Your proudest achievement?

Standing in front of a building that I designed.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Sketching, reading, trekking.

Everyone should experience?

Being on top of a mountain at dawn break.

Fannie Cheung

Associate

Job Captain, New York

Your ideal day?

Rome in May strolling in the city, eating, drinking, and listening to the accordion music in the piazza.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My parents & grandparents how they make their lives with so much less than what we have nowadays, especially the internet! It’s very humbling.

Favorite book or author?

Book: The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. Author: Charles Dickens.

Your proudest achievement?

Being volleyball team captain in high school.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Walking in the city or just taking a bath it gives me time to ponder things.

Everyone should experience?

The awe of nature in a vast landscape.

Najahyia Chinchilla

Associate

Architectural Designer, Project Manager, Detroit

Your ideal day?

Waking up to no alarm clock, going for a run, sitting in the sun on a veranda drinking tea, and then spending the day exploring a new place.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Nature and couture fashion.

Most indispensible "App"?

Google Chat and Office Communicator.

Favorite local restaurant?

Bocca Lupo in Brooklyn and El Barzon in Detroit.

Your proudest achievement?

Being there for my family.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading novels and baking elaborate confections.

Everyone should experience?

Laughing so hard you pee your pants.

Carissa Chirichella

Associate

Project Manager, Project Architect, Baltimore

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Apartment Therapy.

Your ideal day?

Sleep in. No agenda or to do list. Waste away the day with family and friends. Eat great food that someone else has prepared.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Exploring cities, familiar or new.

Favorite book or author?

Any book I read to my son at bedtime.

Favorite local restaurant?

Peter's Inn, Baltimore.

Your proudest achievement?

My family: husband Carl (of 6 years) and son Lucas (14 months).

How do you like to spend time alone?

This is a very rare occurrence these days  catching up on my DVR or the latest celebrity gossip, reading books and magazines, napping.

Mike Concannon

Senior Associate

Project Manager, Chicago

Justin Cratty

Associate

Technical Coordinator, London

Your ideal day?

Laying in a hammock in Costa Rica with the Rainforest on my left, the ocean on my right, with a monkey playing overhead. It is just surreal.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Endless amounts of transatlantic flights. Being stuck in a confined space over long periods of time makes you think about how you can always find a better design solution than the one at hand.

Favorite local restaurant?

Hometown favorite: Wunsche Bros Café and Saloon in Old Town Spring, TX. Local favorite: Giuseppe's in London, a brilliant mix of British Pub & Italian restaurant.

Your proudest achievement?

Helped lead the design and build of the first public building in Greensburg, KS and the first LEED Platinum building in the State of Kansas, after 95% of the town was destroyed by an EF-5 tornado in May 2007.

Everyone should experience?

Chicago Cubs winning the World Series. Unfortunately, I am still waiting for that one to happen!!

Laura Crescimano

Associate

Strategist, San Francisco

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Fast Co Design Blog, The Oatmeal, TalkingPointsMemo.com, @brainpicker.

Your ideal day?

Lattes and walk at Chrissy Field, afternoon at Dolores Park, yoga class at yogatree, dinner and cocktails at local spot (what can I say, I’ve become a San Francisco stereotype!).

Favorite local restaurant?

San Francisco: Ragazza for pizza and wine; Cotogna or Locanda for a special occasion; Little Chihuaha for takeout. Yum.

Your proudest achievement?

Participating in an Indian wedding, wearing heels and a sari (for the first time), carrying an uncovered lantern, without tripping and burning the place down.

Everyone should experience?

Morning prayer (as in 4am in the pitch dark) at a Buddhist temple, lit from inside by a hundred paper lanterns, in the mountains of South Korea.

Alicia Crigler

Associate

Designer, Morristown

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Facebook it’s like a modern day diary.

Your ideal day?

A day at Pensacola Beach with my best friends and daughter.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

New York City. From gallery openings to boat rides in the Hudson River, the city never fails to inspire me.

Favorite book or author?

I love all fiction, anything that lets me escape the reality of my day-to-day life.

Your proudest achievement?

My daughter, Ella.

How do you like to spend time alone?

With a good book.

Everyone should experience?

Love.

Carlos A. Cubillos

Principal

Design Director in Planning & Urban Design, Washington DC

Your ideal day?

A sunny Saturday with no deadlines in sight so I can ride my bike in one of the many bikeways in the Metropolitan DC region.

Favorite book or author?

Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino and The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupéry. As for authors, I enjoy the work of Latin American masters Gabriel García Márquez, Mario Vargas Llosa, Julio Cortázar and Carlos Fuentes.

Favorite local restaurant?

El Chalan, in Washington DC.

Your proudest achievement?

Obtaining a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue graduate studies at Penn. It opened up new opportunities in my personal and professional life.

Everyone should experience?

Spending a night in a cave hotel in Capadoccia, Turkey. Exploring Petra in Jordan. Biking along the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia in the fall.

Christopher Curson

Associate

Project Architect, Austin

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

LinkedIn.

Your ideal day?

Spending time with my nieces.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

A trip to New York City.

Favorite book or author?

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer.

Favorite local restaurant?

Haddingtons in Austin.

Your proudest achievement?

Completing a marathon.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Watching TV.

Everyone should experience?

The Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Rosemarie DeCicco

Associate

Interior Designer, New York

Your ideal day?

Waking up to a quiet house, making a big cup of coffee, silencing my phone, and starting a handmade project that I can lose myself in for the whole day.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My colleagues. Their creative energy pushes me to do better, bigger, more exciting design.

Favorite book or author?

Jeannette Walls books: The Glass Castle and Half Broke Horses are amazing.

Your proudest achievement?

Getting a college scholarship based on my portfolio work. Following through on the goals that I set out to achieve.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Being crafty! I like to crochet, knit and sew.

Everyone should experience?

At least one month abroad. I spent a semester in Milan, Italy, my junior of college and had the best experience of my life.

Erica Deitchman

Associate

Project Manager, San Jose

Your ideal day?

Sleep in past 6am. Oysters for breakfast. A long hike. Some beach time. Sushi for dinner. Chocolate for dessert. And a Manhattan to finish off the day.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Nature.

Favorite book or author?

David Sedaris. Alain de Botton.

Favorite local restaurant?

Nick’s on Main Street, Los Gatos, CA.

Your proudest achievement?

Grady and Finley.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Perusing grocery stores.

Everyone should experience?

Living in a small French village

Lisa DeSouza

Senior Associate

Office Manager, Travel Coordinator, Firmwide Resources

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Facebook.

Your ideal day?

Watching the sun set, especially in Hawaii.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My 16-year-old son. He keeps me thinking!

Most indispensible "App"?

Pandora.

Favorite local restaurant?

High Tide Café in Pacifica, CA.

Your proudest achievement?

My son, Dominic. I was told I could not have children.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Cleaning and organizing. I know this is a terrible answer, but true!

Everyone should experience?

A child being born.

Scott DeWoody

Associate

Director of Visualization, Houston

Your ideal day?

A day when I can walk around outside all day with my Nikon in hand, taking pictures of anything that inspires me.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Www.500px.com — an amazing source of photography from around the world.

Favorite book or author?

Author: Richard Castle.

Your proudest achievement?

Being able to photograph the Houston Dynamo and having my images published in their magazine.

Everyone should experience?

Life as much as they can. "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover" - Mark Twain.

Eileen Doctor

Senior Associate

Studio Director, Project Manager, Morristown

Your ideal day?

Shopping, shopping and more shopping, and then dinner with my hubby and/or friends.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My nieces and nephew. Looking at things through their perspective is refreshing. Some of the things they come up with are so outrageous!

Your proudest achievement?

Creating my own cake/cupcake/cookie side business based solely on referrals. Creating Gensler Golf for the Cure to spread awareness about breast cancer (Gensler has raised over $45,000 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation through this event). Graduating Coast Guard boot camp (I spent 6 years in the Coast Guard Reserve).

How do you like to spend time alone?

Curled up on the couch with a good book (romance of course!) and a glass of wine or cup of coffee.

Everyone should experience?

As crazy as it sounds boot camp. It’s 8 weeks of team-building, trust and the confidence to do things that you would never think yourself capable of in a million years.

KC Dutton

Associate

Project Manager, Washington DC

Your ideal day?

Very Few Meetings.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

A trip to Europe or Asia, or on short notice, a hike on the Billygoat Trail.

Favorite book or author?

Saul Bellow, Gore Vidal, Margaret Atwood, Eric Larson.

Favorite local restaurant?

Eden Center in Falls Church, VA.

Your proudest achievement?

My daughter Nina.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Exploring ruins, or reading about them.

Everyone should experience?

Hampi, the archeological reservation in south central India.

Ankita Dwivedi

Senior Associate

Architectural Designer, London

Your ideal day?

Starts with waking up to a great sunrise and going for a walk in the mountains, spending the day with family, sunset along a beach, thereafter a good evening with friends.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Zen.

Favorite book or author?

Haruki Murakami.

Favorite local restaurant?

Ottolenghi in London.

Your proudest achievement?

Learning a new software in a new language.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading, jewellery-making. But most of all, observing the play of light.

Everyone should experience?

Long train journeys through unknown lands.

Larissa Erazmus

Associate

Interior Designer, New York

Your ideal day?

Walking through Central Park at the peak of Fall with my French bulldog (that I don’t have yet).

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Sights and Sounds of my neighborhood in Manhattan.

Favorite book or author?

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Favorite local restaurant?

Brunch at Island on Madison and 92nd. Crabcake Eggs Benedict has never tasted so good!

Your proudest achievement?

Having the cleanest, most organized desk at Gensler.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Grocery shopping at Fairway and going to Barnes & Noble to find my next great read.

Everyone should experience?

Afternoon Tea at Fortnum & Mason in London during a rainstorm.

Joel Esguerra

Senior Associate

Project Manager, Baltimore

Your ideal day?

When it seems like all the stars align and nothing can go wrong.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Mike Wilder's song "Nothing's Going to Break My Stride."

Most indispensible "App"?

iBook or Kindle.

Favorite local restaurant?

Amicci's in Baltimore.

Your proudest achievement?

Getting Married!

How do you like to spend time alone?

Riding my bike on an early Saturday morning.

Everyone should experience?

Finishing a 100-mile bike ride that ends in a 3-mile climb to the top of a mountain!

Joanna Eun

Associate

Designer, New York

Your ideal day?

Enjoying a morning hike and hanging out with family/friends.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Traveling and Nature.

Favorite book or author?

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.

Favorite local restaurant?

Honey's for brunch in Philly.

Your proudest achievement?

Moving to NYC.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Walking and discovering new places.

Everyone should experience?

Sandboarding the dunes at sunset.

Bill Faasse

Associate

Job Captain, Morristown

Your ideal day?

A quiet day out with my family, either out hiking or biking.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My fireplace. It took my wife and I four years to finish it, but it’s the only project in our house that is 100% complete.

Favorite book or author?

Oh, the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss. After graduating college, the office gave me a copy and everyone wrote words of inspiration in it.

Favorite local restaurant?

The Black Horse Pub in Mendham, NJ.

Your proudest achievement?

Becoming a father.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Catching up on sleep.

Everyone should experience?

A week in Alaska, to truly understand the beauty and purity of nature.

Ryan Fetters

Associate

Designer, San Francisco

Your ideal day?

Not sure, but it definitely involves lots of sun and either sand or snow.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Traveling and Museums. Could be anywhere or any museum and it will still spark some sense of “why didn’t I think of that,” or “I could do that!”

Most indispensible “App”?

Snapseed. It’s the only way to make your photos really pop.

Favorite book or author?

Book: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. Author(s): Ernest Hemingway, Charles Bukowski, Vladimir Nabakov, Roberto Bolano.

Favorite local restaurant?

Pho Ha Tien or Moshi Moshi, San Francisco.

Your proudest achievement?

Anytime I get back from a long run.

Everyone should experience?

The Therme Vals by Peter Zumthor.

Darrel Fullbright

Associate

Architectural Design Leader, Project Manager, San Diego

Your ideal day?

Exploring and discovering new places in far-off lands.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Our in-house team of talented young designers. Old Ian Fleming film sets.

Favorite book or author?

The World is Flat by Tom Friedman.

Favorite local restaurant?

Too Bird Café, San Geronimo in Northern California (my father-in-law’s place).

Your proudest achievement?

My 4-year-old daughter.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Searching for new music and putting paint to canvas.

Everyone should experience?

Jumping off a cliff into the Aegean Sea.

Jessica Garcia

Senior Associate

Designer, Office Sustainable Leader, San José, Costa Rica

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Tumblr, Pinterest, Contemporist.

Your ideal day?

A day at the beach with great friends, food and sun!

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Traveling and meeting new people. I love to experience new cities and see how other cultures live!

Favorite book or author?

All-time favorite: The Fountainhead. Currently: The Third Eye by T. Lobsang Rampa.

Favorite local restaurant?

Kalu in Barrio Amon, San José, Costa Rica.

Your proudest achievement?

My amazing husband!

How do you like to spend time alone?

I love to cook and relax at home with a good book or movie.

Robert Garlipp

Associate

Senior Designer, Los Angeles

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Nothing beats the newspaper by your doorstep in the morning.

Your ideal day?

Any day something has been accomplished.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Nature.

Favorite local restaurant?

Food is at its best closest to the source — an oyster at the oyster farm, or a steamed crab on the dock by the boats.

Rob Gatzke

Principal

Regional Hospitality Practice Area Leader, Morristown

Your ideal day?

A day at the beach, swimming and snorkeling with my kids. Or exploring a place I've never been before.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Human ingenuity.

Favorite book or author?

Fiction: Nine Short Stories by JD Salinger. Non-Fiction: A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn.

Favorite local restaurant?

Blu in Montclair, NJ.

Your proudest achievement?

The life I’ve made for myself.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Building things.

Everyone should experience?

A drive through the French countryside with the one you love.

George Ge

Associate

Designer, Shanghai

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Http://europaconcorsi.com.

Your ideal day?

The day there are no nations and everyone is equal.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Natural landscape and good books.

Most indispensible “App”?

Google+.

Your proudest achievement?

Used to be a radio DJ at the national radio network in China.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading with a glass of whisky in hand. Walking in a strange city or hiking in countryside.

Everyone should experience?

Skydiving.

Jose Gei

Associate

Studio Director, San José, Costa Rica

Your ideal day?

At my house with family and friends, a fully loaded BBQ and cold drinks no need for more!

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My wife and our 2-year-old daughter, especially when they're both smiling.

Favorite book or author?

Glenn Murcutt: Buildings and Projects 1962-2003. His down-to-earth philosophy is incredibly inspiring, made me fall in love with architecture even more.

Favorite local restaurant?

Andiamo La, on the east side of San José. One of the best Italian restaurants in town, and they have a killer Risotto Marinara!

Your proudest achievement?

Our home in Heredia. It has taken us 8 years and 5 remodels to complete it.

Everyone should experience?

How proud you feel when your kid says “Papá” (Dad) for the first time.

Wendi Gilbert

Senior Associate

Project Architect, Los Angeles

Your ideal day?

Sleeping in, brunch, bowling/fishing/running/dancing/live music/hiking and dinner with friends?or, on a plane to Maui.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

MUSIC.

Favorite book or author?

Fran Lebowitz.

Favorite local restaurant?

Melisse, Santa Monica.

Your proudest achievement?

Licensed! Helping out in Haiti.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Contemplating or woolgathering.

Everyone should experience?

Campfire bacon.

Eric Ginsburg

Senior Associate

Office Leader, Toronto

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Engadget.com, thecoolhunter.net, tuaw.com, thefwa.com, sciencedaily.com.

Your ideal day?

A full day of beach volleyball with childhood/college friends followed by a night out in NYC until 4am.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My father. Life is never too tough knowing what he’s overcome.

Favorite book or author?

All the “For Dummies” books.

Favorite local restaurant?

Earls Toronto. Cask in NYC.

Your proudest achievement?

That’s a tossup between MVP of the east coast for volleyball, vs. the opportunity Gensler has given me here in Toronto.

Everyone should experience?

The city of Toronto. Please people, come visit. You’ll be shocked!

Brian Glodney

Associate

Urban Designer, Los Angeles

Your ideal day?

Waking up to an impending adventure with friends to somewhere new.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

The ocean for its balance of raw power and meditative energy.

Favorite book or author?

Somewhere between Goethe, Jan Gehle, Christopher Alexander, James Clavell, Michel Foucault, and Bill Simmons.

Your proudest achievement?

Competing for University of Newcastle upon Tyne in the British University Surfing Championships.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Enjoying a morning surf, creating something with my hands, photographing my wanderings.

Everyone should experience?

The world — take it in, smell, touch, talk, laugh, taste and explore as much as you can.

David Glover

Senior Associate

Design Director, Los Angeles

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Design Observer.

Your ideal day?

A Spring day in Capri with my family.

Favorite book or author?

The Art of Looking Sideways by Alan Fletcher.

Favorite local restaurant?

Providence in Los Angeles.

Your proudest achievement?

The Architectural League of New York — Young Architects Prize & Forum.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Dreaming. Sketching. Jogging. Reading. Writing.

Everyone should experience?

Burgundy.

Martin Gollwitzer

Associate

Job Captain, Technical Coordinator, Houston

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

I still have a tube TV and a carousel CD player. What's social media?

Your ideal day?

A round of golf followed by dinner with friends.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Remarkable mentors who continue to guide me through this profession.

Favorite book or author?

Alexander McCall Smith for fun reading.

Favorite local restaurant?

Mark's in Houston.

How do you like to spend time alone?

I don't like to spend time alone, but when I do I am usually watching favorite shows or movies or reading the newspaper.

Everyone should experience?

Bonus Day at Gensler.

Stephanie Gomez

Associate

Marketing Manager, Phoenix

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

DesignLoveFest, Cup of Jo, Twitter.

Your ideal day?

Coffee and good weather while exploring somewhere new.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Travel.

Most indispensible “App”?

Instagram and Pinterest.

Favorite book or author?

Laurie Notaro and David Nicholls.

Favorite local restaurant?

Postinos Central in Phoenix.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Shopping, reading, or organizing.

Everyone should experience?

Living in another country.

Gonzalo Gomez

Associate

Project Architect and Project Designer, Washington DC

Your ideal day?

A day at the beach with my best friends — late wake-up, beach, then cocktails and grilling under a clear sky.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My home country, Colombia.

Favorite book or author?

Jaime Bayly.

Favorite local restaurant?

Komi in Washington DC. Unfortunately, it's a one-time-per-year type.

Your proudest achievement?

Leaving a lot of things behind to move to the US for a different way of living.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Cooking with a nice glass of red wine, waiting for my friends to arrive.

Everyone should experience?

Alinea Restaurant in Chicago — a unique experience full of nice surprises.

Marilyn Gould

Associate

Project Manager, Baltimore

Your ideal day?

Hiking, Exploring, Photographing.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

New experiences, music, and my friends.

Favorite book or author?

Classical: Edith Wharton. Contemporary: Richard Ford.

Favorite local restaurant?

Gastroarte in NYC.

Your proudest achievement?

Helping adults learn to read.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Extended long distance calls with out-of-state friends.

Everyone should experience?

Really fabulous pizza.

Jennifer Gozzi

Associate

Interior Designer, Phoenix

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Pinterest and wedding blogs.

Your ideal day?

Spending it with my fiancé, going antique shopping, and finishing it with a quiet dinner at a local Italian restaurant.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

The hardware store.

Favorite book or author?

The Bible.

Favorite local restaurant?

The Parlor, Phoenix.

Your proudest achievement?

Skiing my first double black diamond, without falling.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Working on a project at home. Currently it’s restoring vintage furniture.

Everyone should experience?

The peace that comes from realizing you’re not really in control, God is.

Alison Graham

Associate

Designer, Baltimore

Your ideal day?

Warm, lots of sunshine, near water with friends and maybe a beverage or two.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Traveling somewhere new.

Favorite book or author?

Currently obsessed with The Hunger Games.

Favorite local restaurant?

Sidewalks in Richmond, VA.

Your proudest achievement?

All the things I've done that at first I didn't think I could.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Either a good book or a long run.

Everyone should experience?

My dad's cooking.

Mandy Graham

Associate

Design Strategist, Chicago

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Zite (all the news I need in one place). WeSmirch.com (all the gossip headlines in one place). Twitter (to read the most talented writer I know).

Your ideal day?

Summer Sundays on the beach in Chicago with my friends. Warm sun. Tasty drinks. Good stories. Lots of laughs.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My brother. He's so generous with his energy. He sees the big picture, gets how things work, can put the pieces together and make something from nothing.

Favorite book or author?

Book: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. Author: Tom Perrotta.

Your proudest achievement?

My relationships with my family and friends.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Is it bad if I say shopping?

Linzy Griswold

Associate

Architectural Designer, Technical Coordinator, San Francisco

Your ideal day?

Morning run, scenic drive up to Tomales Bay for oysters (in constant hope that it’s sunny upon arrival), dinner party with friends.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

The great outdoors and traveling — for a little bit of perspective.

Favorite book or author?

Gabriel García Márquez

Favorite local restaurant?

Nopa and Pizzeria Delfina Fillmore in San Francisco.

Your proudest achievement?

My kind, supportive family.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading, walking around San Francisco exploring various neighborhoods.

Everyone should experience?

Being 15,000 ft in the Andean Region of Colombia with no time to acclimate.

Evan Gu

Senior Associate

Project Architect, Shanghai

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Facebook.

Your ideal day?

My daughter's birthday.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Zen.

Favorite book or author?

Dream of the Red Chamber by Xueqin Cao.

Favorite local restaurant?

Tangyun Qinfeng in Shanghai.

Your proudest achievement?

I had a baby girl this year.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Sports, reading.

Everyone should experience?

Meditation.

Richard Hammond

Senior Associate

Design Director, Los Angeles

Your ideal day?

Sunny, 80 degrees, light breeze.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Perspiration.

Most indispensible "App"?

Photosynth.

Favorite book or author?

Cosmos by Carl Sagan.

Favorite local restaurant?

Crossroads Cafe, Joshua Tree, CA.

Your proudest achievement?

Learning to walk.

Everyone should experience?

Atheism.

Angela Harper

Associate

Project Architect, Chicago

Your ideal day?

This would probably include: my passport, an activity on a large body of water and/or in the mountains, a nap in the sun, fantastic food (= seafood) accompanied by great glass of wine, friends who make me laugh, and falling asleep under the stars.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

This city. I've lived in a lot of great cities over the years, but I'm glad to make Chicago my home.

Favorite book or author?

The Fountainhead. I also like authors named David — as in Sedaris, Eggers, Rakoff.

Favorite local restaurant?

Fountainhead, in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago. I like my “favorite” things to be named the same; easier to remember.

Your proudest achievement?

I've always been proud of having the guts to take a chance when it counts.

Joseph Hatton-Rodriguez

Associate

Project Designer, Houston

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Eye candy, materialicious, magnificent bastard.

Your ideal day?

Wake up, play with Leo & Dax (the dogs), make coffee and eat breakfast with Michelle, go surfing, take a nap, eat lunch, go surfing again, enjoy dinner with Michelle. The best part is that's it's a Tuesday!

Favorite local restaurant?

T'afia in Houston.

Your proudest achievement?

Creating music with childhood friends. Being asked to open for national acts, including one of my favorite bands that has been on the Billboard charts.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Listening to music, relaxing, swimming, daydreaming.

Everyone should experience?

Something that forces them out of their comfort zone.

Tom Heffernan

Principal

Project Manager, San Diego

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

OBrag.org.

Your ideal day?

Early morning surf, big breakfast, beach day with the kids, BBQ and beers, bedtime.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My family.

Favorite book or author?

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole.

Favorite local restaurant?

Nico’s Mexican Food in Ocean Beach, CA.

Your proudest achievement?

Trying to be a good parent and husband.

Everyone should experience?

True love.

Rebecca Hendon

Associate

Accounting Manager, Chicago

Your ideal day?

A warm sunny day in Chicago, having lunch on a patio, and a good glass of wine!

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Church, because it's uplifting. Traveling, because it's fun and adventurous to experience new places.

Most indispensible "App"?

Shape Shift, a silly game after a long day.

Favorite book or author?

Janet Evanovich — she makes me laugh!

Favorite local restaurant?

Bar on Buena, Chicago.

Your proudest achievement?

Currently going to graduate school to get my MBA!

Everyone should experience?

Summertime in Chicago and a ride down Lake Shore Drive!

Rick Henson

Associate

Project Manager, Architect, Dallas

Your ideal day?

A day on the golf course or a day fishing with friends.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My daughter and nature.

Favorite book or author?

No book or author in particular, but I like to read motivational books and books about American history.

Favorite local restaurant?

Cantina Laredo in Addison, TX.

Your proudest achievement?

This would be a tie between earning the distinction of being an Eagle Scout and becoming a Registered Architect.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Building things and working on stuff around the house.

Everyone should experience?

A week-long hike in the mountains!

Susan Hickey

Senior Associate

North Central Regional Planning & Urban Design Leader, Project Manager, Chicago

Your ideal day?

A long trail run with friends and hang out the rest of day.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Road trip - Highway One.

Most indispensible "App"?

Google Maps, Trip Planner.

Favorite book or author?

Haruki Murakami.

Favorite local restaurant?

Porkchop in Chicago.

Your proudest achievement?

Not yet accomplished.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Learning guitar, small house projects, in the garden.

Mike Hicks

Associate

Project Architect, Morristown

Your ideal day?

Sleep in til 7am, cook breakfast and then do something with the family — a day at the ball park, playing a game, being outside, skiing, or hanging out at the beach.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My wife! She always encourages.

Favorite book or author?

Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors by Piers Paul Read.

Favorite local restaurant?

The Tigers Tale in Montgomery, NJ, or Espo’s in Raritan, NJ.

Your proudest achievement?

My three children!

How do you like to spend time alone?

Watching a good movie

Everyone should experience?

Loving life and the little things taken for granted — friends and family. They are a blessing!

Kimberly Hickson

Senior Associate

Regional Education Practice Area Leader, Houston

Your ideal day?

Making first tracks in fresh powder snow!

Most indispensible "App"?

MapQuest.

Favorite local restaurant?

Just Dinner, a great BYOB in Houston.

Your proudest achievement?

Becoming a Fellow in the AIA due to my work, speaking and teaching in Green Architecture.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Running, walking, sewing, cooking.

Everyone should experience?

100 feet below sea level in the Caribbean.

Bill Hill

Associate

Southeast Regional Accounting Manager, Atlanta

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Drudge Report.

Your ideal day?

Wake up in Vegas. Go to a spa for a manicure, pedicure and massage. After that, play in a no-limit holdem poker tournament and WIN!

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Serenity Prayer.

Favorite book or author?

The Black Swan by Nassim Taleb.

Favorite local restaurant?

Morton's Steakhouse in Atlanta.

Your proudest achievement?

My two children.

Everyone should experience?

The Beatles Love at the Mirage in Vegas.

Yun Hsueh

Associate

Senior Designer, Shanghai

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Flickr.

Your ideal day?

Brunch with friends.

Favorite book or author?

If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino.

Favorite local restaurant?

Mr. Pancake House, Shanghai.

Your proudest achievement?

Finishing grad school.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Lots of sitcoms.

Everyone should experience?

A Shanghai subway ride during rush hour.

JJ Huang

Associate

HR Manager, Shanghai

Your ideal day?

Wake up on a peaceful and sunny morning, have a nice breakfast, do something meaningful, and be with my beloved family members.

Favorite book or author?

Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steve Covey.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Information.

Your proudest achievement?

Don't want to say it's a big achievement, but I'm lucky that I do the right thing at the right time.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Exercise like tennis and swimming, listening to music, shopping online, sightseeing.

Everyone should experience?

Having a baby.

Lei Huang

Associate

Project Architect, Shanghai

Your ideal day?

Traveling with my family.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Traveling.

Favorite book or author?

The next book.

Favorite local restaurant?

My mother's dining room.

Your proudest achievement?

My daughter.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading.

Everyone should experience?

Being a designer.

Greg Huette

Associate

Project Manager, Project Architect, Chicago

Your ideal day?

Golf in the early morning and grilling out with friends and family in the evening.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My family.

Most indispensible "App"?

ESPN Score Center.

Favorite book or author?

John Grisham.

Favorite local restaurant?

Café Bionda in Chicago's South Loop.

Your proudest achievement?

My daughter.

Everyone should experience?

A trip to another country.

Jerry Hung

Principal

Studio Director, Beijing

Your ideal day?

Teeing off at dawn to kick off a day.

Most indispensible "App"?

For now the Camcard, which turns piles of business cards into an Outlook contact phone list.

Favorite book or author?

The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway.

Favorite local restaurant?

Dali Courtyard, a little courtyard restaurant, hidden away in one of Beijing's last Hutong areas. Yunnan cuisine. Very relaxing!

Your proudest achievement?

Helping to set up the Gensler Beijing office.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Running and swimming.

Everyone should experience?

Parenthood.

Scott Hurst

Associate

Project Designer, Chicago

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

NOTCOT and FFFFound.

Your ideal day?

Waking before sunrise on a cold December morning. Piling into the car with my wife and my dog, and making the 14-hour drive down to New Orleans. Arriving around dinner time and spending the entire evening drinking and eating with friends and family that I haven't seen all year.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Sitting around with friends “talking shop.”

Favorite book or author?

The Age of Spiritual Machines by Ray Kurzweil.

Favorite local restaurant?

Jacques-Imo's in New Orleans.

Your proudest achievement?

Winning a scholarship my third year of studio.

Everyone should experience?

My grandmother's meatballs.

Sarah Jacobson

Senior Associate

Project Architect, Chicago

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Gapers Block, ArchDaily, Dezeen, Pitchfork, NYTimes.

Your ideal day?

Any day that starts with waking up in a foreign city.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Google. It's amazing what you can stumble across on the Internet.

Favorite book or author?

The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem.

Favorite local restaurant?

West Town Tavern in Chicago.

Your proudest achievement?

Being part of the first Gensler husband-wife simultaneous Senior Associate promotion (unverified).

Everyone should experience?

Living in a city where you can't speak the language. Bonus points if you can't read it either.

Tim Jacobson

Senior Associate

Project Architect, Chicago

Your ideal day?

Any day I am traveling.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

The sun.

Favorite book or author?

Non-fiction, probably Freakonomics.

Favorite local restaurant?

Publican in Chicago.

Your proudest achievement?

TI-85 Tron high school champion.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Running and sleeping.

Everyone should experience?

Zip lining into a cloud.

Lori Johnson

Associate

Office Assistant, Phoenix

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Wishwishwish.net and qcreport.blogspot.com.

Your ideal day?

Would include a large body of water, lute music, a favorite book (probably set in Italy or England), 3 newspapers, a bit of gardening, balsamic vinegar, good toffee, a nap under a warm quilt, tall trees casting shadows, a fiery sunset, a prickly Riesling, and some shooting stars.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Expansive vistas.

Favorite book or author?

Thesauri. Dictionaries. A J Cronin. James Herriott (I travelled to England to meet him!).

Your proudest achievement?

Surviving four (4) teenage boys with sanity and spirit relatively intact.

Everyone should experience?

Seeing the look, deep in at least one person’s eyes, that says “You are the most important person in the world to me!”

Masashi Kato

Associate

Project Manager, Tokyo

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

http://www.izuvelodrome.jp/blog/. We created this website for recently completed project “Izu Velodrome.”

Your ideal day?

Playing with my daughter in the park on sunny Sunday.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Travelling.

Matthew Kelley

Associate

Job Captain, Houston

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

G Tank (Gensler South Central design blog that I contribute to). South Central Sustainability blog. Felix Salmon at Reuters. Flowing Data.

Your ideal day?

Doing anything outdoors on a beautiful March day in Houston.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My co-workers. I am truly blown away every year when I see the quality and breadth of work in GDEA.

Favorite book or author?

Anything by David Sedaris.

Favorite local restaurant?

DaMarco in Houston. The artichoke alla giudia antipasti is out of this world.

Everyone should experience?

Giant's Causeway in Ireland. It is a natural formation of 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of a volcanic eruption. Legend has it that it was a walkway to Scotland built by the Irish warrior Finn McCool to fight a Scottish warrior.

James Kelly

Senior Associate

Project Architect, Los Angeles

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

TomDispatch.com. The Guardian. CurbedLA.

Your ideal day?

Outdoors in good company and fresh air, away from the city, with outstanding food and drink along the way.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My girls.

Most indispensible "App"?

InchCalc. I still miss metric.

Favorite book or author?

Right now, Life by Keith Richards.

Your proudest achievement?

Never quite understanding the word "no."

Everyone should experience?

The silence of a Norwegian fjord in late September rain.

Amanda Kendall

Associate

Project Manager, Dallas

Your ideal day?

I am a big sports fan, so it would entail getting up at leisure on a Saturday or Sunday, heading to a tailgate with family and friends, and enjoying a mid-afternoon football game, with dinner or celebration to follow.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

The theater.

Favorite book or author?

David Baldacci.

Favorite local restaurant (please name city/town)?

Hibiscus, Dallas, TX.

Your proudest achievement?

My daughter Georgia.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading a book or watching TV.

Everyone should experience?

A cruise. It is a great way to see several different destinations in one trip.

Cory Kessler

Associate

Senior Architectural Designer, New York

Your ideal day?

Fire Island Beach House, long weekend.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Random long walks through Manhattan, or kayaking in Manhasset Bay.

Most indispensible “App”?

Flashlight.

Favorite book or author?

Lord of the Rings trilogy. Or Dune.

Favorite local restaurant?

Noodle Pudding in Brooklyn Heights.

Your proudest achievement?

Having put together a wonderful family, home, life.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Kayaking, hiking.

Everyone should experience?

Travel. As far and as often as possible. Never the same place.

William Kim

Associate

IT/CAD Analyst Support, Las Vegas

Your ideal day?

Vacationing with my family and waking up to the sound of the surf hitting the sand.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My family.

Favorite local restaurant?

Carnevino at The Palazzo Hotel in Las Vegas.

Your proudest achievement?

Getting married to the most beautiful and understanding woman.

How do you like to spend time alone?

I like to go for a long drive in my vehicle.

Everyone should experience?

The birth of a child.

Brian Namkyun Kim

Associate

Job Captain, New York

Your ideal day?

Starting off early and taking full advantage of the entire day; spending time with good company such as family and close friends.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Family — never a dull moment together; always something new to learn from one another; my most enthusiastic supporters.

Favorite book or author?

Oliver Sacks — neurologist, psychologist and author of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and The Island of the Colorblind.

Your proudest achievement?

Overcoming my fear of heights.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Traveling to different cities; visiting museums, landmarks and other places rich in information and history; reading or relaxing.

Everyone should experience?

Everyone should make the most of what they are given and experience everyday with thankfulness and joy.

Brad King

Associate

Project Architect, Washington DC

Your ideal day?

A morning in the surf with some good waves, followed by a nap in the warm sand before the family shows up for a day at the beach.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Inspiration can strike anywhere, so I never leave home without my moleskin.

Favorite book or author?

Tolkien got me started reading. I have re-read the Triology and The Silmarillion every year since I was nine.

Favorite local restaurant?

Ledo’s square pizza with the family or fresh fish at Kallari with my wife.

Your proudest achievement?

Architecture has been a long road for me, so there was nothing like watching “my” first building being constructed 14 years ago.

Everyone should experience?

Their own family. It really does change your perspective.

Andy Kirch

Associate

Architect, Boston

Your ideal day?

Wake up, pack the family into the car and head out for a hike in one of the great state parks near our home. We end the hike at the beach and enjoy a great picnic. Works every time.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My wife and son.

Favorite book or author?

Books: Moby Dick and The Stranger ? I love the classics. Authors: Hemingway, Camus, David Foster Wallace.

Favorite local restaurant?

Soma in Beverly, MA.

Your proudest achievement?

Professionally, it is becoming a Registered Architect. It was the final step in a long journey.

Everyone should experience?

The thrill of hitting a game-winning three.

Lewis Knight

Senior Associate

Urban Designer, San Francisco

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My family. New places. New people.

Most indispensible “App”?

Coffee Spot.

Favorite book or author?

Hopeful Monsters by Nicholas Mosley.

Favorite local restaurant?

Plum in Oakland, CA, and Cesar in Berkeley, CA.

How do you like to spend time alone?

In a crowd, or as far away from people as possible.

Everyone should experience?

Sunset merging to a pin-cushioned evening sky in the Simpson Desert on a dark night. “White Nights” in Saint Petersburg.

Andrew Kobalka

Senior Associate

Project Designer, Washington DC

Your ideal day?

I like any day that starts out with a good cup of coffee and ends with an incredible meal.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Traveling and experiencing all the newness it brings — as long I'm traveling to someplace warm with identifiable cuisine!

Favorite book or author?

Frank Herbert.

Favorite local restaurant?

Blue Duck Tavern, Washington DC.

Your proudest achievement?

Learning the secrets to creating the perfect White-Cran Cosmo.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Lounging around, reading a good book at home, or working out.

Everyone should experience?

Coming face-to-face with a barracuda while snorkeling in open water.

Anne Konie

Associate

Project Designer, Los Angeles

Your ideal day?

Waking up late in a boutique hotel abroad with a day of sightseeing and a night of fine dining with friends.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Nature.

Favorite book or author?

Anything with lots of pictures, especially books about design and kid’s books.

Favorite local restaurant?

Moto in Chicago.

Your proudest achievement?

Making designs into reality and sharing them with clients who are as excited to see them as I am.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Watching sappy chick flicks I can’t drag my husband to see.

Everyone should experience?

Traveling to a place where English isn’t the native language.

Laurel Kruke

Associate

Workplace Strategist, Boston

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Inhabitat and Pinterest.

Your ideal day?

It's seasonal. In the spring, summer, and fall: spending time with friends and family, being outside, enjoying a good meal, and maybe seeing a show in the evening. In the winter: a full day skiing, right after a big powdery snowstorm.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

The city around me: the people, the streets, the activity, the buildings. It's always changing and never fails to show me new and interesting things.

Most indispensible "App"?

Photo 365, along with my camera app, to document each day with a photo.

Your proudest achievement?

Graduating from Cornell.

Rob LaBrecque

Associate

Designer, New York

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Archdaily, Contemporist, Immaculate Infatuation, TED talks.

Your ideal day?

Waking up early, going for a run in Central Park, then spending the afternoon cooking with my wife and family. Love it.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

I have always been inspired being in the city — from growing up and spending time in Boston to working now in New York.

Favorite book or author?

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.

Your proudest achievement?

Completing architecture school and having the opportunity to work on amazing projects with people who are passionate about design.

Everyone should experience?

Walking through Berlin, the unbelievable contrast between the weight of history and modern society.

Matthew Lalli

Associate

Project Architect, New York

Your ideal day?

No alarm clock, phone or electronic devices. Sunny, 86 degrees. Poolside lounge chair, fat book, and a piña colada.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My grandfather, who bestowed me with the love, skill, and work ethic to create things with my hands.

Favorite book or author?

Brunelleschi’s Dome by Ross King.

Your proudest achievement?

7 divisions + 12 weeks later = Registered Architect.

How do you like to spend time alone?

With a pair of running shoes, punk-rock tracks spinning on the iPod, and a long stretch of paved waterfront path.

Everyone should experience?

Drinking mulled wine in Piazza San Marco during Carnevale di Venezia while chewing the fat with the locals in the native tongue.

Jacob Lao

Senior Associate

IT Manager, Shanghai

Your ideal day?

My Daughter's Birthday.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

New computer technology.

Favorite book or author?

Yao Lu.

Favorite local restaurant?

Dong Lai Shun in Beijing.

Your proudest achievement?

Becoming a father when my daughter was born.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading. Driving.

Everyone should experience?

New technology.

Tim Lavelle

Associate

Project Manager, Dallas

Your ideal day?

Waking up in London, walking the city, getting rained on, eating good food, buying things, and sleeping under a warm blanket.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Traveling to different places.

Favorite book or author?

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.

Favorite local restaurant?

I Fratellini in St. Louis.

Your proudest achievement?

Parenting my daughter.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading, drawing, thinking very hard about doing something athletic.

Everyone should experience?

Living in Barcelona, not just a vacation but an extended stay.

James Lawrence

Associate

Designer, London

Your ideal day?

Any day that starts with a lie in!

Never-fail source of inspiration?

The everyday; look around you, there is inspiration everywhere.

Favorite book or author?

The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham, logical fiction not science fiction.

Favorite local restaurant?

Brula in St Margarets (southwest London).

Your proudest achievement?

Finishing the 2011 London Marathon in under 4 hours (by 25 seconds), the culmination of dedication, fundraising and a lot of support!

How do you like to spend time alone?

Running. It really does allow you to focus the mind and body!

Everyone should experience?

Finishing a marathon — the sense of achievement, relief to stop running, and the euphoria are unparalleled.

Scott Lay

Associate

Project Architect, Chicago

Your ideal day?

Have an awesome breakfast with my family, catch a bit of daily news, walk around the neighborhood, and then paint watercolors.

Favorite book or author?

Poetics of Light by Henry Plummer.

Favorite local restaurant?

House of Peking Restaurant in Highwood, IL.

Your proudest achievement?

Surviving the Khmer Rouge Revolution, sponsored to the US along with my family as refugees, starting a new life, and trying to live the American Dream.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Paint watercolors, photography, cooking, DIY home improvements.

Everyone should experience?

America's great National Parks, such as the Grand Canyon and Painted Desert in Arizona.

Sae-Mi Lee

Associate

Designer, Job Captain, New York

Your ideal day?

Starting off early and taking full advantage of the entire day, especially on weekends — a beach day with lots of sun and books, coconut water, and great company.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

A talk with friend or friends. Standing in front of a magazine section at a book store, supermarket, pharmacy, or anywhere with magazines and books, and skimming and reading any or all of them.

Favorite book or author?

Bernard Werber. Kyungsook Shin.

Your proudest achievement?

Coming to the States as a teenager all alone and still surviving. Of course, there were my family supporting me always from the distance and friends I made here as well.

Everyone should experience?

Turning off your cell phones or smart phones and computers for a day, or even for a week, and truly enjoy being offline.

Cynthia Leung

Associate

Design Architect, London

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Dezeen, Time out, TED talks, The Big Think.

Your ideal day?

Spending the day relaxing with my fiancé.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

London, an amazing city that never fails short of inspiration.

Favorite book or author?

Kazuo Ishiguro.

Your proudest achievement?

Completing a permanent home for disadvantaged families in Nepal.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Wandering through the streets of London with my sketchbook in hand, drawing and watching the world go by.

Everyone should experience?

Supper clubs — you get to meet the most interesting people.

Alison Li

Associate

Architectural Designer, Beijing

Your ideal day?

A relaxed workday.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

A quiet and peaceful place.

Favorite book or author?

Any comic or cartoon book.

Favorite local restaurant?

Wushan Roasted Fish in Beijing.

Your proudest achievement?

Having the best husband.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Surfing the Internet or Taobao.

Everyone should experience?

Cheer and laughter every day.

Michelle Liebling

Senior Associate

Design Director, Denver

Your ideal day?

Woken up by the smell of just-made, hot coffee. Snowboarding on fresh powder. Dinner and drinks with friends.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Travel.

Favorite book or author?

David Sedaris makes me laugh out loud.

Favorite local restaurant?

Potager in Denver.

Your proudest achievement?

A full life with wonderful friends and family.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Getting lost on the internet, looking at design and fashion sites.

Everyone should experience?

The food of Italy!

Michele Liles

Associate

Retail Image Regional Coordinator, Detroit

Your ideal day?

Waking up in a new city with a loosely laid out itinerary. Perhaps yoga on the beach, hiking in the mountains, swimming in a crystal clear lake, exploring one-off shops and museums ,or relaxing at an outdoor café watching the world go by.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

#1 my daughter. #2 travel.

Favorite local restaurant?

Blue Nile in Ferndale, MI.

Your proudest achievement?

Becoming a mother.

How do you like to spend time alone?

I have a 4-year-old. I don't have any alone time.

Everyone should experience?

Everyone should experience foreign travel, learn about the culture and customs and at a very minimum learn to communicate “hello,” “please,” and “thank you” in the native language.

Shao-Hsiin Lin

Associate

Architect, Designer, Houston

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Http://www.flickr.com/photos/shaohsiin/ (check it out).

Your ideal day?

Saturday, with a thunderstorm approaching.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

The National Parks.

Favorite book or author?

The Art of War.

Favorite local restaurant?

I like my lunch box.

Your proudest achievement?

It has not come yet, so I keep seeking.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Walk, then sit and have a cup of coffee.

Everyone should experience?

Just trying different things.

Krista Lindsay

Principal

Designer, London

Your ideal day?

Walking aimlessly in Rome.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

The British Museum.

Most indispensible "App"?

The Financial Times.

Favorite book or author?

Edward Rutherford.

Favorite local restaurant?

Randall & Aubin in London.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading.

Everyone should experience?

Home grocery delivery.

Gordon Lindsay

Associate

Technical Coordinator, London

Jennifer Liu

Associate

Project Architect, Shanghai

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Archello.com.

Your ideal day?

Wake up early, make a healthy breakfast and go for a long run. Work with a nice client. Have a good lunch with a friend outside. Go home on time, cook dinner, and have dinner with my family.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My family, my daughter.

Favorite book or author?

Middlemarch by George Eliot.

Favorite local restaurant?

Cristal Jade in Shanghai.

Your proudest achievement?

Receiving the Excellent Education Building Award.

Everyone should experience?

The Northern Lights and whale watching.

Stephanie Long

Associate

Project Manager, Interior Designer, Austin

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Remodelista.com.

Your ideal day?

Includes laughing, getting outside, learning something, organizing something, and taking a nap.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Children.

Favorite book or author?

Barbara Kingsolver, Margaret Atwood.

Favorite local restaurant?

Hey Cupcake in Austin.

Your proudest achievement?

My kids say please and thank you.

Everyone should experience?

Figuring out what you're here to do.

David Loyola

Principal

Design Director, Newport Beach

Your ideal day?

A morning hike, afternoon at the beach, ending with a night at the Hollywood Bowl.

Most indispensible “App”?

Sigalert.com.

Favorite book or author?

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand.

Favorite local restaurant?

The Little Door in Los Angeles.

Your proudest achievement?

Winning “Best of NeoCon” as part of the Lees Collaborative Voice team.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Working on my house.

Everyone should experience?

Australia.

Kara Lucas

Senior Associate

Senior Designer, Project Manager, Los Angeles

Your ideal day?

Curling up on the sofa to watch a movie on a rainy day.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Going home to Mississippi to visit my family.

Favorite book or author?

Author: Chuck Palahniuk.

Favorite local restaurant?

Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles.

Your proudest achievement?

Making the decision to move west.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Roller-skating.

Everyone should experience?

Belize.

Laurey Lucree

Associate

Designer, Project Architect, Houston

Your ideal day?

A morning workout and spin class, good espresso and time spent with my fiancé watching football.

Most indispensible "App"?

“Animal-Free” ingredients APP and PETA's Be Nice to Bunnies, which tells you which companies do/do not test on animals.

Favorite book or author?

Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman.

Favorite local restaurant?

Pikes Place Vegan Chowder in Seattle.

Your proudest achievement?

Currently pursuing my MBA. I was also a member of the Kohn Pedersen Fox London design team for Danube House in Prague, which was featured in the opening scenes of the James Bond movie, Casino Royale.

Everyone should experience?

Working abroad to expand your professional and personal development.

Sula Ly

Associate

Interior Designer, Boston

Your ideal day?

Spending time with my husband and boys on the numerous trails in New Hampshire.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Psalm 23.

Most indispensible "App"?

I just got Skype on my phone! It's an easy video chat with family half-way across the world.

Favorite book or author?

I like to hunt for unique books at used bookstores, but I always enjoy some good-natured PG Wodehouse books! Love his sense of humor!

Your proudest achievement?

Being a mother of two robust and active boys.

Everyone should experience?

Failure! It's how we learn and develop.

Kathleen Lynch

Senior Associate

Studio Director, Project Manager, Las Vegas

Your ideal day?

Waking up well rested. Followed by a work out and day spa and healthy, yummy food.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

A quick break to take a walk outside.

Most indispensible "App"?

My GPS.

Favorite book or author?

F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Favorite local restaurant?

Nora's in Las Vegas.

Your proudest achievement?

Becoming certified to scuba dive, as I was terrified at the thought.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Relaxing in a hot bubble bath.

Meghan Magee

Associate

Job Captain, New York

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Why Leave Astoria and Forgotten NY.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My family and friends. Each person has unique strengths and personalities.

Favorite book or author?

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Since I’m from “East Egg,” it’s interesting to be able to relate to the settings in the book, and imagine how it was in the Roaring 20’s.

Your proudest achievement?

The person that I am today.

How do you spend time alone?

Reading and doing crossword puzzles, preferably the NY Times puzzle.

Everyone should experience?

The awe that is the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland. A touristy day in their own city.

Michelle Mao

Senior Associate

Project Manager, Shanghai

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Sina Blog(China's biggest blog media).

Your ideal day?

For personal life: Wake up early, have morning exercise along beach with family. Have lunch/dinner with friends with some self-made dishes in a greenery place! For working life: Have a great presentation and get design approved! And client says to me “Please issue your invoice!”

Favorite local restaurant?

Simply Thai on Dongping Road in Shanghai.

Your proudest achievement?

My daughter Serena He (the initials “SH” stands for Shanghai).

How do you like to spend time alone?

Take a walk in some exotic mood street, listen to music.

Everyone should experience?

Travel as much as possible to a far place or someplace with a different culture. You will feel the variety of life and have a more open heart to your own life. “Life is an experience.”

Justin Mardex

Associate

Strategy Director, New York

Your ideal day?

Any day that begins with a walk in Central Park with my puppy Lexi.

Most indispensible “App”?

The Delta IPhone App — mobile check-in and boarding passes on your phone are life-changing!

Favorite book or author?

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand.

Favorite local restaurant?

Café Buon Gusto in NYC; the Scarpariello is amazing!

Your proudest achievement?

Finishing my thesis in grad school.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Marathon sessions of mindless television.

Everyone should experience?

An all-day tapas crawl through Madrid.

Lara Marrero

Senior Associate

Marketing Manager, Los Angeles

Your ideal day?

Brunch at BLD, a shopping spree at Marc by Marc Jacobs, phone call to my mom to hear the recent movies she’s watched, Awkward (the TV show) marathon, private viewing of Ryan Reynolds’ abs, dinner at Primitivo. Oh, and of course converting opportunities into “wins” in Vision Opportunity Tracking.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Fortune cookies.

Favorite book or author?

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Frog King by Adam Davies, and Why Girls are Weird by Pamela Ribon.

Favorite local restaurant?

Primitivo in Venice, CA. Order a glass of Cune, Tortilla Espanola and the Paella. You’re welcome.

Your proudest achievement?

Learning a cursive Z.

Everyone should experience?

Shopping with me on Black Friday.

Protesto Martinez

Associate

Job Captain, Las Vegas

Your ideal day?

Waking up early, training in Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu for 3 hours, spending the whole day with my wife, and relaxing with a home-cooked meal , then ending with a movie on the couch before bed.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My wife and her constant support.

Favorite book or author?

Got Fight? 50 Zen Principles of Hand-to-Face Combat by Forrest Griffin.

Your proudest achievement?

Getting married in the Philippines, while finishing a master's degree and working full-time.

How do you like to spend time alone?

MMA training or working out.

Everyone should experience?

Swimming in a cage with sharks in Hawaii.

Jessica Mascarenhas

Associate

Interior Designer, Abu Dhabi

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Architizer, Living Social, Time Out Dubai, and of course, Facebook.

Your ideal day?

Waking up on a clear blue day, no alarm, brunch with my family and friends, a glass of wine, shopping, a good book, another glass of wine, a hot bath.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Travelling! Every country I have visited has inspired me to become the person I am today.

Favorite local restaurant?

Al Mallah Cafeteria, Dubai, U.A.E. This hole-in the-wall restaurant has been my favourite since I was a tiny tot. Look no further for the best shawarmas.

Your proudest achievement?

Moving to the US when I was 18. Leaving my comfortable home and beautiful family in Dubai was the hardest thing I had to do.

Everyone should experience?

An authentic, homemade Goan fish curry.

Vaki Mawema

Associate

Project Designer, Washington DC

Your ideal day?

Every day that I spend with my family. I was married 4 years ago and I haven't had a bad day since. Wait, did I just jinx it?

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Long walks. Something about walking — maybe the thoughtless, repetitive nature of it creates the mental space for almost all of my ideas to come through.

Most indispensible “App”?

Voice Memos. I've used it to record messages to my son since he was born last July. Once he can understand them, he'll probably think they're corny.

Your proudest achievement?

Being a husband and parent. My Gensler promotion is a close second

Everyone should experience?

Zimbabwe. I think it's the most amazing place on earth. I'm biased, though.

Carrie May

Associate

Project Manager, Designer, Atlanta

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Cool Hunter, Fast Company, World Nomads travel journals.

Your ideal day?

A day at the beach — sunrise to sunset.

Most indispensible "App"?

Shazam, Kayak, Urbanspoon, Flashlight.

Favorite book or author?

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer.

Favorite local restaurant?

Carroll Street Cafe in Atlanta.

Your proudest achievement?

Moving to Atlanta 8 years ago knowing only 3 people — now it is home.

Everyone should experience?

Traveling — especially to a country where you don't speak the native language fluently. There's no better way to learn about yourself!

Vernon Mays

Associate

Senior Editor, Firmwide Resources

Your ideal day?

Exploring a new city with my wife Allison, followed by a fabulous meal, a warm fire, and a fine glass of scotch.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Live performances (music or theater).

Favorite book or author?

Still have a thing for Hemingway.

Favorite local restaurant?

Edo's Squid in Richmond, VA.

Your proudest achievement?

Launching a new design magazine.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading, walking my dog, listening to music.

Everyone should experience?

The many indulgences of Tuscany.

Scott McCage

Associate

Senior Project Manager, San Ramon

Your ideal day?

Any place warm and on a beach.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My Family. They help me keep perspective and remember that love and the memories you make are the only things you get to take with you.

Favorite book or author?

Genghis Khan series by Conn Iggulden.

Favorite local restaurant?

Strizzi’s in Fremont, CA.

Your proudest achievement?

Achieving the rank of Qualified Armed Posseman with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. Volunteering with the Sheriff’s Office for almost 4 years pushed me beyond my comfort zone like nothing else I’ve ever been part of and gave me a deeper respect for those who serve in uniform.

Everyone should experience?

Scuba diving. I just got Open Water certified in Jamaica this summer. Amazing!

Jacob Mertens

Associate

Project Architect, Chicago

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Any that help me solve the problem at hand. Come on, we've all been there.

Your ideal day?

Winter on the mountain, summer at the beach. Wait, I may have that the wrong way.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Travel. Nature. It's fascinating how things are put together.

Favorite book or author?

The Professor and The Madman by Simon Winchester.

Favorite local restaurant?

Glen's Diner in Chicago.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Nothing rests the soul like cooking.

Everyone should experience?

Five below zero under the Northern Lights. It's exhilarating.

Joan Meyers

Senior Associate

Client Services Manager, La Crosse

Your ideal day?

Starts off with a large cup of coffee, spending time with my family, and at some point listening to music and learning or doing something new.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

People, usually my son.

Most indispensible "App"?

SQL Server.

Favorite book or author?

Anything well written.

Favorite local restaurant?

The Hideaway in Chaseburg, WI.

Your proudest achievement?

Being a mom.

Everyone should experience?

Disneyland.

Kyle Miller

Associate

CAD Manager, San Francisco

Your ideal day?

Play some tennis, grill some food, then have some Jacuzzi time.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My family.

Favorite book or author?

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.

Favorite local restaurant?

Hard Knox Café, San Francisco.

Your proudest achievement?

The thanks I received from helping rehabilitate a college student.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Movies, reading, and going to museums.

Everyone should experience?

Good Creole cooking.

Harish Mirchandani

Senior Associate

Southeast Regional Legal Counsel, Firmwide Resources

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Say what! Too much info!

Your ideal day?

One that starts and ends with warm hugs from my 7-year old!

Most indispensible “App”?

The comics section of the Washington Post newsprint version.

Favorite book or author?

Wide range of mystery books.

Favorite local restaurant?

Grille from Ipanema, Washington, DC

Your proudest achievement?

As a Teaching Assistant in Grad School for a Construction Scheduling class, raising a student from the bottom of the class to the top after a few hours of tutorial. The AHA look when the Critical Path Method clicked in his head was priceless.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading or solving Sudoku and Crossword puzzles.

Zattia Mitchell

Associate

Accountant, Los Angeles

Your ideal day?

Sleeping in until 9:30am with Sassy (my cat) resting on my chest, going to a champagne brunch, taking a mid-day nap, hiking or going on a bike ride which leads to an ocean view, shopping, an amusement park, a candlelit dinner, and later a lounge. It was an awesome day! OR a beachside day in Hawai’i.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My Faith, My Fiancé and Animals.

Favorite local restaurant?

Truxton’s in Westchester, CA and Regional Restaurant in NYC.

Your proudest achievement?

Completing three marathons.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Organizing, reading, writing in my diary.

Everyone should experience?

A sense of accomplishment.

Jeff Mitcheltree

Associate

Project Manager, Designer, New York

Your ideal day?

Start with a quiet breakfast, outside in a garden, taking in the sun and gentle air. Think, learn, create (aka work, which is always important). Have drinks and dinner with friends. Then go out dancing. End the day with a walk on the beach in the moonlight.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Nature is endlessly inspiring.

Favorite book or author?

Autobiographies. Currently reading Keith Richards' 'Life' on my iPhone.

Favorite local restaurant?

Barbuto in the West Village, NYC.

Your proudest achievement?

Being a first-generation college graduate, and completing both a bachelor’s and master’s degree.

How do you like to spend time alone?

I enjoy walking — in the city, on the beach or (not as often as I’d like) through the woods. Taking in the elements, air/wind, sun/rain, and sights of people, buildings, nature. (Also nice with a companion).

Heather Modzelewski

Associate

Consulting Analyst, Washington DC

Your ideal day?

Starts with a great cup of coffee. I spend it with my husband (and possibly my children). Involves exploration of new places, some sort of adventure, a bit of relaxation, and good food.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My co-workers — they inspire, instruct, and impress me daily.

Favorite book or author?

Jane Austen — I love the timeless quality of her humor, which she so mercilessly applied to family, acquaintances, and everyday life.

Favorite local restaurant?

Amy's in Washington, DC.

Your proudest achievement?

My three children. I learn so much from them every day.

Everyone should experience?

Cappuccino in Italy. It tastes better in its natural habitat.

Eileen Moore

Associate

Environmental Graphic Designer, New York

Your ideal day?

Sleep in, coffee in the backyard, a few moments of peace before my family awakens, and then...a super fun day in New York. Wandering, exploring, parks and playgrounds, “discovering” the best quiet new place to eat. Nap and then solo run in the park...followed by a tasty dinner where I don’t cut up other people’s meat.

Favorite book or author?

Anna Karenina.

Favorite local restaurant?

Any place David Chang opens is top on the list.

Your proudest achievement?

My daughter.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Alone? When it happens, it almost doesn’t matter what the specifics are. Just being alone is good enough.

Everyone should experience?

New Year’s Eve on the beach in Brazil!

Hernan Morales

Associate

IT Manager, Morristown

Your ideal day?

Morning: Sleep-in followed with a huge breakfast at IHOP. Afternoon: A fun game of racquetball/basketball or just outdoors with the kids. Evening: A quiet dinner with my wife. Night: Dance to loud music.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

People who became successful on their own.

Favorite book or author?

Who Moved My Cheese? By Spencer Johnson, M.D.

Favorite local restaurant?

Meson Espanol in West New York, NJ.

Your proudest achievement?

My Home.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Listening to music while cleaning my car or taking something apart.

Everyone should experience?

Living on a farm.

Nathan Morgan

Senior Associate

Design Manager, Project Architect, & Technical Coordinator, London

Your ideal day?

Sun, beach, and good company.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Travelling somewhere new or just a good walk around the city.

Most indispensible "App"?

Task Eater.

Favorite book or author?

All my Friends are Superheroes by Andrew Kaufman.

Favorite local restaurant?

Rosa's Shoreditch in London.

Your proudest achievement?

Winning a coloring contest when I was 5.

Everyone should experience?

Living in another country.

Debra Morse-Martinez

Associate

Project Accountant, San Diego

Your ideal day?

Sitting on the beach watching the waves and listening to the sounds.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My Jimmy.

Favorite book or author?

Nicholas Sparks.

Your proudest achievement?

My Three Sons.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Watching a movie or looking at my photos.

Everyone should experience?

The joy/pride of watching someone/something that you have nurtured and cared for (mine being my sons) grow and become an amazing part of your world.

Tom Mulhern

Principal

Strategist, Chicago

Your ideal day?

It's the middle of May. I'm cruising down the Rhine with my wife and friends, experiencing and discussing TED class presentations on neuroscience, communication, music and design — all the while eating and drinking things that surprise and delight me. Napping occasionally in the dappled sunlight.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

I ask someone around the office what they're up to.

Favorite book or author?

The Autobiography of Malcolm X.

Favorite local restaurant?

Wishbone in Chicago.

Your proudest achievement?

Becoming a Principal at Gensler (seriously).

Everyone should experience?

Empathy with others, as often and deeply as possible.

Dana Muller

Associate

Project Manager, Tampa

Your ideal day?

Sitting on the beach listening to the birds and the ocean.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

The life of Christ.

Most indispensible “App”?

Zappos.

Favorite book or author?

Ornament and Crime by Adolf Loos.

Favorite local restaurant?

Mise en Place in Tampa, FL.

Your proudest achievement?

Completing my Architectural License before the age of 25.

How do you like to spend time alone?

On the golf course.

Everyone should experience?

A wet nose and wagging tail waiting for them after a long stressful day.

Linda Mysliwiec

Associate

Project Architect, Chicago

Your ideal day?

Morning walk (preferably to breakfast or coffee shop). Latte! Cookbook reading. More walking. Grocery stop. Clean my house. Cook dinner for friends. Beer! Hang out time.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Nature and fabric. Corny, but true.

Favorite book or author?

Dave Eggers.

Favorite local restaurant?

Lula Café in Logan Square, Chicago.

Your proudest achievement?

Being a Mom.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Knitting, walking, listening to music, cleaning (I REALLY like to clean).

Everyone should experience?

Scotland in June.

Miho Nakamura

Associate

Interior Designer, Tokyo

Your ideal day?

On a perfect blue-sky day, start with morning yoga, spend all day snorkeling and lounging on a beautiful beach.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

An overseas trip, museum, my friends.

Most indispensible “App”?

Creative Suites.

Favorite local restaurant?

Restaurant Ogino (Tokyo/Setagaya-ku).

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading a book, planning my next trip.

Everyone should experience?

The beautiful sea of Maldives!

Michelle Nam

Associate

Project Architect, New York

Your ideal day?

Sunny, 80 degrees, in the park with my son.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My family.

Favorite book or author?

Isabel Allende.

Favorite local restaurant?

Peter Luger Steakhouse in NYC.

Your proudest achievement?

Not eating a whole bag of Tate’s chocolate chip cookies in one sitting.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading.

Everyone should experience?

Eating a deep-fried Twinkie.

Brenda Nyce-Taylor

Principal

Design Director, Morristown

Your ideal day?

A great workout, beach time to read and relax, and ALL day with Rick, my love.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Traveling to somewhere I’ve never been.

Favorite book or author?

The Bible.

Favorite local restaurant?

The Swan Bar in Lambertville, NJ, serves the BEST burgers in an idyllic atmosphere.

Your proudest achievement?

21 years being very happily married.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading, thinking, drawing.

Everyone should experience?

Sydney, Australia.

Bryan Oakes

Senior Associate

Project Architect, Los Angeles

Your ideal day?

Wine tasting with my wife followed by cooking dinner for family and friends.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My 3-year-old son’s approach to life.

Favorite book or author?

You Shall Know Our Velocity by Dave Eggers.

Favorite local restaurant?

Josie Restaurant in Santa Monica.

Your proudest achievement?

Being a father.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Rarely happens, but I would have to say being outdoors.

Everyone should experience?

Travelling overseas.

Tai Olvera

Senior Associate

Regional Accounting Manager, Washington DC

Your ideal day?

Includes a good night's sleep, a feeling of accomplishment, having learned a new thing, and a delicious dinner cooked at home or out with friends.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

A walk in the woods or around the DC tidal basin through the FDR memorial. Also glancing in the face of my newborn baby girl.

Favorite book or author?

I've been inspired by Rudyard Kipling since childhood.

Favorite local restaurant?

Filomena Ristorante in Georgetown, DC.

Your proudest achievement?

The January 5, 2012 birth of my daughter, Isabel.

How do you like to spend time alone?

As a new mom, I find less and less time alone, but I enjoy reading, movies, and walking/bike riding.

Nathan Ouren

Senior Associate

Project Architect, San Diego

Your ideal day?

Any day that begins with Crossfit at 6am is an ideal day.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Church.

Favorite book or author?

C.S. Lewis.

Favorite local restaurant?

Khyber Pass, San Diego.

Your proudest achievement?

Project Architect on First Lutheran Church, Celebration Center Addition in Fargo, ND.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Walking Coronado Beach in front of the Hotel del Coronado.

Everyone should experience?

Laughter that makes them cry.

Melissa Panara

Associate

Designer, Charlotte

Your ideal day?

Wake up to sunny skies & palm trees. Zumba workout. Shopping & spa in the afternoon. Dinner & drinks at an outdoor restaurant.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My puppy, Bella.

Favorite book or author?

The Other Side of Midnight by Sidney Sheldon.

Favorite local restaurant?

Yama Sushi in Charlotte.

Your proudest achievement?

Being named Associate!

How do you like to spend time alone?

Trying out new recipes and baking or cooking yummy food.

Everyone should experience?

ZUMBA!!! It has changed my outlook on life and given me renewed energy in all aspects of my life.

Christina Parise

Associate

Studio Manager, San Jose

Your ideal day?

One without an agenda.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

The silence. The rain. When I get both at the same time, look out.

Favorite book or author?

Rainer Maria Rilke.

Favorite local restaurant/My own kitchen inside my own house, Campbell CA.

Your proudest achievement?

Forgiveness. Practicing this has got me farther in my life than anything else. Ever.

How do you like to spend time alone?

In my art studio. Doing my thing or hanging with my dog pack. I rescue bullmastiffs, then give them all my money. I have 3.

Everyone should experience?

A massage.

Sarah Pellegrin

Associate

Interior Designer, Houston

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Gtank and Cool Hunter.

Your ideal day?

Game Day! I get to tailgate with family and friends.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

If you look close enough, you can find inspiration in almost anything.

Most indispensible "App"?

I use ESPN Sports Center, The Weather Channel & Shazam daily.

Favorite local restaurant?

Brennan's of Houston.

Your proudest achievement?

Graduating from LSU and getting my interior design license.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Cooking with a glass of wine and a good movie, or working out.

Everyone should experience?

Death Valley on a Saturday night.

Michael Peng

Senior Associate

Senior Designer, Shanghai

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Dezeen.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Music.

Most indispensible “App”?

Arduino.

Favorite book or author?

The biography of Michelangelo by Romain Rolland.

Favorite local restaurant?

Nan Manzi(Yunnan Cuisine) in Shanghai.

Everyone should experience?

Living in the village in the middle of China, near Five Dragon Mountain, listen to the growing of bamboo at midnight.

Lisa Pope-Westerman

Senior Associate

Design Director, Houston

Your ideal day?

Wake up late, go to the spa, lunch with friends, a little shopping, afternoon with my girls, dinner with my family.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Bill Viola.

Favorite local restaurant?

Moustache Café on Bedford between Barrow and Grove, NYC.

Your proudest achievement? Delivering twins.

How do you like to spend time alone?

I don't.

Everyone should experience?

Rappelling in Interlaken. A day in NY, Chicago, Berlin, London, Florence and Vail.

Devan Porter

Associate

Project Architect, San Francisco

Your ideal day?

Wake up late (at least after 7am). Long shower with endless hot water. Breakfast at Ole’s Waffle House. Head to the park for playtime with the kids. Ride bikes to Taco Bell for lunch. Fly kites and play frisbee on the beach. Matinee movie at Alameda Theater. Dinner at Burgermeister. Put the kids to bed early.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

The Standard Works, My wife and Neil Maxwell.

Favorite book or author?

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card or Anthem by Ayn Rand.

Your proudest achievement?

Chas (10), Cole (8), Avery (6), Isaac (3), June (9mo).

How do you like to spend time alone?

Singing in the shower or vegging in front of the television.

Everyone should experience?

Disneyland at Christmas.

Amanda Posch

Associate

Interior Designer, New York

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Self Service and Purple Diary.

Your ideal day?

Sailing. In the sun, island hopping from morning until sunset.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Serendipitous street finds. Treasure hunting. Anything having to do with fashion.

Favorite book or author?

Less than Zero by Brett Easton Ellis.

Favorite local restaurant?

Bianca (NYC) and Flatbush Farm (Brooklyn, NY).

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading, reading, and more reading.

Everyone should experience?

Happiness.

David Pugh

Associate

Project Manager, San Francisco

Your ideal day?

A day with my twin boys at a zoo or park.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My family.

Favorite book or author?

Probably There’s a Wocket in My Pocket! I read a lot of Dr. Seuss to my boys.

Favorite local restaurant?

Buckeye Roadhouse in Mill Valley, CA.

Your proudest achievement?

My children.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Listening to loud techno music or watching action movies that my wife won’t sit through!

Everyone should experience?

Sunrise along the Embarcadero in San Francisco, and then sunset behind the Golden Gate Bridge.

Ana Ramirez

Associate

HR/Admin Manager, San José, Costa Rica

Your ideal day?

Spring day in New York, shopping, walking in Central Park, good company, good food.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Jogging. All my best ideas have come while I'm running. That's when I feel happy and inspired!

Most indispensible "App"?

My phone is full of apps for my 4-year-old daughter. They keep her busy for hours — that's indispensible!

Favorite book or author?

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert is my favorite book.

Favorite local restaurant?

La Esquina de Buenos Aires in San Jose, Costa Rica. Great Argentina food.

Your proudest achievement?

Becoming a full-time working mom and being successful at it.

Everyone should experience?

Jogging at sunset on a beautiful Costa Rican beach.

Joey Ramirez

Associate

IT Messaging Specialist, Firmwide Resources

Your ideal day?

Spending all day in my home recording studio making music.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

New music.

Most indispensible "App"?

Evernote.

Favorite book or author?

Star Wars Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn.

Favorite local restaurant?

Chico's Tacos in El Paso, TX.

Your proudest achievement?

I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area from Texas with no job, straight out of school, and “made” it.

Everyone should experience?

The smell of rain in a thunderstorm in southwest Texas.

Amanda Ramos

Senior Associate

Strategist, New York

Your ideal day?

Collaborating, collaborating, collaborating.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Uma & Olive (my twin girls).

Most indispensible “App”?

Thesaurus.

Favorite book or author?

A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander.

Favorite local restaurant?

Lucali’s in Brooklyn, NYC.

Your proudest achievement?

Developing a strategy for Guatemala and truly making a difference.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Going to museums and looking at art.

Everyone should experience?

The thermal baths at Vals, Switzerland!

Maurice Reid

Associate

Project Architect, Washington DC

Your ideal day?

The first day of any vacation. Should involve having breakfast then going back to sleep.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Cycling. I always have clearest thoughts while riding a bike.

Most indispensible “App”?

Angry Birds keeps my 5-year-old son busy when I need him to be busy with something.

Favorite book or author?

Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey.

Favorite local restaurant?

Two Amys, Washington, DC

Your proudest achievement?

Three-time Student of the Month recipient of Mr. Boyer's 1984 fourth grade class.

Everyone should experience?

The Big Lebowski by the Coen brothers.

Julie Reker

Senior Associate

Project Manager, Boston

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Shopkick.

Your ideal day?

Inline skating with friends, out to a lunch spot and back, then some live music in the evening.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

The time to think in the shower.

Favorite book or author?

John Sanford.

Favorite local restaurant?

Vee Vee in Boston.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading or listening to music.

Everyone should experience?

Storm King Center sculpture park on a cool crisp fall afternoon.

Anna Robinson

Associate

PR Manager EMEA, London

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Gensleron.com of course!!!

Your ideal day?

Doing anything but the ironing.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My Mum.

Favorite book or author?

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.

Favorite local restaurant?

The Eltham Grill, best Fish and Chips in South London.

Your proudest achievement?

My children, Megan and Callum.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Watching Poirot or Miss Marple, or conjuring up a beautiful flower arrangement.

Everyone should experience?

A balloon flight over the Alps in Mondovi, Northern Italy.

Paul Rosen

Associate

Architect, Morristown

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My wife, for her never-failing optimism, unlimited enthusiasm, and instant willingness for the next adventure.

Favorite book or author?

Inside, Outside by Herman Wouk — perfect writing, and each page holds treasures.

Your proudest achievement?

Without a doubt our kids, Alex and Emily. Their compass to the right thing, their startling humor, and their focus on opportunity and love of travel are just wonderful to see. They are great people to know.

How do you like to spend time alone?

As a teenager, I spent long hours building things in the garage. When we became homeowners, I spent long hours repairing things in the garage. Now, as an L.A. boy, our circa-1789 basement sort of creeps me out, so I think I’ll finally take up painting. Anything I can do with my hands.

Everyone should experience?

All of it. Go everywhere. Never say “no” to anything. Keep asking questions.

Scott Rosenbloom

Associate

Regional Building Information Technology Director, New York

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

BIMuzer.com (my own site), allthingsbim.blogspot.com, design reform.net, danaskids.com, fastcompany.com, lifehacker.com, leadershipnow.com.

Your ideal day?

Waking up late on a Saturday (because my son, finally, decided to sleep late). Going to the diner for breakfast. Heading down to see my parents on Long Island (with absolutely no traffic) and going to the beach for the day with them and the rest of my extended family. Staying there late and having dinner on the sand.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My son Jake and my wife Donna.

Your proudest achievement?

Graduating graduate school (School of Visual Arts). I learned more, and grew more, during those two years than almost any other time in my life.

Everyone should experience?

Having a child. There is nothing quite like seeing him smile when I get home every night.

Jan Roth

Senior Associate

Technical Coordinator, London

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Http://bldgblog.blogspot.com

Your ideal day?

48 hours.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Http://www.japandesign.ne.jp/HTM/REPORT/SW/

Most indispensible "App"?

My laptop.

Lindsay Roth

Associate

Interior Designer, London

Your ideal day?

Colour blocking my fridge full of fresh ingredients from my local market.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Sketching.

Favorite book or author?

A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters.

Favorite local restaurant?

Bistrotheque, London.

Your proudest achievement?

Moving across the globe.

How do you like to spend time alone?

A mix of reading and people watching.

Everyone should experience?

A meal in a foreign place where you're the only one at the table who speaks English.

Elva Rubio

Principal

Regional Design Leader - Architecture, Chicago

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Design Boom.

Your ideal day?

On the beach — sunny, palm trees, coconuts, blue water, the smell of the sea.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Books.

Favorite book or author?

Landscape and Memory by Simon Schama.

Favorite local restaurant?

Las Manitas, Chicago.

Your proudest achievement?

My Daughter.

Everyone should experience?

A winter storm in Chicago.

Shannon Rydell

Associate

Regional Director of Education Practice, Washington DC

Your ideal day?

Coffee. Beach. Cocktail. Grill. Nightcap.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My wife.

Favorite book or author?

Wilco: Learning How to Die by Greg Kot.

Favorite local restaurant?

Husk in Charleston, SC.

Your proudest achievement?

Daughters Paige + Libby.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Watching college football. That usually clears the room in my house full of girls.

Everyone should experience?

The Kentucky Derby — one of the truly great American traditions.

Pavlina Ryvola Williams

Associate

Project Architect, Los Angeles

Your ideal day?

Being “in the zone” — being so focused on working or playing that you lose track of yourself and time.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

The young generation’s talent, passion, and enthusiasm for life and work. I see it in my adult children and here at Gensler in the young people around me.

Favorite book or author?

Exploiting Chaos — 150 ways to spark Innovation during times of Change by Jeremy Gutsche.

Your proudest achievement?

Definitely my two great kids. On the professional level, I am really proud of this appointment.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Exploring a new city.

Everyone should experience?

Big Sur and Prague.

Maria Paula Saenz

Associate

Designer, Strategist, San José, Costa Rica

Your ideal day?

Waking up at the farm, in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nature for a day of hiking, a carefully designed picnic and some tree-climbing, followed by a coffee over sunset with a pristine view and ending back in the city with a bottle of wine and a jar of olives on our apartment's balcony.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

The city.

Favorite book or author?

Many, but recently Steven Johnson books.

Your proudest achievement?

Becoming a design tutor.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Definitely outdoors. But if confined indoors, then designing random documents — books, journals, photo albums, etc.

Everyone should experience?

Free fall.

Claudia Salazar

Senior Associate

Design Director, San Diego

Your ideal day?

When things go my way.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

ART.

Favorite book or author?

Malcolm Gladwell.

Favorite local restaurant?

Counterpoint, San Diego.

Your proudest achievement?

Giving birth to my son.

How do you like to spend time alone?

With a glass of wine.

Everyone should experience?

Traveling to a foreign country.

Sheryl Samson

Associate

Interior Designer, Consulting, Houston

Your ideal day?

Eating breakfast with my loved ones. Then morning snack. Then lunch. Then afternoon snack. Then Dinner. Then Midnight snack.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

The Past.

Most indispensible "App"?

The Sims.

Favorite local restaurant?

Chick-fil-A in Sugar Land, TX.

Your proudest achievement?

Passing my exams. Or most recently, re-instating my LEED BD+C accreditation.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Watching movies and eating snacks. With an icee.

Everyone should experience?

Living in a different country.

Cassie Sanchez

Associate

Interior Designer, Los Angeles

Your ideal day?

Early weekend hike to Sturtevant Falls (Big Santa Anita Canyon) then a big brunch and an afternoon of Korean scrub and spa.

Favorite local restaurant?

Raffi's Place Restaurant in Glendale. Best Kabob in LA!

Your proudest achievement?

Getting a scholarship in the US and moving to Los Angeles alone at 22 to start a new life!

How do you like to spend time alone?

Treasure hunting in my neighborhood vintage and thrift stores.

Everyone should experience?

Time away from civilization in a remote island in the Pacific Ocean without electricity and cell phone signals. Laying on the beach intoxicated with the view of the water and neighboring islands, lulled with the gurgle of the ocean entering the lagoon with colorful birds singing in the background. And eating grilled freshly caught seafood with melt-in-your-mouth Guimaras mangos for dessert.

Johnathan Sandler

Principal

Strategy Director, New York

Your ideal day?

Starts with strong coffee, ends with dinner with my kids, and in between includes winning a long-shot project, and delivering great work to clients.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Almost any body of water allows me to concentrate and think creatively. I’m lucky to have a little view of the Hudson River, which always inspires me.

Favorite local restaurant?

Tartine — cheap, French, BYOB, in West Village, NYC.

Your proudest achievement?

Definitely having (and surviving) twins (now 2).

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading and watching home renovation shows.

Everyone should experience?

Argentina (Patagonia in particular).

Kyle Schraeder

Associate

Project Manager, Technical Director, Hospitality Leader, Denver

Your ideal day?

Fishing in the morning, football in the afternoon, laser tag in the evening.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Coaching my kids.

Favorite local restaurant?

Texas De Brazil in Dallas.

Your proudest achievement?

Olympic wrestling trials in 1994. Coached third grade championship football team.

How do you like to spend time alone?

With a 9-year-old and twins to boot, who has alone time?

Everyone should experience?

Topping out a building you were instrumental in designing.

Kellie Scruggs

Senior Associate

Interior Designer, Houston

Your ideal day?

Sleeping in, then brunch and walking the beach with my husband and dogs.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

A candy bar and Dr. Pepper.

Favorite book or author?

Any Frommer's Travel Guide.

Favorite local restaurant?

Mi Abuelitas in Galveston, TX

Your proudest achievement?

Raising my four children to be contributing members of society.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Planning vacations.

Everyone should experience?

A sunset on Lake Como.

Brianna Seabron

Associate

Technical Project Coordinator, Los Angeles

Your ideal day?

Waking up to a clean house, having a home-cooked breakfast, and spending a day of fun and laughter with my munchkins!

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My children & the bible.

Favorite book or author?

It’s Never Too Late by Patrick Lindsay.

Your proudest achievement?

Watching my daughter break free from her shyness and speak at her Kindergarten graduation!

How do you like to spend time alone?

Depends on the day, but whatever it is, I’m relaxing, taking a moment to enjoy the quiet of solitude, sitting on a cliff at Temescal Canyon with a good book, listening to the waves hit the cliffs at Angels Gate Park, or chasing the sunset down the Pacific Coast Highway.

Everyone should experience?

Parenthood.

Hannah Sebastian De Mayta

Associate

BIM Manager, New York

Your ideal day?

Start with a run, a nice brunch, and lots of people-watching (preferably in Park Slope or the Lower East Side). Then gardening or making things for our apartment with my husband and rabbit. Finish it off with a nice dinner with friends, and I'm happy.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

NYC of course! I moved here 3? years ago and can’t believe some of the things I have come across. You just have to remember to look up!

Favorite local restaurant?

Moutard and The Chocolate Room, both in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Your proudest achievement?

Graduating with my Masters of Architecture — then deciding to move to New York with my husband despite the fact that we didn’t have any jobs or even leads. It was tough at first, with all the odd jobs just to pay the bills. I think it’s safe to say it worked out pretty well for us.

Everyone should experience?

Traveling — as much as possible. There is so much to be learned from different cultures, and meeting new people always gives me a better perspective on life.

Bonnie Sen

Associate

Project Architect, Project Designer, Washington DC

Your ideal day?

Waking up in a new location with my camera and the whole day to explore!

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Coffee.

Favorite book or author?

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri.

Favorite local restaurant?

Zaytinya in DC. Taqueria Mexicana in Denver.

Your proudest achievement?

So far, getting licensed.

How do you like to spend time alone?

With a new hobby, or reading, painting and taking photos.

Everyone should experience?

India.

Anulak Siwabut

Senior Associate

Project Captain, Designer, San Ramon

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Big Think.

Your ideal day?

No alarm clock in the morning, but awakened by kitty purring, hungry for food. A nice breakfast at Chow. No line at Tartine. Finish packing, and then on BART heading to the airport to go somewhere.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Good food.

Favorite book or author?

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby.

Favorite local restaurant?

Firefly in San Francisco.

Your proudest achievement?

Making time to spend time with my mom.

Everyone should experience?

Ronchamp.

Nicole Smith

Associate

Project Designer, Los Angeles

Your ideal day?

A relaxing morning paired with a good brunch, and a movie with my husband.

Most indispensible “App”?

Pandora Radio.

Favorite book or author?

Henry David Thoreau.

Favorite local restaurant?

Cacao Sampaka in Barcelona, Spain.

Your proudest achievement?

Living in Spain and the expectation of a package arriving this May from the Stork.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Curling up with one of my favorite magazines.

Everyone should experience?

Living in another country.

Mable So

Senior Associate

Urban Designer, London

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

They are all bad for you! But I do love Facebook.

Your ideal day?

To me, every day is beautiful and happy.

Favorite book or author?

As a Mum, I don't have time to read anymore.

Favorite local restaurant?

Sasa Sushi in London.

Your proudest achievement?

Winning the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) competition at the age of 16. I was the youngest one in the competition. I was then on the local paper too!

How do you like to spend time alone?

Watch TV dramas with Coke Zero, cheesecake, crisps. And eat all the unhealthy stuff.

Everyone should experience?

Giving birth! (It would be marvelous if men could experience that too!)

Jill Solomon

Associate

Project Designer, Atlanta

Your ideal day?

Sleeping in, taking a long walk with my husband to grab coffee, exploring someplace new, and then ending the day cooking and enjoying a meal with my entire family, coupled with a glass or two of good red wine!

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My mom. She is the strongest and most admirable person I know!

Most indispensible “App”?

There are a few: Pandora, ScoutMob, Facebook (yes, I admit it)

Favorite book or author?

Right now it’s Chelsea Handler... I love a good laugh.

Favorite local restaurant?

Ecco in Atlanta, GA; Hula Hut in Austin, TX

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Pinterest, 100 Layer Cake (I recently planned my wedding!), Cool Hunter, Epicurious

Your proudest achievement?

Moving from Texas to Atlanta on my own after graduating college, having never visited the city before arriving and not knowing a soul. Almost 5 years later, I have a career I love at Gensler, have made many wonderful friends and met and married my husband Brian.

Maynor Solorzano

Associate

Senior Draftsman, San José, Costa Rica

Your ideal day?

Having fun with my kids.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

In silence with my thoughts.

Favorite book or author?

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.

Favorite local restaurant?

Do'a Lela, San Miguel, Heredia.

Your proudest achievement?

My wife and kids.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Rests — in the bed or outdoors.

Everyone should experience?

Something extreme to fill you with adrenaline.

Ryan Spruston

Associate

Architect, Los Angeles

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Dezeen, ArchDaily, Archidose, Archinect, BLDGBLOG, Architizer.

Your ideal day?

Spent with friends working together on something amazing.

Most indispensible “App”?

Evernote.

Favorite book or author?

Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino.

Favorite local restaurant?

Chaya Venice in Venice, CA.

Your proudest achievement?

Becoming an Architect.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Exploring.

Everyone should experience?

Design.

Jessica Statz

Associate

Interior Designer, Chicago

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Pinterest, I like seeing what inspires people.

Your ideal day?

Sleeping in past 7:30 am. Taking my dog for a long walk. Hitting the farmers market. Lunching with friends. Tidying the house and then cooking a nice dinner.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Taking a walk around our office and seeing all the work and presentations pinned up. I get a lot of great ideas and new ways to think about how to tell the story of design and our work.

Favorite local restaurant?

Longman & Eagle in Logan Square, Chicago.

Your proudest achievement?

Making the decision to go back to school for design. I had been working in PR for 3 years and wasn't satisfied. It was a scary decision to quit and go back fulltime, but I knew I wanted to put everything into school so in the end it was an easy one and has been the best investment I have made in myself to date.

Peter Stubb

Principal

Design Director, Baltimore

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

BLDGBLOG, Dezeen, VeloDramatic.

Your ideal day?

Spending time outdoors with my family, which would include a bike ride and sailing on the Chesapeake Bay.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My wife, my daughters.

Favorite book or author?

Italo Calvino

Favorite local restaurant

Woodberry Kitchen in Baltimore.

How do you like to spend time alone?

A long solo bike ride.

Everyone should experience?

My homemade pizza!

Stan Suen

Associate

Project Architect, San Jose

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

ArchDaily, Contemporist.

Your ideal day?

Sleep in. Have a late lunch at a restaurant by the beach with my wife and daughter. Take a long walk on the beach and watch the sunset together.

Favorite book or author?

Designing design by Kenya Hara.

Favorite local restaurant?

Izakaya in San Jose, CA.

Your proudest achievement?

Being a Dad.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Catching up on my recorded sports games.

Everyone should experience?

Standing on top of Half Dome.

Yoon Sun Park

Associate

Interior Designer, Washington DC

Your ideal day?

After a busy day, a nice dinner with good wine.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Classic Architecture and Fashion.

Favorite local restaurant?

Any good Italian restaurant.

Your proudest achievement?

Translated and published a book.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Catch up on society trends, drink coffee, clean the house.

Everyone should experience?

Challenges without a challenge, there would be fewer opportunities that come to you.

Tiffany Sutor

Associate

Marketing Specialist, San Francisco

Your ideal day?

Waking up to warm air and sunlight at sunrise. Being able to spend the day exploring outdoors. Learning something new. Allowing time for a creative outlet and/or moment of reflection on the day. Then a boisterous dinner with great friends, filled with laughter and fine wine.

Favorite book or author?

Everything from the classic fiction authors Fitzgerald, Huxley and Rand, to contemporary science, anthropological and economic studies such as The Female Brain and Predictably Irrational. Recently, I re-read all the classic fairytales from Grimm and Andersen and have been doing a study on the major world religions.

Favorite local restaurant?

Ella’s in San Francisco (best breakfast!).

Your proudest achievement?

Dancing in Paris when I was 17.

Everyone should experience?

The anticipation, fear, empowerment and gravitational pull from running and jumping from great heights.

Yukiko Takahashi

Senior Associate

Environmental Graphic and Interior Designer, Washington DC

Your ideal day?

Wake up happy, brunch with best friends, a short walk in the sun, yoga or massage, outdoor hot spring under the stars!

Favorite book or author?

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.

Favorite local restaurant?

Sushi Taro in Washington DC.

Your proudest achievement?

The best is yet to come. If I have to name one now, it would be the fact that I made this far as a designer in U.S.A.!

How do you like to spend time alone?

In a quiet place, watching the moon, thinking whatever comes to my mind.

Everyone should experience?

Japan.

Jack Tan

Associate

Technical Director, Shanghai

Your ideal day?

Facilitating agreement and collaboration among team members (other than just meeting deadlines.).

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Being inspired by a podcast like: Saying I don't Know by Levitt.

Most indispensible “App”?

Notability.

Favorite book or authors?

Freakconomics.

Your proudest achievement?

When things are done on time, perfectly.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Playing Chopin in my own style, drinking green tea, eating dark chocolate and listening to stimulating podcasts.

Everyone should experience?

Love!

Aimee Taylor

Associate

Designer, San Francisco

Your ideal day?

The three days a year when you can bike around San Francisco and not have to wear a jacket.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

The city (not the TV show).

Most indispensible “App”?

I am an addict of magazines — Zinio, Elle Décor Italia.

Favorite book or author?

My current read is Infinite City: A San Francisco Atlas by Rebecca Solnit.

Your proudest achievement?

I am a longtime bird watcher. Two weeks ago I saw a pair of pileated woodpeckers. This was not necessarily an achievement, but it was pretty amazing.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Starting one of my many side projects.

Jeroen Teeuw

Senior Associate

Designer, Seattle

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Orangette.

Your ideal day?

Exploring the globe with my family.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Those who are not afraid to take a different approach.

Favorite book or author?

In Praise of Shadows by Jun'ichirõ Tanizaki.

Favorite local restaurant?

Le Pichet, Seattle WA.

Your proudest achievement?

Ella and Pace.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Pedaling.

Everyone should experience?

Complete silence.

John Thomann

Principal

Regional Technical Leader, Washington DC

Your ideal day?

Waking up late and spending the day in the park with my partner and dog.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Rome, one of the most incredible and thought-provoking places in the World.

Favorite local restaurant?

Komi, Washington DC. There's no menu. The sole decision customers make is whether to get the $68 wine pairing. Love it!

Your proudest achievement?

I am living it! Becoming a Principal at Gensler!

How do you like to spend time alone?

I am a football nut: If I could just relax all day and watch football, I would be in heaven.

Everyone should experience?

Scuba diving at least once.

Jillian Tillery

Associate

Architectural Designer, Washington DC

Your ideal day?

Would consist of minimum work, maximum play, an unforgettable meal, and a chance to laugh with my favorite people until I cry.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Proverbs 3: 5-6.

Favorite book or author?

Zora Neale Hurston.

Favorite local restaurant?

Hands down: my mom's kitchen (at home in Cincinnati).

Your proudest achievement?

That's a tough one. I am a checklist-type person and I don't think I've checked that one off the list yet.

Everyone should experience?

Getting lost in the streets of Venice, Italy and finding your own way home.

Gabriel Trussoni

Associate

Client Services Manager, La Crosse

Your ideal day?

Any day that begins with being able to enjoy my coffee and read the news.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My son's ability to illustrate just how much we all have to learn and master just to grow up. It makes me wonder how any of us can doubt ourselves after accomplishing age four.

Favorite book or author?

A play — Henry IV Part II by William Shakespeare.

Favorite local restaurant?

Hmong Golden Eggroll in La Crosse, WI.

Your proudest achievement?

Building a happy life with my wife Heather and son Sam.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading.

Everyone should experience?

Agreed.

Shun-Pin Tseng

Associate

Job Captain, Seattle

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Facebook, architonic.com, http://slog.thestranger.com/blogs/slog/.

Your ideal day?

Lounging on the beach and enjoying the sun.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My sketch book and LEGOs.

Favorite book or author?

Maya Lin.

Favorite local restaurant?

O'Asian and Serious Pie, both in Seattle.

Your proudest achievement?

Completed an Olympic Triathlon in 2011.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Watching movies, drawing and sketching.

Everyone should experience?

Traveling to unfamiliar places and countries.

Seth Unger

Associate

Studio Coordinator, Chicago

Your ideal day?

It's summer. I wake up late. My wife and I walk the dog to Starbucks. I get a gigantic iced coffee. Spend the late morning at brunch / walking around a cool neighborhood pretending we have tons of cash to spend on asymmetrical designer hats and mid-century furniture. Then I'd hit up a farmers market and purchase ingredients for a dinner party at our house. I go home and play my music really loud while I prepare dinner. A group of six friends arrives at our house at exactly the same time and we drink and eat the evening away. The night ends with an intense conversation about which Chicago Bulls championship team would be the most fun to go on a group vacation with.

Favorite local restaurant (please name city/town)?

Big Jones, Chicago, IL. Go there twice. Once to splurge. The second time just order the Burger and a Red Stripe and die happy.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Meticulously updating my iTunes library, rearranging things on our shelves, experimenting with food, playing some Madden, cleaning the entire house from top to bottom and then having a cocktail.

Everyone should experience?

Cuddling.

Carlos Valera

Senior Associate

Program Manager, Tampa

Your ideal day?

With my Family.

Most indispensible “App”?

BBC News.

Favorite book or author?

Peak by Chip Conley.

Favorite local restaurant?

Rouen Thai, Tampa FL.

Your proudest achievement?

Lucky in finding the love of my life (Paola), and having our 2 kids (Kaia & Gael)

How do you like to spend time alone?

Relaxing.

Everyone should experience?

Training in some kind of Martial Art.

Shannon Vass

Associate

Project Designer, Dallas

Your ideal day?

To wake up in Italy with no set agenda. It would be with a casual day of exploring architectural landmarks, shopping and wonderful food; OR lounging along the beach staring out over the ocean; OR playing and laughing with my three awesome nieces and nephew; OR spending time with all my family and friends as they are all part of my cherished moments.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My husband. He is also in the architectural industry, so I continually enjoy his passion and motivation for great design.

Favorite local restaurant?

Capturing food from the cities I have lived in: Dallas - R+D Kitchen; Chicago - Sushi Wabi; Charlotte - Yama Asian.

Your proudest achievement?

To finish the Chicago marathon, as I never imagined I would run that extreme distance. I constantly have flashbacks to my track coach informing me that I was going to run the mile at an upcoming meet. At that time I was forced to run it and I didn't enjoy any part of it. Now, I love the satisfaction of finishing a great run.

How do you like to spend time alone?

I enjoy the days when I awake without the alarm, set out for a peaceful run, return home to enjoy a few cups of great coffee, and then catch up with friends and family. A few other favorites include shopping and creating fabulous jewelry.

Betsy Vohs

Senior Associate

Project Manager, Minneapolis

Your ideal day?

Exploring a new city.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Travel, art, architecture, learning.

Favorite book or author?

Every Peter Zumthor book, Questions of Perception, Architecture of the Everyday, and historical biographies (current favorite- Cleopatra, A Life).

Favorite local restaurant?

Bar La Grassa in Minneapolis.

Your proudest achievement?

Connecting with students/being a mentor and being mentored.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Going to a museum or the spa.

Everyone should experience?

Drinking champagne in the caves in Reims, France.

Mimi Wachter

Associate

Project Coordinator, Studio Coordinator, Las Vegas

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Facebook. I'm a new mom, so FB is great for sharing pictures and milestones of our little one to family and friends across the globe.

Your ideal day?

I love Lazy Sundays! Sleep in late, stay in our pajamas till noon, watch TV shows or movies in bed all day, order in for every meal (no emails, no bill-paying, no dishes to wash). Perfect!

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My mother: always optimistic and encouraging.

Favorite local restaurant?

Jean Georges Steakhouse at the ARIA in Las Vegas.

Your proudest achievement?

My daughter MaiLee, the best accomplishment in my life.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Glass of wine, warm bubble bath, and a stack of Food magazines with recipes and pictures of food!

Jeff Walker

Associate

Senior Project Manager, Los Angeles

Your ideal day?

Ideal day would start with a good cup of coffee and involve lots of human interaction, whether with clients, coworkers, or friends.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Southern California sunlight.

Favorite book or author?

Anything by Nick Hornby or Dave Eggers.

Favorite local restaurant?

Tie between Church & State and Canele (both in Los Angeles).

Your proudest achievement?

Becoming a Father.

How do you like to spend time alone?

I listen to all types of music and love bicycling. I also spend a lot of time with my 9-year-old daughter, which I also love.

Ryan Waltke

Senior Associate

Senior Project Architect, Washington DC

Your ideal day?

My ideal day at work is to start with a design or detail problem that I have no idea how to solve, and then spending the day drawing until I crack it.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Foreign travel.

Favorite book or author?

Bill Bryson.

Favorite local restaurant?

Indique, Washington DC.

Your proudest achievement?

Surviving my youth.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Hiking or working in the woods, like chopping firewood or something.

Everyone should experience?

Spring in Italy.

Rong Wang

Associate

Architecture Designer, London

Your ideal day?

Spending it with my family, to visit an interesting place (museum, gallery restaurant, etc.).

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Internet.

Most indispensible "App"?

Grasshopper (Rhino).

Favorite book or author?

Any book about modern architecture or new technology.

Favorite local restaurant?

Shanghai Ren Jia in Shanghai.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading, watching films.

Everyone should experience?

Authentic Chinese food.

Ashley Warneke

Associate

Designer, Newport Beach

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Pinterest, Design Milk, Design*Sponge.

Your ideal day?

A day in which you learn something new. Fortunately in our industry that happens every day.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My dog. He’s an inspiration for his unwavering positivity. He never complains, even after a long run.

Favorite local restaurant?

Haute Cakes, Newport Beach (for fantastic omelets, sandwiches, pastries and local artwork that rotates).

Your proudest achievement?

Graduating from University of California, Berkeley. Every hour in architecture studio was worth that moment of throwing my cap with my classmates.

Everyone should experience?

Crossing the finish line of a marathon. You run for something meaningful to you, and there is nothing like that adrenaline rush.

Peter Weingarten

Principal

Studio Director, San Francisco

Your ideal day?

Warm and sunny beach front porch with my family.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Great storytelling.

Favorite book or author?

J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. It’s New York, it’s preppy, it’s Holden Caulfield crazy. so what’s not to love?

Favorite local restaurant?

Blue Ribbon in NYC. The Fried Chicken is worth the wait!

Your proudest achievement?

My two wonderful kids.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Looking for someone else to hang out with me.

Everyone should experience?

Walking a great city all day for the first time.

Mark Whillans

Associate

Landscape Architect, London

Your ideal day?

Waking up somewhere unfamiliar, and spending the whole day exploring.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

The people around me.

Favorite book or author?

Fiction: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Non-fiction: Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes.

Favorite local restaurant?

Bar Centrale in Camden, London.

Your proudest achievement?

Having awesome friends, and running a few marathons.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Running.

Everyone should experience?

Doing something they think they can't do, or at least trying. They'll surprise themselves.

Michael White

Principal

Director of Creative Media Studio, Los Angeles

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

LinkedIn and Facebook.

Your ideal day?

With my family.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My wife.

Favorite book or author?

In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust.

Favorite local restaurant?

Melisse, Santa Monica.

Your proudest achievement?

Raising my children.

How do you like to spend time alone?

I am never alone.

J. Ryan White

Associate

Project Architect, New York

Your ideal day?

Playing a round of golf in the morning. Taking a nap outside after a nice lunch. Couple hours of fishing on the tidal creeks of Charleston, SC. Enjoying a couple bottles of wine and wonderful food with all the people I love.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My Mother and Grandfather.

Favorite book or author?

Alexandre Dumas, Lewis Carroll, Immanuel Kant.

Favorite local restaurant?

Aldea in New York City.

Your proudest achievement?

Making it through Graduate School intact and winning the William Tao Award.

Everyone should experience?

Living in Paris. Getting lost on purpose.

Tony Wilks

Senior Associate

Branding & Graphics Leader, London

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

September Industry.

Your ideal day?

An 8am lie-in, round of golf, and dinner with family.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

A walk around London.

Favorite book or author?

Billy Hayes.

Favorite local restaurant?

Locanda Locatelli in London.

Your proudest achievement?

My Daughter.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Enjoying the peace and a quiet/long walk.

Everyone should experience?

The Lake District.

Ronald Williams

Associate

Portfolio Services Director, La Crosse

Your ideal day?

An early morning round of golf with my buddies, the afternoon boating on the Mississippi, an early evening backyard barbeque with friends, then unwinding with a nightcap under the stars in the hot tub with my wife.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My family: wife Kim, son Jason and our English Springer Spaniel, Bentley Wayne.

Most indispensible "App"?

iStockManager by TD Ameritrade or CNBC-RealTrade.

Favorite local restaurant?

Filet Teriyaki and Crab Legs at the Freight House in La Crosse, WI.

Your proudest achievement?

My first three-hour cross-country solo flight. Becoming a father.

Everyone should experience?

The thrill of winning and the agony of defeat.

Linnea Wingo

Associate

Design Architect, Houston

Your ideal day?

Spending the day with my husband visiting new places or going out dancing.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Anything that makes me laugh.

Most indispensible "App"?

Differential Equation Solver App.

Favorite book or author?

Tove Jansson.

Favorite local restaurant?

Charivari in Houston TX. It has a wonderful mix of European cuisine.

Your proudest achievement?

Becoming a licensed architect.

Everyone should experience?

Making a snowman.

Matt Wolfe

Associate

Architectural Designer, Morristown

Your ideal day?

Wake up early, work out, read, spend the day at the beach, then take a bike ride with the family to our favorite ice cream shop on a warm summer evening.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Sitting on the beach watching the sunrise.

Favorite book or author?

Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People.

Favorite local restaurant?

Veggie Heaven in Teaneck, NJ.

Your proudest achievement?

My daughter Riley.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Surfing.

Everyone should experience?

A trip to a third-world country to experience how the majority of the world lives — it will change your life forever!

Christian Wolff

Senior Associate

Studio Director, San José, Costa Rica

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Europaconcorsi.

Your ideal day?

At the beach with friends.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My daughter — always happy and supercreative.

Favorite book or author?

El Alquimista by Paulo Coelho.

Favorite local restaurant?

Sudestada in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Your proudest achievement?

No doubt — my family.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Watching soccer.

Everyone should experience?

Swimming in the Dead Sea.

Whitley Wood

Senior Associate

Project Manager, Charlotte

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Charlotte Smarty Pants and Facebook.

Your ideal day?

Relaxing on the beach.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My children and husband.

Favorite book or author?

Nicholas Sparks.

Favorite local restaurant?

Cowfish in Charlotte.

Your proudest achievement?

My children.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Relaxing with some good music on.

Everyone should experience?

The ocean from 70 feet under.

Michael Yeager

Associate

Project Architect, Project Manager, Denver

Your ideal day?

Travel to a new city — exploring the life, culture, architecture, and most importantly the FOOD.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

All of the creative people I work with.

Most indispensible "App"?

Pandora — it gets me through just about every day at work.

Favorite local restaurant?

Not so local: El Embarcadero in San Carlos, Mexico.

Your proudest achievement?

My daughter.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Relaxing at home. Also, cycling solo is so therapeutic.

Everyone should experience?

Traveling the world.

Inwon Yoon

Associate

Senior Designer, New York

Your ideal day?

When I met my wife.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

DO YOUR BEST.

Favorite book or author?

The Bible.

Favorite local restaurant?

Brasserie in NY.

Your proudest achievement?

My two children, Jongho and Jongha.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Watching people on the street.

Everyone should experience?

Having a deep and sincere conversation with your spouse before a bungee jump.

Aidong Zheng

Associate

Project Architect, Shanghai

Your ideal day?

A day spent with my family — no phone, no email.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

Natural and historical scenery.

Most indispensible “App”?

Unit Convert.

Favorite book or author?

Jane Eyre.

Favorite local restaurant?

Zen Japanese Restaurant in Livingston, NJ.

Your proudest achievement?

My wonderful son and daughter.

How do you like to spend time alone?

Reading and listening to music.

Daquan Zhoum

Associate

Urban Planner, Washington DC

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Skyscrapercity.com and placemakers.com.

Your ideal day?

A day with family and friends.

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My family.

Favorite book or author?

The Next American Metropolis by Peter Calthorpe.

Favorite local restaurant?

Asian Delight Restaurant in Fairfax, VA.

Shirlin Zhuang

Associate

Urban Designer, Shanghai

Favorite blogs and/or social media?

Facebook/Weibo.com.

Your ideal day?

A massage after a presentation!

Never-fail source of inspiration?

My family.

Favorite book or author?

Ramma 1/2, a very interesting Japanese comic. Rumiko Takahashi is one of my favorite comic creators.

Favorite local restaurant?

Xin Wang in Shanghai and Din Tai Fung in Taiwan.

Your proudest achievement?

I participated and completed a marathon in middle school.

Everyone should experience?

Being a father or mother.