Jaclyn Marcus (MArch 2013)

Where are you now and what kind of work/projects are you currently working on?

After spending my years directly after graduating on the interiors team at​​​​ Adrian Smith Gordon Gill Architecture, I am currently working at Solomon Cordwell Buenz on the residential interiors team as a designer. I am lucky to be able to work on a lot of local projects that are right in downtown Chicago and have an impact on the fabric of many people's daily lives. Having finished all of my required hours for IDP, I am also in the process of studying to take my exams to become a fully licensed architect.

How did SAIC prepare you for where you are today?  What particular classes/projects/approaches to subjects influenced you?

SAIC did an amazing job of giving me the confidence I needed to get myself to where I am today. The attitude in all of my studios was always to take my ideas and run with them because no matter what, if you have a strong argument for their right to exist, and you follow through with the right amount of dedication and persistence, all ideas have the ability to influence the way people think of architecture and design. All of my studios taught me how to hone my ideas into coherent, thorough and beautiful projects. 

What career advice do you have for current students, looking at how you see your field evolving, what is critical for the future practitioner?

A lot of firms these days are looking for graduating students who have not only some prior knowledge of Revit, but the ability and the drive to continue to learn about the program. Using Revit in the working world is very different than using it in school, so you have to be prepared to move forward with your technical education well past your days at SAIC. In general, recognizing that your education doesn't end once you graduate your respective AIADO program will get you very far and prove to employers that you are very much worth hiring. 

With whom did you study at SAIC or who influenced you?

I was lucky enough to study with Anders Nereim during my time at SAIC. His excitement for every aspect of architecture and design was always contagious and invigorating. He also convinced me that Revit was going to become an industry standard and that it was always beneficial to stick with it, even when I wanted to throw my laptop out the window.