Who did you meet with today?

Today I had the opportunity to meet Cyrus Amani-Talesh from LCA Architects, Keivan Abidi from Pacific Charter School Development, and Kelly Mecca from Bjork Construction Company.

Where do they work? What does the company do?

Cyrus, Keivan, and Kelly all work in different firms; they focus on various fields all related to architecture. Cyrus works at LCA Architects which provides design services for projects.  Cyrus in particular is an architect who establishes how projects are to be designed as well as the planning behind how they can be maintained moving forward. Kelly is mainly out in the field; Kelly works at Bjork Construction company, a women-owned construction company that works with great craftsmanship to create sustainable high-quality constructed builds to satisfy their clients. Keivan is a project director for PCSD, a non-profit organization that works to support community charter schools in funding and developing high-quality schools for under-resourced communities.

What did you learn today? What were some highlights?

Today I was able to be educated on the process behind constructing and creating a project. I got insights into architecture that aren’t discussed as much, highlighting the importance of planning a design before constructing, whether or not it would be ideal to move forward, as well as agreeing that projects can proceed financially because there is only so much money that can be invested into certain projects. Furthermore, we were also able to see future improvements coming to Lighthouse Charter; these improvements were said to give Lighthouse more enclosed space for teaching, which I personally agree would be a great improvement.

What insights did you gain into the field of real estate development?

Having the opportunity to learn about the future plans for Lighthouse was insightful as far as how that plan can be attainable. Being able to see the design process was definitely an insight because I wasn’t aware of how building codes can come into conflict with other elements that also make the project safe, sustainable, and overall reachable.

What did you find the most interesting about the field after today?

In the field what I found most interesting was the design process and after today I feel much stronger about it because it’s what makes the construction process come to pass. Designing the elevations of something like a school building is a very important factor that ties everything together. I liked that I was able to see the thought process and the plan.