22 Aug
Behind the Design: Kathryn Jerman
Thanks to a family full of contractors, Kathryn was exposed to the art of building at a young age and has always enjoyed the satisfaction of how architecture is a mixture of creative pursuits. She has taken multiple projects from design concept to construction both in the U.S. and Tokyo, has experience in workplace, hospitality, civic/cultural, lab sciences, and residential architecture, and is as comfortable communicating her ideas as she is talking with tradespeople on site. Kathryn’s favorite place to be is Fallen Leaf Lake in Lake Tahoe in the summer, and skiing in North Lake Tahoe in the winter.
Education & Professional Affiliations:
Bachelor of Arts in Architecture, University of California, Berkeley
ACE Mentor Program of America
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A vet.
Where do you go to for constant inspiration?
I love following artists on Instagram, especially those that share their process of creating! I always find it thought provoking to see the half-formed version of something compared to the final iteration.
When did you first learn about your field of work and what called you to it?
I watched a lot of Martha Stewart + HGTV with my mom as a child, so I was obsessed with decorating from a young age. My dad had also worked as a contractor, so I was always watching him build things at our house, from a floor-to-ceiling media built-in to a pool in the backyard.
Best piece of advice you were given once you started to pursue your career…
Always ask your question to Google first! You learn a lot more by trying different solutions and seeing what works versus just doing the solution someone gives you.
Female teacher who inspired you the most and why…
Sarah Hirschman, my last professor at Berkeley. She was my one and only female studio professor, and really exemplified balancing a full professional life with being involved in academia. She was incredibly supportive of our studio not only academically but also provided professional guidance for us as we graduated which was invaluable and made finding an actual job at a firm you were excited about so much more accessible.
What excited you about joining the team at F+M?
I was super excited about the sheer variety in FENNIE+MEHL’s work. We describe ourselves as not having a “style”, but instead as being responsive to a client’s vision—which keeps every project fresh. It never feels like you’re ‘copy and pasting’ a design move or detail from one project to another, but evaluating how you can best adapt to each individual circumstance. It was also inspiring to hear so many people mention that they loved working with the F+M team and the overall positivity and thoughtfulness of the team.
