Architectette

Eleanor Choi, AIA, LEED AP BD-C, is a Principal, architect, project manager, and staff manager at SmithGroup, with more than 25 years of experience leading cultural, civic, academic, and historic preservation projects across the country.
Based in Washington, DC, she has worked on nationally significant institutions including the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, and museum planning and feasibility studies for emerging cultural organizations.
Through her work on DC DGS and DPR projects and participation on the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, Eleanor also champions public art as an integral part of architecture and community building.
Beyond project work, Eleanor is passionate about mentorship, leadership development, and expanding opportunities for future generations of architects. An alum of the AIA|DC Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program, she currently serves as Treasurer of AIA|DC and is dedicated to fostering inclusive and supportive pathways into the profession.
We talk about:
- How being an “advanced generalist” across project types prepared Eleanor to specialize in museums and cultural architecture, where storytelling, representation, and community engagement shape design.
- The four types of luck and how Luck of Motion and Luck of Awareness can create career opportunities through curiosity, volunteering, mentorship, and putting yourself out there.
- Changing the architecture profession, from burnout and workplace culture to AI, evolving project delivery, and reinforcing the value architects bring to design.
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Connect with Eleanor:
LinkedIn Page
SmithGroup (https://www.smithgroup.com/)
AIA|DC (https://dcarchcenter.org/)
AHCMC (https://www.creativemoco.com/)
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Thank you to our sponsor:
The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) is a not-for-profit technical institute for structural steel. The Architecture Center is an initiative of AISC, and was created for architects by architects. It provides resources to help architects save time and money, reduce risk, and achieve their project goals.
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.aisc.org/architecture-center⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/company/american-institute-of-steel-construction⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/aisc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Connect with Architectette:
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- LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Architectette Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Page and/or⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Caitlin Brady⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Music by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AlexGrohl⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Elizabeth Lapira is part of AISC's Architecture Center, where she contributes to the development of strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing value, fostering positive engagement, and advancing the professional reach of AISC Building Initiatives through active collaboration with the architectural community.
With 12 years of experience as a licensed architect, she develops strategies to demonstrate how structural steel can enrich design and meet the challenges of today’s built environment.
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Connect with Elizabeth:
www.aisc.org/architecture
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Thank you to our sponsor:
The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) is a not-for-profit technical institute for structural steel. The Architecture Center is an initiative of AISC, and was created for architects by architects. It provides resources to help architects save time and money, reduce risk, and achieve their project goals.
Website: ⁠⁠⁠www.aisc.org/architecture-center⁠⁠⁠
LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/company/american-institute-of-steel-construction⁠⁠⁠
Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/aisc⁠⁠⁠
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- LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Architectette Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Page and/or⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Caitlin Brady⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Music by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AlexGrohl⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Pamela Nieting is a real estate development and housing policy expert and licensed civil engineer with nearly two decades of experience across both the private and public sectors. She's the founder of Nieting Development LLC, and co-founder of Renovar Partners, a real estate development company focused on unlocking the value of underutilized land and partnering with builders to fill a housing shortage need. She also serves as Chair of the Planning Commission in Walnut Creek and chairs the Housing Legislation Committee for the Builders Industry Association, giving her a front-row seat to how policy shapes what gets built, and where. Originally from Peru and based in the Bay Area, Pamela, brings a global perspective to the work of building homes and shaping communities. 
We talk about:
- Pamela’s career pivot from civil engineering to real estate development and how public speaking and relationship building prepared her to become a firm leader.
- California entitlements, housing legislation, land use law, and public-private partnerships through major developments Pamela has worked on, including those on Treasure Island.
- Her immigrant upbringing and experience with disability in her family shaped her approach to affordable housing, including community specific strategies for multigenerational living and housing accessibility.
- Entrepreneurship and her vision for a new model of residential real estate development.
- We end with lessons that architects can learn from developers to deliver better projects more efficiently.
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Connect with Pamela:
LinkedIn
nietingdevelopment.com
renovarhomes.com
https://sanjosespotlight.com/santa-clara-university-alumna-brings-affordable-housing-to-city/
https://losgatan.com/planning-commission-recommends-55-unit-los-gatos-green-development/
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Thank you to our sponsor:
The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) is a not-for-profit technical institute for structural steel. The Architecture Center is an initiative of AISC, and was created for architects by architects. It provides resources to help architects save time and money, reduce risk, and achieve their project goals.
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.aisc.org/architecture-center⁠⁠⁠⁠
LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/company/american-institute-of-steel-construction⁠⁠⁠⁠
Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/aisc⁠⁠⁠⁠
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- LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Architectette Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Page and/or⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Caitlin Brady⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Music by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AlexGrohl⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Sheetal Vora is an architectural professional at Perkins&Will whose work bridges design, mentorship, and advocacy. An internationally trained designer based in Chicago, she has contributed to education and healthcare projects while navigating practice across cultures. She is deeply committed to mentoring students and emerging professionals, and to advancing more inclusive, supportive pathways within the profession.
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Connect with Sheetal:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sheetalv
Instagram: @sheetzv7
Article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/blueprint-growth-unfolding-lessons-beyond-classroom-vora-assoc-aia-gsnuc
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Music by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AlexGrohl⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Mary Chernoff is a Vancouver-based interior designer specializing in health care facilities. With over three decades of experience across acute care hospitals and long-term care, she built her own successful practice and later joined forces with Parkin Architects Western, where she leads the firm’s Vancouver Interior Design studio.
Mary is also an artist and award-winning writer. Her first book, INSPIRE, won a National Indie Excellence Award for best gift book. She has one son, a jazz musician.

We talk about: 
- Mary’s 35-year career in healthcare design and the full-circle experience of returning to one of her earliest interior design clients, Royal Columbian Hospital.
- We explore how healthcare design has evolved from sterile clinical environments to holistic patient experiences shaped by biophilia, infection control, accessibility, family needs, cultural identity, and inclusive design.
- Mary shares powerful anecdotes from patient and community engagement, including listening to First Nations communities, to evolve how the interior design of hospitals can accommodate patient needs
- We end by talking about building her own healthcare design practice, the benefit of joining major project teams, gradually stepping toward retirement, and why young designers should “observe, participate, and absorb” instead of trying to map out their entire careers.
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Connect with Mary:
CBC Article of Mary's Career
Red Fish Healing Centre for Mental Health and Addiction
Parkin Architects | Meet our Interiors Team
Senior Care and Design
Rhythm Changes Podcast (with Mary's son!)
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Thank you to our sponsor:
The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) is a not-for-profit technical institute for structural steel. The Architecture Center is an initiative of AISC, and was created for architects by architects. It provides resources to help architects save time and money, reduce risk, and achieve their project goals.
Website: ⁠⁠⁠www.aisc.org/architecture-center⁠⁠⁠
LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/company/american-institute-of-steel-construction⁠⁠⁠
Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/aisc⁠⁠⁠
>>>
Connect with Architectette:
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- LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Architectette Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Page and/or⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Caitlin Brady⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Music by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AlexGrohl⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.