Heather took quite an unusual route to architecture. Growing up, she had an interest in both architecture and meteorology. She was always drawing houses or building them with LEGO pieces, but outside she would stare at the clouds and wonder about the forces that create the constantly changing weather. Growing up in the Midwest, how could you not be awestruck when severe weather strikes?

When she went off to college, she ended up studying meteorology but continued to think about design. During Heather’s final months of graduate school, she enrolled in an architectural graphics course. Right away she knew architecture was the career for her. And even though she didn’t end up in meteorology, she is still able to apply this knowledge to help design structures that are more resilient to the extremes of weather and climate.

As an Architectural Associate, Heather is responsible for design coordination, technical documentation, and construction administration of KWK’s higher education projects, plus she is part of the project team for the firm’s ongoing work at the Washington University School of Medicine.

Heather has an Associate of Applied Science, Architectural Technology from St. Louis Community College and a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology from Saint Louis University. She is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council – Missouri Gateway Chapter and has more than 16 years of industry experience.

In her spare time, Heather enjoys photography, staying active and spending time outdoors exploring area hiking trails. She also performs a style of Japanese drumming called taiko and is learning to play the shinobue, a type of bamboo flute. She says playing taiko and shinobue has positively impacted her work life. “I’m at a computer a lot for work and playing can be a great mental release. When I’m stumped on a challenging detail, playing music clears my head and frees my thoughts up to new ideas and solutions.”