New Faces for Fall
We have welcomed numerous new staff to the OPN family, all of which are extremely talented. Each person brings a different background, skills, and approach that will bolster any team.
Ashlee Boelter, OPN Des Moines
Where did you go to school? Iowa State University
What inspires your work? The ability to have a positive affect on the environment around us. Architecture can be a representation of how we see ourselves, but also how we see the world which is a beautiful thing!
What are you reading right now? “All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr
If you could eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Soup. I love soup because you can make so many different kinds!
When did you know you wanted to be an architect or designer? I started out in Engineering. When I went to my first engineering career fair, I was having a conversation with one of the employers and he then asked me what my “dream job” is. I told him I would love to design buildings and be challenged by creativity in my job. He then told me I should look into Architecture as a major. I switched that following semester to Architecture and couldn’t be happier with that decision!
Dakota Dehnke, OPN Des Moines
Where are you originally from? River Falls, Wisconsin
What do you like about the industry? I enjoy the process. Architecture is a very in depth process with many steps, but I enjoy getting to work through and see everyone of them as our designs come from a mere concept to a built space that people can use and experience for themselves.
What is your degree in? Bachelors of Architecture and Minor in Sustainability
Do you have a mantra or saying that you remind yourself of during projects? Always sketching. An idea is never perfect the first time, so iteration and ideation has always been an important part of pushing projects to be the best they can be and problem solving along the way.
What is one way you’d like architecture or design evolve? I would like to see more of an emphasis on sustainable design through the integration of adaptable reuse systems and even structures that are able to be reused in entirety such as lightweight deployable structures.
Andrew Tawfik, OPN Cedar Rapids
Where are you originally from? Egypt
What do you like about the industry? I like how architecture is a detail-oriented profession where the focus on every single small specific detail in a building. It is like an open field of creativity where you be yourself as a player trying new skills and techniques in order to create something new out of nowhere.
Where did you go to school? Iowa State University
What makes OPN unique? It is the diversity factor that makes OPN studio unique from all other studios. Diversity is important for a healthy firm that wants to be productive.
What’s your favorite landmark and why? My favorite is St. Paul Monastery in Egypt, it is my favorite structure because of the simplicity and the vernacular architecture take place in the design. That first time I saw the monastery was the spark that introduced me to architecture.
Delanie Hiemer, OPN Des Moines
Where are you originally from? Lincoln, Nebraska
What is your degree in? Bachelor of Science in Design, High Distinction, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
What is one of your recent notable projects? My capstone project focused on improving hospitality design standards through the use of themed immersion, interactive elements, and by providing personalized sensory experiences.
What inspires your work? My work is mainly inspired by the guests and users who will experience the space! Staying in tune and remaining empathetic to their needs and wants will always result in great design.
What is your favorite podcast? CrimeJunkies!
ZiXiong Lin, OPN Cedar Rapids
Where are you originally from? Sichuan Province, Southwest of China
Where did you go to school? Iowa State University (Bachelor), University of California, Berkeley (Master)
What do you like about your industry? Architecture is an interdisciplinary field that allows me to acquire knowledge from various domains without limitations. It encompasses aspects of both science, humanities, and the arts, making it the perfect fit for someone like me who has a passion for exploring diverse subjects.
Do you have a mantra or saying that you remind yourself of during projects? “Architecture is really about well-being. I think that people want to feel good in a space… On the one hand it’s about shelter, but it’s also about pleasure.” ——Zaha Hadid
When did you know you wanted to be an architect or designer? When I was a middle school student, I watched a documentary video showcasing how architects work, and I became obsessed with it.
Shayla Tran, OPN Cedar Rapids
Where did you go to school? Ball State University
Where are you originally from? Fort Wayne, Indiana
What do you like about your industry? Architecture has the ability to make an impact on society and it really encourages how design makes an influence on people of the community. Architecture design has helped shape society by providing custom living spaces that give us comfort, good health, and safety. Architecture has given me a goal to design a great environment for the spaces that people inhabit.
Which phase of a project is your favorite? I really enjoy the design phase of a project as it gets my brain working and teaches myself how to make a change for others to have the most efficient, safe, and comfortable space.
If you could eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Crab Rangoons!
Soham Dongre, OPN Cedar Rapids
Where are you originally from? India
What is your degree in? Master of Architecture with a Health & Well-Being Concentration from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Bachelor of Architecture (India -2019)
What do you like about your industry? The power of Imagination – How Architecture could be so impactful on people’s lives, inspire them, and provoke the positivity.
What’s your favorite landmark and why? Eiffel tower – Its beautiful structural expression – I love the energy that structure emits, it inspires me to achieve heights!
If there was a movie about your life, who would star as you? Jim Carrey
Jen Miltenberger, OPN Des Moines
Where did you go to school? Iowa State University
What is your degree in? Communication Studies
What inspires your work? I enjoy problem solving, digging into the details, understanding the why, and being able to communicate well with different audiences to keep everyone on the same page.
What is your favorite podcast? The Briefing with Albert Mohler
If you were a cake, which flavor would you be and why? Carrot Cake because I just recently discovered I love it and it reminds me to keep trying new things. Plus it has vegetables, sugar, and spice!
Seth Hadenfeldt, OPN Cedar Rapids
What is your degree in? Bachelor of Science in Interior Design & Master of Architecture, University of Nebraska Lincoln
Do you have a mantra or saying that you remind yourself of during projects? Less but better
What is one way you’d like architecture or design evolve? I would like our cities to be designed to promote social interactions more and to create a better relationship between the built and natural environment.
What is your favorite podcast? The Tim Ferriss Show
What’s your favorite landmark and why? Mt. Rainer in Seattle. The mountain overlooks the city and establishes a sense of place in such a beautiful way.
Chandana Rao, OPN Madison
Where are you originally from? India
Where did you go to school? University of Michigan
What is one of your recent notable projects? My graduate thesis was about using machine learning and AI to create an instant plan generation tool to design houses in contested areas, and geographic landscapes.
What animal would you be and why? As a cat person, I’m compelled to say a cat. Cats are often extremely misunderstood. Theyre extremely smart graceful creatures, that know how to make use of their environments and uniquely navigate through them.
What is your favorite podcast? I really like listening to 99% invisible. Its a great design podcast that has a unique outlook into all the unknown facets of design and architecture that shape everyday life!
Haojun Wang, OPN Des Moines
Where are you originally from? China
Where did you go to school? Beijing Jiaotong University & Columbia University
What is your degree in? Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Science in Computational Practices
What do you like about your industry? Architecture is inclusive which combines knowledge from other industries, including art, computer technology, etc. Architecture is also creative. Architects can continue to make breakthroughs and innovations. In addition, architecture is also social and can solve certain social problems.
What’s your favorite landmark and why? The Seed Cathedral. It breaks the traditional meaning of architecture
Erin Whitman, OPN Madison
Where did you go to school? University of Wisconsin-Madison
What inspires your work? The impact of the built environment on the human experience.
What do you like about your industry? The combination of creativity, research and technical information – every project is like a puzzle where you have to piece together everything in order to develop a solution tailored to each client.
What’s your favorite landmark and why? The Alhambra – it has a lot of historical significance to the city of Granada, which I visited and was captivated by the design of its historical buildings!
What are you reading right now? Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow
Rebecca Riss, OPN Des Moines
Where are you originally from? White Plains, New York
Where did you go to school? Carleton College & Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation
What do you like about your industry? How the architecture industry’s approach to sustainability continues to respond to new research, technology, and priorities.
What inspires your work? My colleagues and the communities we serve. It is inspiring to work with smart, caring, and inquisitive people to positively impact our neighbors and our future generations.
What is one way you’d like architecture or design evolve? Project teams should consider both operational and embodied carbon (and their various trade-offs) when making design decisions.