A World of Experience

Vanessa Shumate was raised in a small town in northeastern Kentucky. She has always had a creative side and started early in life with a love for art. For a research project during her senior year of high school on a profession of her choice, she selected architecture, which sparked a newfound interest. At that time, she had a full ride scholarship to another university which did not have an architecture program. She made the decision that if she were to test into the University of Kentucky’s architecture program, which was limited to approximately 80 students at that time, she would pursue it. Through a twist of fate, she was selected, which propelled her into the 5-year bachelor’s program. This program also provided her with the opportunity of studying abroad in Venice for a semester, giving her invaluable time to explore the world and a chance to spread her wings. To gain work experience, she interned with two smaller firms in Lexington between semesters.

After graduating with honors, she went to a small residential design firm designing high-end single-family homes in southeastern Florida in the Palm Beach area. After experiencing a turbulent hurricane season in Florida, she decided to venture to Indiana to work for a firm focused on church and commercial design, practicing across the county. She was there for two years and then landed with American Structurepoint, where she has been for the last 17 years.

Starting as a generalist at American Structurepoint, she had the chance to work on a wide variety of project types. With experience under her belt, she became more involved in production leadership, was introduced to Revit, and became the BIM manager for a period. It was through these opportunities she was able to show her ability to lead and manage complex projects. While Vanessa was on an upwards path, it was not without some resistance. She had her share of hurdles with contractors or designers who had been in the industry for many years, who saw her as young or inexperienced. She does see some substantiation in the concepts of the glass ceiling and sticky floor, which are evident from her personal journey.

As luck would have it, a project manager was recruited from another firm, bringing with them a dedicated senior care client, which branched American Structurepoint into other states, including Colorado, Ohio, Indiana, and Kansas. This opened the door to senior living design for Vanessa. With her background in residential work, she was able to use that information and apply it to a senior care model, designing with resident choice at the forefront. She shared that she is seeing a blend of other types of design, which are influencing elements of senior care communities, melding the best of all project types. With a portfolio showcasing 10 plus years of experience designing for senior care, Vanessa became very specialized in senior living design and now leads the senior care division at American Structurepoint. On the horizon, she sees more of an infusion of virtual reality tools with residents and staff, providing virtual tours of the design to generate excitement and feedback. Her team has started doing post-occupancy evaluations to refine their approach and address individual client needs.

In addition to her professional experience, she has had her share of personal stories which have influenced her passion for design for the aging community. When she was young, her grandparents chose to age in place in their farmhouse. The home was not particularly accessible, and the family was very involved in caring for them. She saw what it meant to age in place, in a residence that was not designed properly for it, in addition to the strain it put on her family. She shares, “A person stays at a job because of the people. A person stays in a home because of the people. That’s the thing we tend to forget.” This has been a large influence on her career in the design for aging community.

Vanessa has a personal goal to promote options for all people, in particular, income-restricted older adults. She is excited for affordable housing options in senior living, providing more choices and opportunities for individuals of all income levels and care needs. Additionally, she seeks to find solutions for older adults with mental illness, as there are limited communities and resources readily available to provide support.

To encourage young people who are exploring career options, Vanessa mentors students in grades nine through twelve with the Indy Chapter of ACE Mentoring and has been an active member since 2007. She enjoys providing this opportunity, which is something she did not have as a student. She advises those beginning in the industry to learn, listen, and to stay curious. Her curiosity and motivation to contribute to the greater good are a model for excellence–and we can’t wait to see what she does next.

Glasswater Creek of Whitestown: https://www.structurepoint.com/architecture-and-interiors/project/glasswater-creek-of-whitestown
Westminster Village of West Lafayette Renovation: https://www.structurepoint.com/architecture-and-interiors/project/westminster-village-of-west-lafayette

Collaboration
Megan Crites, Senior Associate, MKM architecture + design, interviewer
Jenn Storey, Marketing Manager, MKM architecture + design, author

Part of the Design for Aging Knowledge Community – Women in Architecture Series

What is Design for Aging? And who is designing these spaces? The AIA Design for Aging Knowledge Community shares knowledge in the design community aimed at improving the built environment for those in our society who are aging. That’s the short answer; a lot more research and practice goes into improving the spaces we design. And who is designing these spaces? Over the years, the architecture profession has been male-dominated. However, that fabric is changing. Female architects have been growing in numbers across the board, from technical designers, project managers, project architects, design architects, studio leaders, and business owners.

How does this growth in female design professionals reflect in senior living and care environments? The fabric is also changing in their industry. More females are Executive Directors, CEO’s, COO’s, and CFO’s of senior living campuses and care communities. The impact of this shift creates a transformation in dialogue and who’s voice is being heard.

So, the question came up, how can we highlight the growing voices of female architects who are focusing on Design for Aging? Interviews, for a start, and writing articles that highlight the architects and their work.

Several questions were posed to female architects across the United States. Where did you grow up? Where did you go to college? What does your career path look like? How or when did you start designing spaces for aging? What are you the most excited about in the work you are doing? What are you losing sleep over? What advise do you have for other female architects? And so on.

The experiences and conversations varied from interview to interview. Which is an important piece of the narrative for every Architect to hear. There were also some common threads that should not be ignored. What is our industry doing right? What do we need to stop doing? And more over, how can architects continue to positively impact Design for Aging?