Interview with Angeline Jacques

WHAT’S YOUR NAME?

Angeline Jacques

WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO CHOOSE THE FIELD OF ARCHITECTURE?

In my middle school tech ed class, we were asked to hand-draft a model of a garden shed and then construct it out of balsa wood. I was fascinated by the process of imagining something, drawing it, and then seeing it come to life. As I progressed through school, I saw that architecture was not only a way to make buildings, but also a way to address social issues and improve the built environment we live in. I loved that it is both a vehicle for creativity and for problem-solving.

WHAT TYPE OF WORK ARE YOU MOST INTERESTED IN?

My graduate work and personal projects have largely revolved around the built environment’s relationship to nature and the non-human creatures that live in it. Whether we build in a pastoral landscape or in Manhattan, we are always building within nature and within the lives of the birds, rats, and plants that we share our environment with. I’m interested in the way we have shaped, framed, and addressed this relationship through built projects.

WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGES SINCE OBTAINING YOUR ARCHITECTURE DEGREE?

I finished my graduate education in January 2020, so pretty shortly afterwards I was suddenly working remotely at my first post-graduate job. My biggest challenge was learning how to ask the right questions when I wasn’t physically in the office and how to approximate the osmosis learning that happens as a young designer. It took initiative and a willingness to speak up when I needed more clarification. I think a lot of designers who came into the profession in the last few years had to develop these skills quickly, and they have continued to be beneficial to me even as we moved back to in-person work.

WHAT DID YOU LIKE ABOUT ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL?

I liked the ethos that architecture is a truly interdisciplinary field and that many problems or interests could be discussed through the lens of design. I didn’t expect my lifelong love of wildlife and nature to play so heavily into my work, but I was invited to explore that throughout my graduate studies. In the professional world, it can sometimes be difficult to remember how interconnected architecture is with other issues, but it’s important to remember that we can be thinkers within a multi-faceted world outside the sometimes-esoteric world of architecture and construction.

ANY CRITICISMS OF THE ARCHITECTURE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE?

As a first-generation college student from a low-income household, the socio-economic assumptions made in architecture school came as a real culture shock to me. Even within my relatively financially generous program, considerations such as physical model costs were often ignored. I juggled demanding studio assignments with multiple jobs, sometimes spending less time in studio than my classmates out of financial necessity. As a profession, we are deeply in need of increased diversity, but the economic difficulty of architecture education continues to work against those efforts. I hope to see an increased emphasis on creating affordable schooling opportunities for everyone on the socio-economic spectrum.

WHAT ARE YOUR PROFESSIONAL GOALS?

I achieved licensure in 2022, and I am still doing some soul searching on how to define professional goals for myself now that I have checked off the straightforward boxes of registration. Right now, my goals are still largely personal: learning how to manage a project effectively, developing my communication skills with clients and contractors, and advocating for my design ideas. One day, I’d love to design a project that develops my preoccupations with framing nature and multi-species architecture.

WHO DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE ARCHITECTS?

Design-wise, I draw a lot of inspiration from Japanese architecture firms, such as Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP. However, I’m a proponent of the shift towards recognizing architecture as a team collaboration with many contributors rather than the brainchild of one or two creative minds. The best architects, I think, are the ones that can effectively address complex issues while still maintaining an equitable and fair workplace.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE BUILDING OR CITY?

I just relocated to New York in November, so right now I am thoroughly enjoying geeking out around the city on the weekends.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO GET OUT OF YOUR AIA BROOKLYN CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP?

I hope to gain a network of like-minded colleagues and opportunities to broaden my own horizons by hearing about other practices and work! I’m so excited to be in Brooklyn and looking forward to getting involved with this excellent AIA chapter.