Q&A with Senior Laboratory Architect Kassandra Garza, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP.
You’ve served as a mentor at Pennsylvania State University (your alma mater) and the National Organization of Minority Architects. Tell me about these roles.
During my time with NOMA Pittsburgh, I led the Professional Development cohort where I created programs for Architect Registration Examination (ARE) Study Prep and other professional training sessions. In 2020 I started volunteering with the Penn State Architecture Alumni-Student Mentoring Program as a mentor, which connects architectural students with professionals. Particularly at that time, it was an opportunity to explore new ways to interact with students and expand our reach. For the past four years, I have met with a student in late fall and have helped them prepare for networking events, career fairs, internships and much more. I believe it’s important for students to see and hear from professionals that they can connect with, and I do my best to be that person for them.
How do you connect with the students? What stories do you share?
As a student I faced many financial challenges and made the difficult decision to leave school at the end of my third year. After two years, I returned. I spent the next two years taking a full course load and part-time work, often working 30 to 40 hours a week until I graduated. So many students feel financial pressure, so it resonates with them. A lot of the conversations I have with them is letting them know about the financial opportunities out there, particularly for minorities, first generation students and women. I advise them to research scholarships and grants their school may provide and send them links to opportunities that NOMA and AIA offer throughout the year.
You’re also involved with Arquitina. Tell me about that organization and how you’re involved.
Arquitina is an organization whose mission is to increase the number of Latina architects in the US, while also creating equitable and inclusive opportunities in the profession. I serve as a mentor to help those studying to take the ARE. The thing I really love about this program is that it helps me as much as it helps the mentees. Some of my mentees are women who have been in the architectural profession for many years and they’re looking to get back on track with a study routine to get their license. I help them with the test, and they help me be a better architect. We have weekly calls in which we alternate between test-specific discussions and cultural discussions that can range from financial issues, networking and finding other mentors with similar backgrounds. In the years I’ve been involved with Arquitina, the percentage of Latina registered architects has increased from 1% to 1.5%. We’re slowly but surely increasing our numbers.
What is an example of where have you positively affected an outcome of a project by providing a different voice or perspective?
As a woman, I’m always thinking about reach as we lay out and design laboratory casework. Will everyone who is using this bench be able to access storage, power, gases, etc. without having to use a step stool or be on their tiptoes? Right now, I’m working on the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab and 80% of their users are women. They tell stories about needing help reaching items because the lab wasn’t designed for people who are shorter. Another example is with medical examiner’s offices (MEOs) that include cold rooms for the decedents. We can increase storage if we stack vertically in racks, but then users need to be able to lift the bodies which may be difficult for some. So we really try to think about incorporating storage that allows the use of gurneys.