Staff Spotlight: Liezel Pimentel

Marking Liezel's 10th anniversary with WJW

Today we are shining the spotlight on Liezel! Liezel joined WJW a decade ago and is instrumental in a lot of behind-the-scenes work. In addition to her role as a project manager at the firm, she chairs our Volunteer and Materials Committees, and serves on our Dialogue, Education, & Activism Committee. She has led the efforts to create and run an Intro to Architecture workshop for young adults for the past two summers. Let's get to know Liezel!

What made you decide you wanted to work in architecture?

The intersection of society and design drew me to architecture and then hearing firsthand about how a space I helped design impacted someone’s life in a positive way made me decide to continue working in the field.

What special knowledge or quality do you bring to the WJW team?

A love of spreadsheets.

What has been your favorite project and why? 

The wellness and community-based projects.

What do you most enjoy about what you do?

Working with clients and consultants who really care about good quality affordable housing.

What has been one of your proudest moments working at WJW?

Winning the Halloween costume contest 2 years in a row.

What energizes you at work?

The people I work with and the types of projects we work on.

What are the non-design lessons you’ve learned from your work at WJW?

I’ve learned that facing issues with a positive and solutions-oriented approach helps the process not feel so daunting.

Name one piece of architecture that continually inspires you and why.

There are too many inspiring designs in the world to choose one!

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?

I enjoy pilates, traveling, escape rooms, and a bucket of popcorn with a good horror movie.

Tell us about a favorite book.

A recent favorite is Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong.

Offer your best life/business/design advice to young architects starting their final year of school.

My best advice is to talk to people at various stages of their career to learn more about the day-to-day work since there are so many paths architecture can take you.

Look into the future: name something you’re excited about and think maybe a part of architecture and design in the next 10 years.

I’m excited for denser, transit-oriented development, more bike lanes, and more investment in the train system in America.