As a farmer boy from a very small town in Texas on a watermelon farm with many dreams, I remember the times I used to reconfigure my bedroom at 5 years old, playing with legos, and painting all of my furniture royal blue. I look back and see the progression and know I’m where I should be.
Graduating from high school with minimal clarity of a career ahead, a little insight from my uncles who have built their own furniture, cabinets, and homes, inspired me to pursue architecture. I began my studies at the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture at the University of Houston. Many exciting, creative moments of hand drafting, model making, color theory, 3D rendering, and diagrams, combined with long nights, finger cutting, and energy drinks, I endured what I thought was the most challenging. Receiving the opportunity to work for one of the world’s largest architecture firms, HOK as an intern, and almost failing the architecture program twice, were greater challenges.
After graduation I exhaled with great relief for completing the program, and with yet again no clear direction of knowing the next move. Zooming out of the details, I assuredly knew that it was time for something bigger, and moving to a bigger, creative city felt appropriate. New York and Chicago were my top choices architecturally, but the cold temperatures did not feel to be a pleasant transition, therefore Los Angeles seemed like the perfect fit.
From 2015 -2020 I experienced life in Los Angeles. I began as a designer at Restoration Hardware, and then in 2016 I decided to take on my own projects as an entrepreneur. My most exciting opportunity was to assist in the design and create 3D renderings for Richard Lawson, and Tina Knowles Lawson, parents of Beyonce Knowles Carter. I’ve also worked with the show Restored on DIY as the art director, selecting finishes, fixtures, creative solutions, hardware, and more.
In 2020, the pandemic led me to Palm Springs, where design standards and design history brought about the perfect place for inspiration and creativity. After moving, I realized that when I drove from Texas to California in 2015, it was my first impression of the otherworldly wind turbines, sand dunes, joshua trees, and nature that excited me, and was revealed from my subconscious. From 2020-2023 I worked remotely, with new experience in residential construction management, occasional teaching of architecture and design software, and currently now designing my own home with expected completion of construction in 2023.