Staff Spotlight: Laura Uskevich
Laura Uskevich is a Project Designer at Caron. She has a strong sense of style and design honed by her work at Caron. She enjoys and understands the psychology that material quality and form play in building a pleasurable space to inhabit. No matter if the project is as simple as a fireplace design or as complex as an apartment building, Laura always seeks to create a unique experience through thoughtful design.
How long have you worked at Caron Architecture, and what is your favorite thing about working here?
I have worked at Caron since March 2013. My favorite thing about working here is the type of work I get to be involved with. Design is and has always been a part of me. I love sketching, painting, following design trends, computer modeling and rendering, and interacting with people. Caron has allowed me to be myself, linking in all the things I love, making work very enjoyable.
What projects are you currently working on?
I have been lead designer on a student housing project in Eugene, Oregon.
What is one of your hobbies that not many people know about?
Some may know, but my other passion is softball. I have played catcher since I was 5, playing all the way to college at Bellevue College, where I received an athletic scholarship. Unfortunately, Washington State University did not have a team for me, which would have been impossible to balance with the demanding architecture program.
Favorite Caron Design / Favorite Non-Caron Design and why?
My favorite Caron design is a small one that stood out to me before I started working here, and I grew to appreciate. It was the Junction 5 Rowhouses, which I passed by regularly. I appreciated their forward design that was ahead of the design curve in 2012. Their asymmetric roof lines stepping down the hillside with a simple material palette and modulation were quite admirable.
It is difficult to select a “favorite” piece of architecture. I find myself loving so much architecture in general while not focusing on the building name or architect. I think this is an opposite approach to many of my peers in the industry. Beautiful architecture is almost painful. I feel a sense of pressure in my chest and this overwhelming sense of love and sadness. Love for what the architect has been able to produce aesthetically. And sadness for the how I can’t have this immediately. I would say there are many buildings and spaces that have been my favorite and there are many more to come.