When did you realize you wanted to become an architect?

I was about 4 or 5 years old when I put together my first set of “construction” drawings for my favorite parrot stuffed animal – a bird house, naturally. These drawings even included notes such as “hit nail here.” Then, throughout elementary school I amassed a great Lego collection – I found the Castle Series to be the most intriguing. Only when taking a high school advanced fine arts class for the second time (after thoroughly enjoying it the first time) did I realize this might be the career path for me. The instructor of this class specialized in photo-realistic hand renderings of the built environment – you could say it made an impression.

What hobbies do you have?

Listening to music, even though I’ve never played an instrument. I take great enjoyment in observing others that excel at their trade. I received my first 45 record – Hall & Oates’ Maneater – at the age of 4 in pairing with a Fischer Price record player. I’ve been listening to music around the clock ever since. My favorite genres of music are indie rock and alternative, but I grew up on and still hold a special place for the 80’s and 90’s music of MTV. I also enjoy spinning to stay in shape mainly because a third and fourth hobby is visiting breweries wherever I may travel. If a soccer stadium is nearby, I’m in attendance.

Did you co-op or intern at MSA? If so, do you have advice for others just starting out in your field?

Yes, my final co-op was at MSA from 2000 to 2002. My first co-op while in college was with a large firm with 200+ employees while my second co-op was the exact opposite – an extremely small firm with only four total employees. MSA was the welcome balance with about 35 employees at the time.

My advice to the young folks is to find your niche and be a sponge. Never stop learning. Ask the question – no matter how ridiculous it may sound in your head – because you’re not the only one in the group that doesn’t know the answer. These questions can help your mentors to better evaluate your understanding of a problem or situation and how to best guide you.

Describe your experience at MSA. How long have you been here? How is it being a principal?

I have spent the past 20 plus years at the same firm. Right out of college I started at MSA full time, doing a lot of the grunt work that is commonly associated with the architectural profession. Now as a principal I’ve learned – still learning – to become less of a doer and instead more of an instructor trusting and guiding those younger team members I work with. Each new professional role, no matter how long you’ve been at your trade, will always provide new challenges. No two projects, clients, or design teams are the same. “Buj” fun facts:

My wife is also an architect, “we speak the same language.” On the topic of language, we have a deaf Pitbull named Blue. Upon adoption he came equipped with 40+ hand signs we had to learn during a three-month process – 10 years later we still use about 5 of them. My wife is his person – he keeps me around for 2 out of 3 daily walks.