2019 Ones to Watch: Bridgette Van Sloun, Urbahn Architects

Name: Bridgette Van Sloun, RA

Title: Project Architect

Company Name: Urbahn Architects

Year that you entered your current field? 2010

What do you consider to be your greatest professional accomplishment in the past 12 months?

For the past two years, I have been the project architect for the new 65,000 s/f CUNY Lehman College Nursing Education, Research, and Practice Center (NERPC) in the Bronx. Despite many challenges related to the NERPC programming and site conditions, our team has developed an excellent design. This project has allowed me to fine-tune my skills in designing large-scale educational and healthcare facilities. 
Every time I visit the campus, I am reminded how this building will influence the students’ lives and professional careers. These visits remind me why I wanted to be an architect: To improve the way people live day-to-day. 

What advice can you offer to someone who is interested in a career in your industry?

Find an architectural firm, such as Urbahn Architects, that will provide you with the opportunity to “shadow” an accomplished professional or several of them. There are many preconceived notions and myths about what architects actually do. By finding someone to follow for a week, you will develop an understanding of the many hats we wear and what architecture actually entails. It is a different experience than being an intern; it will provide you with a better understanding of the industry as a whole.