2021 Ones to Watch: Desmond Tavernier, Mojo Stumer Associates

Name: Desmond Tavernier

Title: Architectural Designer

Company Name: Mojo Stumer Associates

Who was/is your mentor and how did s/he influence/help you in your career?
So, there’s two people that helped me to get me where I am today, one is Gerry Caliendo, who took a chance on an urban designer coming out of college looking for work during a recession, and my mentor Franz in that same office, who was like an architectural drill sergeant who expected any plan that came across his desk to be perfect. But he was also the type of guy who would lead you to perfection, not just demand it. He answered any question I had while I worked under him. This was critical since I had a bit of a confidence problem being an urban design major in a world of architects. But he would always say it doesn’t matter who draws the drawing as long as the builder can build from it. The lessons and work habits I learned while under his supervision are still with me today. Plus, we are still good friends even though we both moved on to new workplaces and homes.

Now, all the things I’ve learned was put to the test when I became a designer and began working on upscale homes for Mojo Stumer Associates. My biggest project so far and the one I’m most proud of is a condo renovation in Miami. The owner of that condo wanted to go all out, and we delivered. Every room, hallway, and even small corner niches were meticulously designed to both the owners and the lead architect’s standard. I was in charge of creating a lot of the renderings for that project. We ran into some trouble though; our existing software package was too slow and we were always scrambling to get renderings done right before every meeting. The team leader decided mid project to switch to SketchUp; a quicker, more intuitive modeling program. Uninstalling and installing programs is one thing, learning it is a whole different animal. However, I was able to get a handle on the software within a week, just by jumping in it, trial and error and plenty of YouTube videos! Despite the chaos, the quality of the design never dropped. This project ended up being on the cover of a Miami real estate magazine and was nominated for numerous awards.