firm her-story

Three architects walk into a bar… yeah, we’ve done that for sure, but that’s not how this story begins. The real story starts with three separate people, each growing to embrace the power of design to make the human experience better, learning the ropes of building design in Universities that made environmentally conscious design an ingrained value that shaped each one and ultimately guided them to work at a place that sought to fully infuse sustainability into nature-infused urban housing. 

While the grand experiment of that place wasn’t meant to last, the bond between Andrea, Mel, and Nate certainly was. They formed Ink Built through shared values, a passion for excellence, and a belief that great ideas alone aren’t enough; they must be implemented in ways that positively impact the world and move it to become a more just and equitable home for everyone.

While we still have much to learn and undo about how privilege and power in our society has benefited us while excluding others, we’ve committed to be the change we want to see. We believe that women in leadership is an essential first step that continues into our ever evolving efforts to expand equity and diversity in our firm, our profession, our partnerships, and our community. We are guardians and caretakers for the people we serve; not only for our clients, but the future residents of our projects and the larger community they will impact for generations to come.

Maybe we care too much, and about too many things, but we’re not just pie-in-the-sky idealists. We navigate the constraints of reality but still manage to find joy in the work and care for the people we serve; striving to be and do better while flippin’ the bird to the kind of doubt and pessimism that underpins the status quo.