20 Questions with Nicole Thomas

Title: Project Designer

Years in the Industry: 2

Been Loving Life at Form Since: Early this Summer but I knew it was true love when I was welcomed with open arms to the annual company crab fest before my first day at FORM.

Favorite Destination: St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. There are so many different beaches on the island and everyone one of them are just as beautiful as the next. I highly recommend vacationing there, you will not be disappointed.

Hometown: Haymarket, VA

Currently Living In: Arlington, VA

Alma Mater: Radford University – Go Highlanders!

Couldn’t Live Without: My coco butter chapstick. It may sound crazy but I can’t go anywhere without it.

If you were a drink you’d be: Tito’s Vodka with Green Tea Ginger Ale and a squeeze of lime. A classic with a refreshing twist.

Hidden Talent: Back in my golden days, I used to dance competitively for a dance company and trained in every style including tap, ballet, jazz, hip-hop and contemporary; to name a few! I guess you could say, I “got moves like Jagger” 🙂

If you were a song, you’d be: Castaway by Zac Brown Band because it’s all about relaxing and having a good time.

Last Meal: Eggplant Parmesan. Pretty much anything covered in marinara sauce and mozzarella.

If you weren’t a designer, you’d be: A world traveler dedicated to finding the most beautiful beaches.

Favorite aspect of design: Collaborating with the client and developing a design that creates not only a functional space but also an enjoyable space for their particular needs. Every client and project is different and that’s what keeps us, designers, on our toes!

First thing you’d buy after winning the lottery: A massive beach house to enjoy with all of my family and friends.

Best spot in DC/VA that only the locals know: Citizen Burger Bar in Clarendon. It has locally produced ingredients, a huge selection of beer, a great atmosphere and massive burgers. What more could you ask for??

Salty or sweet: Both! I always smother my bacon with syrup, it’s a must.

Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter: Summer. Nothing’s better than warm weather, sand between your toes and live outdoor concerts.

The one piece of advice you’d share with someone getting into the industry: Enthusiasm is contagious. If you bring passion and excitement to a project, presentation or client meeting it is guaranteed to spread.

The first thing you do when you get to work: Fill of my FORM S’well bottle and read the motivational quote on my Momentum app homepage; it always starts my day off right.

FORM | Family

By: Leslie Baer, Senior Associate

If you hang around the FORM team long enough, you will learn that we are a pretty special group of people. So special in fact, that we consider ourselves family. Over the years, I’ve seen FORM go through some pretty big changes and have been so proud to be a part of it. I’ve been with FORM for over nine years, starting out when FORM was only a few years old and had just a handful of employees. Since then, I’ve watched FORM grow into the boutique, charismatic, fun-loving design based firm it is today.

We call ourselves FORMidables. It’s sort-of like our super hero squad name. I’ve never known a team to have each other’s backs the way we do. Whether it’s a personal struggle that comes up or just a crazy deadline, there is always someone lending a helping hand, no matter how busy they are. It’s our ‘One for all and all for FORM’ approach that truly makes us a, one-of-a-kind, work family.

Over the years, I’ve witnessed and been a part of solidifying the FORM culture we are known for. How many offices do you know of that can turn a lunch-time crab fest into a midnight, bonfire because they genuinely want to spend more time together? I think this comes from a trust, cultivated by hours of creativity and a mutual love of design. The infamous margaritas, inner-office pranks and inside jokes help too.

FORM has a team approach in almost everything we do. This was never more apparent than when we were challenged to design our new office. We gathered for several happy hour design sessions to review plans and share ideas; ideas that were genuinely acknowledged and integrated. The final result is an amazing new space that we love to work in and that inspires us to design equally stimulating spaces for our clients to work in.

It’s no wonder FORM was named one of WBJ’s Best Places to Work. We work long hours because we truly care about the spaces we are creating for our clients. The hours just don’t seem as long when you have great people you enjoy being with in a space that you enjoy working in.

 

 

What’s In Their Bag?

As an architect or designer, you’re constantly running; from meeting to meeting, back to the office and then to more meetings. Your bag becomes an essential vehicle for all the necessities of potentially having to rely on its contents to get through the day. Realizing this, we’ve decided to introduce a reoccurring post that will reveal what our designer’s keep in their bags on a daily basis.

Name: Ronza Youssef
Position: Project Designer

As a Project Designer, Ronza spends about as much time on the go as she does in the office. Whether she is surveying the space of a new project, attending CA meetings, or heading to a happy hour, the contents of her bag always ensure that she’s prepared.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• “I always carry hand sanitizer. Especially for those moments when I have to eat on the go or right before a meeting”
• “I never leave home without my cell phone and charger; that way I am constantly accessible, I can check emails and I can schedule meetings”
• “Mini Nutella, the perfect pick-me-up and my favorite flavor!”
• “I have a mini tape measure on my keychain. You never know when you’ll need to take a quick dimension!”
• “You [or one of your friends] can always use a spare hair tie. Especially for a long [or dusty] field survey.
• “Makeup + perfume. To freshen up after a rough day”

Work vs. Life

By: Judy Shaffer, Principal

 Last year, while on vacation, I was staked out on the beach at the crack of dawn for the dual purposes of a hopeful dolphin sighting and to feed the seagulls a carefully hoarded pile of French fries from last night’s crab dinner. I had the perfect “office” setup with my beach chair, towels and SPF. With my phone in hand, as I waited, I quickly scrolled through the previous day’s email to see what might require a speedy response. I glanced up, only to realize that the dolphins that I had so longed to see were already passing by in the distance. I then looked to my right to see if my boyfriend had seen them only to witness him attempting to feed the gathering seagulls by carefully positioning French fries between his toes and thrusting his leg up in the air to see who was brave enough to take the bait. At that moment I was struck by an “aha!” moment that I had almost missed two remarkable events because I was answering email.

I’m certainly not alone. Was I really doing work? Well, no. Was I really enjoying my vacation? Well, no. I wasn’t actually present in either moment. I read the other day that Gen-X’ers seek work-life balance, but that Millennials seek work-life integration. The common thread is that we’re all trying to make them both work in tandem with some degree of success.
I’m fortunate to work for a company that offers the tools and flexibility so that both the Gen-X and Millennial crowds can find what they’re looking for. Candidly, even with that level of generosity, it’s still hard to maintain balance. An email from your boss or your neediest client after hours is still an email from your boss or your neediest client. Regardless of the tools that are offered, they aren’t much good if you can’t train yourself to utilize them. We’ve been programmed to think that working the hardest makes for the most success and that working the hardest means working the longest but that theory is turned on its head in reality. Working the smartest makes for the most success. Sometimes it means turning off the email after hours or shifting the work hours around to take your favorite afternoon yoga class. On my next vacation I’m determined to unplug. Will I be fired? I doubt it. Will it change my life? I hope so!

FORM Loves Rosslyn

Since moving to Rosslyn late last year, the FORM team has seamlessly transitioned into our new neighborhood. The area has all of the obvious comforts of our old home across the river but with a little less retail temptation and a much easier commute. We’ve discovered an endless supply of resources right at our fingertips and are looking forward to exploring even more as the area continues to grow.

Here are our top 5, favorite things about Rosslyn [at least, so far!]

1. Freedom Park
2. Rooftop drinks at Amuse
3. Food Trucks
4. Our office + private patio
5. Outdoor Lunchtime Bootcamps

Defining Good Office Culture

By: Judy Shaffer, Principal

CULTURE: “a way of thinking, behaving, or working that exists in a place or organization, such as a business.” So says Merriam-Webster. The best companies define it, and usually early in the game. It becomes synonymous with their name and their brand. Think Zappos, Google, Nordstrom or Netflix and you know them by who they are as much as what they are. And if you know us at FORM, you know that our culture is what sets us apart. You feel it when you walk in the door and see it in the way we interact as a team.

If you own or lead a company, the culture you define becomes the guiding star for your employees. It picks up where the corporate policies leave off. It doesn’t just sustain employee enthusiasm (clearly important in itself), but it teaches them how to react and behave in any given situation on behalf of the company. Culture is also an extension of your brand. Remember the old saying that “perception is reality?” Think of this: you meet someone who tells you that they work at XYZ.  Your perception of XYZ is instantly altered based on your opinion of that person. And if you’ve never heard of XYZ? Now that experience has defined your perception of it completely.

The best companies are really just the strongest teams. Teams that work and compete well together do so because they’re well coached. Sometimes it takes a whole coaching staff, but what they teach by word and example becomes the culture of that team. The best part is that it becomes self-sustaining. Teamwork is an integral part of strong office culture and strong office culture is an integral part of a company’s success as a whole.

FORM makes Best Places to Work list!

Recently, we were named as one of the Best Places to Work in the Greater Washington, DC area by the Washington Business Journal. To be recognized among other great businesses in the area is an honor. As a company driven by creativity, we are constantly striving to bring a unique perspective to the industry landscape in both our design services and business culture. Commonly seen as two separate entities; our goal is to provide seamless connections between the two worlds for the benefit of our team and our clients. As if this year wasn’t off to a great start already, this acknowledgement has really provided a new sense of excitement and inspiration within our team. From philanthropy, to projects, to events, we genuinely enjoy being together and when you’re in good company, you’re always having fun!

Internship: Best Practices

Recently, FORM had the pleasure of hosting Allison Hoffman, an interior design student from the University of Kentucky. She spent the week shadowing our staff to gain a better understanding of the field that she was most interested in pursuing post graduation. In the article below, she shares her best practices and advice for other students looking for a similar experience. [Thank you, Allison!]

 

Top [Left to Right]: Jessie Swain, Matt Gannon, Ariel Suares, Cassidy Stoughton  Bottom [Left to Right]: Allison Hoffman, Carrie Riggins, Ronza Youssef

By: Allison Hoffman

I had the opportunity to shadow FORM Architects during my spring break from the University of Kentucky, where I am a third year interior design student. Each year, my university reaches out to firms across the country in order to pair design students with a firm that shares their interests and goals. After being paired with a firm, we contact them to plan our spring break shadowing there. I was paired with FORM Architects because of my focus on workplace design and my interest in experiencing Washington, D.C.

Without the help of a shadowing program, I would suggest reaching out to a firm you are interested in on your own, as I am sure most companies would be happy to host a student at their firm for a few days. If you are already planning on visiting a new city, it would be a great idea to contact a firm there to ask if you could spend time with them to see how they work. FORM had the characteristics of a firm I would love to be a part of in the future, which was a wonderful, eye-opening experience. But, even if you spend time with a firm that ends up not being the best fit for you, it will still be an important learning experience.

When you contact the firm about shadowing, I suggest sending your resume and portfolio to allow them to get to know you better. When the firm can see which skills you have developed in school, they will be better equipped to plan your visit. FORM verified what they had seen on my resume once I arrived at their firm to ensure that they were involving me in the stages of the design process I was familiar and comfortable with. While I was with FORM for the week, I made sure to be flexible and available for whatever they asked me to do and wherever they wanted me to spend time. They had my best interests in mind and had carefully chosen meetings for me to attend with them that would be most beneficial for me. It is very important to be honest with the firm about what you know how to do so they don’t assign you a project that you cannot complete well. While shadowing, you want to help them produce good work in a timely manner, and your honesty will earn their trust and respect.

During your time at the firm, take advantage of each experience you have by asking questions about what you are observing and staying engaged. Firms have a variety of different cultures, so it is necessary to take time to understand the way your firm works. This will allow you to see which characteristics of the company fit your interests and personality, which can aid you in your future job search. Observing the culture will answer questions about how you should dress and act in their environment, and what the firm values. At appropriate times, you should spark up conversations regarding how the firm operates and design ideas you are particularly passionate about. This will show the firm your personality and they will most likely offer new insights and suggest future opportunities to gain experience in those areas.

My last piece of advice is to continue the shadowing experience by taking notes and documenting your time at the firm with photos and sketches. In order to expand upon your experience, it is important to keep in touch with the contacts you made at the firm. A good first step to growing your relationship is to send a simple thank you email. This kind gesture can open opportunities with the firm in the future. I wrote down the advice I received and any new information I learned throughout the week with FORM so I could reflect on those things in the future. Gaining professional experience is so valuable and I would recommend shadowing a few firms (including FORM Architects) to better understand the design process and to get a taste of your future career.

Introducing inFORM

With the first few months of 2016 under our belt and spring in the air, we have decided to breathe some new life into our firm with the introduction of our very own blog, inFORM. We have assembled a great, internal team of bloggers that represent every facet of our brand. Each contributor delivers a unique perspective and voice that will dial in and provide interesting insight into, who FORM is.

We’ve given free rein to our blog team to share their expertise and discuss any topics that they consider to be interesting or inspiring. We’re passionate about design but are collectively so much more than that and hope to convey this through inFORM.

In addition to design and architecture related content, you’ll also get a behind the scenes look into our office culture [something we’re very proud of]. As any architect/designer knows, hours can be long and sleep can be scarce but after we work hard, we play hard.

We’re so excited to share this new part of FORM and provide a unique platform for our team to share what they’re most passionate about.

Don’t be a stranger!