Meet the Team: Jeremy Christopherson

Through the month of June and into July, we'll be introducing one of our team members every week.

This week, meet Designer, Jeremy! A graduate of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Jeremy has been designing for over 17 years.

What is your favorite architectural style?
I have a strong leaning towards modern architecture. I wouldn’t say that I have a “favorite” famous architect, rather there are several whose work interests me. Renzo Piano, Zaha Hadid, Santiago Calatrava, and Tadao Ando have all been famous modern architects that interest me.

What is your favorite phase when it comes to design?
My favorite phase of the design process is schematic design. It is the part of the process where form and function blend together and a building design is born. Every phase of the process is important but schematic design is where we have the opportunity to analyze the client's programming needs, culture, and vision, and produce a conceptual design that embodies it all in a beautiful building design. All of the other phases are in support of the concept and vision developed during schematic design.

What is your vision of architecture & interior design 10 years from now?
Our industry is changing so rapidly it is difficult to speculate what it will be like 10 years in the future, but I can guarantee it will involve technology. I can imagine 10 years from now it will be standard practice for clients to experience a building design in a true virtual reality environment. Technology may even bring us so far as to where designers may be able to actually design a space interactively with a client in virtual reality.

What is your favorite tool of the trade?
Trace paper. An architect is able to explore a lot of design ideas in both plan and elevation very quickly with trace paper. It is a flexible media that allows you to overlay multiple sheets and develop design ideas quickly without getting into the weeds of production. It can be used at your desk, in client meetings, on project sites, in the park, or at your favorite coffee shop. It is an incredibly useful, flexible and versatile tool.

A close second is Sketch-up. As architects we need to embrace technology and Sketch-up is the trace paper of the 3D modeling world. It allows us to develop 3D massing models quickly in order to express our design concepts for our clients in a clear way that they can understand and interact with.

What is your favorite thing to do outside of work?
I love to lose myself in a movie.

What is your latest adventure?
My wife and I took our 6 kids to Florida this past December for a family vacation to Disney and Universal Studios. The family had a blast and we created some great memories! The kids are already asking when we are going back! Not if… WHEN!

What is the best place you've visited?
I have been blessed to visit a lot of interesting places during my architectural studies, however my favorite place I have ever visited was Rome, Italy. The city is so rich with culture and full of beautiful and important architecture that you can easily lose yourself in that city. The Pantheon is one of my favorite places I have ever visited. It is a powerful space and definitely left an impression on me. Anyone that loves Architecture should visit Rome at some point in their life.

Where is your favorite place to eat?
My wife would say that I am addicted to Fuddruckers, but I really enjoy eating at Kona Grill in Omaha. I have never had a bad meal or experience there and I always look forward to stopping when we visit the area.

Where is your favorite place in South Dakota?
I have created a lot of good memories in the Black Hills. As a child I spent a few weeks every summer in the Black Hills with my grandparents living life at a different pace. I have fond memories driving around with my grandfather looking for deer, riding his horse King, or just talking with him while we watched the cows graze in the back yard.

Which team do you always cheer for?
GO BIG RED! 6 years at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln definitely made corn run thru my blood. They have been great …… and sometimes not so much but I always cheer them on!

What TV show could you binge on all weekend?
Netflix has made this way too easy! I have been a big MARVEL fan since I was a boy so the show I would probably binge all weekend long would be MARVEL’s Daredevil.

What is something people might find surprising about you?
People are always surprised when I tell them I have 6 kids. They are even more surprised when they find out I have 6 kids and I still drive a Mustang … My wife is pretty awesome!