Q&A With Mia, SweisKloss Designer + Project Manager

Source: SK Staff

Q&A With Mia, SweisKloss Designer + Project Manager

by SweisKloss
February 10, 2022

Mia Lalor has been a Designer + Project Manager with SweisKloss for almost a year now, and we couldn’t be happier to have her here. She brings a great energy to the team. Her design sensibilities, positivity, and work ethic blends perfectly with our studio environment. To mark this milestone, she agreed to do a quick Q&A… SK: What have been some project highlights for you this past year?
ML: There is a project I'm working on where the property site is in Austin, Texas. It has been an interesting and enjoyable challenge to design + construct a project out of state. It’s a ground-up build, and the client has been open to the unique design concepts we proposed. We’re using rammed earth, a material that offers a sustainable building method and works well in a range of environments because it is so durable. We are also implementing water harvesting, which we consider an intelligent option for water supply in residential applications. SK: How has it been working at a design + construct firm?
ML: I have always had a strong interest in working at a design-build firm because you get to be involved in the whole process of building a project, from its vision to its final completion. As an architect it is gratifying to see how our ideas end up being real structures. I like that a project follows the guidelines of a team that is completely familiar with how to create and manage the various components. I worked at firms in other countries where construction and the use of materials were done differently. Coming here to California and being a part of SweisKloss has been an excellent opportunity to learn new techniques and present diverse ideas.

SweisKloss; a rendering for the Austin, TX new build project

SK: What are some of your favorite things about living/working in Santa Monica?
ML: I like the autonomy Santa Monica has within the Los Angeles area. It has its own downtown, and the best part is having the ocean as your backyard. Leaving work and being able to run along the beach promenade is a plus. There’s a great balance of nature, city, beach, and mountains. Just the other weekend, I was able to go skiing on one day and surfing the next. Mia was born in the U.S. but raised in Argentina where she received her Bachelor of Architecture degree from Universidad de Buenos Aires. She worked for a few firms in Argentina before moving with her husband to Los Angeles. When not at SweisKloss, Mia enjoys working on her pottery. She also loves yoga. She received her certification to be an instructor after doing a two-month retreat in India. “I like to think that solving design problems and practicing yoga postures support each other. There is a real sense of wanting to master the craft, which is beautiful.”