In this episode of our "Behind the Blueprint" series, we head to our Des Moines office to chat with Architect Anna Bednarko. Anna takes us through her personal journey into the world of architecture, sharing the moments that sparked her passion for the craft and what continues to inspire her design thinking today. We discuss the vital role of the architect in bridging the gap between a client’s vision and a physical reality, and why she believes the strongest projects are the result of strong focus on the client's needs. Join us for an inside look at the person behind the drawings and the heart of our Des Moines design team.
(Skyler): Welcome, everybody to another episode of the Laying the Foundation podcast. My name is Skyler; I am your host. And joining me today for another behind the blueprint is Anna! Anna, welcome to the show.
(Anna): Thank you.
(Skyler): Yeah, it's great to have you from our Des Moines office. Anna is one of our fantastic architects there. And Anna, we're going to be talking about you. what led you to become an architect? What made you get into design? Like, where. Where did it all start? So, I guess kicking things off. Where are you from? What really sparked that interest? What made you want to get into architecture?
(Anna): So I guess to start where I'm from, I'm actually from Petersburg, Illinois, home of Abraham Lincoln.
(Skyler): Nice.
(Anna): So I grew up just around the corner from New Salem, so it was cool to see historical architecture. and then I went to school in Springfield, Illinois. Abraham Lincoln and a lot of the historical buildings and the Capitol, old state capitol, new state Capitol, and then that era of where he had traveled to come to Springfield. So again, architecture has been around me in different eras. I went to high school at Springfield High School, and then for college I went to Iowa State. I knew they had a really good architecture program and design program in general. I knew I wanted to do architecture when I was in high school. We had a class where we had to give a presentation on what we wanted to do after high school.
And so I had to think about it for a little bit and was like, I guess I didn't really know exactly what architecture was at that point, at least in detail. And I was describing it to my parents, and they were like that seems like that would be architecture. That sounds like what you're interested in. And as I did the report, that was when I was like, “Yep, this is aligning perfectly with what I want to do.” So went to Iowa State and pursued it, and now I'm at CMBA.
I've been with CMBA, and in architecture professionally, for eight years in May. And I got licensed last year. So, I'm. I'm excited to say that I'm official.
(Skyler): That's awesome. That's fantastic. So high school, that was where that spark initiated that, “Okay, I have ideas of what my career that I'd want looks like, what is it? What does that mean?” And then you pieced it together and, thanks to your parents giving you the idea, it all is like, “Oh, architecture. There it is.”
(Anna): Yes. I grew up doing a lot of home projects. It was when my grandparents were retiring, we were cleaning out their houses and fixing them up. And so I think that's where that spark came as well. We are a DIY family, and I absolutely will say that I have continued to do that throughout my time, like just being on my own.
(Skyler): So that's awesome. Well, and that's a cool way to spark things. And I know everybody always talks about how important like the construction side and things along those lines can be for an architect. Like, it's, it's better to like get that hands on experience and see it from that side. So then when you're designing, you have a little bit more connection to it. So I think that's fantastic. DIY construction type stuff. That's awesome. That's a fantastic way to move into that.
(Anna): Yeah. Oh, yeah.
(Skyler): Fantastic. Awesome. So would you say between your time here at CMBA, or any other project stuff that you've done, would you say there's any particular direction that you like to move in for project projects or a particular, I don't want to necessarily say style… that feels, I don't know, maybe a little broad, but anything that you would consider your favorite element of design or something that you really enjoy doing within design?
(Anna): Yeah, I would say that… I guess right now with CMBA, I am in the higher ed sector.
(Skyler): Oh.
(Anna): So I do a lot of renovations, which I like because there's a challenge with everything. Getting to older blueprints that may not even make any sense to anyone now. Sometimes you're like, “How did these get even built?” But they're really fun to look at. So I think I do really like the messy renovations. It's a challenge for me. I'm a project manager in a lot of the roles that I am in, so I like to keep the project organized. And from start to finish, see the project through. Through design, through construction, as I mentioned before. And we were talking about how I'm not hands on constructing our projects, but I'm getting to go on site and interact with contractors. So, I enjoy doing that because I can ask them questions too. And also see firsthand how are they handling situations or how are they building these things. And then as most renovations do, it never goes easy, like when problems come about, figuring out and working with the contractor to figure out the best solution moving forward. So I would say it's a broad thing from start to finish, but it's a very interesting thing. And I like being challenged in that way.
(Skyler): Absolutely. There's a lot of strategy that has to be involved and not even just… I mean, obviously you have to plan ahead, but then also things are happening along the way that you're going to have to tweak the plan, or you're going to have to pivot in some way, shape or form and make sure that it works so that it makes sense. It's like a puzzle. But at the same time the pieces of the puzzle sometimes change or, I guess, swap themselves. You're holding the piece and you're like, “I think this goes here.” And then all of a sudden it changes which piece it is and you're like, “Whoa, okay, I guess this needs to go over here now.”
(Anna): Right.
(Skyler): And obviously we've done a few episodes talking about higher ed projects and I know with a lot of them they are buildings that have been around for hundreds of years, sometimes. So there's the constant struggle of trying to, when you talk about the renovations, trying to update this building so that it's up to today's code and, on top of that, has a lot of the modern-day stuff. But you're working with something that's existed for so long and it was built so long ago. I mean that's a big challenge in and of itself.
(Anna): Of course, for sure. I know that we're doing… You'd think it'd be a very simple project, just a hardware project. But it's a National Registered Historic Place, and you want to preserve a lot of this stuff. But just trying to think logically of how do you describe to the contractor to make it seem intentional in the way that you're providing these hardware pieces that weren't even thought of. This building was built in 1902 and you're trying to figure out how to make it aesthetically pleasing to put electrical components to get to the door hardware I guess that's one that comes to mind. There's just a challenge in itself. It's fun to look at and you usually have to look at it a couple of times to figure it out.
(Skyler): Sure. And you've done a few already. So there's like a growing set of knowledge that comes with that.
(Anna): Right.
(Skyler): Like, “Okay, well I've seen a similar problem to this before. I think I have a solution for it because it's something that we've done similarly to a previous project.” Which is nice.
(Anna): Yes, of course it is. I have my own little notebook on my computer that's like “lessons learned” or “things that have come up in other projects” just to keep track. So if it does occur, which hasn't occurred yet, but you never know.
(Skyler): Yeah.
(Anna): It's nice to have it down just to be like, “What did we do at this project, or this situation?” And that sparks an idea to help with something that might be similar.
(Skyler): Absolutely. And it's just good organization for sure. Awesome. So, alright, you talked about project management. I know everyone hates when I ask this question because it's not a very good question admittedly, but an average day or maybe we say an average week, maybe that’s a better way to go for what you do. And I know with project management there's like 101 different things that are probably going on all at the same time.
(Anna): Right. So I juggle a few different projects, some in design, some in construction. So I think if I were to say a typical week, I would say most of the time it's me organizing a schedule or working with either design project managers from a facility to get project meetings scheduled and then also working with consultants, if we're in the heat of the design, wanting to work and meet with them just to coordinate mechanical, electrical, and plumbing items, making sure that it is either enclosed within a wall system and that it's aligning properly and it's following the codes, and that's something that we're working them on.
And then also having those client meetings. Say we went on site, we found some things that were unforeseen based on the existing drawings that we were looking at from, who knows when, and making those updates and showing the client like, “Hey, actually we discovered these columns in the middle of this room. Here's how we would handle it.” Just letting them know, “Here's some updates on your design as we're moving forward. Do you have any questions? Do you have concerns?” And then working with the project team here to make those adjustments and letting them know what's happened in that meeting if they're not able to attend. And then from the construction side. I would say going to the site, talking with contractors, just getting a progress of like what has happened at the meeting. Usually it's biweekly meetings, so getting to be on site, see who has been there, see what has been updated, see what's been discovered. Sometimes there's unforeseen things, and if it's not documented correctly from previous projects then we try and again and solve those problems with the contractor. So, I would say that's like a typical week. There's a lot going on.
(Skyler): Yeah, I would say so. I mean, geez, there's so much coordination, meetings, obviously going and looking at the project and seeing where things are at so that you can update various things, and changing things, pivoting things. All of that stuff combined into one. So yeah, one crazy hectic week.
(Anna): Yes. But it's fun.
(Skyler): Yeah.
(Anna): There's a lot of communication. I think, just in design and construction in general, communication is key because we're working with not only like our team and our consultants, but we are also having to reach out if there are products that we don't know about or door hardware is a great one. I personally don't know all the door hardware that exists. So I need to contact someone. So there is a lot of communication that's involved to get a project moving as smooth as you can get it to.
(Skyler): Absolutely. And I think that's a really good point too for those that are listening that are maybe looking at architecture as a career you're not on your own. Just to clarify here, I know… you're talking about all these different things that you're working on and how crazy and hectic it can be, but you're not doing it by yourself. Just to clarify.
(Anna): Right! Yes, there is a project team. We are a team. It's not just me. I just happen to be a project manager in the role to help get us all together.
(Skyler): Yeah, absolutely. Somebody's got to lead the charge and bring everybody together.
(Anna): Right.
(Skyler): Because the project has got to have cohesion. You’ve got to have communication, and somebody's got to make sure that that's happening. So if everybody's just off doing their own thing, who's putting it all together at the end of the day?
So, with that being said, of the projects that you've worked on and you've done a lot of this stuff for. Are there any particular ones that really stood out? Whether it be something that you really enjoyed or something that gave you an extra challenge? I know you said how much you enjoy the challenging side of things. Maybe this particular project was a lot harder than some of the other projects. Whatever definition you attach to that, again, it could just be like, “Oh, this was one of my favorite projects to work on.” And that's awesome. I'd love to hear about it.
(Anna): I think I have two, but I will note the first one because I think they're slightly connected. The first one is the Linquist Center at the University of Iowa. We did a renovation where it was renovating existing office spaces into classrooms on the south side of the building. And on the north side, it was providing classrooms and an office suite for the dean, student commons, and a cafe and just working with the clients. They were super carefree and just wanted to have fun in the meetings. But it was also the way that we handled the design we made it fun, and they were able to understand what we were trying to move forward with in the design. And we were able to create a nice project for the students.
I will say that I go when I'm on campus and I'm waiting between meetings, I do go and just sit in there. And it is a really nice space. I really enjoyed it. And, I will say that the project team that we had at CMBA was also just… It was one of my first projects as an architectural designer when I first started. So, I learned a lot from the project team. And, again, the communication was amazing. So I learned a ton. And I would say that was probably my favorite.
(Skyler): Awesome.
(Anna): And then what ties into the second one is the dean of the college actually recommended us because of that project to do the next one: Blank Honors Center. It was a student mental health clinic. so it was two different departments coming together. And, I learned about the clinicians for the student mental health. I didn't really know, to be honest, that was a thing. So, it was interesting to hear from their perspective, how they're teaching, students that are coming in or wanting to learn this profession, and then how they are helping each other learn and helping the clients that are coming in. Whether they're first graders or adults, how do they work with them just to help them through a difficult time in their life. So, I think that was my second favorite.
(Skyler): Very cool. And obviously connection there. I can imagine it feels really good, like you mentioned for the first one, being able to go to that finished space and just soak it in looking around and seeing it completely finished and everything's the way that you guys had planned it out to be. And man, that would be… That's got to be an awesome feeling.
(Anna): Yes, it is very fun. And it's really nice when I go and visit those spaces, I try to, if the user is there, I try to just say hi and see how things are going.
(Skyler): Oh, awesome.
(Anna): You never know. I mean, obviously, it's also where I'm learning. You're learning lessons too. Like, we're not perfect by any means. We think that we take the goals of what they want for a project and we move it forward as best as we think. And so it's nice to hear from them if there are maybe some issues that have come up or things that next time I think we would do this, this and this. Again, lesson learned for the future, whether it's them as a client or someone else. Just keeping that in mind for future design.
(Skyler): Yeah, absolutely. I mean, there's always going to be unforeseen things that come out of a space. We do so much research, we do so many studies, and we work with the clients and a lot of different elements of the clients. We'll sit down with everybody from professors and teachers all the way to the administrative staff and the custodial staff, just to get everybody's input so that we know this is how the space needs to function. And there's always unforeseen things.
(Anna): Right.
(Skyler): Something they didn't even tell us about, and they didn't think about either. So there's no way we could have designed for it. But good to know for next time.
(Anna): Right. And needs change too!
(Skyler): Oh, true.
(Anna): You know, the whole profession develops and everything else.
(Skyler): Technology is always changing. We don't have a crystal ball, to be fair. If we could get one, if someone out there has one that honestly works, we can talk, but…
(Anna): Right.
(Skyler): Well, I guess tying into that. Obviously, we can't plan for the future, but within what we can plan for and what we can work on, what would you say are some of those key elements to great architecture and great design?
(Anna): Again, and this plays off of our mission with CMBA, but at the end of the day, great architecture is the client over you. You may think that one design element that you're so passionate about may be the best solution for them, but at the end of the day that's where Architecture falls apart for them. So, I think great architecture is just making sure you're following the client's goals and making what they want. Because at the end of the day it's their space. We aren't in the space. It needs to work for how they want it to work.
(Skyler): That's a good point. I mean, you go and visit the space for sure, and you talk to the clients, you get to experience the space, but they're in that space every single day. So you want to make sure that they're happy with it, they enjoy what's around them. So that totally makes sense. We're working for clients here. We want to make sure that they have the best experience. I love that.
So for those out there that might be listening and they're thinking about going into architecture, is there any advice you'd give them or direction or maybe a recommendation on where they could focus?
(Anna): See, so, when I graduated, I didn't really know what type of architecture I wanted to do. I just wanted to learn it all, which I'm still learning it all. And I’m still thinking about it with an open mind. And I think that would be the advice. Just go in with an open mind, because architecture could literally be anything. So, whatever you're studying, just learn a broad range of things and then see what you're interested in and go and move towards that focus. But again, I think just trying to learn a little bit of everything is always nice.
(Skyler): Absolutely.
(Anna): The jack of all trades.
(Skyler): Yeah, absolutely. And that way, when you get to the architecture firm that you work for, anyone who needs help can be like, “Hey, you know at least a little bit about this. Let's dive in and hopefully you can contribute to whatever projects are up.”
(Anna): Right, and I will say that another thing is be okay with asking questions. It's okay to ask questions. And if you feel like you've done some task or some role to its fullest, maybe just ask, “Hey, I would like to try doing instead of design phase, I would really like to try doing construction administration.” Learn that role. Don't be afraid to ask to do something.
(Skyler): Sure, yeah! Progress yourself.
(Anna): Right. And I feel like leadership in any company doesn't know what you want unless you say something. So, not being afraid to ask.
(Skyler): Right. Like, “Hey, I don't want to get them out of the zone of they come to work, they do the job that we assign them and then they go home.” I'm not going to step on that. But if they want to do more then you have to put that out there for sure.
(Anna): Of course, yes.
(Skyler): That makes a lot of sense. Well, unless you have a boss that's just going to pile up stuff on top of you, which that's concerning. But that's not what we do. We let people have that opportunity to choose to move forward into certain direction.
(Anna): Oh, I totally agree. I'm not afraid to ask questions.
(Skyler): Yes. Good! That's fantastic. And I guess with that being said, as far as working at CMBA, you said I think eight years, right?
(Anna): Yes, almost eight.
(Skyler): Almost eight. Awesome. So eight this year.
(Anna): Yes.
(Skyler): This is 2026. We're talking in January. So, for those that are listening, when this episode goes out, this is the reference. So May 2026, you’ll hit eight years. What have you enjoyed most about working at CMBA?
(Anna): I would say the people. I think everyone is really easy to talk with and ask questions. Again, I'm not afraid to ask questions, but I do have a lot of them because we're learning every day and I think our culture is fitting. I like to be goofy, but I also want to make sure that I'm a hard worker. I think we get along really well. Everyone has a different personality but we all mesh. And, I would say that is what brings me to the office every day. Not just, the projects but also getting to work and being with people that you enjoy socializing with.
Every once in a while, we'll do a happy hour or just talk about a project. Everyone is very tactful in how they talk through projects with each other and want to make sure that everyone's learning something or getting something out of the discussion. So I think it's just a nice, comforting place to be.
(Skyler): Absolutely. The people really make the space, for sure. You can enjoy the work that you do regardless of what it is as much as you want, but if you have to come to an office where the people around you are not people that you're particularly friends with, then it can definitely ruin the experience. Makes your job a lot less fun. So, yeah, it's awesome to have people that are doing that. And just a quick shout out to those that are listening. You should definitely go check out Anna and Joe, also from the Des Moines office, who did a whole episode about company culture. I highly recommend that as well. You've obviously had a hand in building that company culture as well, at least from the Des Moines office perspective for sure.
(Anna): Yes. So, continuing to build it. It was always there, but we’re building it more. And as a new generation comes in, learning from them so we can change the way that we're either socializing or doing, mentoring. I think that's something that is always a challenge, but trying to make sure that everyone is learning how they need to learn because everyone learns differently.
(Skyler): I will say that our research and studies and stuff that we work with don't just stop at the projects that we do. But I know I've seen people do stuff to think through things a little bit more effectively, like how we can handle our company culture and build people up and do better mentoring and all this other stuff.
Adam just did an episode all about how we can tweak our mentorship program. So we're definitely trying to keep up on that and keep growing and keep building, which is so important.
Alright, Anna. We've got all of this sort of history about Anna and her involvement in CMBA. Let's talk about a little bit more of the goofier side. You like to have fun. So we're going to go through a few different questions that delve into this goofier side, or at least a fun side of your favorites and maybe some thoughts that you might have had. So first of all, building on your bucket list. Is there a place that you would love to be able to go and visit at some point in your life?
(Anna): If I had to pick, I would say the palace of Versailles.
(Skyler): Oh yeah.
(Anna): In the gardens in France. It's baroque architecture. Very dramatic, complex, architecture to describe it. Rich ornamentation. I think that is just really cool to look at. I saw a lot of that in Italy when I was studying abroad in Rome in college. And that was one place that I didn't make. We were in Paris and we just didn't have enough time. It was like a weekend trip and I'm like, “Ah, next time if I could just go for like a couple of days.” Because I don't think you'd be able to get through the whole like museum in one day. But I think that would be really cool to go and see.
(Skyler): Oh, that's frustrating to have it so close in your grasp and then it snuck away. It's like, “Oh, it's right there.”
(Anna): So close.
(Skyler): I'll be rooting for you to have another opportunity for sure. That's a fantastic one. Very classy. And this is coming from a guy that doesn't do architecture, so I appreciate you establishing some of the official terminology and styles.
Okay, so backup plan. If you weren't a designer. We had talked about in high school, right? If there was something that tweaked that moment for you and maybe somebody defined something else and you thought, “Oh, maybe I should do that.” What other career would you take on?
(Anna): So, when I was in high school I did a lot of sports and I actually tore my ACL and meniscus.
(Skyler): No!
(Anna): So I had to have surgery and did a lot of physical therapy. So, I actually did think about it when I was a freshman or a sophomore about becoming a physical therapist.
(Skyler): Okay.
(Anna): Because I would still be able to help people and then I would also have the experience of my own to just understand a little bit more from the knee surgery perspective. Like what it takes and all the different things that they do to help you, whether it's exercises or stimulating your nerves or icing only 20 minutes, or whatever. So, if I were not a designer or I didn't want to be a designer, I think that's what I would have ended up moving towards.
(Skyler): Interesting. So going from the science and everything surrounding architecture and buildings and all of that stuff to the science of the human body and physical therapy and everything like that. Very interesting.
(Anna): It's similar.
(Skyler): Yeah, yeah.
(Anna): You’re renovating your body.
(Skyler): Oh, that's good!
(Anna): You're regulating your body to make the structure stronger.
(Skyler): Right. You're building yourself. Okay. All right. So maybe there's an opportunity where, Anna, you open up your own mix between architecture, design, and, physical therapy on this, “Building buildings, building bodies,” or something along those lines. I like this.
(Anna): Start my own YouTube channel or something.
(Skyler): Yeah! This is a unique brand, for sure. I like it. There's cohesion there. Very cool. And you've got an attachment to it, which I think is really amazing.
(Anna): Yes, it's hard work just as much as learning architecture.
(Skyler): Absolutely! 100% for sure. All right, so last… well, I do have one that we ask everybody, but one of the last ones that you specifically chose was the time travelers build. So, if you could go back in time and either see a building that may not exist anymore, maybe it was destroyed or something like that, or to see a building or space or whatever the case that was being constructed at the time and see how they did it and stuff like that. What would you choose? What place?
(Anna): I thought really hard about this. I've watched a couple documentaries about it, which I want to know more on, but I’d choose the Mayan temples.
(Skyler): Oh, yeah. Okay. Yep.
(Anna): I think knowing the construction, how they were… I believe it was bedrock that they were trying to move.
(Skyler): Sure.
(Anna): And trying to figure out how were they moving them. But another thing that I think is very attractive about it is how they use the sun to orientate their temples to light them correctly, whether it's aligning with the summer solstice or the winter solstice, just so they can get light to a certain space. Because I know there's a couple of different temples in that area that they all face the sun at a different time of the year.
(Skyler): Wow. Okay.
(Anna): So I think that would be interesting to see that and track that, because they didn't have the same technology that we do to track that nowadays. They don't have a BIM360 model to help build the sun path and show all that. So it'd be interesting to see the technology of that and how they decided to orientate their buildings.
(Skyler): Absolutely. I think that's always a fun one to hear about is all of these ancient mysteries of how in the world did they accomplish that? We could do it pretty easy, or at least we could do it. How the heck did they manage to pull that off? How is that even possible? You look at Stonehenge and they're always talking about how they managed to transport these stones all the way over here. The Mayans, the building, their calendar, which we all know about, which was supposed to end in 2012. We're all supposed to see the end of the world because of the Mayan calendar. But I digress. How are you guys tracking the sun so efficiently and building these buildings just right to be able to do this? It's mind blowing. Absolutely crazy.
(Anna): For sure.
(Skyler): Awesome. All right, last question I've got for you, Anna. It's the big question that we ask everybody. It is time for the Snackitecture Showdown. So, basically, as I do these Behind the Blueprints with every person, I'm asking them what their preferred snack and beverage is when they're doing their work.
(Anna): Right.
(Skyler): You're designing a project; you're designing a space. What are you snacking on? What are you drinking? And hopefully we'll have a cool bracket at the end of the year and see what everybody voted on.
(Anna): Okay, well, I will say that I snack on granola.
(Skyler): Oh, okay.
(Anna): Homemade granola.
(Skyler): Oh, awesome. Okay.
(Anna): Cinnamon granola with some pecans and walnuts. I snack on that and then I'm typically drinking cold, or hot tea.
(Skyler): Okay, awesome. Do you have a preferred tea?
(Anna): It's usually black or green tea.
(Skyler): Okay, awesome.
(Anna): Gotta get a little caffeine, but not too much.
(Skyler): Exactly. Yep, absolutely.
(Anna): Otherwise you're up all night. At least for me.
(Skyler): Yes, I completely agree. I have to cut myself off at a very specific time of the day and say no more coffee from this point forward or any caffeine. Okay, so we've got tea and we have granola. Those are very different. I have a feeling the bracket's going to be pretty broad, which is cool. It's interesting to see the diversity in everybody's choices when it comes to snacks and stuff.
(Anna): Oh, yeah. I would say if there was a popcorn machine, which I've been trying to nudge Kent about getting in the office, popcorn would be the second one.
(Skyler): I think popcorn was one that's been said before, so that's interesting. I think what we should do is at the end of the year is we should take all the snacks that everybody's pitched and make a crazy trail mix out of it. So, if we have popcorn and granola, they actually go pretty well in a trail mix. So, I think so far, so good.
Well, Anna, thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to sit down and chat with me and tell me all about your experience of becoming an architect. We hope that this really inspires a lot of people that are interested in architecture and maybe looking at it as a student perspective or maybe this is a career they want to get into. So, thank you so much for sharing.
(Anna): Yeah, thanks for having me.
(Skyler): Awesome. We'll see you guys next time.