the women of the glass house series

Stephanie Randazzo Dwyer, AIA

Principal, Project Manager at Machado Silvetti

What is your job title and responsibilities?

Principal, Project Manager at Machado Silvetti. I manage the design team for Menokin's Construction Administration phase.

What excites you about the Glass House Project?

Having not worked on the project in the earlier design phases I was at first most excited about the opportunity to help implement such a unique project, stabilizing a historic ruin in such a way that allows the house to function as an active learning laboratory.  As construction work progresses, I am most excited about the many layers of the house's history that have been uncovered and finding ways to help the foundation preserve and tell these stories.

 Who inspires you?

That is a difficult one, there are so many talented and thoughtful people in the world today that inspire me both in life and in the architecture field.  I am honored that our firm is often considered for projects amongst some of these and inspired that many of these firms are often woman owned;  however, I would probably have to say that my mother would be the top candidate.  She taught me the importance of seeing the beauty in things and the ability to appreciate the rewards of hard work. 

What would you say is your biggest professional accomplishment or the biggest professional challenge you have faced?

I have been pretty fortunate in my career, so the challenges have been nothing extraordinary, just the usual, like raising two children while working full time, and working on projects in cultures that don't acknowledge woman as contributing participants. I would say that the biggest accomplishment to date would have to be completing the renovation and addition for the Denver Art Museum.  Quite similar to the Menokin Foundation, it is extremely rewarding to be able to work with institutions that continue to push the boundaries of what a cultural institution can be. 

What words of wisdom would you like to share with the next generation of women seeking to work in your field?

Spend some time finding what you are truly passionate about and then find a career that incorporates that in some way. The rest is just hard work and perseverance.

Stephanie leading the project team at Denver Art Museum