Sarah Killingsworth featured on The Young Architect Podcast
Sarah Killingsworth says that her interest in architecture grew out of an interest in art. She remembers always being a creative and artsy child who was privileged to be able to participate in a number of fine arts while growing up.
Sarah got the idea of going to architecture school early on, but when it was time to go to college, she got cold feet. She was concerned that her science and math skills weren’t strong enough to handle a career in architecture, so instead, she began pursuing a career in fine arts. However, she soon realized that she wasn’t being challenged the way that she wanted, so she made the switch to studying architecture at the University of Houston.
During her time in architecture school, Sarah knew that she needed to make connections with other people, and that led her to join the AIAS. She ended up serving as an officer for four of the five years that she was there. She says that the organization not only helped her make professional connections, it also taught soft skills that aren’t typically part of the architecture school curriculum.
In today’s interview, Sarah also talks about where her career went after architecture school. She discusses working in an organization that focuses on K-12 public education buildings, and how that work connects to the communities that she works in. Sarah also talks about the architecture licensing exams and the challenges and biases inherent in them. Listen in to the episode to hear Sarah talk about educating and encouraging young architects, licensing exams, and what Sarah would like to see changed in architecture culture.
